Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Reflections on an Ailing Society
Victor Davis Hanson "The public is starting to sense that the progressive dream for us is an abject nightmare, castor oil far worse than the illness. And there is no reason to believe that the losses of 2010 are over with yet — if Pelosi, Reid, and Obama stay in denial and think they only need to communicate more effectively their EU-plans of redistributive change."
Krauthammer to liberals: Conservatism is bigger than just Sarah Palin
Hot Air "His basic point is unobjectionable — every movement is bigger than its most charismatic champions, as the endless number of lefties who are disappointed in Obama could tell you — but his obvious exasperation with Palin’s present status as de facto conservative spokesman-in-chief has commenters in Headlines buzzing."
WELL SAID MARINE!
Nealz Nuze "Robert A. Hall [is the actor. Yup .. part of that Hollywood crowd. He plays the role of the coroner on CSI - sorry, but I don't watch it.] Hall also served in the Massachusetts State Senate and is a Marine Vietnam War veteran. Here's a little bit that he wrote --- and yes, it is been verified by Snopes. Read it. Copy it. Post it on your company bulletin board. Send it to your know-it-all children in college. Tape it on windshields in parking lots. Well .... After you've read it you'll know what to do. "
Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles try to scare America into doing something about the deficit.
Slate "In their deficit-reduction plan, all budgets would be eventually balanced, all ledgers in the black. Earmarks would no longer exist, nor would tax expenditures. More Americans would pay federal income taxes, if at lower rates.
"Then cuts, lots of cuts, cuts making up more than half of the chairs' proposal. Seniors would work longer and get less from Social Security in many cases, for instance. Dozens of federal programs would face the axe. The National Zoo would start charging admission."
"Then cuts, lots of cuts, cuts making up more than half of the chairs' proposal. Seniors would work longer and get less from Social Security in many cases, for instance. Dozens of federal programs would face the axe. The National Zoo would start charging admission."
Obama's Malignant Narcissism
American Thinker "I don't think we've had this extreme and radical a president ever before in American history. Lincoln, Wilson, and FDR took radical actions, but only at a time of huge national crises. We don't have a national crisis today. Obama is our national crisis."I'm sure he means that in a nice way.
"This is why the People have Thrown You Out"
Atlas Shrugs “There's nothing about -- because it's all rigged," Bennet said. "I mean, the whole conversation is rigged. The fact that we don’t get to a discussion before the break about what we’re going to do in the lame duck -- is just rigged. This stuff’s rigged.”
This is a great reaction by republican Rep. Steve Buyer of Indiana "When Indiana Republican Rep. Steve Buyer sought recognition to speak for five minutes about legislation dealing with veteran’s issues, Rep. Laura Richardson, the presiding speaker, looks confused and seemed to look like she is taking direction from someone on how to react. You may say she almost looks like an Obama zombie.
"Richardson keeps turning down the request and keeps asking an empty House if someone objects to Buyer speaking. No one does. Yet she keeps asking and waiting for an answer!"
This is a great reaction by republican Rep. Steve Buyer of Indiana "When Indiana Republican Rep. Steve Buyer sought recognition to speak for five minutes about legislation dealing with veteran’s issues, Rep. Laura Richardson, the presiding speaker, looks confused and seemed to look like she is taking direction from someone on how to react. You may say she almost looks like an Obama zombie.
"Richardson keeps turning down the request and keeps asking an empty House if someone objects to Buyer speaking. No one does. Yet she keeps asking and waiting for an answer!"
California, There It Went
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| Google Cartoons |
Did the Obama Administration Truly Want to Stop WikiLeaks?
Big Peace "The leaks show America as pusillanimous, feckless, and blundering. While the State Department apparently pegs many world problems correctly – Russia is indeed turning away from democracy, North Korea works with Iran, China hires computer hackers to target US websites, and the Iranian regime is Hitlerian – the State Department has no solutions whatsoever to these pressing problems. The same countries we have correctly labeled problematic are treated with kid gloves, handed re-set buttons, and sold US debt. "So here’s the question: why did the Obama Administration allow WikiLeaks to move forward with this information?"
Emphasis added
Mike Huckabee: Leaker should be executed "“They’ve put American lives at risk,” Huckabee said. “They put relationships that will take decades to rebuild at risk. They knew full well that they were handling sensitive documents, they were entrusted. And anyone who had access to that level of information was not only a person who understood what their rules were, but they also signed under oath a commitment that they would not violate. They did. … Any lives they endangered, they’re personally responsible for and the blood is on their hands.” "
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| Nick Anderson, Houston Chronicle Wikileaks a terrorist organization? "What to do? Durn .. this one is tough. I always default to freedom. I believe that once the media has this information the protections of a free press come into play. As for this Julian Assange character ... clearly he dislikes America intensely and seeks to weaken our country. That's not a crime. In fact, that makes him not unlike our esteemed ruler. "The solution here is, I'm afraid, to lick our wounds and do something about protecting our classified material. As for this Army PFC being held at Quantico? If it's proven that he's the one who leaked the information to Assange ... then it's a firing squad." |
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| http://townhall.com/cartoons/cartoonist/LisaBenson |
The Slippery Slope Toward National Science Standards
Heritage "National standards—in any subject—are bad policy. They are unlikely to result in high standards but rather the standardization of learning. They would also result in the standardization of mediocrity, because the rigor and content of national standards would tend to align with the mean among states, weakening states with higher quality standards such as Massachusetts, California, and Virginia. But perhaps worst of all, national standards would further diminish parental authority in education. The federal government would gain more power over education as a result, which would come at the expense of parents and local communities."
Texas Social Studies Standards Promote the Blessings of Liberty "(In fact, in the 1990s, the federal government tried to create history standards. They ended up being so anti-American, however, that they were unanimously rejected.)
