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September
26, 2005
covering the past week
This is
the second week of our weekly news summary, as Mama Liberty prepares for
some major changes. Once more, Gulf War Three (my own name for the series
of hurricanes and the aftermath of their passage in the western Gulf of
Mexico) dominated the news; but fighting in the Mideast continues, as
do the sagas of the Iranian and North Korean weapons, will defense issues
continue to pop up. This week, I've winnowed more than 200 news stories
down to about 50. Please let us know how you like this format, and what
suggestions you have.
At the end of the column, I have added a few words by a favorite uncle,
from his work in emergency planning. Please read that, if nothing else,
and pass that to your friends and relatives and neighbors (and encourage
them to come visit TPOL!) to help them prepare for the NEXT disaster.
Gulf
War Three
The BIG NEWS this week continues to be the mess in the western Gulf Coast:
both the new Rita and the mess after Katrina.
Federal
judge halts New Orleans gun seizures
Second Amendment Foundation
"The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
this afternoon issued a temporary restraining order on behalf of the Second
Amendment Foundation (SAF) and National Rifle Association (NRA), bringing
an end to firearm seizures from citizens living in and around New Orleans.
District Judge Jay Zainey issued the restraining order against all parties
named in a lawsuit filed Thursday by SAF and NRA. Defendants in the lawsuit
include New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and Police Chief Edwin Compass III.
.... "This is a great victory, not just for the NRA and SAF, but
primarily for law-abiding gun owners everywhere," said SAF founder
Alan M. Gottlieb. .... "What must happen now, and quickly,"
said Gottlieb, "is for authorities in the New Orleans area to explain
how they will return all of those firearms to their rightful owners, and
do it promptly. What this ruling affirms is that even in the face of great
natural disasters, governments cannot arbitrarily deprive citizens of
their rights. Thanks to some great teamwork between SAF and the NRA, this
sort of thing will hopefully never happen again.'" (09/23/05)
Earlier
Story: Second
Amendment Groups Move to Stop Gun Seizures
(CNSNews): The Second Amendment Foundation and National Rifle Association
are seeking a temporary restraining order to stop authorities in and around
New Orleans from seizing firearms from private citizens in the aftermath
of Hurricane Katrina...
Too little
and too late, sadly, for New Orleans. We are very near the point where
the only response to such an attempt will be a hail of gunfire against
the thugs seeking to steal the weapons. I hope and pray this doesn't happen
in Texas now that Rita is going through. This surprising ruling will hopefully
keep it from happening.
Rita
Lands
AOL News
BEAUMONT, Texas (Sept. 24) - Hurricane Rita slammed into Texas and
Louisiana early Saturday, smashing windows, sparking fires and knocking
power out to more than 1 million customers, but largely sparing vulnerable
Houston and already reeling New Orleans. Rita made landfall at 3:30 a.m.
EDT as a Category 3 storm just east of Sabine Pass, on the Texas-Louisiana
line, bringing top winds of 120 mph and warnings of up to 25 inches of
rain, the National Hurricane Center said. Within four hours it had weakened
to a Category 2 storm, with top winds of 100 mph, as it moved further
inland between Beaumont and Jasper. About 3 million people had fled a
500-mile stretch of the Texas-Louisiana coast ahead of the storm, motivated
in part by the devastating toll that Hurricane Katrina inflicted on New
Orleans and other parts of the Gulf Coast barely three weeks ago.
Earlier
stories:
Traffic Jams Stall Hurricane Exodus
(CNSNews.com)
Rich and poor, anxious Texans trying to flee Hurricane Rita were caught
in traffic jams on Thursday, as gridlock descended on all the major roads
leading out of Houston... Rita
had earlier blasted the Florida Keys and built to a Category 5, 175-mph
hurricane, with the possibility of hitting Galveston and Houston head-on,
and sending a storm surge that started New Orleans flooding again. As
the hurricane moved past various areas, the usual preparation and evacuations
took place. The usual waffling and counter-counter-march by New Orleans
and Louisiana "leaders" took place. And as predicted, people
overreacted and panicked. Attempts to prepare New Orleans for a fresh
onslaught seem largely to have failed, causing fresh, further damage to
the dead city. People complained about the mess, and again seemed to blame
government.
Isn't it
time to stop facilitating the kind of dependency the hurricane coast has
created, where every year "disasters" wipe out so much, and
were the damage from one hurricane isn't even fixed before another roars
through? If people want to live there, that's fine - but I want to make
them stop having me, my children, my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren
pay for them to do so.
Houston
refining industry at a standstill
Tampa Tribune
"Drivers, homeowners, airlines and businesses will end up paying
higher fuel bills if Hurricane Rita magnifies the damage last month's
Hurricane Katrina inflicted on the oil-refining industry. Most of the
refineries on the Texas and Louisiana coasts were shut down Thursday,
and oil and natural gas rigs stood empty on the Gulf of Mexico as Rita
bore down on the heart of the nation's energy industry." (09/22/05)
Prices
in some areas, such as Northwest New Mexico, had already jumped to over
$4.00/gallon on Thursday, more than 36 hours before the storm actually
landed, as people panic and others take advantage. Fuel shortages were
present in Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado, at least.
