Final Frays ?

I’ve faced this dilemma twice in the just shy of a year I’ve had In2thefray. The previous times were 1 serious and 1 passing thought that blogging wasn’t a long term thing. This time it’s more of a complete lack of having the motivation and attention span to do it. I’ve been blessed and cursed with people that have added to the “2″ in the tag line and provided advice,opinion and insightful conversation. I’ve enjoyed it immensely. Do I need some time off ? Do I need to pick a specific topic area ? Do I need to pack it in ? I don’t know the answer anymore than I expect any answers to be forthcoming. I do know I’ve put more of myself into the blog and blogosphere than I ever imagined I would when I started. I also know the feelings I’m having are not the exception.

Health Care…

Canada is held up as THE healthcare system we Americans should envy and pursue.I offer this. There is a shortage of doctors coming to Canada. See this link and check out the movie snippet from this previous post

On the Patriot Act…

What are you really afraid of ? How many times a day does the Patriot Act actually impact you personally ? Patriot Act Myths

My Blog nod of the Day…

Task Force Marne News and facts from an unit on the ground in Iraq .Not on the evening news or your local paper.

My Editorial nod for today. Hillary Lite ?

An analysis of Islam I agree with hence I can’t get into the whole scaremongering,chicken little all Muslims are terrorists,it’s the end of the world Islamophobe thing.

What I think these young Muslim prisoners demonstrate is that the rigidity of the traditional code by which their parents live, with its universalist pretensions and emphasis on outward conformity to them, is all or nothing; when it dissolves, it dissolves completely and leaves nothing in its place. The young Muslims then have little defense against the egotistical licentiousness they see about them and that they all too understandably take to be the summum bonum of Western life.

Observing this, of course, there are among Muslim youth a tiny minority who reject this absorption into the white lumpenproletariat and turn militant or fundamentalist. It is their perhaps natural, or at least understandable, reaction to the failure of our society, kowtowing to absurd and dishonest multiculturalist pieties, to induct them into the best of Western culture: into that spirit of free inquiry and personal freedom that has so transformed the life chances of every person in the world, whether he knows it or not.

Islam in the modern world is weak and brittle, not strong: that accounts for its so frequent shrillness. The Shah will, sooner or later, triumph over the Ayatollah in Iran, because human nature decrees it, though meanwhile millions of lives will have been ruined and impoverished. The Iranian refugees who have flooded into the West are fleeing Islam, not seeking to extend its dominion, as I know from speaking to many in my city. To be sure, fundamentalist Islam will be very dangerous for some time to come, and all of us, after all, live only in the short term; but ultimately the fate of the Church of England awaits it. Its melancholy, withdrawing roar may well (unlike that of the Church of England) be not just long but bloody, but withdraw it will. The fanatics and the bombers do not represent a resurgence of unreformed, fundamentalist Islam, but its death rattle. Theodore Dalrymple

Speaking of Islam I wanted to do a real post on the “Overwhelming number of Europeans fear Muslims…” “poll” story that blazed the blogosphere. It’s a non story that the one “newspaper” the UK’s Express reported on was no report at all. They left out how the “author” wasn’t and no longer holds the legitimizing position they parade. The report of over 150 + pages had on page 139 the “poll” The numbers regarding Europeans were overwhelming negative. The full story is the US,Israel and most of the Muslim world have far different and far more positive numbers. The world is not falling folks. Be alert,report suspicious activity and know this. There are any number of people of the Islamic faith that are pulling for you and me to succeed in the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. WEF report available as a pdf here

Barak Obama the next JFK

I didn’t think much of the first one. I will grant there are a number of similarities and they’re not good ones. I’m also sick of the media making the coincidental connections. JFK helped a Kenyan student come to America. Guess who ? Yeah BO’s dad. Barak Obama’s assigned desk in the Senate. Has JFK’s initials in it-why ? apparently it was his. Anyone remember all the coincidental conspiracies links of JFK and Lincoln ? Wow eerie BO is from Illinois. JFK 1960 campaign,lot’s of hope no real results unless you think space race,Cuban missile crisis and Vietnam were where the hopeful progressives care to revisit. Previous post here and JFK library here

John McCain: Liar and so much more

I can’t take it anymore. I try to post on it and the rage is crippling. He is smug and arrogant. He thinks he is owed the Presidency. He is absolutely not a conservative regardless of any rating system.His positions with Feingold,Kennedy,taxes,tax cuts,judges of the past 2 years alone wipe out any votes he has hung his hat on. We also can’t forget the lying. If he lies like this now how can anyone give him the job ? He is also an old,crusty bitter pill and I refuse to take my medicine. I’ll just Kevorkian and go with the (D).

Some of my Favorite images.Click to enlarge.

Closed Today and…

I am saddened and sickened by the McCain victory in Fl. and his overall revival. The way entities are lining up behind this guy that was not long ago seen as as pariah (and rightly so) is revolting.

I will not drink orange juice for a couple of days,I have a bad taste in my mouth in that regard.

John McCain, I will NOT vote for you. John McCain you are a liar and a disgrace to the GOP. You are also a complete and utter scumbag. Sour grapes ? No ! John McCain is neither owed or deserving the nomination and if he get’s it I will forever be unenrolled (MA. version of an Independent) .

John whatever service you’ve done doesn’t make up for the disservice you’ve done. Amnesty,tax cuts,judges and so much more. You suck. If you are in the general election I will either stay home or somehow vote for the opposition.

Dhimmi ? Dummy ? Thinker ! Britain III

This was sitting in the filter. I had hemmed and hawed about posting it. In light of a post I’ll rack up later this week I thought I might as well post it. My decision was motivated by the blogosphere being all a gaga over the “poll” that vast majority of Europeans feel threatened by Muslims/Muslim immigration. The “poll” as splashed on the pages of the UK’s Express fails to mention that the former Archbishop is both former as well as not really the author. The full report presented by the world economic folks at Davos will be used for the following post.

Anyway this article was thought provoking since it hit the logic pathways in the ole brain. Read it or at least the following excerpt.

The following is an excerpt from this article.

The fact is that Muslims in Britain are citizens of this country. We are no longer migrants in a Land of Unbelief.

For my generation, we were born here, raised here, schooled here, we work here and we’ll stay here.

But more than that, on a historically unprecedented scale, Muslims in Britain have been allowed to assert their religious identity through clothing, the construction of mosques, the building of cemeteries and equal rights in law.

However, it isn’t enough for responsible Muslims to say that, because they feel at home in Britain, they can simply ignore those passages of the Koran which instruct on killing unbelievers.

Because so many in the Muslim community refuse to challenge centuries-old theological arguments, the tensions between Islamic theology and the modern world grow larger every day.

I believe that the issue of terrorism can be easily demystified if Muslims and non-Muslims start openly to discuss the ideas that fuel terrorism.

Crucially, the Muslim community in Britain must slap itself awake from its state of denial and realise there is no shame in admitting the extremism within our families, communities and worldwide co-religionists.

If our country is going to take on radicals and violent extremists, Muslim scholars must go back to the books and come forward with a refashioned set of rules and a revised understanding of the rights and responsibilities of Muslims whose homes and souls are firmly planted in what I’d like to term the Land of Co-existence.

And when this new theological territory is opened up, Western Muslims will be able to liberate themselves from defunct models of the world, rewrite the rules of interaction and perhaps we will discover that the concept of killing in the name of Islam is no more than an anachronism.

Previous DDT Britain posts here and here

Polar Wars…

Polar bear populations in 1970 less than10k. Today’s population is over 20k. Did global warming cause the increase ? Is global warming really a risk factor for a potential decrease ?

A HK (hunter/killer) submarine vs. polar bears ? No ! USS Honolulu breaking the ice and visiting the locals yes !

