Monday, April 2, 2012
Concert at Army post in NC geared toward atheists
Stars and Stripes "The Rock Beyond Belief event at Fort Bragg, organized by soldiers here two years after an evangelical Christian event at the eastern North Carolina post, is the most visible sign so far of a growing desire by military personnel with atheist or other secular beliefs to get the same recognition as their religious counterparts."
...."Fort Bragg is willing to work with organizers of any event that fits its guidelines, said Garrison Commander Col. Stephen Sicinski, who estimated that the BGEA evangelical concert generated twice as much controversy as the atheist event. As far as the Army is concerned, Siciniski said, the event isn't a bellwether of changing beliefs - it's simply another one of the community events that Bragg often hosts." Via Politico.
Bob Dylan was right when he sang, "The Times, They are A-changin' "; I think he shouldn't have been bragging.
...."Fort Bragg is willing to work with organizers of any event that fits its guidelines, said Garrison Commander Col. Stephen Sicinski, who estimated that the BGEA evangelical concert generated twice as much controversy as the atheist event. As far as the Army is concerned, Siciniski said, the event isn't a bellwether of changing beliefs - it's simply another one of the community events that Bragg often hosts." Via Politico.
Bob Dylan was right when he sang, "The Times, They are A-changin' "; I think he shouldn't have been bragging.
People listen to Professor Richard Dawkins the headline speaker at the Rock Beyond Belief
event, Saturday, March 31, 2012 at Fort Bragg, N.C. For the first time in history, the U.S.
military hosted an event expressly for soldiers and others who don't believe in God,
with a gathering sort of like a county fair Saturday on the main parade ground at one of the
world's largest Army bases.
Breakpoint: More Human than Humanism "We are engaging the atheists at what they seem to consider their point of strength, reason, which we actually find to be a distinct weak point for them. As we show in the e-book, reason is more at home within Christianity than atheism, and Christianity is more at home with reason."
...."That illustrates what happens when one removes soul from the human equation: The rest of human life tends to disappear along with it. Daniel Dennett takes it that consciousness is an illusion. Love is strictly a neurochemical thing. Jerry Coyne, again, would say that every behavior, every feeling, is a neurochemical thing. Peter Singer says it is wrong—“speciesist,” he calls it—to regard humans as essentially unique and different from animals. This leads us to an irony equal to that of atheists camping upon “reason.” Many atheistic groups go by the name “humanist,” yet theirs is a doctrine that strips the humanness out of being human." Tom Gilson, The Colson Center
On National Security
"We chatted over the weekend with Mieke Eoyang, director of the national security program at Third Way, a centrist Democratic think tank. The organization last month released the findings (http://bit.ly/H7EgXp) of a series of focus groups it held with swing voters in Ohio and Florida."
Here is an excerpt of what they wrote:
National Security Focus Group Report "There are a few cautionary notes for the president. Some participants give all the credit for the bin Laden raid to the Navy SEALs and broader U.S. military. Others say
Obama is simply capitalizing on the security capabilities built up by George W. Bush
and other Republicans before him. These are minority views, but there is a risk of going
too far in taking credit and sounding boastful."
The Democratic Security Image Still Stuck in the Past
"Obama’s solid standing on national security, however, has not yet rubbed off much
on the image of the Democratic Party. These swing voters see Democrats in much
different terms than the president—and trust them less on national security than the
Republicans.
"What we hear in these groups is remarkably close to what we found in a 2008 set
of focus groups on these issues: Democrats too often are weak, indecisive, afraid to
use force; lack grounding in military matters; rely excessively on diplomatic solutions;
respond too quickly to public pressure; and defer too
readily to the party’s liberal base."....
"While the swing voters in this year’s focus groups trust Democrats more on issues like diplomacy and boosting America’s global image, they trust Republicans more on “hard security” topics like “the effective use of military force,” “preventing terrorist attacks here in the U.S.,” “capturing, interrogating, trying, and imprisoning terrorists,” “intelligence and spying,” and “dealing with dangerous nuclear regimes like North Korea, Iran, and Pakistan.”
"Their comments show that the roots of this image problem are decades old. “There
have been a couple of Democratic administrations that screwed up military-wise,” reflects
an Ohio man. “Jimmy Carter tried to rescue some people and then the other guy,
Clinton, he threw some bombs down somewhere and that didn’t go too well either.” "
Via Politico
Here is an excerpt of what they wrote:
Obama is simply capitalizing on the security capabilities built up by George W. Bush
and other Republicans before him. These are minority views, but there is a risk of going
too far in taking credit and sounding boastful."