New
Orleans suspends reopening of city
Tampa Tribune
"Under pressure from President Bush and other top federal officials,
the mayor suspended the reopening of large portions of the city Monday
and instead ordered nearly everyone out because of the risk of a new round
of flooding from a tropical storm on the way. 'If we are off, I'd rather
err on the side of conservatism to make sure we have everyone out,' Mayor
Ray Nagin said. The announcement came after repeated warnings from top
federal officials - and the president himself - that New Orleans was not
safe enough to reopen." (09/19/05)
"My,
don't he lie so pretty?" One more example of the nut-case that the
neo-French of New Orleans chose to rule (ruin) their city. See also: "Plan
to Reopen New Orleans Draws Criticism" (Las Vegas Sun/AP) for
background on how Vice Admiral Thad Allen and others tried to talk reason
into Nag-in and the slumlords and beastmasters that rule over a dead city.
Also see the Washington Times story about returning to NO even AFTER Rita.
Admiral
wary of return to Big Easy
Washington Times
"The mayor of New Orleans has set up a ... timeline for allowing
residents to return to the city, which is still threatened by a weakened
levee system, a lack of drinkable water and heavily polluted floodwaters,
the head of the federal relief effort said yesterday. Coast Guard Vice
Adm. Thad W. Allen said federal officials have worked with Mayor C. Ray
Nagin and support his vision for repopulating the hurricane-ravaged city,
but he called Nagin's idea to return as many as 180,000 people to New
Orleans in the next week both 'extremely ambitious' and 'extremely problematic.'
... 'Our intention is to work with the mayor ... in a very frank, open
and unvarnished manner,' Adm. Allen told the Associated Press.... [He]
said a prime public health concern is the tap water, which in most of
the city remains unfit for drinking and bathing." (09/18/05)
Even if
Rita's damage is easily repaired, it still sets the city's hope of resurrection
back still farther. Isn't it time to abandon this and add it to the list
of dead cities like Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Babylon?
Katrina's
death toll climbs past 1,000
Las Vegas Review-Journal
"Searchers smashed through doors in New Orleans on Wednesday,
bringing their hunt for the dead to homes that had been locked and to
blocks hardest hit by Katrina's flooding. Behind those doors, officials
said they expected a sharply escalating body count even as the overall
death toll passed 1,000. 'There still could be quite a few, especially
in the deepest flooded areas,' said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Jeffrey Pettitt,
who is overseeing the retrieval of bodies. 'Some of the houses, they haven't
been in yet.' Officials said searchers are beginning to find more children."
(09/21/05)
It is clear
now even to the unobservant that the panicked "10,000 or more"
number screamed in headlines and at federal officials is and was completely
bogus - as bogus as the stories of thousands of small children wandering
around the south lost or kidnapped or sold into slavery! The people and
government of New Orleans can look in the mirror and see who to blame
for most of these deaths. And I hope that they do. No wonder some cops
committed suicide: they couldn't' live with what they and their fellows
failed to do.
Kuwait
Offers to Build Oil Refinery in US
Houston Chronicle:
Kuwait is talking with the Bush administration about building an oil
refinery in the United States - America's first new refinery in 30 years,
the Houston Chronicle reported. According to the newspaper, Kuwaiti leaders
made the offer earlier this month and they expect a reply next month.
No word on where the refinery might be located.
It will
be absolutely crazy if Arabs are allowed to build here when hundreds of
American companies are not permitted to. As for location, far better to
pump the offshore crude in a pipeline for a couple of hundred miles up
to someplace like Tulsa, Wichita, or Kansas City, or even Nashville or
Lexington, than to continue to build in the abysmal Gulf Coast.
Rotting
wood, rampant mold threaten homes
Washington Post
"New Orleans residents who return to their soggy homes and businesses
this week are in for some rude lessons in physics and biology, experts
say. ... Wooden structural supports that have become saturated under water
will in many cases be warped and are unlikely to straighten out again
as they dry, making structures unsafe, according to engineers with flood
experience. ... 'It's pretty simple,' said Paul H. Gilbert of Parsons
Brinckerhoff, a Seattle-based global engineering firm. 'If the water gets
above the foundation for any period of time ... it will likely be cheaper
and safer .. . to clear the site and start fresh.' ... For homes with
concrete foundations, residents will first have to see whether those foundations
have cracked or shifted. Floodwaters can easily scour beneath the edges
of concrete slabs, causing an irreversible settling that can leave the
wooden structure above unsound." (09/18/05)
This article
provides strong support for my opinion (and that of many others apparently)
that we should not spend $100 billion of stolen money to try and "save"
this corpse. If anything should be done, I would suggest putting all of
the debris from Katrina and Rita in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and
east Texas into the "bowl" of New Orleans as a giant landfill,
put a good 20-foot engineered landfill-style permanent cover on top, and
THEN build a new city on the resulting tel. And think of the opportunities
for future Indiana Joneses!
Dems
Complain about Bush's Hurricane Recovery Plan
CNSNews.com
The Democrat Party has taken a close look at the Bush administration's
recovery plan for the Gulf Coast, and it doesn't like what it sees. The
Democratic National Committee complains that President Bush is using the
natural disaster to push his conservative political agenda on the region...
I see very
little "conservative" about this plan, but the knee-jerk reaction
of the National Democrats is even more sickening: any excuse to bash,
and push Bush more to the left and more and more powerful government.