For an interesting post on GW/CC my ping of the day goes to ArcLightZero.

image is a readily available image of the public domain secondary to USN.

In2TheFray ? Let’s Jump into the Palestinian/Israeli thing

There’s a handful of issues that are discussed passionately in the real world as well as the blogosphere. These issues are classic “frays” in the fullest sense of this  blogs principles. To that end let me jump into the Palestinian v Israeli conflict.

The following is a couple of days old but it works.

George Habash was a Christian medical student, who espoused the cause of secular Arab nationalism.
He was a founding member, in 1951, of the Arab Nationalist Movement, which later merged with other groups to become the PFLP.
The group designated itself a Marxist-Leninist movement and became the second largest partner in the Palestinian Liberation Organisation.
It carried out more and more audacious attacks in the 1960s, throwing the Palestinian issue into the international spotlight.
It opposed Arab-Israeli peace negotiations and any talk of a two-state solution – Habash often criticised PLO leader Yasser Arafat for negotiating with Israel.
Throughout his life Habash supported the use of violence against Israel.
One of the most deadly PFLP attacks was the gunning down of 27 people at Israel’s Lod airport in May 1972.
Habash stepped down as leader of the group in 2000.
Mr Abbas called Habash a “historic leader” and ordered Palestinian flags to fly at half-mast. 

The bold and italics are me. I did it to point out the fullness of the issue. The guy was a Christian not a Muslim. The Palestinian conflict isn’t exclusively religious. Secular Arab nationalism. This was/is a legit movement that embodies a thought. Marxist-Leninist = Islam ? Don’t think so. Palestinian issue is real. I would also say that there is a legit Israeli issue that is equally real. The deadly attacks flows into the end line which is crucial to the present day. Honoring a person who was involved in killing civilians is not the thing to do when you want peace.

Story here 

The more things stay the same the more they’ll never change. 

Obama the next JFK ?

It’s been said and he’s getting Kennedy endorsements. My question is given the JFK Presidency is it a good thing ?

Dhimmi ? Dummy ? Thinker !:Piglet Fights Back

This is an old story and is brought up from time to time in an effort to reproach Islam and/or Muslims. The story of pig images including Winnie the Poohs side kick Piglet being banned as not to offend Muslims. The storyline is used to point out that the Muslim side of the equation is the problem. I disagree with that point of view. In the “big” case regarding Piglet it seems the decision was made after ONE (1) anonymous complaint. I believe the Thinkers of the world need to wake up the ole brain. The people living in the real world need to take the intelligent stand. Offended by a cartoon pig ? To freakin’ bad. Unless the pig is saying “Screw Muhammed”, “Hey,Let’s make some bacon.” or other targeting comment get over it. Don’t like pork chops ? That’s cool. A cartoon pig,cow or duck on a coworkers desk that says “Good Morning” isn’t a bad thing. We all must get off of this PC crap. Sovereignty isn’t about closing your minds or hearts.

Also for the Muslim specific bit. This from a guy not so open to the non Muslim pop yet.

Inayat Bunglawala of the Muslim Council of Britain commented that “there is absolutely no scriptural authority for this view. It is a misunderstanding of the Koranic instruction that Muslims may not eat pork.” Mr Bunglawala is a typical “moderate” Muslim – he thinks the British media are “Zionist-controlled”, etc – but on the pig thing he’s surely right. It seems unlikely that even the exhaustive strictures of the Koran would have a line on Piglet. this and more from Mark Steyn

It is time to stamp on the Political Correctness holy book. Step up and stand with Piglet .

Hugo is…tan loco

Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez has called on other Latin American and Caribbean countries to form a military alliance against the United States.

That’s right folks. Hugo is looking to establish an alliance of third world nations just in case the US ever decides to attack them. He honestly or delusionally believes he is worth US military intervention. The other countries are Nicaragua,Dominica and Bolivia.

Nicaragua needs a lot of help and I feel for it’s people. The US has hurt the Nic’ and we should do better. Hugo will not do great things for the people of Nicaragua. Bolivia is a potential ethanol and natural gas supplier. They would benefit from the bilateral trade they’d enjoy not as an US puppet but as a sovereign nation. If Morales pisses that away for Hugo he’ll not be reelected. The Dominica is pretty irrelevant to the rest of the world unless you’re looking for a Swiss bank style tax haven.

The four amigos statement was given from Hugo. I think it’s more him than them but…

Mr Chavez has urged them to draw up a joint defence policy and create a united military force against US imperialism.

“If the US threatens one of us, it threatens all of us,” he said, “we will respond as one. quote & story BBC

In2TheFray:Mitt Moment for Today…McCain the…

McCain is a lying piece of _ _ _ _ ! You can add more spaces or you can use your imagination .I don’t really care. I am at a loss why anyone supports John McCain. His patriotism I ‘ll concede is real although his actions in translating it as well as blatantly pimping it should be seen as a serious flaw. This guy has been in Washington too long. He is a big part of the problem. Now he lies and expects the “I was a P.O.W.” line to pass muster. I say no !!!

His latest presentation for evidence that he’s senile is the Romney is for withdrawal lie. Sen. McCain points to part of an interview seen here.

“Good Morning America,” on April 3, 2007:

QUESTION: Iraq. John McCain is there in Baghdad right now. You have also been very vocal in supporting the president and the troop surge. Yet, the American public has lost faith in this war. Do you believe that there should be a timetable in withdrawing the troops?

MR. ROMNEY: Well, there’s no question but that — the president and Prime Minister al-Maliki have to have a series of timetables and milestones that they speak about. But those shouldn’t be for public pronouncement. You don’t want the enemy to understand how long they have to wait in the weeds until you’re going to be gone. You want to have a series of things you want to see accomplished in terms of the strength of the Iraqi military and the Iraqi police, and the leadership of the Iraqi government.

QUESTION: So, private. You wouldn’t do it publicly? Because the president has said flat out that he will veto anything the Congress passes about a timetable for troop withdrawals. As president, would you do the same?

MR. ROMNEY: Well, of course. Can you imagine a setting where during the Second World War we said to the Germans, gee, if we haven’t reached the Rhine by this date, why, we’ll go home, or if we haven’t gotten this accomplished we’ll pull up and leave? You don’t publish that to your enemy, or they just simply lie in wait until that time. So, of course, you have to work together to create timetables and milestones, but you don’t do that with the opposition.

Don’t like the words try it on video…

John you’re old and blinded by the belief you are owed the Presidency. Help the lying hump out someone- show me the pull out part.

Now the Huckster is in on it. Huck who is looking for the VP under McCain has stated this:

” Senator McCain and I disagree on some things like immigration and Human Life amendment, but I’ve never known Senator McCain to be dishonest,” Huckabee said to reporters, after a massive rally at Stamford University, outside of Birmingham.” Many things might be said about him but I would not attribute dishonesty to Senator McCain.”

In further discussing how Romney was in for keeping timelines a private discussion -Huckleberry shows that even someone ordained can be a lying scumbag by declaring Mitt was for a pullout.

Bottom line…Romney supports the surge,defers to the wisdom of Petreaus and wants to see our men and women home and out of harms way. He wants to see a definition to closure. It’s not a pullout.

AP

While he has never set public date for withdrawal, Romney has said that President Bush and Iraqi leaders should have private timetables and benchmarks with which to gauge progress on the war and determine troop levels. He has said publicly that he agrees with Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, that U.S. troops could move to more of an oversight role in 2008.

This post is not approved by Mitt Romney. I dare say Huck and McCain’t would disapprove also.

Don’t Worry.I Like You Mitt…

Romney Leads in Ill Will Among G.O.P. Candidates

TAMPA, Fla. — At the end of the Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire this month, when the Democrats joined the candidates on stage, Mitt Romney found himself momentarily alone as his counterparts mingled, looking around a bit stiffly for a companion.NYT

Yeah it’s a bad thing that the other candidates don’t like you. The NYT has endorsed sHillary Clinton (no way !) so their opinion means what ?