"While some liberal media outlets were prompted to call Texas’s standards “propaganda,” the outcome was in fact a strong set of social studies standards that emphasize the American founding, highlight the role of free-market enterprise in American economic success, and institute “Celebrate Freedom Week.”"
Texas Social Studies Standards Promote the Blessings of Liberty "(In fact, in the 1990s, the federal government tried to create history standards. They ended up being so anti-American, however, that they were unanimously rejected.)
"While some liberal media outlets were prompted to call Texas’s standards “propaganda,” the outcome was in fact a strong set of social studies standards that emphasize the American founding, highlight the role of free-market enterprise in American economic success, and institute “Celebrate Freedom Week.”"
Karzai and the Scent of U.S. Irresolution
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| Good neighbors |
FOUAD AJAMI "A big American project, our longest war, is now waged with doubt and hesitation, and our ally on the scene has gone rogue, taking the coin of our enemies and scoffing at our purposes. Unlike the Third World clients of old, this one does not even bother to pay us the tribute of double-speak and hypocrisy. He is a different kind of client, but then, too, our authority today is but a shadow of what it once was."
Monday, November 29, 2010
Victor Davis Hanson: The Confused Morality of WikiLeaks
National Review "Under Bush, press discussion of leaks focused on their embarrassing contents (after all, it was supposedly a higher calling that made brave whistle-blowers release confidential communications emanating from the Bush-Cheney right-wing nexus). In contrast, the press now seems more interested in responses of “How dare they” to the WikiLeaks methodology — as in, how could one be allowed to break laws and leak things from the Obamian State Department, if doing so might harm liberal diplomats, human-rights activists, etc., and embarrass a progressive government?"
The Arab Press on Wikileaks
"“After its own redactions, The (New York) Times sent Obama administration officials the cables it planned to post and invited them to challenge publication of any information that, in the official view, would harm the national interest,” The New York Times said in a story published on its website. “After reviewing the cables, the officials - while making clear they condemn the publication of secret material - suggested additional redactions. The Times agreed to some, but not all.”"
Reaction to WikiLeaks documents "Several major media organisations have published detailed reports on a massive trove of leaked US diplomatic cables.
"The files address negative perceptions of various world leaders, repeated calls for US attack on Iran, and requests for US diplomats to spy on other countries' officials.
"Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has said the release of the classified documents by the whistle-blower website will amount to a "diplomatic history" of global affairs.
"The leaks, so far, have drawn different reactions from mainly the western world." ALJAZEERA
Just Another WikiLeak On An Already Sinking Ship
Heritage "Leaks are not going to stop nations from cooperating with the U.S., or for that matter sharing secrets with us. Nations cooperate with the U.S. because it is in their interest to do so. And no leak will stop nations from acting in their self-interest.
"But what is in our best interest? This has not been a good month for the Obama Doctrine: The President came home empty-handed from Asia, North Korea fired artillery at South Korea just days after revealing nuclear facilities no one knew they had, and Obama failed to get the G-20 to take any action limiting trade imbalances. It was not supposed to be this way. After apologizing for all of our nation’s sins, the world was supposed to swoon at President Obama’s unparalleled charisma. As American military power withered away, President Obama would use soft power and the United Nations to manage world affairs. But like Woodrow Wilson and Jimmy Carter before him, this progressive foreign policy vision has failed."
US tries to contain damage from leaked cables "None of the disclosures appeared particularly explosive, but their publication could become problems for the officials concerned and for any secret initiatives they had preferred to keep quiet. The massive release of material intended for diplomatic eyes only is sure to ruffle feathers in foreign capitals, a certainty that already prompted U.S. diplomats to scramble in recent days to shore up relations with key allies in advance of the leaks.
"At Clinton's first stop in Astana, Kazakhstan, she will be attending a summit of officials from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a diplomatic grouping that includes many officials from countries cited in the leaked cables." Related: The leaked cables make it impossible for Hillary Clinton to continue as secretary of state. Slate Magazine.
Big Peace.com has a wealth of links you can follow.
State Department Cables, Wikileaks, and Classification "Part of the answer is probably better counterintelligence: Manning should have been seen for the obvious security risk that he was. He should not have had the access that he had, but that doesn't mean that soldiers in general shouldn't have access. It means we should be looking for people who have personal reasons to betray our trust. Just as we should be looking for bombers and not bombs in counterterror efforts, we should be looking for traitors in CI, not taking steps that would keep people who need to know this information from having access to it." Blackfive
Wikileaks Hath Spoken; Now Step Aside Or Get Stampeded By Journalists Seeking Pulitzers "When Wikileaks becomes an equal opportunity leaker and starts thumbing its nose at Vlad Putin, for instance, then maybe we'll talk. The thing is, journalists and intelligence folks who run afoul of Vlad have a strange habit of getting dead. (One would think there would be a story to be leaked in there somewhere to the industrious folks at Wikileaks.)" ThreatsWatch
Outrage Now, Back Then, Not So Much "At least we know the leak of 250,000 pages of sensitive documents and State Department cables weren't being used for blackmail. Of course we'll never know about the use of 700 raw data FBI files that just happened to be in the hands of the Clinton White House (do we all remember Craig Livingstone?)."
"But what is in our best interest? This has not been a good month for the Obama Doctrine: The President came home empty-handed from Asia, North Korea fired artillery at South Korea just days after revealing nuclear facilities no one knew they had, and Obama failed to get the G-20 to take any action limiting trade imbalances. It was not supposed to be this way. After apologizing for all of our nation’s sins, the world was supposed to swoon at President Obama’s unparalleled charisma. As American military power withered away, President Obama would use soft power and the United Nations to manage world affairs. But like Woodrow Wilson and Jimmy Carter before him, this progressive foreign policy vision has failed."