The Democratic Security Image Still Stuck in the Past
"Obama’s solid standing on national security, however, has not yet rubbed off much
on the image of the Democratic Party. These swing voters see Democrats in much
different terms than the president—and trust them less on national security than the
Republicans.
"What we hear in these groups is remarkably close to what we found in a 2008 set
of focus groups on these issues: Democrats too often are weak, indecisive, afraid to
use force; lack grounding in military matters; rely excessively on diplomatic solutions;
respond too quickly to public pressure; and defer too
readily to the party’s liberal base."....
"While the swing voters in this year’s focus groups trust Democrats more on issues like diplomacy and boosting America’s global image, they trust Republicans more on “hard security” topics like “the effective use of military force,” “preventing terrorist attacks here in the U.S.,” “capturing, interrogating, trying, and imprisoning terrorists,” “intelligence and spying,” and “dealing with dangerous nuclear regimes like North Korea, Iran, and Pakistan.”
"Their comments show that the roots of this image problem are decades old. “There
have been a couple of Democratic administrations that screwed up military-wise,” reflects
an Ohio man. “Jimmy Carter tried to rescue some people and then the other guy,
Clinton, he threw some bombs down somewhere and that didn’t go too well either.” "
Via Politico
http://terrellaftermath.com/
Biden downplays Russian threat: ‘This is not 1956′ "He acts like he thinks the Cold War is still on, Russia is still our major adversary. I don’t know where he has been. I mean, we have disagreements with Russia, but they’re united with us on Iran. The only way we’re getting one of only two ways we’re getting material into Afghanistan to our troops is through Russia. They’re working closely with us. They have just said to Europe, if there is an oil shutdown in any way in the Gulf, they’ll consider increasing oil supplies to Europe. That’s not — this is not 1956.” "
New Poll Shows Egyptians Now Prefer Iran to US as Strategic Partner "Gee, who could have predicted this?
"Earlier this month outside the US Embassy in Cairo Egyptian Presidential Candidate Tawfiq Okasha called for the expulsion of US Ambassador Anne Patterson, the “enemy of humanity” who “bathes in a sea of the blood of others.”
"The crowd loved it."
U.S. Intel Undermined by Iraq, Obama "Much of Sunday’s New York Times story by James Risen suggests that U.S. intelligence analysts are overcompensating for their past failures on Iraqi WMDs by minimizing the risk of Iranian WMDs in the future. The upshot is that the Israelis might be right to distrust President Obama’s “we can wait until the very last minute” reassurances on Iranian weaponization, as politicized and skittish U.S. intelligence evaluations might miss that signal."
...."It’s getting easier and easier to understand why the Israelis don’t take those arguments seriously, and why they’re nervous that some in the U.S. intelligence community seem to."
New Poll Shows Egyptians Now Prefer Iran to US as Strategic Partner "Gee, who could have predicted this?
"Earlier this month outside the US Embassy in Cairo Egyptian Presidential Candidate Tawfiq Okasha called for the expulsion of US Ambassador Anne Patterson, the “enemy of humanity” who “bathes in a sea of the blood of others.”
"The crowd loved it."
U.S. Intel Undermined by Iraq, Obama "Much of Sunday’s New York Times story by James Risen suggests that U.S. intelligence analysts are overcompensating for their past failures on Iraqi WMDs by minimizing the risk of Iranian WMDs in the future. The upshot is that the Israelis might be right to distrust President Obama’s “we can wait until the very last minute” reassurances on Iranian weaponization, as politicized and skittish U.S. intelligence evaluations might miss that signal."
...."It’s getting easier and easier to understand why the Israelis don’t take those arguments seriously, and why they’re nervous that some in the U.S. intelligence community seem to."
Sunday, April 1, 2012
It’s Not Just the Mandate: ObamaCare’s Other Infringements- The bill seizes liberty from doctors and insurance firms, too.
PJ Media "Of course, such “unexpected” cost overruns are nothing new for government programs. When Medicare was passed in 1965, it was predicted to cost $12 billion by 1990. In reality, it cost a whopping $110 billion, almost 10 times more than predicted."But the escalating economic costs of ObamaCare will pale in comparison to the escalating losses of freedom."
- Doctors must purchase and use expensive electronic medical record systems.
