Tuesday, November 20, 2012

A time for courage, and action

Caroline Glick  ...." And [Romney] was probably the strongest Republican candidate among the primary field of contenders. That is, he was the best man available to run against Barack Obama.
"And he did a pretty good job.
"Obama, on the other hand, was a horrible candidate. He was mean and vindictive. He was contemptuous and superficial. He ran on irrelevancies like abortion and a fictitious Republican war against women. He didn't give his supporters any reason to feel good about themselves.
"Instead, he used class warfare to stir them to hatred of their countrymen.
"Yet Obama won. And Romney lost."....
...."No one said any of this will be easy. But difficult is not the same as impossible. Within a year, the consequences of Obama's failed domestic and foreign policies will make him weaker rather than stronger than he was in his first term. He will be hard pressed to pressure Israel when the US loses its leadership role in the Muslim Brotherhood- dominated Middle East. And Israel's independence of action will consequently grow.
"Our side suffered a massive loss on [Election Day]."
About Caroline Glick:
I am the senior fellow for Middle Eastern Affairs at the Center for Security Policy in Washington, DC and travel several times a year to Washington where I routinely brief senior administration officials and members of Congress on issues of joint Israeli-American concern.

In its Israeli Independence Day supplement in 2003, Ma’ariv named me the most prominent woman in Israel. In December 2005, I was awarded the Ben Hecht award for Middle East reporting from the Zionist Organization of America. In January 2006, I was awarded the Abramowitz Prize for Media Criticism by Israel Media Watch.

The U.N. Tilt to Terrorists

NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE "Nowhere in the charter of the United Nations is there any mandate for the U.N. to stack the deck in favor of terrorists. Yet that is exactly the effect of the current U.N. furor over conflict between Israel and the terrorists who control Gaza.

"When terrorists in Hamas-run Gaza busied themselves in recent years launching well over 2,000 rocket and mortar attacks on Israel, including hundreds of attacks in recent months, the U.N. shrugged it off as business as usual. That’s not to say that the U.N. ignored the attacks entirely. As the bombardments went on, and on, a few U.N. officials did occasionally call for them to stop. But these statements were invariably coupled with calls for Israel to practice “restraint,” or, as Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon put it last week, “maximum restraint.” Under the circumstances, this amounts to a demand that Israel refrain from defending itself."
Political Cartoons by Nate Beeler

Inhumanity In Gaza "If you took the world’s liberal media seriously, you might think that Hamas is a group of human rights activists whose worst sin is protesting against Israel’s “occupation.” Occupation of what? Not Gaza, obviously. But the truth is that Hamas is a brutal, inhuman terrorist organization–worse, a brutal, inhuman terrorist organization that is supported by many, perhaps most, inhabitants of Gaza."
"So this is what Israel is up against. Are these Hamas terrorists even human beings? Watch the video, and judge for yourself. If they are humans, they are depraved and degraded to an extent that makes them unrecognizable as such."

Unions Feel Emboldened

Neal Boortz  "This is anecdotal, I know … no way to verify it … but the story is being told on Twitter of a Christian living in Israel just returned to her church in the U.S. an told other members of the congregation that as soon as Obama won reelection the Israelis knew the rockets would be coming soon. That’s pretty easy to believe. Why WOULDN’T Hamas and other Mideast Islamic terrorist groups be encouraged by Obama’s reelection? First, he clearly holds Israel in disdain, and, as we’ve found out, he is reluctant to call them out even when they kill an American Ambassador! “That? Oh, just blame it on a video.”

"Unions are feeling pretty much the same way .. emboldened. Obama’s win means they can really start to flex their muscles; after all, they have their “man” in the White House.
"And thus endeth the Twinkie.
"You know the Twinkie story .. and if you don’t, how about some bullet points."....
....Political Cartoons by Eric Allie
"It’s no coincidence that the labor unions have ramped up their activities.  They poured tens of millions of dollars into the reelection of Obama, and they see this as a personal victory … a green light, if you will, to seek additional favors from the Obama Junta.  Those favors that can’t be gathered through legislative action (the GOP does still control the House, thank God!) they will seek through administrative action; principally through rules changes with the National Labor Relations Board."