US tries to contain damage from leaked cables "None of the disclosures appeared particularly explosive, but their publication could become problems for the officials concerned and for any secret initiatives they had preferred to keep quiet. The massive release of material intended for diplomatic eyes only is sure to ruffle feathers in foreign capitals, a certainty that already prompted U.S. diplomats to scramble in recent days to shore up relations with key allies in advance of the leaks.
"At Clinton's first stop in Astana, Kazakhstan, she will be attending a summit of officials from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a diplomatic grouping that includes many officials from countries cited in the leaked cables." Related: The leaked cables make it impossible for Hillary Clinton to continue as secretary of state. Slate Magazine.
Big Peace.com has a wealth of links you can follow.
State Department Cables, Wikileaks, and Classification "Part of the answer is probably better counterintelligence: Manning should have been seen for the obvious security risk that he was. He should not have had the access that he had, but that doesn't mean that soldiers in general shouldn't have access. It means we should be looking for people who have personal reasons to betray our trust. Just as we should be looking for bombers and not bombs in counterterror efforts, we should be looking for traitors in CI, not taking steps that would keep people who need to know this information from having access to it." Blackfive
Wikileaks Hath Spoken; Now Step Aside Or Get Stampeded By Journalists Seeking Pulitzers "When Wikileaks becomes an equal opportunity leaker and starts thumbing its nose at Vlad Putin, for instance, then maybe we'll talk. The thing is, journalists and intelligence folks who run afoul of Vlad have a strange habit of getting dead. (One would think there would be a story to be leaked in there somewhere to the industrious folks at Wikileaks.)" ThreatsWatch
Outrage Now, Back Then, Not So Much "At least we know the leak of 250,000 pages of sensitive documents and State Department cables weren't being used for blackmail. Of course we'll never know about the use of 700 raw data FBI files that just happened to be in the hands of the Clinton White House (do we all remember Craig Livingstone?)."
Max Boot on journalism and The Leaks
Challenge to the New York Times: Publish Your Internal Correspondence "Reading the New York Times’s “Note to Readers” explaining why it has decided once again to act as a journalistic enabler of WikiLeaks, I wondered why, if the Times believes that openness is so important to the operations of the U.S. government, that same logic doesn’t apply to the newspaper itself."
Journalism That Knows No Shame "These are, after all, the sorts of people who, over a few drinks, would no doubt tell you that diplomacy is far preferable to war-making. But it seems that they have no respect for the secrecy that must accompany successful diplomacy either. That, at least, is the only conclusion I can draw from their decision to once again collaborate with an accused rapist to publicize a giant batch of stolen State Department cables gathered by his disreputable organization, WikiLeaks."
This related comment from American Thinker:
Pious and hypocritical; media malpractice and Wikileaks: "The justification for it - nothing should be secret - rings hollow. When Wikileaks starts publishing Iranian or North Korean nuclear documents, then I will give them the benefit of the doubt. Until then, they are nothing but garden variety, hate America leftists who, like thoughtless children playing with gasoline, are looking to burn us down. Stuck as they are in 1960's perpetual adolescence, they are becoming a bore to grown ups who are once again forced to clean up after their mess. "....
"Who elected the New York Times to decide what constitutes a blow to national security and what is just a "diplomatic controversy?"
"Pious, hypocritical, arrogant fools."
Journalism That Knows No Shame "These are, after all, the sorts of people who, over a few drinks, would no doubt tell you that diplomacy is far preferable to war-making. But it seems that they have no respect for the secrecy that must accompany successful diplomacy either. That, at least, is the only conclusion I can draw from their decision to once again collaborate with an accused rapist to publicize a giant batch of stolen State Department cables gathered by his disreputable organization, WikiLeaks."
This related comment from American Thinker:
Pious and hypocritical; media malpractice and Wikileaks: "The justification for it - nothing should be secret - rings hollow. When Wikileaks starts publishing Iranian or North Korean nuclear documents, then I will give them the benefit of the doubt. Until then, they are nothing but garden variety, hate America leftists who, like thoughtless children playing with gasoline, are looking to burn us down. Stuck as they are in 1960's perpetual adolescence, they are becoming a bore to grown ups who are once again forced to clean up after their mess. "....
"Who elected the New York Times to decide what constitutes a blow to national security and what is just a "diplomatic controversy?"
"Pious, hypocritical, arrogant fools."
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Politically correct Portland rejected feds who saved city from terrorist attack
BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL "In 2005, leaders in Portland, Oregon, angry at the Bush administration's conduct of the war on terror, voted not to allow city law enforcement officers to participate in a key anti-terror initiative, the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force. On Friday, that task force helped prevent what could have been a horrific terrorist attack in Portland. Now city officials say they might re-think their participation in the task force -- because Barack Obama is in the White House."
.F.B.I. Says Oregon Suspect Planned ‘Grand’ Attack "Mr. Balizan identified the suspect as Mohamed Osman Mohamud, 19, a naturalized United States citizen. He graduated from Westview High School in Beaverton, Ore., a Portland suburb, and had been taking classes at Oregon State in Corvallis until Oct. 6, the university said Saturday.
"Mr. Mohamud was charged with trying to use a weapon of mass destruction. “Our investigation shows that Mohamud was absolutely committed to carrying out an attack on a very grand scale,” Mr. Balizan said. "
Both posts via Lucianne
More evidence that liberals and pacifists can and have caused the deaths of many.
.F.B.I. Says Oregon Suspect Planned ‘Grand’ Attack "Mr. Balizan identified the suspect as Mohamed Osman Mohamud, 19, a naturalized United States citizen. He graduated from Westview High School in Beaverton, Ore., a Portland suburb, and had been taking classes at Oregon State in Corvallis until Oct. 6, the university said Saturday.