- Doctors must electronically record certain patient data such as ethnicity, BMI (body mass index), blood pressure, and smoking status — and turn over patient data to the government upon request.
- Doctors treating Medicare patients must practice according to government “quality” guidelines or face economic penalties.
- Insurance companies must offer numerous “free” benefits, including various preventive health services, birth control, and coverage of “children” up to age 26.
- Insurers may not raise their rates to cover these new expenses unless the government agrees those rate increases are “reasonable.”
- An Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) of unelected bureaucrats will set prices for Medicare services that will lead to de facto rationing.
....The Supreme Court may or may not decide to overturn ObamaCare. I hope it does. But if it doesn’t, Americans will still have one last opportunity to overturn ObamaCare at the ballot box this fall: elect politicians committed to repeal.
Paul Hsieh, MD, is a member of the Colorado chapter of Docs4PatientCare (www.Docs4PatientCare.org) and co-founder of Freedom and Individual Rights in Medicine (www.WeStandFIRM.org).
Two by Victor Davis Hanson: "The Strange Case of Trayvon Martin" and "Obama’s Demagoguery"
 |
| Our national healer |
....
"The president cannot explain by which criteria he chooses to weigh in on controversial local issues, since to do so by definition makes them “teachable moments” and thus prompts the question: why this case (e.g., or a Gates or Fluke incident), and not others? Fairly or not, by now the president, through his past selective editorializing, has lost a great deal of credibility as a national healer."
Obama’s Demagoguery "The reactions to the presidential editorializing were predictable. Liberals applauded Obama for his public stand on behalf of feminists, while conservatives countered that he was selective in his outrage and more an opportunistic partisan than an opponent of crude speech aimed at women. The president had succeeded once more in polarizing rather than uniting the nation."
In another vein: Obama says he isn't promoting class warfare "Obama and his team have been framing the issue as one of essential fairness — where Americans who have done well need to give back a little more."
More surprises found in Obamacare bill
Rick Moran over at American Thinker: "This discovery by GOP staffers in the senate deals with the long term costs of Obamacare. And what they found was chilling."
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Justice Sonia Sotomayor's Shocking Ignorance "The percentage of American people who took their son or daughter to an emergency room and were turned away because the parent didn't have insurance is exactly zero.
"No person, whether American or not, is ever turned away from an emergency room for lack of health insurance. Ever.
"This simply does not happen."
Bear in mind, the source of her information is not from real research but -we must assume- Democrat sources. TD
"The more we learn about the bill, the more we learn it is even more unaffordable than was suspected," said Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, the Republicans' budget chief in the Senate."The bill has to be removed from the books because we don't have the money," he said. Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, the Republicans' budget chief in the Senate.
"I might also point out that all this extra spending we've been finding in Obamacare comes before any of the hundreds - perhaps thousands - of new regulations are promulgated that will implement the more than 100 boards, commissions, and panels that will oversee the massive program. Those regulations will have the force of law and will likely add huge costs to health care providers and patients."
Justice Sonia Sotomayor's Shocking Ignorance "The percentage of American people who took their son or daughter to an emergency room and were turned away because the parent didn't have insurance is exactly zero.
"No person, whether American or not, is ever turned away from an emergency room for lack of health insurance. Ever.
"This simply does not happen."
Bear in mind, the source of her information is not from real research but -we must assume- Democrat sources. TD
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Bill Whittle: Merchants of Despair
The Liberal Lie in Color "I haven’t Bill Whittle this angry since the “Three Years under Obama” video.
"Never in my life has any president caused more rage and vitriol."
...."No longer am I willing to concede that those on the left have those good intentions. I think they are far more concerned with power, telling other people how to live their lives (with the force of law behind them) and turning the greatest country the world has ever known into just another Socialist state. All this while richly rewarding those that agree with them (and donate money to them) and punishing those that disagree."....
Schnitt Calls for Sharpton's Firing and Possible Arrest
Radio host Todd Schnitt (Hadn't heard of him until now) "Nationally syndicated radio host Todd Schnitt is calling for MSNBC to fire their host, the Rev. Al Sharpton, for his attempt at inciting violence. Schnitt has called for Sharpton's arrest if riots occur.
"The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that Sharpton is calling for an escalation in civil disobedience against the city of Sanford if George Zimmerman is not arrested."
I'd love to say that Rev. Al has jumped the shark on this one, but I'm too much of a pessimist.