Monday, November 19, 2012

So You Want to End the Israel-Hamas War? Here’s How To Do It

Barry Rubin  "A lot of people have asked the purpose of Israel’s defensive war against Hamas. Some, including those supposedly expert on the region, have been mystified. They cannot seem to figure out what is going on or what the goal of this Israeli operation could be.
"The answer is simple. Given the premise that Hamas is in a permanent state of war with Israel and will attack Israel whenever it can get away with it, Israel needed to do three things.
"First, Israel had to show Hamas that it cannot daily attack Israel and Israeli civilians without a cost.
"Second, Israel had to show Hamas that the cost is unsustainable and that it needs to keep the peace or suffer massive losses to its governmental, economic, and military infrastructure. This includes a personal cost to those who have taken the lead in attacking Israel and especially to those who have organized terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians.
"Third...."
...."So far, Hamas has been turning down the efforts by Egypt and Qatar to broker a ceasefire, making huge and ridiculous demands. Hamas is banking on the idea that the suffering of Gaza’s people–a suffering that it adds to and fictionalizes–will bring enough Western sympathy to force Israel to stop fighting without conditions. It is not in anyone else’s interests to let this happen."
Political Cartoons by Gary Varvel
Read this next article and tell me if you expect courageous backing for Israel from the Democrats now in power:
"A statement issued Thursday from the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) illustrates this point. Israel "has escalated air and ground attacks against the Gaza Strip, killing Palestinian men, women and children," it says. "Israel is claiming these attacks are about going after militants, but in reality it's about assassination of Palestinian leaders, destruction of Gazan infrastructure and the gross killings of Palestinian civilians, including women and children."
"The statement offers no information to substantiate such a claim. Israel military officials, in contrast, have posted videos of one of their strikes, which targeted the longtime head of Hamas's military wing."
 Jewish World Review

Remember in the coming days that Obama said Israel had the right to defend herself

Bosch Fawstin
Obama Backs Israel's 'Right To Defend Itself'   "Speaking in Bangkok on November 18, U.S. President Barack Obama blamed Palestinian militants for the "precipitating event" of the Gaza crisis -- a series of rocket attacks on Israeli territory.
" "[T]here is no country on earth that would tolerate missiles raining down on its citizens from outside its borders," he said. "So we are fully supportive of Israel's right to defend itself from missiles landing on people's homes and work places and potentially killing civilians." "
However he left himself wiggle room with these words:
"However, Obama also suggested it was "preferable" for the crisis to be resolved without "ramping up" Israeli military activity.
"Those who champion the cause of the Palestinians should recognize that if we see a further escalation of the situation in Gaza then the likelihood of us getting back on any kind of peace track that leads to a two-state solution is going to be pushed off way into the future," he said.
So Obama tells Israel, "we can and will throw you under the bus if it suits our needs".
And it just may if what Netanyahu says he will do, he does...  " “We will force Hamas and other terrorist organizations to pay a high price,” Netanyahu told a Cabinet session on Sunday. “The Israeli army is ready to significantly expand its operation.” "

Benjamin Netanyahu: Leader of the Free World  "Whether due to naiveté, foolishness or pure dishonesty, President Obama’s bungling of the Middle East crisis – let alone his unprecedented attacks on our constitutional freedoms stateside – has disqualified him to lead the free world."

But Obama will get some resistance from Congress if he does. Not that it will bother this weasel-in-chief. "Appearing on the U.S. television program Fox News Sunday, [Republican Senator Saxby] Chambliss voiced no opposition if Israel opted to use ground forces.
"“Israel has a right to protect itself. And if sending ground troops in is the only way they can clean out these nests of rockets being fired at them, you cannot blame them for doing it,” he added.
"Similarly, Republican Congressman Peter King of New York gave Israel the benefit of the doubt, saying, “I think Israel should do whatever it has to do to defend itself. I am not in a position, nor do I want to second-guess what Israel has to do.” "

CBS News
The clueless reelected president  "Hamas. Does. Not. Want. Peace. Hamas wants only the destruction of Israel and the death of every Jew living there. Read this. Then all this. The only peace Hamas wants is the peace of the grave for every Jewish Israeli."