"Mr. Mohamud was charged with trying to use a weapon of mass destruction. “Our investigation shows that Mohamud was absolutely committed to carrying out an attack on a very grand scale,” Mr. Balizan said. "
Both posts via Lucianne
More evidence that liberals and pacifists can and have caused the deaths of many.
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| The tree lighting ceremony that was almost a mass-murder scene |
Remembering Bob Clark, Director of "A Christmas Story"
Voice of Lillpop "Yet another Christmas has been made more joyful by being able to watch Bob Clark's delightful film, "A Christmas Story." ...."Unfortunately for all who love Christmas, Bob Clark has not been around to celebrate Christmas in recent years. That is so because the prolific filmmaker, whose career spanned four decades, was killed in an automobile crash caused by a drunken driver in California in 2007.
"Hector Velazquez-Nava, an illegal alien from Mexico, had a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit when he claimed the lives of both Clark and his 22-year-old son, Ariel Hanrath-Clark."
Saudi king urged U.S. to attack Iran: WikiLeaks
Reuters "Saudi King Abdullah has repeatedly urged the United States to attack Iran's nuclear program and China directed cyberattacks on the United States, according to a vast cache of U.S. diplomatic cables released on Sunday in an embarrassing leak that undermines U.S. diplomacy.Airport "Security"?
Thomas Sowell ""Security" may be the excuse being offered for the outrageous things being done to American air travelers, but the heavy-handed arrogance and contempt for ordinary people that is the hallmark of this administration in other areas is all too painfully apparent in these new and invasive airport procedures.
"Can you remember a time when a Cabinet member in a free America boasted of having his "foot on the neck" of some business or when the President of the United States threatened on television to put his foot on another part of some citizens' anatomy?
"Yet this and more has happened in the current administration, which is not yet two years old."
"Can you remember a time when a Cabinet member in a free America boasted of having his "foot on the neck" of some business or when the President of the United States threatened on television to put his foot on another part of some citizens' anatomy?
"Yet this and more has happened in the current administration, which is not yet two years old."
Wikileaks Completes Obama's Transformation Into Jimmy Carter
Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion "Have we lost our minds? Wikileaks is about hurting us, bringing us down, damaging our relations with others, rendering us impotent. This is not about open government policy, as if Wikileaks went a bit too far on its class project.
"Julian Assange should have been indicted by now, and if the law did not allow more punitive measures in this circumstance, then the law should have been changed after the first document dump. Assange is an enemy of our country and should be treated as such.
"Instead, we're writing letters and lecturing on accountable and open government.
"Stick a fork in Obama, he's Jimmy Carter."
"Julian Assange should have been indicted by now, and if the law did not allow more punitive measures in this circumstance, then the law should have been changed after the first document dump. Assange is an enemy of our country and should be treated as such.
"Instead, we're writing letters and lecturing on accountable and open government.
"Stick a fork in Obama, he's Jimmy Carter."
Michael Moore Doesn’t Speak for Me
"You know? It should speak volumes that Obama got the youth vote, and not the vote of the matured. Hello! The matured have had some time to think through some things, live through some things, learn from some things."
Islamic Extremist Targets Facebook Users
Legal Project This is from a month ago but is submitted here for you to know how terrorists can operate.
"Court documents filed last week reveal Islamic extremists have obtained personal contact information on members of the defiant Facebook group "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day." Zachary Chesser, who provided the information, pled guilty to "communicating threats" and renounced jihad, but the damage was done. Prosecutors say he "seriously endangered the lives of innocent people who will remain at risk for many years to come.""This lasting effect makes it all the more frustrating that authorities did not charge him sooner. He had made very similar threats against the producers of South Park weeks before. The case highlights the urgent need for better legal tools to protect free speech from extremist intimidation."
Photo from BareNakedIslam
"Court documents filed last week reveal Islamic extremists have obtained personal contact information on members of the defiant Facebook group "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day." Zachary Chesser, who provided the information, pled guilty to "communicating threats" and renounced jihad, but the damage was done. Prosecutors say he "seriously endangered the lives of innocent people who will remain at risk for many years to come."Photo from BareNakedIslam
Saturday, November 27, 2010
The few, the proud, the foes of gays in military
Breitbart.com "The Corps is the youngest, smallest and arguably the most tight-knit of the enlisted forces, with many of its roughly 200,000 members hailing from small towns and rural areas in the South.
"Marines are unabashed about distinguishing themselves from the rest of the military, with a warrior ethos and a religious zeal for their branch of service that they liken to a brotherhood."
"Marines are unabashed about distinguishing themselves from the rest of the military, with a warrior ethos and a religious zeal for their branch of service that they liken to a brotherhood."
Jimmy Carter: North Korea's consistent message to the U.S.
Washington Post "No one can completely understand the motivations of the North Koreans, but it is entirely possible that their recent revelation of their uranium enrichment centrifuges and Pyongyang’s shelling of a South Korean island Tuesday are designed to remind the world that they deserve respect in negotiations that will shape their future." Mr. Carter has excelled at giving respect to evil regimes.
"Britain and France had to choose between war and dishonor. They chose dishonor. They will have war."
Winston Churchill
"Britain and France had to choose between war and dishonor. They chose dishonor. They will have war."
Winston Churchill
US Teen Muslim Arrested after Trying to Explode Car Bomb Moments before a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony
Atlas Shrugs "The suspect is said to have driven a van to the crowded event, parked and tried to detonate a device using a mobile phone.
"However, the supposed explosive was a fake, supplied to him by FBI operatives.
"Mohamud shouted "Allahu Akhkbar" (God is the greatest) and tried to kick agents as they swooped in on him, prosecutors said.""The device was in fact inert, and the public was never in danger," the US Attorney's Office has been reported as saying.