Seriously though. You are competing for the ultimate job and deep down you don’t want any of the other candidates to get the job, right ? Trying o beat people in a contest is not grounds for a love fest . Here’s another possible answer. All the other candidates have been in D.C. . Romney really is the outsider and he’s crashing the party. Damn Him ! I like the last one. I have no problem with the other candidates shunning Mitt. How could I since I’m shunning all of them.

Florida I’m begging ya ! Vote Mitt. McCain is not the solution. If I may speak Clintonese: “It’s the economy stupid”. Vote for Mitt.

btw….he leads in delegates too.

This post was neither approved by or paid for by Mitt Romney.

In2TheFray:Mitt Moment for Today…

In this post I made my support of Romney known. In the post I closed with this.

This is where the embellishment/dreaming part comes in. I further endorse Rick Santorum of PA for VP. I pick Newt Gingrich to head up the health care and education policy measures. I pick Senator J. Webb (D) for Secretary of Defense. I want Bolton back at the UN and I’m mulling my State Dept. choice.

Given my primary VP choice I am sharing this:

“John McCain was not only against us, but leading the charge on the other side,” former Sen. Rick Santorum noted recently. “There’s nothing worse than having a Democratic Congress and a Republican president who would act like a Democrat in matters that are important to conservatives.” And to all Americans. IBD

A 2 ‘fer from In2thefray. Florida I hope you’re paying attention.

In2TheFray ? On Romney 101…

I was just wrapping up my computer time for today and found this article at RCP. The excerpt which is below is typical of anti Romney chatter.

But don’t tell me Romney is the true conservative in the race. His record reveals a solid conservative — when it has been in his interest to be one.

In 1994, when he was running to unseat Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy, Romney supported abortion rights, distanced himself from Ronald Reagan and courted the gay and lesbian vote. While he opposed same-sex marriage, Romney convinced the largest gay GOP organization, the Log Cabin Republicans, that he could support civil unions — and won their unanimous endorsement when he ran for governor of Massachusetts in 2002.

Before his first — and only — term as governor was over, Romney had flipped completely. When Romney came out against civil unions, Log Cabin Republicans felt betrayed. “He shakes your hand, looks you in the eye,” Log Cabin member Richard Babson later told the Washington Post. “It’s hard for me to know what Mitt Romney’s first principles are on a given day.”

Romney had liberal/moderate Republican positions when running for Massachusetts office, then far-right positions when they could help him win the GOP nod for the White House. And somehow he feels no hesitation in framing himself as the true conservative. Yes, thinking people’s positions evolve, but Romney’s evolutions have been too fast and too convenient.

The bold is me since these points beg to be countered. Romney’s position personally and politically on civil unions was sound. Massachusetts was never given the opportunity for that though. You see the Democrat super majority Legislature failed to propose any laws. The SJC of Ma. violated their constitutionally dictated position by violating the Constitution of the Commonwealth and “created” a law. Romney’s opposition to this action was clear and right.

As for his feeling the freedom to frame himself well for crying out loud. Yeah let’s not have the right to think and change. When your a journalist or liberal shill you are never held accountable for your changes and adaptations. Romney has been and will undoubtedly continue to be. He has and will undoubtedly continue to explain himself.

Thinking people unite ! Think for yourself. I hope you think Mitt Romney is worth a thought but mostly I hope you think truth is more than a passing thought.

In2thefray:Interesting Article for Today

King’s Dream, His Nightmare
An American professor rejects nonviolence for blacks.CJ

Red Square getting REaDy

Russia plans to roll out tanks and missiles in May for a Soviet-style Victory Day parade in Red Square – the first such show in the heart of Moscow since 1990. BBC

Yep no problems coming out of Russia none at all !

Other recent Fray find.

Others include Putin and missiles here and Russian Bears flying here

Fred is out Get your Mitt on !

Fred Thompson Drops Out of the Presidential Race

A really good op-ed about Mitt that unfortunately found it’s way to the NYT’s. here

Cleaning the Street: UK ok ?

The note pad is full and since I have some ideas how I want to move along in my blogging I might as well clean it up.

There was a comment on another post about Englands schools being hotbeds for Islamic radicalization. I would just point out specifically here that the Brits seem to be aware of a potential problem and are intent on acting on it.

UPDATE*****AP

LONDON (AP) — British police have offered to train university staff to spot extremists operating on campus despite complaints from Muslim students that they could be unfairly targeted, a government document said Tuesday. bold mine

The demands of some Muslim students were “unrealistic” in a secular, historically Christian country, he said. “If young Muslims are led to expect that their religious needs can be addressed as fully as would be the case in a Muslim country, then they will be disappointed.

“It follows from this that there is a risk that for some young Muslims – and indeed people from other faith groups – disappointment about the degree to which their needs will be met can and does lead to deep disillusionment with our society and a risk that this provides fertile recruitment grounds for extremists,” he warned. Daily Mail

Speaking of youth in the UK.

Violent youth crime up a third

It appears crime is up amongst the wee ones. The other potential sticky wicket as it were is that although enforcement is also up the courts follow through is lacking. Kind of like this side of the Pond. Telegraph

Again speaking of youth in the UK and Muslims too but not necessarily Muslim youth in the UK. The UK has had a bit of a rift with “hoodies” the style of sweatshirt or jacket that is popular in many places. Well much like here in the States the wearers of said hoodies are seen as a negative. Although the banning of hoodies in shopping areas have proven positive there is now a bit of reaction against a shop. There was news on the wires that an off license store has banned head/face covering. Hood,scarf or hijab no service here. There was of course some indignation on behalf of certain persons. This is kind of out of order. Although the shop provides a service to the public it is within the owners right to follow instructions from the police. You see he has been told that such a practice would help in ID ing those caught on CCTV doing the bad stuff. The shopkeeper has banned OAP’s in winter scarves people in hoodies and those in hijab. I suspect if the guy experiences a loss in sales without any real benefit in the shoplifting prosecution side of the equation he’ll change his mind. Till then change stores and get over it.

Dhimmi ? Dummy ? Thinker ! An Answer to Elric66…

The following are from the thread for this post.

31 Elric66

Of course I could ask you what should be done to perserve the West.

32 in2thefray

I was asking you a series of questions and offering you a chance to clearly state your position. Methinks ye dodge now. And let’s add another question. Since you are so well read on the Quran/Koran do you accept that there are two distinct definitions / applications of jihad ?

33 Elric66

I accept the fact when jihad is mentioned in the Qur’an and hadiths, over 90 percent is in the context of warfare.“I want to know what should be done to the billion Muslims,the terrorists, the mosques all of it. Should we gather up all the Qurans and burn them ? Should we shutter up all the mosques and deport all those claiming to be followers of Islam ?”ban Islamic immigration, Ban Islam in the West, burn the mosques down. Deport all Muslims who still claim Islam as their “religion”. Get off all foreign energy and cut off all ties to Islamic nations. Build a prison in Alaska to hold all convicted terrorists since death is too good for them. I forget anything?

Here are my answers…As for the preservation of the West by the end of this post my opinion on that will be clear.

“Ban Islamic immigration...” The ideals of the West and especially those of the United States would vanish with an outright ban of any population group. The control and quota of people coming to America is not beyond the realm of precedent. It is something that should be looked at in the whole picture of immigration. It is not a good idea though to exert our foreign / domestic policy fears the immigration policy. The only other thorn in the side of this is how both unenforceable and unnecessary this is. The ability to surpass customs on basis of religion is pretty easy. The actual numbers of Muslim immigration is not impressive in numbers.