As with the West during the Cold War, Bush's battle against his liberal
foes makes him more statist and liberal every day.
In addition
to the comments here, be sure to visit the end of this commentary to read
about being prepared for the NEXT disaster.
GOP
to propose budget cuts to cover Katrina costs
USA Today
"House Republicans are looking at delaying some federal spending,
including money for a prescription drug benefit under Medicare and thousands
of highway projects, to offset the cost of rebuilding the Gulf Coast,
a leading GOP fiscal conservative said Sunday. Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind.,
said there is a need for dramatic spending cuts in 'big-ticket items.'
However, Democrats appearing on Sunday news programs questioned how President
Bush can trim the budget to pay for Katrina recovery and support tax cuts
for the wealthy." (09/18/05)
Various
versions of the cuts are crisscrossing the Internet - for some of the
best, visit www.chuckmuth.com for a list of $500 BILLION in cuts that
could more than pay for this, and make us all MUCH better off. To my amazed
surprise even some liberals are doing things: Nancy Pelosi "donated"
more than ½ of her district's pork ($70 of $130 million!) to the
cause! Isn't she generous with other people's money?
Mama's
Note: If they can and will make these cuts, why on earth waste it in New
Orleans? That won't help anybody at all. If they would give this money
back to the people who EARN it, the entire economy would get a shot in
the arm. This is just so frustrating! They simply can't stand not to waste
it somewhere! When will they ever get the message that "the wealthy"
are those who employ the rest of us??
Bush
"just says no" to Katrina tax hikes
Washington Times
"President Bush said [Friday] the federal government won't raise
taxes but must cut spending to cover some of the costs from Hurricane
Katrina, responding to a mini-revolt in his party over the escalating
price tag. 'We're going to have to make sure we cut unnecessary spending,'
he said. 'We've got to maintain economic growth and, therefore, we should
not raise taxes. Our working people have had to pay a tax, in essence
... by higher gasoline prices, and we don't need to be taking more money
out of their pocket.' Congress has passed two bills totaling $62.3 billion
so far, and Bush's pledge Thursday night to rebuild the Gulf Coast means
that figure will go much higher. And while those first two bills passed
easily, some House and Senate Republicans said they would require more
control and a closer look at spending before Bush comes back with another
request." (09/17/05)
Bush is
waking up to the fact that he is busy destroying his own party and its
chances in 2008? We know he is ignoring the destruction of the nation
- but maybe his party means ore to him.
Fed
boosts rates, downplays Katrina fears
Cincinnati Enquirer
"The Federal Reserve boosted interest rates to the highest level
in four years Tuesday despite the effects of Hurricane Katrina, saying
fallout from the storm didn't pose a 'persistent threat' to the nation's
economic health. The Fed made clear that fighting inflation remained its
No. 1 job. Taking no break in a 15-month rate-raising campaign, as some
had speculated, Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan and his colleagues opted to
raise an important short-term interest rate by one-quarter percentage
point to 3.75 percent. It marked the 11th increase of that size since
the Fed began to tighten credit in June 2004." (09/20/05)
The headlines
and stories this week on this issue have been very interesting, as the
tone went from "Katrina may persuade
fed to end rate hikes" (Cincinatti Enquirer, 18 SEP) to "Fed
likely to hike rates despite Katrina" (MSNBC) to this. Their
logic, as usual, was bizarre, and I can't pretend to understand it, much
less agree to it.
Mama's
Note: Believe it or not, any interest rate hike is probably going to be
good for the economy and taxpayers in the long run. One of the big problems
of the last few years has been the artificially low rates that have caused
so much poor business practice, ultimately hurting us all because they
are then bailed out with tax write-offs and out right subsidies! The bottom
line here is that interest rates must reflect the true cost of doing business
in a free market.
Help
without the razor wire
San Francisco Chronicle
"In one corner of a poor neighborhood in a city that has seen
much devastation, something good has come of Hurricane Katrina. A health
clinic that grew from the compassion of strangers determined to help a
community largely overlooked in the disaster's darkest days is putting
down roots. The place is called Common Ground, and its founders' decision
to stick around means residents of a corner of Algiers tucked beneath
the Greater New Orleans Bridge no longer have to go across town, or over
the Mississippi River, to see a doctor." (09/20/05)
One more
of many examples of the motto: "Lead, follow, or stand aside."
If we didn't expect government help, this kind of thing would be far easier.
But as the next story explains, the governments involved, who all claim
to be in charge and compassionate and all that, are instead making things
worse.
Mama's
Note: I was just reading in a nursing magazine how hundreds of nurses
who volunteered to help in NO and Texas - at their own expense!!!-- were
left waiting on the sideline for days while the stupid governments delayed
making up their minds whether or not to recognize licenses from other
states!! How dumb can you get?
Lack
of cohesion bedevils recovery
Washington Post
"Three weeks after Hurricane Katrina struck, red tape and poor
planning have left thousands of evacuees without basic services, according
to local and state officials, public policy experts and survivors themselves.