George Zimmerman's Father Blasts Obama: "So Much Hate Coming From The President"
"The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that Sharpton is calling for an escalation in civil disobedience against the city of Sanford if George Zimmerman is not arrested."
I'd love to say that Rev. Al has jumped the shark on this one, but I'm too much of a pessimist.
George Zimmerman's Father Blasts Obama: "So Much Hate Coming From The President"
Well done, Mr. President
Obama Slaps New Sanctions on Buyers of Iran Oil "President Barack Obama is pushing forward with new sanctions designed to cripple Iran’s oil exports. The president said Friday there is enough oil on world markets to allow him to take the step without harming U.S. allies
"President Obama’s move authorizes U.S. sanctions on foreign banks that continue to purchase oil from Iran.
"It is aimed at further isolating from world markets Iran’s central bank, which handles most of the proceeds from the country’s oil sales.
"Friday’s announcement from the White House is part of a campaign by the United States and its allies to increase pressure on Iran to abandon its nuclear program."
The Jerusalem Post: Turkey says it's cutting Iran oil purchases by 10% "The United States exempted Japan and 10 EU nations from sanctions because they have significantly cut purchases of Iranian crude oil, but left Iran's top customers China and India exposed to the possibility of such steps."
The State Department's Jerusalem syndrome (Update with Obama's own words about Jerusalem being Israel's capital)
Caroline Glick "I went to the US Consulate this week to take care of certain family business. It was a thoroughly unpleasant experience. I think it is ironic that two days after my extremely unpleasant experience at the consulate, State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland refused to say what the capital of Israel is. It was ironic because anyone who visits the consulate knows that the US's position on Jerusalem is in perfect alignment with that of Israel's worst enemies."
Ms. Glick quotes these words by Yisrael Medad from the Begin Center:
But to the politics: A rather disturbing pattern of behavior has emerged from the US Consulate-General in Jerusalem over the past years that would point to a need for Congressional review and oversight.
Except for matters of passports, visas and birth registration, all other activities whether social, educational, scientific, sports, etc. are blatantly discriminatory in that no Jewish American citizen, who lives in the area supervised by the Consulate, can benefit from or take part in. They are intended for Arabs solely.
" I think it would be a helpful for the House Foreign Relations Committee to hold hearings on the manner in which the US Consulate in Jerusalem is run. Jewish US citizen residents of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria should be brought in to give testimony."
Update: Breitbart: FLASHBACK 2008: OBAMA 'JERUSALEM WILL REMAIN CAPITAL OF ISRAEL'
He begins with "let me be clear", which is Obamese for "I really, really, reeeeally mean it at this moment".
Update: Breitbart: FLASHBACK 2008: OBAMA 'JERUSALEM WILL REMAIN CAPITAL OF ISRAEL'
He begins with "let me be clear", which is Obamese for "I really, really, reeeeally mean it at this moment".
Be a Wilberforce; don't let the race pimps make us become callous to real slavery and racism that exists
I see no trace of help in these cases from the Sharpton's, Jackson's and the CBC. They are too busy with their high-image demagoguery to handle the real cases, but that may be a good thing; if Sharpton and/or Jackson showed up to publicize these cases, they would immediately become trivialized suspect in the eyes of people who know these race-hustlers.
Better to let real cases of racism and slavery be pursued by others who are not held in contempt by so many.
Breakpoint " In 2005, I had the privilege of attending the award ceremony in Washington, D.C., honoring Gary A. Haugen. Gary is the founder of International Justice Mission, a Christian human rights advocacy group. With support from a stable of lawyers, investigators, and government liaisons, Gary travels around the world to help victims of human trafficking, slavery, and sexual exploitation.
....“William Wilberforce and a vibrant movement of Christian abolitionists,” Gary Haugen writes, “didn’t miss their opportunity in 1807.” His challenge: what can we do, in 2012, to not miss ours?” Gary suggests four things:....
Domestic workers and agricultural workers are especially vulnerable
Modern day slavery "It started one day in the early '90s, when a white van stopped him in front of the Fruit Stand grocery store in Hastings and asked if he needed work. He did. But as soon as he met Evans he knew he had found trouble. Evans was mean in a way that made Goodman feel suddenly aware of how far out of town they were. There was no phone. Chain link and barbed wired surrounded the property. The crew leaders looked hardened, "like they just come out of prison." The field workers called them henchmen. One of them gave him a pair of bloodstained work boots.
Better to let real cases of racism and slavery be pursued by others who are not held in contempt by so many.