“Ban Islam,burn Mosques down… ” Well this is just crazy for anyone to actually and honestly invoke this thinking in the hope to preserve Western Civ. A nation founded on those pursuing religious freedom yet banning a faith ? Well the Mormons, Shakers and others were roundly castigated by the general public. This is sad given the basic tenets of Christian ideology . Let’s consider the thought of a government banning a religion and the spirit of America. This seem a little contrary to anyone ? The fact that the overwhelming majority of Muslims in America are law abiding means nothing I guess. As for burning Mosques down. This is the ultimate in Orwellian fascism. I can’t imagine how anyone expects to be taken serious over their concerns when they somehow are willing to embrace this level of uber Nazi tactic.

“Deport all Muslims who still claim Islam as their religion…” American history has some line items where groups have been singled out and removed. Either through deportation or repatriation people have been removed. The US also has a history of cowardly allowing people to go face death elsewhere. This latter decision was definitely impacted by the faith of those involved and it wasn’t Islam.

“Get off foreign energy… ” This is extremely narrow in vision. The foreign part is good word use. The majority of US energy is not Islamic in source. Venezuela,Brazil,Mexico,Canada and our own backyard provides the majority of our energy. “… “cut off all ties with Islamic nations“. There are a number of nations that deal quite well with us. They have bilateral trade relations and have actually provided intelligence in our efforts to confront terrorism. To abolish this is just stupid.

“Build a prison in Alaska… ” Well at least you only want to imprison terrorists. The imprisonment of terrorists is a good thing.

Some history lessons:

The Nisei. Actually stepped up large and served their country well. By country I mean the USA and that was in the face of the shameful imprisonment of US citizens secondary to their nationality.

As for the immigration,refusal etc let’s not forget our history in the case of some Jews trying to find a better life. SS St.Louis

So the fact that you and others are willing to embrace fascism in order to preserve the nation is sad,wrong and so much more. Blind mindless hate is never an answer people should champion. Zealots of any stripe tend to be a disservice to humanity.

As for the steps America can take to keep it’s citizens safe and it’s ideals intact. Fight extremism where it is with the allies that honesty provides. The extremists are a danger to all and losing sight of that is counterproductive. Energy independence is for other reasons as is the overall assurance of our national sovereignty. This is not a reason to embrace isolationism or ignorance. Asserting our sovereignty and the culture of America is key. Religious freedom does not excuse a Baptist or a Muslim from obeying the laws of the country. This is how it should be. The Constitution is a great thing when we champion the spirit of all of it. Cherry picking and misinterpreting parts of it (or words from Holy books) is not the way to live.

I don’t know if any further dialog between us could be productive. I2TF

WPBA Group Post HQ…

Here I’m depositing links to those posting on the WPBA group posting. The WPBA is posting up diverse views today (the beginning of Bush’s last year) and I think it’s a great form of screen time. It’ll be only eclipsed by the NE Patriots v Chargers game.

So far….

W The Likable ? by In2thefray

The Final Countdown. by Hysterical Raisins

Some thoughts on a President with a year to go. Ned Raggett

One Year and Counting. Wickle at 1truebeliever

Bush’s Swan Song. Steph

Bush’s Home Stretch. by Chen Zhen

Thank You Mr. Bush… at NoCompromises

Tale of Two Bushes. by BMAC

***New adds as I find them. From Ryan at Pro Patria a different viewpoint on the subject. This post is about the future (and present ?) of the Conservative movement. post here

WPBA 1.20:W the Likable ?

Today in light of it being “the beginning of the end” members of the WPBA are posting views on George W Bush. The views are sure to be diverse and cover a spectrum. The following is my addition to the conversation.

People have pretty clear opinions of the Dubya. There are those that liked him and either still do or have slid into the ambiguous category. Of course the parties that have always hated him have had absolutely zero easing of their loathing.There is a lot of chatter of how Bush is the worst President ever. The history is alledgedly already written on his legacy. People that believe this say the story is written in the blood of American servicemen and Iraqi civilians. They further state he has a record of destroying the Constitution and his hand is in a wide array of other conspiratorial plots. We must also not forget the oft cited thought that he is just plain stupid. Inarticulate as he may be he never fails to say what is on his mind and some have a problem with that too. So given all this why do some people find Bush likable ?

The Election (2000)…

I won’t get into the court rulings and chads. I’m about the campaigning Bush. He was for the most part “the friendly guy” . He showed up at events like pancake flipping contests and mumbled and stumbled his way through speeches. The point is people liked him. He seemed like the guy you might meet at the hardware store and laugh about something silly.

A Day in September…

The W got reelected the day he stood on top of the trashed fire engine at Ground Zero and stated:

“I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you and the people who knocked down these buildings will hear all of us soon”

Let’s face it. Surrounded by the stereotypical blue collar guy, having the President in a khaki windbreaker,and talking like that is gold baby ! Think about it. It was the thing most Americans needed to hear at the time. He said it and most people liked it.

Standing by your friends…

Rummy and Gonzo. Should he have stood so strongly behind these two ? For fairness I’ll chime in and say NO. There is a subconscious level thing going on though. A normal person sees a leader that isn’t all about throwing people under the bus or playing the unknowing victim and something inside you says. ” That’s good. That’s something I like”. A person on the top taking the blame and the heat as opposed to “I’m looking forward to his/her resignation being on my desk in the morning.”For another example of standing by your friend let’s look at the Blair/ Bush duet. Post 9/11 America had a true ally in Britain. From the guards at Buckingham Palace playing the National Anthem (US) to ponying up troops for Afghanistan and then Iraq. It is the latter that many see as part of the debacle and downfall facing both men. Blair has special ire aimed at him for the thought he went to Iraq as part of a deal to influence American policy. Others dismiss this and just call Tony Blair Bush’s poodle. What some people don’t know or refuse to admit is Bush offered Tony an out.Who doesn’t admire a friend who although he’s committed to going ahead with something crazy,stupid or just wrong offers you an out with no hard feelings ?The classic “I’m doing this and if you’re not in we’re still friends”. As opposed to “if you aren’t with me you’re against me”. This last part was uttered by the W also I know but that’s a little different. As seen in the following.

Plain Speaking…

Bush is not a poet by any stretch of the imagination. He is the brown paper bag of verbal vessels. Here’s the rub. We all like the idea of our President being seen as witty and intelligent. Capable of articulating his thoughts and ideas well and in doing that our thoughts and ideas. Let’s not be prudes though. We’re Americans. The international mongrel we wear jeans to the world table and wonder why there’s so much tableware. The country that watches wrestling, NASCAR and participates in assorted “base” activities like it when the plain truth is spoken plainly.As alluded to previously during the State of the Union address GWB stated

Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.

Some people cringed at this “cowboy” comment. The reality is it was plain American English.Another example involves the Syrians continued meddling in Lebanon and it’s support of Hezbullah. Bush was caught speaking plainly by a mic he supposedly didn’t know was live. He was heard very matter of fact saying to his friend Tony Blair.

“See, the irony is what they really need to do is to get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this s***,”

Professions of Faith…

A majority of Americans state they believe in God. There are Americans that are reluctant to hear people profess their beliefs or even repelled by it. This is true especially when looking at the W. He credits his faith to his life,his work and as the source of strength. There are those that find this refreshing and those that find it repulsive or at a minimum out of line. The following link has a number of God orientated Bush quotes. I think the list exosts more for the latter group but I offer it and invite others to take a look and see where they stand. Times

Bottom line George W Bush has in his day to day existence the things many of us admire. In our democracy we are allowed to also hate these traits. In his final year he’ll offer more for both sides I’m sure. I’m equally sure he’ll be held out for scrutiny on these traits by all. Just saying. I2TF.

Be sure to check the other WPBA posts today.