Hundreds of thousands of people from New Orleans and Gulf Coast communities
have fled, sometimes to neighboring states and beyond, moving in with
friends and family or into shelters, public housing and hotels funded
by the Red Cross. With little guidance from federal and state governments
-- and no single person or entity in charge of the overall operation --
cities and counties have been left on their own to find survivors homes,
schools, jobs and health care. A patchwork of policies has resulted, causing
relief agencies to sometimes work at cross-purposes." (09/18/05)
To paraphrase
Reagan: government IS the problem now. And that makes the rest of the
problems worse.
Mama's
Note: And just think what a horrible mess and disaster it would be if
"one person or entity" WAS "in charge" of the entire
operation!! Far more is getting done by individuals and small groups of
honest people who are just trying to help... when the "powers that
be" will even let them, of course.
Working
class exodus feared in New Orleans
Boston Globe
"The affluent areas of this city are humming with activity as
reconstruction efforts pick up tempo, but many of the black working-class
and poor neighborhoods remain deluged in noxious flood water or coated
in its putrid residue and populated mostly by dragonflies and National
Guardsmen. Even as the nation unites to rebuild this stricken region,
New Orleans's long-standing race and class divides appear to persist.
The haves are beginning to pick up the pieces of their former lives, while
many have-nots may be forced to simply pick up and leave. Recovery is
well underway in the French Quarter and in the tony Garden District and
Uptown, which largely were spared when the levees broke because they sit
on But their lower-lying and often poorer counterparts may remain unsafe
and may be uninhabitable for a year or longer, with entire neighborhoods
slated for the wrecking ball, said state and federal officials. And with
each passing week, former residents of these communities, evacuated around
the country, are more likely to start life anew elsewhere, said federal
officials and urban affairs specialists." (09/18/05)
Maybe if
none of their low-paid service workers return, but find new lives in a
real-world location, these "haves" that have been looting for
decades might find themselves unable to sustain their former lifestyle.
Mama's
Note: I suspect that the entire area may well be far better off eventually.
Many of these "have-nots" were no doubt on the welfare rolls
and cost the productive citizens a great deal. The free market will provide
work for those who want to work, and workers for those who want to hire
them. The wages should be left to the free market as well, and will probably
be higher than usual since the labor pool will be smaller. Now it remains
to be seen if the free market will be allowed to function there at all.
I won't hold my breath.
President
hits new lows in poll
USA Today
"Americans' view of President Bush and his leadership has soured
in the wake of dismay over the government's response to Hurricane Katrina,
the course of the Iraq war and the future of the economy. Bush's rating
for handling each of those issues dropped to the lowest of his presidency
in a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday." (09/19/05)
And at
the same time, the Bush ratings are still higher than those for Congress,
and those for the Democratic Party.
A
louder drumbeat for independent Katrina probe
Christian Science Monitor
"A growing number of top disaster experts are adding their voices
to calls for an independent, nonpartisan commission to examine what went
wrong, as well as right, with the nation's response to the Katrina disaster.
Washington's plans for such inquiries have moved in a different direction.
The White House this week named President Bush's top homeland security
adviser, Francis Fragos Townsend, to head an inquiry into the sluggish
and chaotic response to hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. House Republicans,
meanwhile, are planning an investigation led by the Government Reform
Committee. On Wednesday, congressional Democrats said such an inquiry
would lack credibility because of Republicans' ties to the White House,
and they renewed their call for an independent panel." (09/22/05)
Follow-up
Story:
House
Katrina Probe to 'Move Ahead' Without Dems
(CNSNews.com) An investigation by the U.S. House of Representatives into
the government's response to Hurricane Katrina will "move ahead"
even if Democrats choose not to participate, the head of the probe said
Wednesday.
One interesting
item in recent days is the reversal of the Democratic leadership in Congress.
For a week they demanded an investigation into the "failed"
federal response to the flooding of New Orleans, but as soon as the GOP
congressional leadership seemed to actually be DOING an investigation,
they immediately swung the other way, refusing to participate. I am sure
it is because they realize that so many observers have already pointed
out that the filthy and corrupt New Orleans and Louisiana governments
are going to get even more exposed by such hearings and investigation
that they don't dare allow what they were crying for to proceed. Although
I doubt that NO could ever have a clean and effective government (unless
Gen. Honore stages a coup and shoots Nag-in), there is a possibility that
the rest of Louisiana could overthrow the present Democratic regime (unless
the next elections feature Mexican-style polling places in Texas and Arkansas
and a dozen other states for the parasites to vote at).
Mama's
Note: Just keep repeating after Reagan: Government is not the answer,
it is the problem! That means ANY government, no matter what the politicians
call themselves.
Some
Katrinas wave good-bye to name
Arizona Republic
"She's not Katrina anymore. Call her Renee. Like tens of thousands
of women nationwide with a once-princesslike name that suddenly became
a symbol of destruction and grief, Katrina, or make that Renee, McDuffie
of Phoenix is fed up with insensitive jokes, funny looks and constant
reminders of devastation. 'I've always wanted to use my middle name anyway,'
she says. 'I had no control over what they named the hurricane, and I
didn't have any control over what my parents named me,' McDuffie says.
'I'm not responsible for any of what happened, but I feel sad, having
my name linked to that.' From coast to coast, it's the same story. People
named Katrina are surely the least of the victims of Hurricane Katrina,
but they're hurting nonetheless." [FND editor's note: This is
almost too silly to publish ... but it's a slow news day? - SAT] (09/19/05)
Arggh!