""This defendant's chilling determination is a stark reminder that there are people - even here in Oregon - who are determined to kill Americans."
Job-Killer Obama Sets Aside 187,000 Miles For Overpopulated Polar Bears
Gateway Pundit "Designation of crucial habitat does not in itself block economic activity or other development, but requires federal officials to consider whether a proposed action would adversely affect the polar bear’s habitat and interfere with its recovery.
"It’s decisions like this one that make Obama the worst jobs president since the Great Depression."
Whoopi Goldberg's Ignorance
American Thinker "Since I'm well aware of how leftists' claims of erudition are as empty as their ideology, not many of their failures surprise me. But an exception came last night when Whoopi Goldberg was interviewed by Bill O'Reilly. The two were discussing their differing views on the nature of the Islamic threat, with O'Reilly maintaining that we have a "Muslim problem" and Goldberg insisting that, no, we have a "terrorist problem." In typical leftist style, she even went so far as to rationalize away the threat, implying at one point that terrorists were as likely to be white guys as anyone else. But as ridiculous as this denial of reality is, it was followed by an admission of ignorance that was truly staggering. It occurred during the following exchange: "
Charles Krauthammer Rips Liberal Media for Being Obsessed with Sarah Palin
Newsbusters "After Krauthammer scolded the "editorial judgment" of the producers of PBS's "Inside Washington" for week after week prominently displaying her as the "only representative of conservatism of any importance" in this nation, the Washington Post's Colby King proved his point (video follows with transcript and commentary):"...
Our lethally uninformed civilization
Mladen Andrijasevic Quoting Haaretz:
Meanwhile American pacifists sport "COEXIST" bumper stickers and fashionable "peace" symbols that encourage all who would stand against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, terrorists and the Norks to disarm.
"I strongly believe that it's 1938 all over again," he says in a telephone interview from California, when the world groveled before Germany, hoping to appease the looming Nazi monster. "The difference is that this time the consequences would be much worse than World War II. The West had the opportunity to overthrow this regime in Tehran without firing a single bullet last year when the mass uprising happened, but now I truly believe it will be war whether we want it or not, and for that reason I think we should determine the terms of it. The question to ask ourselves is: Do we want to confront them now or when they have the nukes? That's going to make a big difference to the millions who will lose their lives once they get the nukes."'Iran is a latter-day Nazi Germany' "After turning his back on the Revolutionary Guards and becoming a CIA agent, an Iranian known as Reza Kahlili insists Israel has the best intelligence about his homeland."
Meanwhile American pacifists sport "COEXIST" bumper stickers and fashionable "peace" symbols that encourage all who would stand against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, terrorists and the Norks to disarm.
Despite Latest Propaganda… Doctors Forced to Cut Elderly Patients Due to Medicare Costs
Gateway Pundit "How about a checkup from geriatric specialist Michael Trahos? Expect to see him every six months: The Alexandria-based doctor has been limiting most of his Medicare patients to twice yearly rather than the quarterly checkups he considers ideal for the elderly. Still, at least he’ll see you. Top-ranked primary care doctor Linda Yau is one of three physicians with the District’s Foxhall Internists group who recently announced they will no longer be accepting Medicare patients.The Washington Post article here.
International Criminal Court: Torture, Evidence-tampering, Beatings, Bribes, Blackmail
Atlas Shrugs "President Obama is a fan of the ICC. Our internationalist President is relinquishing American sovereignty to international law, appointing transnationalists to unprecedented positions of power (Harold Koh, State Department; Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagen, SCOTUS).
"Julia Gorin brings us the latest on this totalitarian kangaroo court."...
"Julia Gorin brings us the latest on this totalitarian kangaroo court."...
The Food Police Take Aim
NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE "True, the food-police killjoys at the Center for Science in the Public Interest haven’t yet taken aim at Mom’s stuffed turkey and candied yams. But they do target restaurant meals they think should be off limits. This year’s edition of the CSPI’s annual finger-wag, Xtreme Eating 2010, cites such familiar villains as The Cheesecake Factory, P. F. Chang’s, the D.C. burger mecca (and Obama favorite) Five Guys, and other chain restaurants for offering high-calorie menu items."
South Korea has to respond to the North's aggression
American Thinker "What if the United States or China launched non nuclear missiles at the other's territory and killed soldiers and civilians alike? What good would restraint do then? What would a failure to respond tell either country's antagonists and how would that prevent further attacks and loss of life? How have President Obama's policies of conciliation, appeasement and containment towards North Korea contributed to the situation and how do the lessons learned pertain to the Middle East and Iran?"
Rocking Obama’s World "And just to top off the show, as Stephen Bosworth, US President Barack Obama’s point man on North Korea, was busily arguing that this revelation is not a crisis, the North fired an unprovoked artillery barrage at South Korea, demonstrating that actually, it is a crisis.
What To Do With North Korea’s Dictators? Show Them the Fruits of American Military Technology "Already there are been repercussions in South Korea over the weak response to North Korea’s military strikes. Hong Sa-duk, a member of the ruling party in Seoul, was quoted as saying, ”Let me say a word about those bastards at the Blue House [presidential home in South Korea] who advised the president to say the situation should be managed to avoid a full-blown war. They must be fired for advising the president to have such a weak response.” And indeed, the South Korean defense minister has resigned."
Rocking Obama’s World "And just to top off the show, as Stephen Bosworth, US President Barack Obama’s point man on North Korea, was busily arguing that this revelation is not a crisis, the North fired an unprovoked artillery barrage at South Korea, demonstrating that actually, it is a crisis."But the Obama administration remains unmoved. On Tuesday Defense Secretary Robert Gates thanked his South Korean counterpart, Kim Tae-young, for showing “restraint.”
