Sunday, April 3, 2011

Measuring Force

Thomas Sowell  "Too often in the past, going all the way back to the days of Woodrow Wilson, we have operated on the assumption that a bad government becomes better after the magic of "change." President Wilson said that we were fighting the First World War to make the way "safe for democracy." But what actually followed was the replacement of autocratic monarchies by totalitarian dictatorships that made previous despots pale by comparison.
"The most charitable explanation for President Obama's incoherent policy in Libya-- if incoherence can be called a policy -- is that he suffers from the long-standing blind spot of the left when it comes to the use of force" ....
"As for the national interests of the United States of America, Barack Obama has never shown any great concern about that."
http://wpcomics.washingtonpost.com/client/wpc/po/2011/03/30/

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Rep. Miller Introduces the LEAVE Act

Numbers USA  "...a comprehensive immigration enforcement bill that would require the use of E-Verify for all employers nationwide, end the practice of birthright citizenship, prohibit states from granting in-state tuition benefits to illegal aliens, increase the number of border patrol and immigration and customs enforcement agents, and assist local municipalities in the enforcement of federal immigration laws, among other things."
This will be demagogued* by liberals and the fact that it is supported by  the American Nazi Party should really make Democrat mouths water. Keep in mind that many of those against this measure are supporters of the Communist Party USA.
Hat tip to Overcriminalized.com.

* Sure "demagogued" isn't a word, but neither is "accessed".

ABC's Jon Karl Touts Liberal Advocacy Group's Claim That 'Tea Party Darlings' Are 'Hypocrites'

Media Research Center  "Karl didn’t raise any concerns about hyping the claims of the EWG, an organization that, as Michelle Malkin pointed out in 2002, has railed against hair spray, playgrounds and the conservative journalist John Stossel. Instead, Karl chided these House GOP members for receiving federal money for farm subsidies."


When You Set Out to Take Vienna, Take Vienna!

Victor Davis Hanson "Why are we so eager to claim a U.N. sanction to American action when we have not introduced the matter to the U.S. Congress for approval? At least we can say of our Congress that its members were all elected, which we cannot say of many in the General Assembly and some in the Security Council. I’ll pass on the Arab League, but the president for some reason in his statements thinks it is more important to justify American military force through a vote of approval from non-democratic states than his own country’s legislature."
The English Blog; cartoon by Morten Morland from The Times

Friday, April 1, 2011

Libyan rebels say ready for conditional ceasefire

Ahram Online. "Libya's opposition is ready for a ceasefire provided Muammar Gaddafi's forces end their assaults on rebel-held cities, Transitional National Council leader Mustafa Abdul Jalil said Friday."

The Shores of Tripoli: Our Latest Wilsonian War  "On top of that is the oil question. While there are a lot of Americans who think war for oil is immoral, there are plenty more who think that oil, that necessary driver of our economy and the condition of our prosperity, is one of the few things worth fighting about — and a much better reason for war than helping to put one gang of thieves in while kicking another one out." Walter Russell Mead

US May Use Covert Action Against Gadhafi  "Covert action is any U.S. government effort to change the economic, military, or political situation overseas in a hidden way. Covert action can encompass many things, including propaganda, electoral manipulation, funding, arming and training insurgents, and even encouraging a coup.It is not clear what actions the CIA is taking or has been authorized to take in Libya. But the situation there is chaotic, with a ragtag rebel army in retreat from Colonel Gadhafi’s forces.
"Georgetown University Visiting Professor of Security Studies Jennifer Sims is a specialist in intelligence affairs. She says covert action should not be undertaken without a clear picture of who you are supporting and what the outcome will or should be."  GlobalSecurity.org

Mike Ramirez on Nukes

The April Fools' Day Defense Kit

Slate  "Shun the British press. The British tabloids make stories up all the time, but on April Fool's Day, everybody on Fleet Street fabricates."....
"Alex Boese, curator of the Museum of Hoaxes and expert on all things April Fools', advises that you finish reading articles before rushing into the next cubicle to spread the incredible news. Many hoax articles end with an obvious clue or an explanation that it's all a joke. Double-check all radio warnings of disasters—volcanic eruptions, floods, killer bee invasions—and question any story uncovering a new, onerous tax (say, on Linux)."

Branded an Idiot for Life  "This clothes company is offering 20% off their clothes if you tat yourself with their company logos. There will be idiots doing this. Remember the moron that was suckered into the forehead tattoo only to be told it was an April Fools joke?"


"Well, there is a joke to this too. In the fine print it says that the 20% off cannot be combined with any other offer, like these offers from the next page after the tat offer."
iOwnTheWorld.com

We Win On The Facts

Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion "Mockery may be part of the plan, but it's not going to be enough in 2012. Not with the mainstream media and entertainment industry on his side.
"Just tell it like it is, straightforward and hard hitting. He's driving us over a cliff. We win on the facts.
"Whaddaya think about this first RNC 2012 ad?"

GOP launches mock 'Obama 2012' ad  "All indications have been that the president's move to file for a second term will come within weeks, and the Chicago Sun-Times reported yesterday that the decision could come as soon as Monday. "
 We know how sensitive Obama is to any criticism. Expect this: Obama will appear before a live audience on a stage with smiling supporters behind him. He will mock the ad using phrases such as "think about it" and "let me be clear" with his supporters applauding and cheering. Network commentators will be impressed with his response and dismissive of the ad.
But then, what do I know?

Another Libyan official defects

Obama and Libya

Three from American Thinker:
Waiting for Obama to assume his Presidency  "So whenever Obama claims he "inherited" the massive debt the Obama led Democrat controlled Congress created, it should be noted that Obama voted for every spending bill sent to Bush after 2006 and signed every spending bill after 2008. Facts are almost as stubborn as the 4 years of Obama led policies that got us into this mess. Had enough? "

Obama's Contribution to the Emerging Middle East Landscape
"With all its resources and power, the United State cannot single handily shape the new geopolitical landscape of the Middle East, but it can and should play a leading role in influencing it. The great tragedy is that the Obama administration has chosen passivity, timidity, and a desire to be controlled by the weak will of the international community, rather than providing resolute, principled, leadership. The unfortunate result may be replication of Lebanon-like states as the new norm in the Middle East."

Obama Self Destructing Over Libya "Nine days after the Libyan uprising the president issued a flat, canned condemnation of the violence with no mention of Gaddafi. His misfiring caused conservatives and liberals to question his Ft. Hood style lack of enthusiasm. On February 23 Nile Gardiner told Fox News that Obama was acting "spineless, weak-kneed" and "like a deer in the headlights." That was enough to fire up the community organizer. Obama does not act from conviction, loyalty or a belief system; he reacts to others' reactions."

And this from DEBKAfile:
Obama’s Libyan strategy: Recipe for a deeper, lengthier US military role "The only way to “help the opposition” in its campaign against Qaddafi is to transform a pack of squabbling dissidents into military-capable units with proper training and arms, a feat requiring a substantial US military presence on Libyan soil and time – as Washington has discovered painfully in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Thursday, March 31, 2011

New sizes at Starbucks (Updated)

PCWorld  "Forget about Tall, Grande and Venti, Starbucks has two new sizes: Plenta and Micra. The Plenta is a 128-ounce drink for caffeine addicts who can't get enough coffee, and for those who need just a tiny sip, you can get the 2-ounce Micra. And don't worry about all that paper waste from the new Plenta sized-cup, Starbucks says you can reuse your gigantic Plenta cups in a number of useful ways including as a planter, lampshade or yoga block."


Starbucks site  to see what's April Fool and what's not.