How many laws do you have to break…

To get some enforcement. As the primary elections are rolling right along I’m hitting some headlines. This story and the previous post about Russia are showing some things we need to be concerned about. The next President is going to be facing some serious S*#@. Who is best for that ?

 YUMA, Ariz. —  A Border Patrol agent trying to stop a vehicle that had illegally entered the U.S. was struck and killed Saturday in southeastern California, agency officials said. FOX

Yeah ! Russia isn’t an issue…

The more things change the more I get the feeling I’m going back in time… 

MOSCOW —

  Russia’s military chief of staff said Saturday that Moscow could use nuclear weapons in preventive strikes in case of a major threat, the latest aggressive remarks from increasingly assertive Russian authorities.

“We have no plans to attack anyone, but we consider it necessary for all our partners in the world community to clearly understand … that to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Russia and its allies, military forces will be used, including preventively, including with the use of nuclear weapons,” Gen. Yuri Baluyevsky said.  

Fox

Hugo Calling…

There is a lot of controversy in the States about Joe Kennedy and the Hugo charity oil. There are claims that the oil isn’t really the benevolent and noble act as much as a political ploy. There are claims that the officially disclosed amounts of oil and the value therof don’t jive with the amounts delivered. To the credit of CITGO/PDVSA the delivered amount is more. The problem seems to be that certain areas MA,RI for example get more per customer than say ME and VT. The commonality being congressional Kennedy’s in the higher areas.Anyway Joey the shill is bristling at the objections of many. He takes the position that Venezuela is who stepped up. Not the USA- not the government and not the oil companies. Joe protests to much me thinks. His ads are clearly SO pro Venezuela and by that I mean Chavez the honesty factor is gone. It seems that the ads were written by Hugo himself. Joe gets paid around 400k for his work. One has to wonder how true this charity is and what is the end result. My opinion is the people that receive the oil are grateful and don’t care where it came from. Joe gets his $$$ and the political favors that abound. Chavez gets some $$ and the propaganda. The Venezuelan people get the shaft. That’s the math as I see it. This last bit is why I hate the “no CITGO” thing. The people suffer since Hugo uses the money for things that don’t benefit the people. If CITGO $$ actually supported the people more than their dictator I wouldn’t use the image and ideology at all.As far as Joe K and his conscience in the grand scheme of things he should tally up some of this. He should also belay the BS about where those that complain get their gas for their SUVs etc. Playing the hypocrite card.This is some background on Hugo and the latest of his controversies. Although on the surface the freeing of hostages is a good thing one must ask to what end ? The FARC still has many hostages and is still a threat. The question now are the playing Chavez or playing along.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has called on the US and European governments to stop treating Colombian left-wing rebel groups as terrorists.Mr Chavez said the FARC and ELN guerrilla movements were armies with a political project and should be recognised as such. BBC

Human Rights Watch directly investigated three cases of abductions followed by suspected extrajudicial executions during our stay in the Zone, and received information regarding over twenty more suspected executions. For the year 2000, human rights groups reported that the FARC-EP killed 496 civilians nationwide, many accused of being paramilitary or government sympathizers HRW

It was a meager gift, too: just two hostages from FARC’s 774, all held in appalling jungle conditions. Those recently released ones showed signs of Stockholm Syndrome. But away from TV spectacles, the Colombian army has rescued far more than two hostages — 117 in 2007 — and unlike Chavez, it still owes FARC nothing.

But that isn’t stopping the sorry spectacle of the FARC trying to sell Chavez as the only mediator who can bring peace in Colombia’s 50-year conflict. FARC is not only trying to use Chavez to exact outrageous concessions for the release of more hostages. It also seeks to draw in Europe’s gullible leaders to weaken support for Colombia.Chavez says he’ll keep in touch with FARC to get back the other hostages, and he’s “sure Colombia will understand.”As big Norman Rockwell-like photos of Chavez hugging hostages circled the globe and pressure builds on our ally to release a FARC prisoner or two or let Chavez consort further with them, it should be recalled that Colombia already gave Chavez concessions. These included the right to fly over its territory, a humiliation because Colombians know Chavez dreams about reconquering their country.But Chavez wanted a lot more. On Friday, he declared the FARC “a real army,” instead of terrorists, giving them a moral victory and sowing doubt and confusion.

He also demanded that Colombia free jailed FARC guerrillas he renamed “political prisoners” despite the fact that FARC traffics in cocaine, kidnaps for ransom, conscripts child soldiers, maims civilians with land mines, assassinates leaders and massacres villages. IBD

Anyway those of you who would like to have Joe K ,Hugo and the Wahabbists bite ya:Gas and oil products from HESS,IRVING,GLOBAL and SINCLAIR tend to be non Hugo non ME especially Saudi Arabia.Honorable mention goes to SUNOCO and CONOCO/PHILLIPS. They have some ME dealings but usually not Saudi.PAST POST OIL RELATED: HERE*****UPDATE IE I JUST FOUND SOMETHING HAHA****Good read from a Heritage Foundation ed. It looks at the political motives behind Joe K and Hugo. Seen in the light of the article it is very interesting imo. Linkage 

Sovereignty Matters Election Style…

Here’s something every American should be able to get behind. We do live in the United States of America right ? The states are sovereign and voluntarily compose the united bit right ? The question I have then and please excuse me if I’m being naive.

Who the hell do the DNC/RNC think they are ?

“Punishing” sovereign states that hold

their primaries early ??

Race Card-Gender Card. This fight card is a GOP win…

“Republicans are the party of racism,sexism and elitism”. Yeah right ! The Dems have bred a PC culture and it seems it has grownup to bite it’s masters. Others have blogged and written about this. I just have to say in my own way that I saw it coming and I’m glad it did. Class warfare,race baiting and empty rhetoric will sadly have a place in American politics. We should remember who made it and why.

Random Fray and Today…

I hit the random Re-Fray button a couple of times and found some past posts that were fitting for the current happenings. I bumped up the Take the Hillary Pledge post. The others are here:

An interesting Romney /Iran kind of thing here

An early Dhimmi ? Dummy ? Thinker ! ( here) that is in line with the latest of that series.

And given the latest Hillary no illegal females thing ( see Jules Crittendon) in Las Vegas this past Fray. 

Take The Hillary Pledge…

Dhimmi ? Dummy ? Thinker ! The Latest “ism”

There are way too many people that are twisting their panties over Islam. The sad thing is their histrionics take the focus off of those people and places it is badly needed and much warranted. One thing for sure is the logic track is suffering in any case. The latest thing to be flung my way is the thought of a “massive white army joining Al Qaeda”. I’ll throw this out there knowing full well there are those who can’t/won’t get it.

The potential base of people (especially in Europe) that are open to conversion and radicalization are not so much pious as they are opportunistic. These individuals are looking for the avenue to rebel and Islamic extremism offers it. I am amazed how people lack the historical hindsight of 60’s campus radicalism, the KKK and movements such as Nazism. These machines from the small to large have one thing in common. The need to take good people and twist their idealism and enthusiasm into tools of oppression,violence and obedience.

The man believed to be the leader of the little group, Fritz G., the son of a doctor and an engineer, was himself a student of engineering, of mediocre attainment. He grew up in Ulm, where a quarter of the population is now Muslim, and at the time of his parents’ divorce, when he was 15, he began to frequent the Islamic Information Center of Ulm, and also the comically named Multikultihaus in the neighboring town of Neu-Ulm, where young men of jihadist views, including Mohammed Atta, had long congregated. In 2004, he was spotted at the Ulm Islamic center, selling a journal called Think in the Islamic Way. In December of that year, the police found propaganda in favor of Osama bin Laden in his car. In 2006, he went to a terrorist training camp in Pakistan.