"On Thursday, Kim resigned in disgrace for that restraint."
What To Do With North Korea’s Dictators? Show Them the Fruits of American Military Technology "Already there are been repercussions in South Korea over the weak response to North Korea’s military strikes. Hong Sa-duk, a member of the ruling party in Seoul, was quoted as saying, ”Let me say a word about those bastards at the Blue House [presidential home in South Korea] who advised the president to say the situation should be managed to avoid a full-blown war. They must be fired for advising the president to have such a weak response.” And indeed, the South Korean defense minister has resigned."The Sixty Years War "Yet the nuances of the Obama administration’s position have little to do with the severity of punishment and everything to do with the speed of capitulation. Almost as quickly as the Obama administration expressed its determination not to reward “bad behavior,” the White House announced its intention to do just that. " Stephen F. Hayes
Sleepwalking Through History
Ed Driscoll " What a president should ideally have, and what I think we all agree Mr. Obama badly needs, is an assistant whose sole job it is to explain and interpret the American people to him. Presidents already have special assistants for domestic policy, for congressional relations and national security. Why not a special assistant for reality? Someone to translate the views of the people, and explain how they think. An advocate for the average, a representative for the normal, to the extent America does normal.
"If Mr. Obama had a special assistant for reality this week, this is how their dialogue might have gone over the anti-TSA uprising."... Pajamas Media.
"If Mr. Obama had a special assistant for reality this week, this is how their dialogue might have gone over the anti-TSA uprising."... Pajamas Media.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Court won't give Ward Churchill his job back
Rick Moran
Ward Churchill is a fake. This has been established beyond any reasonable doubt. As it turns out, his termination was considered by one jury to be retaliation for his "little Eichmann" crack, thus a violation of his right to free speech, but the regents who fired him have absolute immunity to do as they wish according to the appeals court judge:"...
Ward Churchill is a fake. This has been established beyond any reasonable doubt. As it turns out, his termination was considered by one jury to be retaliation for his "little Eichmann" crack, thus a violation of his right to free speech, but the regents who fired him have absolute immunity to do as they wish according to the appeals court judge:"...
The History Channel Rewrites Middle East History
American Thinker "Another thing that the History Channel fails to mention is that during and after the war, 900,000 Jews were expelled from Arab countries and their land holdings and wealth accumulated over many hundreds of years, was confiscated. Most of these Jews went to Israel and were absorbed."
To aggressively combat Soviet like Democrat voter fraud deem ballots “found” after 48 hours fraud
Coachisright "‘We’ll keep counting until the Democrat wins’ approach to stealing elections just can’t be tolerated anymore.
"What to do?
"It’s time for our conservative Republican House to take action to protect the integrity of federal elections and set a standard for State’s to follow as they conduct their own elections.
"We can and must pass legislation legally naming these miraculous “discoveries” the frauds they are. We have to immediately begin the process to legally turn the tables and force the Left to defend each of these ballots before they can be accepted and counted."
"What to do?
"It’s time for our conservative Republican House to take action to protect the integrity of federal elections and set a standard for State’s to follow as they conduct their own elections.
"We can and must pass legislation legally naming these miraculous “discoveries” the frauds they are. We have to immediately begin the process to legally turn the tables and force the Left to defend each of these ballots before they can be accepted and counted."
Pakistan Muslims warn of anarchy over Christian
Google News "Pakistani Muslims threatened protests and anarchy if the government pardons a Christian mother sentenced to death for blasphemy, calling hundreds of demonstrators onto the streets on Friday."Demonstrators marched in the eastern city of Lahore after the most influential Sunni Muslim alliance in Pakistan urged the government not to grant mother-of-five Aasia Bibi clemency."
The Irrelevance of START
Charles Krauthammer "Even among national-security concerns, New START is way down at the bottom of the list. From the naval treaties of the 1920s to this day, arms control has oscillated between mere symbolism at its best to major harm at its worst, with general uselessness being the norm."
More on Norks Gone Wild
Why We're Always Fooled by North Korea "The analysts who predicted North Korea's latest nuclear breakthrough were denigrated and ignored."....
"The Obama administration has said that the bombardment of Yeonpyeong is not a crisis, which is probably wise if the aim is to avoid granting the North even more leverage. On the other hand, it would be a colossal mistake to return to negotiations as if provocations are merely the price of doing business with Pyongyang. The focus right now should be on containment, interdiction and pressure. The inability to do so on a sustained basis until now was a failure of policy, not intelligence."
North Korea: The Road Ahead "Part of the CSIS-Schieffer Series Dialogues" (transcript)
Via the Center for Strategic and International Studies
"The Obama administration has said that the bombardment of Yeonpyeong is not a crisis, which is probably wise if the aim is to avoid granting the North even more leverage. On the other hand, it would be a colossal mistake to return to negotiations as if provocations are merely the price of doing business with Pyongyang. The focus right now should be on containment, interdiction and pressure. The inability to do so on a sustained basis until now was a failure of policy, not intelligence."Via the Center for Strategic and International Studies
Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation
Phooto from LincolnImages, taken at the time of this address.
Strange Men Grope Nancy Pelosi or the Terrorists Have Won
Ann Coulter "We're talking about the pilot. Is there anyone in the government who can tell us why the pilot doesn't need a box-cutter to seize control of the airplane and kill everyone on it? You there, in the back -- the skinny guy with the big ears behind the teleprompter: Wanna take a guess? Bueller? Anyone? Bueller?"