How stupid some people can be: let's see: we need to eliminate George
(Two Bushes, and of course George III Rex), Adolf, Joseph (Josep), Jim/James
(Jim Jones), Andrew (hurricane), Charles (Manson), William and Jefferson
(at least for conservatives), Franklin (also for conservatives), Ronald
(for liberals), Abraham (for libertarians), and of course, Alexander (for
L Neil Smith libertarians, at least). Victims? Victims? Please!
Mama's
Note: It will wear off. I got tired of my first name in high school and
decided to go by my middle name. I got over it fast because I was the
only one who couldn't remember the name change!! The laugh was really
on me for a whole year!
Black
leaders focus on Katrina, race and poverty
Fox News
"Although a number of issues related to inequality will be discussed
at this week's annual legislative conference of the Congressional Black
Caucus Foundation, Hurricane Katrina will top the agenda. 'We are moved
by the grief and loss caused by Hurricane Katrina,' said CBC chairman,
Rep. Melvin L. Watt [D-NC]. In opening remarks on Wednesday, Watt said
the caucus wants to show solidarity with the victims 'and show that we
are working for them.' Scratching some business items from the original
agenda, Watt and other members of the CBC set priorities of the 35th annual
conference around storm relief and preparation, race and poverty issues."
(09/22/05)
The original
one-trick horses: they don't seem to understand that the thuggish long-term
looters and slumlords and corrupt politicians of NO and LA and the US
don't care what color their victims are, or what color their partners-in-crime
are, either. And that these looters, slumlords, and politicos are often
themselves black or brown, just like the petty looters and criminals.
House
OKs tax breaks for Katrina victims
USA Today
"The House approved a $6.1 billion package of tax breaks Wednesday
to help families recover from Hurricane Katrina and encourage Gulf Coast
businesses to reopen their doors, or at least keep employees on the payroll.
The House passed the bill 422-0 as the Bush administration urged residents
to get out of the way of another approaching storm, Hurricane Rita, threatening
Louisiana and Texas." (09/21/05)
This reminds
me of a theme I've not touched on for months: in comparing the evil tyrants
of ancient empires like Egypt and Assyria, the cruel rulers of those benighted
lands punished their bureaucrats and court toadies and military by not
collecting taxes from the peasants during times of famine and drought
and plague, instead of just granting a few tax credits. How fortunate
that we are so much more enlightened and that our elected masters are
so much more benevolent today.
Mama's
Note: Why can't these bureaucrats see how much harm is done to the people
and the economy by these taxes all the time, not just after a tragedy
like this? If lower taxes stimulate the economy in this case, just think
what would happen with NO taxes all the time? The country wouldn't be
on the brink of total economic collapse, that's for sure.
Could
Rita's Rain Help New Orleans?
National Geographic
A University of North Carolina scientist thinks rain from Hurricane Rita-which
is forecasted to strike Texas this weekend-could help New Orleans recover
from the devastating hurricane that struck there last month.
The environmental
issues continue to be completely ignored, with only a few minor press
reports and stories from odd quarters (like this one) coming in.
Mama's
Note: The ivory tower mentality, for sure. They are unlikely to get "just
the right amount" of rain they want, in any case.
Katrina:
200,000 jobs and climbing
AOL.com
More than 200,000 people have lost their jobs because of Hurricane
Katrina, and more bad economic news is on the horizon as Hurricane Rita
heads for the Texas Gulf Coast and the country's biggest collection of
oil refineries.
This will
not, of course, be reflected in the official statistics, but makes a mockery
of the Fed's claim that the effect is short-term.
Mama's
Note: It also makes a mockery of the liberal's idea that such disasters
are somehow "good" for the economy. Every dollar spent to repair
and replace things after a disaster is one LESS dollar available to spend
on new and improved things otherwise. The only ones that benefit are the
bureaucrats and their cronies.
Elections
Worldwide
Mixed
Fortunes for Conservatives in Weekend Cliffhanger Elections
CNSNews.com
Weekend elections in two Western democracies ended with results so
close that they will undergo a period of political limbo before a final
outcome becomes clear. In both Germany and New Zealand, the parties that
were narrowly beaten have refused to concede defeat. The two countries'
campaigns dealt largely with economic and other domestic issues rather
than foreign policy. In each case, however, conservative challengers signaled
warmer relations with the United States than those overseen by the liberal
incumbents, both of whom opposed the war in Iraq
The growing
failure of new-style democracy, as more and more elements of republican
government are sloughed off, is a major problem in the world, not just
the US. As with the US 2000 and 2004 elections, where very narrow margins
divided massively opposed camps, these nations are facing the same breakdown
of a weak system.
Germany:
Confusion as both Merkel and Schroder claim chancellorship
Guardian [UK]
"Germany was plunged into uncertainty last night when leaders
of the two main parties claimed they could become chancellor after neither
won a clear majority in yesterday's general election. The result was a
blow to the conservative challenger, Angela Merkel, whose party started
the campaign with a 21-point lead. Although Mrs. Merkel could still become
the country's new leader, she can only now do so as part of a 'grand coalition'
with Gerhard Schroder's Social Democratic party. ... According to exit
polls, Mrs. Merkel's Christian Democrats won 35% of the vote; Mr. Schroder's
party 34% -- more than expected. The Free Democrats got 10%, the Greens
8.1% and the Left party 8.5%." (09/19/05)
Germany's
plight is particularly bad, since there is every indication that Frau
Merkel is just as weak a leader as Schroder, and would not have acted
to reverse the long-term German dependency on government and a failed
social program. The split of the other parties makes a coalition (even
the bizarre "Jamaican" grand coalition) very unlikely either
to be formed or to survive the first major fuss. I suspect they may have
to do the whole thing over again, as the next story discusses.