Breakpoint " In 2005, I had the privilege of attending the award ceremony in Washington, D.C., honoring Gary A. Haugen. Gary is the founder of International Justice Mission, a Christian human rights advocacy group. With support from a stable of lawyers, investigators, and government liaisons, Gary travels around the world to help victims of human trafficking, slavery, and sexual exploitation.
....“William Wilberforce and a vibrant movement of Christian abolitionists,” Gary Haugen writes, “didn’t miss their opportunity in 1807.” His challenge: what can we do, in 2012, to not miss ours?” Gary suggests four things:....
Domestic workers and agricultural workers are especially vulnerable
Modern day slavery "It started one day in the early '90s, when a white van stopped him in front of the Fruit Stand grocery store in Hastings and asked if he needed work. He did. But as soon as he met Evans he knew he had found trouble. Evans was mean in a way that made Goodman feel suddenly aware of how far out of town they were. There was no phone. Chain link and barbed wired surrounded the property. The crew leaders looked hardened, "like they just come out of prison." The field workers called them henchmen. One of them gave him a pair of bloodstained work boots.
" "He said ‘These belong to the last guy who ran. If I catch you trying to get down that road, you’re going to answer to me too.' " "
When will their supporters tire of these people? (Updated)
Why isn't the left sick of this man enough to reject him and his rants?
Al Sharpton: Civil disobedience will escalate if Zimmerman remains free "The civil rights activist and syndicated television show host said he will elaborate on this plan Saturday.
" "I will speak about how the National Action Network will move to the next level if Zimmerman isn't arrested," Sharpton said, who founded the organization. He added that it was the Martin family and lawyers who first asked him to get involved and nationalize this story.
Examiner.com: Crazy Sheila Jackson Lee says Zimmerman broke his own nose ..."The Houston Democrat has represented Texas’s 18th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 1995. And legendary oddball public statements have presented journalists and political commentators with a veritable gold mine of bizarre malapropisms. She is truly a gift that keeps on giving.
"But earlier this week, Rep. Jackson Lee succeeded in lowering the bar of civil political discourse even further than her meanest critics could have predicted."
Al Sharpton: Civil disobedience will escalate if Zimmerman remains free "The civil rights activist and syndicated television show host said he will elaborate on this plan Saturday.
" "I will speak about how the National Action Network will move to the next level if Zimmerman isn't arrested," Sharpton said, who founded the organization. He added that it was the Martin family and lawyers who first asked him to get involved and nationalize this story."The Rev. Jesse Jackson is also expected to participate in the event."
Civil rights leaders condemn Sharpton's call for escalated civil disobedience "Turner Clayton, the Seminole County chapter president of the NAACP, reacted immediately to Sharpton's warning, saying, "We hope that the citizens of Sanford will govern themselves accordingly. We are not calling for any sanctions, against any business or anyone else. And, of course, what Rev. Sharpton does, that's strictly the [National] Action Network. We can't condone that part of the conversation, if that's what he said." "
Paul Shanklin hat tip to Rush Limbaugh
Update: SHARPTON EXPLAINS HOW HE MANIPULATES MEDIA ON RACE CASES
"If only someone had warned NBC News that they were giving a prime-time platform to a vitriolic, race-hustling charlatan. Oh wait--we did. Even some journalists on the left did. Recently uncovered video from over twenty years ago has Al Sharpton, in his own words, bragging about his ability to manipulate the media to draw attention to his race-hustling agenda. And he's playing out his blueprint to a T in Florida today.
"In the video seen below, Sharpton brags about his ability to manipulate the media through his grandstanding, demonstrations and marches. He pats himself on the back over being able to convert a “one day story” into an international sensation by giving the media what they want: drama, contention, provocative images and charges of racism."
Ann Kane: Obama Stoking Racial Warfare Flames? "A week ago, Obama brought his children into his politics; except this time he talked about an imaginary son looking like the slain Trayvon Martin. Pulls at the heartstrings, doesn't it? But it also heightens racial tensions in an already volatile social atmosphere."
Examiner.com: Crazy Sheila Jackson Lee says Zimmerman broke his own nose ..."The Houston Democrat has represented Texas’s 18th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 1995. And legendary oddball public statements have presented journalists and political commentators with a veritable gold mine of bizarre malapropisms. She is truly a gift that keeps on giving. "But earlier this week, Rep. Jackson Lee succeeded in lowering the bar of civil political discourse even further than her meanest critics could have predicted."
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