February 16, 2005

Iraq Elections Slap U.S. - Admin. Asks For More Money?
By Dorothy Anne Seese

Perhaps this newsgazer doesn't have the proper sense of humor to appreciate the administration's latest request to Congress for more "war" funds (about $80 billion plus or minus a few). Or perhaps the fact Iraq's recent elections, in which the U.S. designated prime minister got barely fourteen percent of the vote, the overwhelming plurality going to the Shi'ite Muslims, isn't regarded in Washington as a slapdown at the United States' war, its intervention, its so-called liberation, and its continued liberation-minded presence.

In a way, if I were in Congress, I would have laughed and replied, "are you kidding? Didn't you get the message? They don't want us there! We've just spent billions to get rid of one tyrant and put the Shi'ites in power, you know, those guys who hold the power in Iran, blow up Americans and have nukes. This some kind of joke? What you guys smoke up there in the White House -- or are you just delusional by nature?" (Read the rest here)

A Fresh Approach to North Korean Nukes Is Needed
By Ivan Eland

North Korea has declared that it has nuclear weapons—a capability that U.S. intelligence agencies had suspected for some time. President Bush is known to have a personal distaste for Kim Jong Il, North Korea’s quirky ruler, and his abysmal human rights record. Although regime change in the north is not a publicly stated U.S. goal, the president’s ever-idealistic approach is to ratchet up the pain in an attempt to squeeze the life out of Kim’s tyrannical regime. Although this approach may seem plausible, it’s counterproductive.

Because the Bush administration has no leverage over North Korea and no effective military alternatives—North Korean nuclear facilities are hidden and deeply buried and both Seoul and Japan are vulnerable to North Korean retaliatory strikes in the event of a U.S. attack against the north—it is concentrating on tracking and freezing financial transactions related to North Korea’s counterfeiting, drug running, and covert weapons sales. Yet such sanctions have rarely been successful—as the ineffective financial war against al Qaeda should indicate. Governments have never been effective in ending these rampant clandestine activities. In fact, the international economic isolation of North Korea drives its government to turn to such illicit ways of raising revenues. (Read the rest here)

Libertarian Commentary on The News
By Nathan A. Barton © 2004

Libertarian Commentary on the News, the Ides of February, 2005
As we continue, today I suggest that we lovers of liberty cultivate the character trait of "Decisiveness" - of making the right decision and sticking to it, of not giving into pressure from others, and of accepting and keeping responsibility for our decisions and actions. This is opposed to "procrastination." If even a few politicians would practice ALL aspects of being decisive, many problems would never even appear - and more would go away. At least, that's my opinion. Like the rest of this column, it may not be that of anyone else, including TPoL or RRND.

Our "wonderful" politicians and other pests
Michigan: government changes stand on Ten Commandments
Detroit Free Press
LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Gov. Jennifer Granholm has backed off her support for displaying the Ten Commandments in the Capitol Rotunda and says now such a display would be unconstitutional. "I'm not interested in violating the United States Constitution," she told the Associated Press in a Monday interview. "I was really speaking personally." During a taping Friday of public television's "Off the Record" program, Granholm said she didn't have a problem with having the commandments on display at the Capitol, saying while the government should not be promoting religion, the Ten Commandments promote "a universal desire for people to behave with dignity and honor God. That is not promoting a particular religion. That is just recognizing some universal values," she said. On Monday, however, the Democratic governor changed her tune.

Hah! Another politician who can't abide sticking to her own convictions, apparently. While this one is a Democrat, I've seen no evidence that the GOP-crats are any better about it. And none of them can honestly show anywhere where it is "unconstitutional" either. At least this, unlike stands on many other things, won't end up getting people killed. (Read the rest of the Commentary here)

Features From The Last Issue

The Beat Goes On By Michael Gaddy Panic Depressive - Shock and Awe Ebbs By Ted Lang © 2004 The War on Pain Sufferers By Sheldon Richman Libertarian Commentary for Tuesday

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