Germany:
New election looms as Greens reject Merkel
Guardian [UK]
"The chances of Angela Merkel becoming Germany's next chancellor
suffered a setback yesterday when the Greens appeared to rule out joining
a coalition with her conservative CDU party. With the country in political
gridlock after Sunday's inconclusive general election, speculation was
growing last night that the chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, would try
to force new elections early next year. A day of political horse-trading
left Europe's most populous country facing months of confusion. No government
is likely to emerge until November at the earliest. Both the main party
leaders announced that they had begun talks with smaller parties in an
attempt to cobble together a coalition government." (09/20/05)
Here we
have that Jamaican coalition (so named because the colors of the three
most-likely coalition party members are the black, green, and red of the
Jamaican flag) - and the irony of a new Communist (Democratic "Left"
Party) presence in German government more than a decade after the end
of the Cold War. It is starting to even resemble the mess in the Weimar
Republic in the early 1930s - just as the German economy is starting to
smell like Depression-era Germany, but with Turks and other guest workers.
Mama's
Note: Gridlock is good... too bad they couldn't stay that way long enough
to figure out just how destructive all the various "parties"
are. I'm sure they will find a way to have their chains tightened again
very soon.
Afghanistan
holds landmark elections
Detroit Free Press
"Afghans braved an outbreak of violence Sunday to vote in landmark
legislative elections, hoping to strengthen a fragile democracy after
decades of war and sideline the Taliban militants who fought to undermine
the polling. Two rockets hit a UN warehouse in the Afghan capital, wounding
a local staff member, while fierce fighting erupted in eastern Afghanistan,
hours before the vote, that left three militants and two policemen dead
and two U.S. troops wounded, officials said." (09/18/05)
Although
turnout was "lower than expected" (what does that make turnout
in the US?), it seems to have been a successful election - and even if
misguided, people DID risk attack by Taliban and other Islamicist thugs
to participate. In fact, election violence seems to have been less than
that considered normal in US elections (at least in our urban areas) prior
to the 1950s.
Post-Election
Changes Boost Push for a More Assertive Japan
CNS News
One week after Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi won a sweeping election
victory, Japan appeared to be moving towards more robust foreign and security
policies and away from its war-renouncing constitution. Japan's post-World
War II constitution restricts deployments of troops abroad, and also prohibits
what is known officially as the Self-Defense Forces from providing support
for the U.S. military in the event of attacks on American assets based
in Japan. Countries targeted by Imperial Japanese aggression before and
during World War II -- China in particular -- are unhappy about Koizumi's
shift away from official pacifism and towards a more assertive role in
the region and beyond. Japan's shift deepens its military alliance with
the U.S.
China has
only itself to blame for this: rightly ALL the other nations of East Asia
and Oceana (except possibly North Korea - and saying that they think beyond
the next opportunity for blackmail is exaggeration) fear the growing power
AND attitude of Red China: with Tibet, Macao, Hong Kong under firm control,
casting eyes once more on Taiwan and the various small islands in the
area, people fear hungry eyes cast on much else, especially Siberia, Korea,
and Indochina, all at one time (or more than once) part of China's imperial
domain and with significant ethnic Chinese populations: and even the Philippines,
Indonesia, and Japan itself are not unlikely targets.
Barroso:
Work to avoid paralysis in Europe
Independent [UK]
"The European Commission president, Jose Manuel Barroso, yesterday
abandoned hope of seeing an EU constitution in place in the next two or
three years, urging member states to shelve the project and concentrate
on averting paralysis. Referendum 'no' votes in France and the Netherlands
have put the constitution on hold and political uncertainty in Europe
has been exacerbated by the stalemate following Germany's elections on
Sunday. But yesterday Mr. Barroso insisted that the EU need not be hamstrung
by the lack of a constitution, and put pressure on Tony Blair to help
solve an impasse over funding the bloc from 2007-13. " (09/22/05)
The mess
in Germany leaves little choice: the EU has (despite elaborate trappings
to the contrary) is increasingly a "Fourth Reich" in which Germany
dominates with France's eager, even slavering, cooperation and only the
UK acting to counter it. Even the EU budget issue may have to wait for
someone to gain control in Berlin.
Israel:
Sharon-Netanyahu showdown too close to call
Reuters
"Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and rival Benjamin Netanyahu are
neck-and-neck in a Likud party ballot next week that could redefine Israeli
politics after the withdrawal from Gaza, a poll showed on Thursday. The
Likud executive, which opposed the pullout for defying the party's traditional
rightist ideology, votes on Monday on Netanyahu's motion to advance a
leadership primary to November in an extraordinary move to oust a popular
serving premier. Aides suggest the ex-general will quit Likud if he loses
the Central Committee vote and enter the next general election as leader
of a new centrist party mining public support for what he calls 'disengagement'
from conflict with the Palestinians." (09/22/05)
Despite
the lack of open revolt over the withdrawals from Gaza and elsewhere,
the crisis has severely weakened the Israeli state, and this will not
be a good election cycle, no matter what happens. We can expect more people
to realize that the government is NOT their friend.