In Defense of Defense
Victor Davis Hanson "Yet there are also compelling reasons not to cut defense, and these are rarely discussed. The United States has an alarming record of courting danger when it has slashed defense, or even merely been perceived abroad to be pruning its military. In the 1930s the Germans and Japanese did not take the United States seriously as a deterrent power, and understandably so: It was not until 1943 — after tens of thousands of American deaths — that the United States finally deployed planes, armor, and ships that were of rough parity in numbers and quality with those of its Axis enemies."
American Weakness and North Korean Aggression
National Review Online "South Korea and Japan have both been toying with the idea of going nuclear, and American weakness may now push them to it. The same thing is occurring in the Middle East, where several Arab countries are developing nuclear programs to defend themselves against Iran since the United States can’t be trusted any more to do so. Obama has declared a wish to have a nuclear-free world but the net result of his approach looks like being unprecedented nuclear proliferation."
Aviation Security Threats and Realities
STRATFOR "We believe that this review will help establish that there is a legitimate threat to aviation, that there are significant challenges in trying to secure aircraft from every conceivable threat, and that the response of aviation security authorities to threats has often been slow and reactive rather than thoughtful and proactive."
Aviation Security Threats and Realities is republished with permission of STRATFOR.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
My First Thankful Thanksgiving
Robin of Berkeley "Of course, I was just one of the progressive pack, parroting the party line. Being a Leftist means honing in on every possible injustice. Never-ending gripes and grievances are the glue that keeps progressives cemented together.
"But then, three years ago, the bottom fell out of my life. Slowly but surely, it dawned on me that everything I had held as sacrosanct was a lie. I woke up -- and now I behold the world with fresh eyes. Consequently, I am celebrating my First Thankful Thanksgiving."
"But then, three years ago, the bottom fell out of my life. Slowly but surely, it dawned on me that everything I had held as sacrosanct was a lie. I woke up -- and now I behold the world with fresh eyes. Consequently, I am celebrating my First Thankful Thanksgiving."
Giving Thanks: Celebrating Thanksgiving with a speaker, a governor, a TV-show host, and more.
"On this holiday, we must reflect, and often so, how much our forefathers sacrificed for our present security, freedom, and prosperity — and how much responsibility rests on our shoulders to preserve and pass on something even better than the great good that we were bequeathed." Victor Davis Hanson
We have so much to be thankful for this year (Updated)
Phil Boehmke "In a year which saw the passage of ObamaCare, the Dodd-Frank Financial Reform Bill, the appointment of another unqualified hard-left advocate (Kagan) to our Supreme Court, a rising body count in Afghanistan, persistent high unemployment and other less well publicized assaults on our freedom and security it may seem as if there is very little to be thankful for. However this past year saw record numbers of our fellow Americans becoming engaged in the cause of Liberty and a number of significant victories which portent(sic) well for the year ahead."
A Lost Thanksgiving Lesson "Long before the failure of modern socialism, the earliest European settlers gave us a dramatic demonstration of the fatal flaws of collectivism. Unfortunately, few Americans today know it.
"The Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony organized their farm economy along communal lines. The goal was to share the work and produce equally.
"That's why they nearly all starved." John Stossel in RealClearPolitics
Giving Thanks for the Free Market "When the first Pilgrims founded the Plymouth Colony, all property was taken away from families and transferred to a “comone wealth.” In other words, the Pilgrims tried to do away with private property. The results were disastrous. According to Bradford, the stronger and younger men resented working for other men’s wives and children “without any recompence.” And the women forced to cook and clean for other men saw their uncompensated service as “a kind of slavery.” The system as a whole bred “confusion and discontent” and “retarded much employment that would have been to [the Pilgrims’] benefit and comfort.” Unable to produce their own food, some settlers “became servants to the Indians,” cutting wood and fetching water in exchange for “a capful of corn.” Others tragically perished."
Strangers, Saints and Indians "In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims reaped a bountiful harvest. To thank God for their deliverance and the help they had received from the Indians, Bradford held a three-day Thanksgiving feast inviting the Indians to join them in their celebration.
"Squanto remained friendly with the Pilgrims until he succumbed to an unknown fever and died in 1622. Amazingly, he bequeathed his possessions to the Pilgrims, as Bradford would document, "as remembrances of his love." "
A Lost Thanksgiving Lesson "Long before the failure of modern socialism, the earliest European settlers gave us a dramatic demonstration of the fatal flaws of collectivism. Unfortunately, few Americans today know it.
"The Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony organized their farm economy along communal lines. The goal was to share the work and produce equally.
"That's why they nearly all starved." John Stossel in RealClearPolitics
Giving Thanks for the Free Market "When the first Pilgrims founded the Plymouth Colony, all property was taken away from families and transferred to a “comone wealth.” In other words, the Pilgrims tried to do away with private property. The results were disastrous. According to Bradford, the stronger and younger men resented working for other men’s wives and children “without any recompence.” And the women forced to cook and clean for other men saw their uncompensated service as “a kind of slavery.” The system as a whole bred “confusion and discontent” and “retarded much employment that would have been to [the Pilgrims’] benefit and comfort.” Unable to produce their own food, some settlers “became servants to the Indians,” cutting wood and fetching water in exchange for “a capful of corn.” Others tragically perished."
Strangers, Saints and Indians "In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims reaped a bountiful harvest. To thank God for their deliverance and the help they had received from the Indians, Bradford held a three-day Thanksgiving feast inviting the Indians to join them in their celebration.
"Squanto remained friendly with the Pilgrims until he succumbed to an unknown fever and died in 1622. Amazingly, he bequeathed his possessions to the Pilgrims, as Bradford would document, "as remembrances of his love." "
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Thanksgiving musings
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Giving Thanks for America's warriors. "Excerpts of remarks by Marine Lt. Gen. John F. Kelly to the Semper Fi Society of St. Louis, November 13, 2010. His son, Marine 1st Lt. Robert Michael Kelly, 29, was killed in action November 9, 2010, in Sangin, in southern Afghanistan, while leading his platoon on a combat patrol."