Speaking of weasels, here come the calls for Israel's "restraint"  "Yes, restraint. After months of hundreds of missiles raining down on Israeli heads – murdering, injuring and destroying – Israel finally decided to do something serious. They killed a top Hamas terrorist, best known for orchestrating the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit. Oh, it was then that the world decided to finally take notice of Israel’s “aggression”.
"Rather than cheering on the Israelis and complementing them on a job well done – we hear calls for Israeli restraint, even from the United States."

The Heritage Foundation ; The Escalating Conflict Between Hamas and Israel "Over the last four days, militants in Gaza have fired more than 840 rockets at Israel. Hamas rockets have reached the outskirts of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv for the first time, thanks to the smuggling of Iranian rockets into Gaza. The increasing range and sophistication of Palestinian rockets has expanded the reach of terrorists, who now can threaten up to half of Israel’s population."

I'd say we should back Israel as we did America after Pearl Harbor, but he fact is that many American supporters of Hamas likely feel that America had it coming in 1941.

And the lucky winners are...

Hitler's Secret Archive of Holocaust Victims

CBS News  From Dec, 2006; "In Full: Scott Pelley brings three Holocaust survivors to examine a recently-opened archive of Nazi atrocities. The records were kept secret for decades."

Revisiting The Horrors Of The Holocaust  "For the first time, secrets of the Nazi Holocaust that have been hidden away for more than 60 years are finally being made available to the public. We're not talking about a missing filing cabinet - we're talking about thousands of filing cabinets, holding 50 million pages. It's Hitler's secret archive.
"The Nazis were famous for record keeping but what 60 Minutes found ran from the bizarre to the horrifying. This Holocaust history was discovered by the Allies in dozens of concentration camps, as Germany fell in the spring of 1945."  The transcript of the video below: 
Hat tip to Don Standlee, Arlington, TX


Ahmadinejad said the Holocaust didn't happen  "At the September 2009 Quds Day ceremonies in Tehran, Ahmadinejad stated Israel was created on "a lie and a mythical claim," that the Western powers "launched the myth of the Holocaust. They lied, they put on a show and then they support the Jews" – what the New York Times considered his "among his harshest statements on the topic," and one immediately condemned by the US, UK, French and German governments." Wikipedia

Encountering Holocaust Denial
"The SS guards took pleasure in telling us that we had no chance of coming out alive, a point they emphasized with particular relish by insisting that after the war the rest of the world would not believe what happened."

-- Survivor of Dachau, quoted in Terence DesPres,
The Survivor: An Anatomy of Life in the Death Camps

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Urban Legend: "WELL NOW I KNOW 3 CHARITIES I WILL NOT BE DONATING TO AGAIN!!!!!!!!! "

The story as it came to the Tunnel Dweller and probably you:
"As you open your pocketbooks for the next natural disaster, or the Christmas season, please keep these facts in mind:"
The American Red Cross President and CEO Marsha J. Evans' salary for the 2011 was $951,957 plus expenses.
The United Way President Brian Gallagher receives a $675,000 base salary along with numerous expense benefits .
UNICEF CEO Caryl M. Stern receives $1,900,000 per year (158K) per month, plus all expenses including a ROLLS ROYCE.
Less than 5 cents (4.4 cents) per donated dollar goes to the cause.
Meanwhile...
The Salvation Army's Commissioner Todd Bassett receives a salary of only$13,000 per year (plus housing) for managing this $2 billion dollar organization.96 percent of donated dollars go to the cause.
The American Legion National Commander receives a $0..00 zero salary. Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!
· The Veterans of Foreign Wars National Commander receives a $0..00 zero salary .
Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!
· The Disabled American Veterans National Commander receives a$0..00 zero salary .
Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!
· The Military Order of Purple Hearts National Commander receives a$0..00 zero salary .
Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!
· The Vietnam Veterans Association National Commander receives a$0..00 zero salary .
Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!

Snopes declares the above "mostly outdated and inaccurate" They add that the rumor has been around since 2005 and was inaccurate then, becoming more so now. Also, they say the veteran's groups listed do not rate highly in efficiency

Snopes refers us to several background links including the following:
The Largest U.S. Charities For 2012, which also comes under the link, "America's Most Efficient Charities"
Charity Navigator  "Charity Navigator’s free charity ratings have enabled millions of donors to access relevant information before they make a donation --- giving them the peace of mind they desire."
Guidestar helps you do a search on charities.
MinistryWatch is a help in donating to those claiming to be Christian outreaches.
       Here is their 2011 list on exemplary ministries.  Who to trust and who to be wary of.