Panel
suggests ways to improve elections
Cincinnati Enquirer
"A private commission trying to restore public confidence in national
elections recommended on Monday requiring a free photo ID for voters,
drawing opposition from Democrats and some voting rights activists. Critics
suggested that having to acquire the ID cards in order to vote could be
an obstacle for minorities, the poor and older Americans and might intimidate
some people. 'We believe such a requirement would constitute nothing less
than a 21st century poll tax,' said a letter from Reps. John Conyers,
D-Mich., and John Lewis, D-Ga. Poll taxes were once used in some states
to prevent black citizens from voting." (09/19/05)
With election
messes overseas, the US has its share as well. See next article for my
comments.
Baker-Carter
commission recommends national voter ID card
Raw Story
"A voting reform commission which has already taken heat for playing
host to sham voting rights groups run by members of the Bush-Cheney campaign
has now recommended the institution of a national voter ID card. ... Among
other major recommendations, the commission calls for voter verifiable
paper trails for electronic voting machines, and elections run by nonpartisan
officials rather than party-affiliated secretaries of state."
(09/19/05)
I am sure
that I will be roundly condemned for saying this, but what is wrong with
asking a person to demonstrate that they are who that they say they are?
I have ALWAYS, in both South Dakota and before that in Colorado, shown
some form of identification to provide that I am Nathan A. Barton, not
some ringer - unless (as is the case because I am a rabble-rouser) I am
known personally to the person running the polling place - or when voting
absentee by mail (in which case, I had to provide a signature and sometimes
a witness or notary seal proving I was the person supposed to be casting
this vote). There is no way that this can be compared to a poll tax, and
no way that it infringes on our right to vote - or on other rights AS
LONG AS it is not just a government-issued ID that is required.
Mama's
Note: There is simply NO way for anyone to guarantee they are who they
say they are to strangers. ALL kinds of "ID" can be forged so
easily these days that reliance on it is pretty stupid. The real answer
is to remove the power and money from politics and politicians so that
voting is extremely local and relatively unimportant. Then nobody will
be tempted to forge an ID and politicians won't be tempted to arrange
for the dead to "vote" either.
General
News
Simon
Wiesenthal, 1908-2005
USA Today
"Simon Wiesenthal, the Holocaust survivor who helped track down
numerous Nazi war criminals following World War II then spent the later
decades of his life fighting anti-Semitism and prejudice against all people,
died Tuesday. He was 96. Wiesenthal, who helped find one-time SS leader
Adolf Eichmann and the policeman who arrested Anne Frank, died in his
sleep at his home in Vienna, said Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean and founder
of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles." (09/20/05)
A good
man in many ways, but obsessed to the detriment of much of the world.
Rounding up 90-year-old people who bullied someone in their teens 60 years
ago should be pretty low on the priority list, and hopefully, with Herr
Wiesenthal now departed, this kind of thing will stop, and current genocides
and abuses can be addressed.
Senators
allege Pentagon cover-up on 9/11
Portland Press Herald
"Pentagon researchers linked Sept. 11 ringleader Mohamed Atta
to a New York group of al-Qaida terrorists a year before the 2001 attacks,
but the military destroyed the evidence after the hijackings, witnesses
testified Wednesday. The Defense Department has refused to discuss the
intelligence program called 'Able Danger' and prohibited those who were
involved from testifying at Wednesday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
The refusal has fueled talk about whether the military could have prevented
the attacks. A Pentagon official acknowledged at the hearing that officials
should have shared the information with the FBI if it was gathered in
an acceptable manner. Committee members called the destruction of paperwork
a cover-up of missed opportunities. More urgently, lawmakers questioned
what other information was destroyed that could have helped prevent future
terrorist attacks." (09/22/05)
Deep into
the fifth or sixth phase (playing the blame-game) of the post-Bloody Tuesday
activities, all I see is a bunch of politicians and bureaucrats trying
to keep from getting in more trouble - while causing more trouble for
their enemies.
PayPal
hit by payment problems
Register [UK]
"PayPal has been hit by two separate technical problems that are
causing transactions to appear more than once on some customers' accounts.
Although the money is not actually being removed from accounts this can
have the effect of freezing the account if spending limits appear to be
breached. Messageboards on PayPal's parent eBay are plastered with posts
from irate customers. We spoke to one Register reader and PayPal user
who asked to remain anonymous: "This is legalised theft - the money
is definitely coming out. PayPal need to admit what is going on and apologise
- there's been no public statement. Bill Cobb (eBay's US president) should
have a plan for people who can't supply their customers, it's all right
for me but many people depend for their entire livelihoods on this site.'"
(09/21/05)
Combined
with the massive spoofing campaigns, this threatens the credibility of
an organization and service that has been very useful for the electronic
community. Hopefully, this business will be allowed (and forced to by
ITS CUSTOMERS) to fix the problems, without government "help."
Mama's
Note: I won't use "PayPal" for any reason after being jerked
around by them many years ago. People need to be very careful - if they
are dumb enough to pay for things on line in the first place - because
some sites that say they accept a credit card actually run it through
PayPal first!