His fellow conspirator, Daniel S., came from a well-off family and converted early in life to radical Islam. He traveled to Egypt to learn Arabic, and then returned to Germany, where he sometimes irritated his neighbors by praying loudly in Arabic three times a day.

All this suggests that Islam is fast becoming the Marxism of our times. Had Fritz G. and Daniel S. grown up a generation earlier, they would have become members of the Baader-Meinhof Gang rather than Islamic extremists. The dictatorship of the proletariat, it seems, has given way before the establishment of the Caliphate as the transcendent answer to some German youths’ personal angst.

The above blockquote captures it succinctly.It is based on the latest German home grown terror plot suspects. It is by Theodore Dalrymple and full text is available here

Global Warming in Saudi Arabia…

I don’t know if this would qualify as “snowballs chance in hell” type stuff but it’s a trip.

Morning and afternoon prayers are being combined in many mosques because of the morning cold and some schools will reopen later than scheduled.
The bad weather is fun for children and teenagers, however, who have been making snowballs and building snowmen with enthusiasm.

Post sources. Novosti RU and Arab News (Saudi) Yeah you might have trouble finding this on AlGore Beetch Channel,No Brains Channel or Climate Bull Shit.

Super Fray…

This is the biggest desktop clearing,mind cleansing and time freeing post I’ve ever undertaken.I’m off for a while. I’ll be in and out. Let’s jump-In2thefray.

Dhimmi? Dummy ? Thinker ! “Headlines”. Where’s the Outrage ??

It may be out there on the wires and in the blogs. I’m just throwing this out there as a point. It’s not Muslim so does it raise the same ire ?

US President George W. Bush, center, stands with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, right, and Israel’s President Shimon Peres as they listen to an Israeli girls choir sing in the Hall of Remembrance in the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem AP photo

Immigration…What state wants Deval ?

I’m giving him away. I’m even willing to smuggle him in coyote style to any sstate other than where he’s killing me. “Together We Can” was his tag line during his campaign and right now that seems to mean the following. Together we can ignore the wishes of the people and their elected officials and offer in state college tuition to ILLEGAL ALIENS. Yes it seems Deval wants to join the other 10 states that offer in-state tuition to illegal aliens ( California, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Washington). A guy from New Hampshire or a lady from Rhode Island who works in MA. can’t get this deal but a criminal can. Makes me proud to be from the Bay State.

Gov. Deval Patrick is seeking to do an end-run around Beacon Hill lawmakers to offer in-state college tuition breaks to illegal immigrants, setting up a potential clash with the Legislature, which shot down a similar plan in 2006. Boston Herald story

The Grass isn’t always greener (on the other side of the Pond)

Since cannabis was downgraded from a Class B to a Class C drug, the number of adults being treated in hospitals and clinics in England for its effects has risen to more than 16,500 a year. In addition, the number of children needing medical attention after smoking the drug has risen to more than 9,200.

Doctors say cannabis abuse can contribute to a series of mental health problems

Almost 500 adults and children are treated in hospitals and clinics every week for the effects of cannabis.

Its health toll is revealed in official data compiled by health authorities and obtained by The Daily Telegraph.

This absolutely doesn’t apply to us in the USA. Bwah bwah bwah…

The Nanny of London…

All of old Blighty it would seem. I’ve enjoyed the works of Dalrymple (and others) as much of what is said has been personally experienced by me. I’ve been to England and there was a definite grayness to it. It went beyond the to be expected aspects of urban areas etc. There was something that really gnawed at me when I was there. In pursuing the matter I keep coming back to the policies of government after government. To be the fair Anglophile I’ve seen signs of this grayness here in America as well. It seems to be a nasty dinge that shadows the soul.

For millions of its inhabitants, Britain is a failing state. It assumes responsibility for education and health care without regard for results; and it fails in its most basic duty, to ensure that its inhabitants can go about their business with reasonable security.

A recent incident—the assault of a 96-year-old man—has brought home to the British public just how little it can rely on the state for protection. The assailant, 44, was frustrated that the elderly man was in his way as he tried to board a train. Shouting “You bastard!,” he punched the man in the face, blinding him in one eye. The attack occurred in full view of many other passengers, and a closed-circuit television camera captured it as well. CJ

And this.

Indeed, there may never have been such an enslaved generation, in thrall to hang-ups, taboos, restrictions and oppressions unknown to their ancestors (to say nothing of being neck-deep in debt, thanks to a moneylender’s economy).
We were freer by far 50 years ago – yes, even with conscription, censorship, direction of labour, rationing, and shortages of everything that nowadays is regarded as essential to enjoyment.
We still had liberty beyond modern understanding because we had other freedoms, the really important ones, that are denied to the youth of today.
We could say what we liked; they can’t. We were not subject to the aggressive pressure of specialinterest minority groups; they are. We had no worries about race or sexual orientation; they have. We could, and did, differ from fashionable opinion with impunity, and would have laughed PC to scorn, had our society been weak and stupid enough to let it exist.
We had available to us an education system, public and private, that was the envy of the world. We had little reason to fear being mugged or raped (killed in war, maybe, but that was an acceptable hazard).
Our children could play in street and country in safety. We had few problems with bullies because society knew how to deal with bullying and was not afraid to punish it in ways that would send today’s progressives into hysterics.
We did not know the stifling tyranny of a liberal establishment, determined to impose its views, and beginning to resemble George Orwell’s Ministry of Truth.
Above all, we knew who we were and we lived in the knowledge that certain values and standards held true, and that our country, with all its faults and need for reforms, was sound at heart.
Not any more. I find it difficult to identify a time when the country was as badly governed as it has been in the past 50 years. Daily Mail

Sesame Street a Dead End ?

I remember the street of my childhood. It was entertainment on a rainy day , it was a show “just for me” it was a lot of things. It was never my babysitter or sole source of education. It was also never meant as the source of my moral/social code. I say all this because with the release of the early episodes on DVD the likers of the St. are presented with a disgusting twist. The people think the Sesame Street of yore is inappropriate for today’s children.

The vintage Sesame Street characters couldn’t make on T.V. today, she argues. Just look at Oscar the Grouch, a fellow who lives in a garbage, gets no help with his obvious emotional problems and shows no ambition to better his station in life. Gone, also, are the parodies of PBS programing and scenes of puppets smoking pipes.

And then there’s the question of pacing. Heffernan points to what now feels like an interminable bit about the origins of milk. “Was life just as such a slower pace that this made sense to preschoolers and adults?” she says. Maybe so. NPR

I personally think the values of the past were pretty good. I also wait eagerly for the report on how all these kids today with ADHD etc. can trace there issues to being placed in front of Elmo and the new Street menu of PC watered down nonsense.

I say C is for COOKIE and the COOKIE Monster should have all he wants. My childrens real world diet is not dictated by pretend world characters. Oscar is a grouch. That’s the freakin point of the character ! I can’t believe the thought of this drives me so crazy. Let’s turn right and drive away this neighborhood is nuts.

The Potential of Global Warming and Climate Change …

I tell you what I saw this Day by Day strip the same day I opened up a statement from my mutual fund company. They were proudly announcing the burgeoning potential of investment opportunities related to the GW/CC scam er I mean crisis. Yeah that’s the ticket,the stock ticket that is.

 

Ron Paulholics are Funny…

I won’t do a disservice to the poor sods that worship this guy and buy into all the alternative press and polling stories by linking to any of them.I will say this though to those upset about the media blackout of Paul and a lesser degree Kucinich. The world according to you all is that RP is the man ! He is well known and well thought of. He wins all the polls and blah blah blah. He’s got nothing but your (or someones money [allegedly]) . It’s gonna be a hell of a hang over for these people. Paulholics rehab will likely not be covered by universal healthcare, but Ron would want it that way.