It’s final in Ireland: Kids, gov’t rule in home over parents

OneNewsNow  "Pro-family groups are going on the offensive to stop an incoming barrage of internationalists' treaties as voters approve ballot measures on "children's rights."
"The results are in ... and parents in Ireland voted for their own defeat -- conceding that they are not fit to make decisions about raising their own children. They effectively handed over their parental rights to their own children and the government Saturday, as the final poll results show this week that 57 percent -- versus 43 percent -- of Irish voters believe that "children's rights" should usurp their own when making crucial decisions on the upbringing of Irish youth.

"In another stride toward global governance, the United Nations brought Ireland under compliance with its mandate that allows for the state's seizure of children via an amendment that voters approved into the Irish constitution. Only one-third of Irish voters showed up to cast their ballot on the measure, which was not only supported by every political party, but surprisingly by all children's charities, as well.
"But pro-family groups in America are more than concerned that what goes down in Ireland doesn't stay in Ireland."
Elections have consequences

Video: Crowder’s three minutes of Israel’s history

Hot Air   "Confused about the history 0f the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? My friend Steven Crowder has put together a brief video that tells that story in about three minutes … and includes Charles Bronson. Well, sort of."
Call this the "History of Modern Israel for Dummies". Or perhaps the "History of Modern Israel for Obama Voters", to mention a... um, completely different group. 

Hat tip to Christy Waters at Conservative Bloggers on Facebook.

What about those Democrat fears that Romney would steal the election?

Democrats claims were laying the groundwork for challenges and rioting in the cities if Republicans won. They do it here and also here, among other places.
I see no future in the Democrats but third-world status, both economically and politically.
The following comes to us courtesy of Chuck McNabb at RiteOn.org:

Election Fraud? Obama Won More Than 99 Percent Of The Vote In More Than 100 Ohio Precincts  "Barack Obama received more than 99% of the vote in more than 100 precincts in Cuyahoga County, Ohio on election day. In fact, there were a substantial number of precincts where Mitt Romney got exactly zero votes.So how in the world did this happen? Third world dictators don't even get 99% of the vote. Overall, Mitt Romney received 30.12% of the vote in Cuyahoga County. There were even a bunch of precincts in Cuyahoga County that Romney actually won. But everyone certainly expected that Cuyahoga County would be Obama territory."
...."What makes all of this even more alarming is that there were reports of voting machine problems during early voting in Ohio. It was being reported that some voters were claiming that they tried to vote for Romney but that the voting machines kept recording their votes as votes for Obama...
"I don't know if it happened to anybody else or not, but this is the first time in all the years that we voted that this has ever happened to me," said Marion, Ohio, voter Joan Stevens.
Stevens said that when she voted, it took her three tries before the machine accepted her choice to vote for Romney.
"I went to vote and I got right in the middle of Romney's name," Stevens told Fox News, saying that she was certain to put her finger directly on her choice for the White House.
She said that the first time she pushed "Romney," the machine marked "Obama."
So she pushed Romney again. Obama came up again. Then it happened a third time.
"Maybe you make a mistake once, but not three times," she told Fox News
."This column lists these Cuyahoga County precincts where "Mitt Romney received exactly zero votes in each instance..."
....Then, "In this next set of results we get to see many of the precincts where Mitt Romney received exactly one vote..."
...."Now let's look at some of the Cuyahoga County precincts were Mitt Romney received exactly two votes..."
...."But there are more than 100 precincts where the results look incredibly suspicious. Here are some more precincts where Barack Obama won more than 99% of the vote..."
Selwyn Duke explains in depth why he thinks so  ....Since then, the indications of electoral criminality have been overwhelming. First there are the anecdotes, such as the court-appointed Republican poll watchers illegally expelled from 13 Philadelphia polling places in wards that, in most cases, went 99 percent for Obama; the poll observers who noted what they considered vote fraud but were powerless to stop; and the Democrats who actually bragged about voting more than once.".... Cross-posted at American Thinker

As Twinkie goes, so goes America

Political Cartoons
Political Cartoons