Happy Thanksgiving
Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Day Proclamation: "Below is George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Day Proclamation. The next time someone tells you that politicians shouldn't talk about religion, or the "Almighty God", just show them this:"...
WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"
NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our sasety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.From the Intercollegiate Studies Institute
(signed) G. Washington
Kerby Anderson: Thanksgiving Quiz
Point of View "Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to gather as a family, but I also believe it can be a great time to teach our children and grandchildren about America's godly heritage. I created this short quiz to be a conversation-starter around the Thanksgiving table."
Here it is: Thanksgiving Quiz "This nation was founded by Christians, and Thanksgiving is a time when we can reflect upon this rich, Christian heritage. But many of us are often ignorant of our country's origins, so we have put together a Thanksgiving quiz to test your knowledge about this nation's biblical foundations. We hope that you will not only take this test and pass it on to others, but we also hope that you will be encouraged to study more about the Christian foundations of this country."
Here it is: Thanksgiving Quiz "This nation was founded by Christians, and Thanksgiving is a time when we can reflect upon this rich, Christian heritage. But many of us are often ignorant of our country's origins, so we have put together a Thanksgiving quiz to test your knowledge about this nation's biblical foundations. We hope that you will not only take this test and pass it on to others, but we also hope that you will be encouraged to study more about the Christian foundations of this country."
Empty promises on health care will haunt Obama
Washington Examiner "Barack Obama is only halfway through his term, but it's not too early to ask: What is the biggest whopper he has told as president? So far, the hands-down winner is:Satire: Obama's Thanksgiving proclamation
Philadelphia Examiner "Instead of thanking God, the president would prefer that we gather together “to express appreciation to those whose lives enrich our own and to share our bounty with others.”
"In other words, the president of the United States just asked that we “tell God to shove it, thank the government for taking your money and giving it to someone else, and continue to spread the wealth around.”"
"In other words, the president of the United States just asked that we “tell God to shove it, thank the government for taking your money and giving it to someone else, and continue to spread the wealth around.”"
Time for Fresh Thinking on North Korea
US lawmakers slam China over North Korea "Tuesday's congressional reaction was likely calculated as much to hike pressure on the Obama administration for a robust response to North Korea's behavior as motivated by any expectation that it would mould Chinese policy."
Undesirable? "With the full backing and fierce determination of President Obama behind him, Mr. Bosworth unleashed a scathing verbal attack against the North Korean terrorists. It must make Americans chest swell with pride as the Envoy's voice forcefully booms the words, "Such conflict is very undesirable."
"Huh?
"Mr. Diplomat of the Year, as anyone who has been under rocket or artillery fire can tell you, ‘holy crap, that was undesirable', is most assuredly not the first thing out of their mouths when the world blows up around them, if they can even speak"
Asia Bibi, Christian convicted of blasphemy:
onaired.com "Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari pardon Asia Bibi, a Christian woman who was sentenced to death for blasphemy, the Punjab governor told CNN."..."Minorities Minister, Shahbaz Bhatti, who regretted that the country’s blasphemy law is used for “political revenge” and to settle “religious enmity,” a report is due tomorrow on the case to Asif Ali Zardari."
Bruce Springsteen: 'The boss' rails against 'very ugly' political climate surrounding Barack Obama
UK Telegraph "In his interview, Springsteen admitted that his decision to support Mr Obama had alienated some of his fans.
"He once criticised Ronald Reagan, the late American President, for using his name to rally Republican voters in the 1980s.
""A moment comes when you cash in whatever credibility a guy can have who plays and sings rock songs for a living and you put your chips where you think they might do some good,” he said."
If he was taking requests, I'd raise my hand and say "I love any of your stuff that doesn't bash America".
"He once criticised Ronald Reagan, the late American President, for using his name to rally Republican voters in the 1980s.
""A moment comes when you cash in whatever credibility a guy can have who plays and sings rock songs for a living and you put your chips where you think they might do some good,” he said."
If he was taking requests, I'd raise my hand and say "I love any of your stuff that doesn't bash America".
President Obama looks like a lame duck on the world stage as US global leadership goes AWOL
Nile Gardiner, UK Telegraph "President Bush may not have not have won the Nobel Peace Prize and was hugely unpopular at the dictator-friendly United Nations, but he was mightily feared by America’s enemies. Many a tyrant shuddered after US tanks rolled into Baghdad and removed one of the most odious psychopaths on the face of the earth from power. Even the supposedly unbeatable al-Qaeda wilted in the face of the surge in Iraq, suffering huge losses and humiliation at the hands of US forces.
"The Obama administration’s “smart power” approach has been anything but, and the latest aggression emanating from Pyongyang is a stark reminder that America cannot afford to be letting its guard down, and needs to stand up to its enemies rather than appease them." Via Lucianne
"George W. Bush believed in American exceptionalism and wasn’t afraid to show it." ....
"The Obama administration’s “smart power” approach has been anything but, and the latest aggression emanating from Pyongyang is a stark reminder that America cannot afford to be letting its guard down, and needs to stand up to its enemies rather than appease them." Via Lucianne
North Korea shells South Korean island
Thomas Lifson "It was inevitable. With the United States de facto foreign policy of apology and appeasement as well as deference to China, it was only a matter of time before North Korea would re-emerge seeking attention and concessions."
Can We Finish This Please????
Blackfive "I think it is worth a try. And I think it might send the message to a few of the other bad actors in the world that this is not the way the world expects you to act and that aggression will not be tolerated.
"And that the time for honoring themselves for this kind of activity will soon be at an end
"And that the time for honoring themselves for this kind of activity will soon be at an end
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