And if you made it all the way down here… Some Pingage

Abortion,choice etc.Discussion Capital Punishment Presidential Debates are Useless ?!

Clinton Movie banned NH vote counting in ? Infantcide Games (china)

WordPress.com Political Blogger Alliance

N.H. Primary Results Open Thread…

The talk is blazing. What’s your view ?

WordPress.com Political Blogger Alliance

In2TheFray ? Let’s Jump…Comment Inspired Posting

Got this comment in the thread of this post.

The US’ legacy of foreign intervention and misrepresentation as to how/why it has become embroiled in these interventions is lengthy (the sinking of the Maine in the Spanish-American war, the sinking of the Lusitania in WWI, the Gulf of Tonkin incident in Vietnam, Iraq I post Kirkpatrick’s meeting with Saddam’s underlings and Iraq II post the WMD inspections; all of these are clear cases where the US administration manipulated the truth in order to cajole the US public into war). As Thucydides said “Great Nations do what they want, Lesser Nations accept what they must” – the only difference in that modern “democratic” Great Nations wars must be sold to the masses.(BDE)

Not in order for a reason- let’s jump in2thefray…

The sinking of the Lusitania was not misrepresented in the US and was not a key issue for getting the Yanks to go Over There ! There is a clear case to say the Brits misrepresented the Lusitania. The US tact was using it and other incidents as cases of German unrestricted U boat operations. Such is life when one tries to walk the line of neutrality when on one side there are those you like and on another ones yo don’t. The Zimmermann note more inflammatory than Lusitania ? Mmmm. Maybe. Ultimately Wilson’s progressive new world order dreams were the cause of US involvement entering Europes little inbred squabble.

Gulf of Tonkin. Looks good on a page of paper and as a talking point but, the truth seeps in. The Vietnam War was a long and ongoing conflict that was all about the concerns of communisms spread. Imperialism countering and guilty ? Perhaps but the Tonkin was not as big as many would want you to believe. Seems funny and scary to say that given the fact the Iran Revvie Guard wants to buzz the USN in another Gulf.

Iraq I: not about oil and not just a USA thing. Iraq II. Not about the oil and this then meshes well with the USS Maine part of the comment. The Maines sinking was a great example of yellow journalism. Wag the dog,jingoism or whatever you want to call it. The sinking of the Maine was clearly a call to arms. Much like Remember the Alamo the catch phrase was perfect. It was the packaging of the policy though as opposed to the policy, perhaps better said the gravy not the meat. The Spanish were quick to respond to the Maine. They pursued a reasoned investigation,offered profuse apologies and were in hindsight guiltless for it’s destruction. They were not guiltless of the real reason the US went to war with them. They were an unpopular presence in our backyard and the oppressive regime with their foot on the necks of Filipinos. The latter meant they were imposing on our best coal supplying option in the Pacific crucial for our Far East trade routes. It is for these reasons that the US jumped into the pool of international imperialism.

So in closing Iraq II. Saddam was the pain in our ass. He was guilty of internationally recognized crimes. He too tried to work a deal to avoid conflict. The truth is though no matter the rallying cries of the Right or Left there is truths in why the US has engaged in combat. No matter if one believes it or not.

Impeach Bush ?

The McGovern op-ed piece is simply an echo of what many have said before. Impeach Bush-Cheney.

Crimes against the Constitution,international law and the UN. The crimes are seemingly based on the the following. Bush lied to Congress to get permission to invade Iraq. The US violated the UN resolutions and invaded Iraq. The US violated the rights of Iraq and invaded-Iraq. The US has imprisoned persons in at Gitmo and in theater prisons.

That’s the so called case against. What purpose is there to pursuing impeachment in the final months of the Administration ? Is this the only thing Congress could possibly muster up on ?

The truth. The Bush Administration did not violate the Constitution. They played by the same rules JFK and LBJ played by in Vietnam. Carter against Iran,Reagan against Grenada and Bush 1 against Panama and Iraq version 1. People that hate war will always find military action illegal. partly due to their moral position ,but partly due to their lack of intellectual honesty.

The UN resolution was not violated. The legitimacy of the organization is questionable and that’s being polite. The truth is the resolution was crafted through the manner all resolutions have been. Is there a heavy hand here and shaky deal there. Yeah,that’s the problem with the whole organization but it hardly broke the rules. How fucked up the rules of the UN are is part of the reason the UN is a joke. After the fact denying what was agreed upon in the UN by those in the UN and it’s allies is dishonest.

International law violated ? I don’t see how. That’s not pure ignorance it’s a genuine question. At what point will we all accept that there is NO international law. You can form up the international court and all that Hague stuff but to what end ? If people don’t believe or care if you exist- you don’t ! The thought that the international community is abiding by a legal code is laughable. Where’s the “cops” in Kenya and Sudan ? they’re not there. Partly because the international law people applaud the sovereignty of these nations. Funny how they don’t believe “Sovereignty Matters” when the US or other Western nations are involved. This further supports the concept that there is no international law and therefore no violation thereof.

The imprisoning of foreign nationals against their will. Arrested in terror plots and active combat operations in the theater the people scooped up are worthy of detention and evaluation. Should it be quicker process. Yes! Should it be conducted under US law ? No! Is it a gross violation of law and humanity. I don’t think so but the alternative is people dying. For emphasis people in this case means Americans. I refuse to die because a terrorist deserves due process in the minds of some anti American intellectual elitist.

Congress has walked hand in hand with the Administration all along. So now you can push for impeachment ? Oh wait a minute. I got it ! it’s all about the final push for the Dems to get the White House. Let’s face it that is the only reason. The Congress which was supposed to be a great new Congress under Pelosi and Reid are as lame duck as Bush is. They can’t get anything passed so let’s impeach. It’ll look like we’re doing something and the media will ladle out the love for the Dems. “If we impeach we continue to wedge the nation and given the wedge mantra the GOP will get the blame ooh hoo”.

Bottom line the impeachment of Bush / Cheney not only lacks credible grounds it lacks purpose. It won’t happen,won’t help but sadly won’t go away. The forces behind this will write many of the history books and the scripts for future political thinking. The elections of 2000 and ‘04 ,9/11 and Iraq will be pills too bitter for many to ever swallow.

Of note the WordPress Political Blog Alliance will have a group blog post on the W on 1/20/08

Pingage and the first reminder to the blogs signing on:

Arc Light Zero , D=S, SeesDifferent, ChenZhen, Steph, Wickle , Ned , Psychout , Absolute Moral …, BMAC , No Compromise , Wake Up America , Hysterical raisins , Jamerica , Sphinx , New Leftist.

Dhimmi ? Dummy ? Thinker ! Oh No the Arabs bought the Queen

Yup those bastards bought the Queen.

I’m curious if people are really freaked out by this. The reality is the ship is 40 years old and was being retired. Dubai coughs up some big cash (100m no problem for them) and will have a unique new hotel moored off the wild country expansion project the Dubai government is developing. There’s another area of pseudo hysteria for the phobes. Muslim nation growing daily !

Chavez is Funny…

I’ve seen CNN held up in the blogosphere as some tool of imperialism and being in bed with George Bush and the CIA. After I get up off the floor and change into dry pants I move along. I don’t know if a tin foil hat for Hugo could be paid for with CAVIDI dollars or if aluminum is in short supply secondary to price controls. Hell I might just go to CITGO today and fill up so Hugo can get the psych meds he needs.

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Wednesday CNN may have been instigating his murder when the U.S. TV network showed a photograph of him with a label underneath that read “Who killed him?”

The caption appeared to be a production mistake — confusing a Chavez news item with one on the death of a football star. The anchor said “take the image down” when he realized.

But Chavez called for a probe in an interview on state television, where he repeatedly reviewed a tape of the broadcast, questioning why the unconnected photograph and wording were left on screen for several seconds.

“I want the state prosecutor to look into bringing a suit against CNN for instigating murder in Venezuela,” he said. “… undoubtedly it is part of the psychological warfare.” here

One, I don’t think anyone who wants to kill Chavez watches CNN. Think about it…

Two,murder in Venezuela mmm. That never happens right ? Updated …

“Extrajudicial killings are a particular concern in Venezuela. More than 6,370 people were victims of homicides committed between 2000 and 2005 by the ‘agents’ of Venezuelan state security forces.”

And

this from IBD 

The Nanny needs to be Fired !

A new series of thought from my mind to the blog. I look forward to the input of others. The Nanny State is a reality. The thought police,food nazis and other oddly usually a liberal crushing a liberty is too.I think the nanny needs to be fired.

America the…Open Image Test

The previous post here was commented upon and offered some good responses. The image was an altered image of a WWI era propaganda poster. The beaten appearance of the lady was useful for those editors position on the Patriot Act. The premise being the Patriot Act beats up on Americans liberty. I won’t touch that point other than to say the impact of the Act upon the law abiding citizens of this country is non existent. My intention was to see what the responses would be to the imagery. Images are fascinating to me. The timelessness and continued virtue of them is powerful stuff. it is amazing to me how an image gets right into your gut sometime no matter the medium. I’m a firm believer that art and in the form of images in particular are awesome at showing us something about ourselves. More so than the creator of the image we the viewers get something when we give something. Freeing up our personal responses,opinions or viewpoints we assure the value of our humanity. Thanks for sharing.

Anyway I’ve added my comment at the original post. Here by the way is the original image.

The UNDERCLASS Part I

Didn’t expect to be anywhere near the computer today. Real quick. The “underclass” is an international reality. Many nations have their political systems and actions dictated by the existence of a population segment that “falls through the cracks” and is “unheard and unseen”. The truth is they are seen and heard everyday.

A person could dedicate a blog to this topic, in fact doctor/author Theodore Dalrymple has written extensively on the subject. I personally enjoy his writings and in general believe the human condition and society are pretty interesting. Anyway here’s a link to a quick read.More to follow.

Mind Forg’d Manacles

The Left’s belief in the helplessness of the poor is a self-fulfilling prophecy. link

Tid Bits And Next Week….

Next week will be a big blogging week. Some DDT,health care and some image based discussion.

Now the bits that if I had the energy and ambition I’d blog about now.

Frigid Europe and flurries in Florida,but the global warming gig is settled science. Bbrrrrr rrrright.

Europe rings in the New Year and the nanny says No No No. Nanny says SMILE.

Bill Kristol signs on with the NYT and the elite ,progressive and intelligent liberals say Yea ! Oh wait a minute…

In2theWeekend:Three Stooges (D)

Iowa Caucuses. Approximately 150,000 Democrats and a mere 89,000 Republicans standing in church buildings,libraries and school gyms across the state are deemed worthy of dictating who is to be the next ruler of the free world. The reality is the Iowa gig are only relevant due to the MSM. The MSM won’t head out to Wyoming this weekend,they’ll be to busy spinning the corn dogs yuckles. New Hampshire will then be inundated by the media whores and yet another piss ant state will be held up as THE pulse of the nation. It’s a sick thing. I look forward to Super Tuesday when a larger and much more diverse and honest group representation takes place.

IO WANT 2 BE LIKED

The three Dems in particular are being held up in the media as part of a key race. I don’t know if people are supposed to believe that or the media is truly biased. The truth is the Clinton Machine can come in dead last in Iowa and still wipe Obama out in the high stakes of Super Tues. John Edwards is the newest and clearest example of VP bait.Iowa could vote exclusively for John Boy and he still goes nowhere. Obama is about to get the warm and fuzzy feeling of “They like me,they really really like me”. It’s funny and sad at the same time. In updated closing fashion:

Dick Gephardt, Tom Harkin, George H. W. Bush (‘80), Bob Dole (‘88), and “Uncommitted” (‘76) — Previous winners of the Iowa presidential caucuses. In 1992, “uncommitted” came in second, well ahead of Bill Clinton’s 3%.

America the…Open Image Test

The following is a test of sorts. I’m hoping viewers will look at the image and share their thoughts. It could be an idea for a post or a title. It could be your response to the image. You get the idea.

We’ve Got Thumbs: Happy New Year

Hey ! Is that pigeon in your pocket or are you happy to be coming to Canada ?

Actually it was like 5 pigeons and since they got caught,fined and marked for future scrutiny I’m thinking they ain’t happy.

On an obscure note one can hope the Border and Customs people will catch explosives as well as birds. Herald story here

A CIGNA lar Occurence ?

A CIGNA lar Occurence ? (singular) No but the problem is something other than what some want you to believe.

Saw these two posts on walkabout around the WordPress community. Hysterical Raisins and FitnessfortheOccassion both had posts on how CIGNA has allowed a 17 year old California girl die. The premise is that the company put $$$ over humanity. The girl had received care for leukemia twice and during the second episode her liver crapped out. In the scenario of leukemia and the need of liver transplant the best case scenario for survival is 65 %. I personally would take those odds even if CIGNA and other insurance companies wouldn’t. The truth is though we all like it that there are those that make these decisions instead of us. The real sticky wicket here though is that CIGNA was not responsible for the girls issue. In fact the much reported post mortem approval to cover the transplant was actually out of official bounds.

Cigna, which has revealed little since Nataline’s death, said Friday its role was to manage the employer’s self-funded benefit plan. Under such arrangements, Cigna is paid an administrative fee to process claims and perform other duties on behalf of the employer, who carries the risk and pays for procedures.

In Nataline’s case, Cigna determined the liver transplant was not covered under the employer’s plan because it was considered experimental based on consultations with an in-house transplant expert and two independent doctors specializing in organ transplantation and leukemia.

Cigna decided to make an exception for Nataline “given our empathy for the family and the unique circumstances of this situation,” said Dr. Jeffrey Kang, Cigna’s chief medical officer.

“We volunteered to pay for it out of our own pocket. We decided to … bear the risk even though we had no obligation to,” Kang said. source

CIGNA is paid by companies to administer insurance plans. The companies like CIGNA are the paid bullies of YOUR employer. YOU got an issue take it up with your employer. They no doubt will plead ignorance and throw CIGNA et al under the bus but the truth is what it is. I don’t work for CIGNA by the way. In fact I’m not employed by anything resembling a healthcare entity anymore.

My big beef here is that in our desire to figure out the health care mess we fail to look at the truth. It isn’t the insurance companies. WHAT ?? Yeah you see those companies are answering to shareholders. Check your 401k or pension plan you got some ? You want to retire well and pay for every medical procedure on the planet ? Stop lying ! The lawyers and the government. So many people think these two are the solution. They’re the problem people. Insurance costs so much more because of regulations and subsidizing those without insurance. The malpractice costs also impact you the health insurance shopper. Add all the government mandates that are unfunded and you the consumer get screwed. Yet it’s the big bad insurance companies fault. Grow the fuck up will you.

John Edwards 2 America and the rest of the wah wah Americans: I’m throwing this out there since I can’t imagine a better sum up. People listen to the likes of John Boy and think YES. They lap up the class envy crap like a kitten with it’s mug in a milk saucer. Better yet pigs at a trough. The thing you’re missing is people like John Boy made their money making your health insurance expensive. Now you all think the likes of him are the answer. Socialized medicine,single payer and all that other stuff doesn’t work as well as you are being lead to believe. No system is perfect but a consumer driven program that brings the concept of insurance back to it’s true meaning is the best course. From there you can get with affordable health maintenance programs a personal responsibility. Excise the bureaucracy and let doctors treat you instead of the potential lawsuit. These are the next steps. te first step is to look into the mirror and own up.