Antiwar
protesters going on offense
MSNBC
"Antiwar groups are using a $1 million ad campaign and a demonstration
they say will attract 100,000 people to try to re-energize their movement
and pressure the Bush administration to bring troops home from Iraq. Organizers
of Saturday's protest, which will take marchers past the White House,
say it will be the largest since the war began more than two years ago.
Cindy Sheehan, the woman who drew thousands of protesters to her 26-day
vigil outside President Bush's Texas ranch last month, is among those
planning to participate." (09/22/05)
Oh, I'm
sorry, I thought that Mrs. Sheehan "revitalized" the movement
last month, and got the rest of the nation to join it. Obviously that
is why we have such a huge crowd. Almost as many people as will be attending
ONE football game on Sunday. Oh, I see: she "revitalized" it
and this is "re-energizing" it: I don't get this fine differences
sometimes. I don't think, reenergized OR revitalized, that this kind of
action is going to make any difference at all - other than to distract
from real actions needed at home and abroad.
Mama's
Note: This will probably be like the "million mom march" that
didn't actually attract enough people to qualify as a "march"
at all. Just watch how the media play it all out of proportion, however.
North
Carolina: Libertarians sue for ballot line
Winston-Salem Journal
"The Libertarian Party of North Carolina has filed a lawsuit in
Wake County over its removal as an official state party, an action that
could help two candidates for Winston-Salem City Council. On Aug. 22,
the State Board of Elections decertified the Libertarian Party, which
failed to get 10 percent of the vote in last November's election. ...
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, says that state laws make it too difficult
for third parties to establish themselves in North Carolina. The lawsuit
is trying to have North Carolina law on third parties overturned. 'When
considered as a whole, the statutory regulations of political parties
denies Libertarians their constitutional rights to association and expression
of their political philosophy and denies voters their rights to select
candidates of their choice,' the lawsuit says." (09/23/05)
All good
arguments, and if the LPNC has coordinated properly with the state officials,
they have a good chance of winning, in spite of the legislature. As South
Dakota and other states have found, often Secretaries of State and election
officials are more understanding of the issues than politically-motivated
legis-gators.
Vatican
may bar gays from seminaries
Cincinnati Enquirer
"Word that a soon-to-be-released Vatican document will signal
homosexuals are unwelcome in Roman Catholic seminaries even if they are
celibate, has devastated gay clergy -- and raised doubts among conservatives
about whether an outright ban can be enforced. A Vatican official, who
spoke on condition of anonymity because the document has not been released,
said Thursday that the upcoming 'instruction' from the Vatican's Congregation
for Catholic Education will reaffirm the church's belief that homosexuals
should not be ordained." (09/22/05)
Remember
that the Catholic Church is a church and NOT some government agency that
is required to comply with politically correct anti-discrimination policies.
Then recall the vast damage that pedophile priests, many known to be homosexual
and supposedly "chaste" have done to parishes and dioceses around
the world. Then recall that the Bible does condemn homosexuality just
as it does other impure sexual relations - no one would expect the church
to accept a mass-murderer as a priest, even if they promise not to kill
again. Nor would they be likely to accept a man as priest after he killed
his wife, even if he were now able to qualified as "unmarried."
Mama's
Note: What a breath of fresh air!! Just maybe the new Pope can help rescue
the church from the morass it has fallen into.
Government-Ruined,
Theft-Funded Schools
Is
Constitution Day Constitutional? Law School Asks
CNS News
A new federal law requires every American school that receives taxpayer
funding to teach students about the U.S. Constitution on or around Sept.
17, the anniversary of the document's signing in 1787. Since the nation's
first official Constitution Day fell on a Saturday this year, some schools
plan to observe the occasion this week instead. The federal mandate does
not specify what (or how) students should be taught about the Constitution;
every school is free to come up with its own program or lesson plan. New
York Law School announced that it will comply with the requirement --
but with a contrary twist.
This is
an issue for many people, but it is simply resolved: get rid of the GRTF-schools,
and let the parents teach or decide who to teach their children.
First
Amendment triumph at Brooklyn College
Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE)
"In a swift and crucial victory for freedom of speech and academic
freedom, Brooklyn College has affirmed that prominent professor KC Johnson
will not be subjected to an unconstitutional inquisition into his views.
The college surrendered mere days after the Foundation for Individual
Rights in Education (FIRE) came to Johnson's public defense." (09/14/05)
A puff
piece for FIRE, but still, an interesting case involving a GRTF school.
Chicago
Schools Announcing 'Radical Changes' (unable to find link to this story)
Chicago high schools to get overhaul
Chicago Sun-Times: After a 2.3 million study, the Chicago Public School
system plans to announce radical changes on Monday -- everything from
the curriculum to the school buildings themselves, the Chicago Sun-Times
reported. The newspaper said a management consulting firm has produced
a 10-year, $50 million to $100 million plan to transform the high schools.
"Just
throw money at us, and we'll solve the problems!" At least until
the money runs out, and then we'll do the whole thing over again, while
another generation hits the streets incompetent to run their own lives,
much less a free nation.
Boston:
Charter school defies order to shut
Boston Globe
"The state education commissioner, faced with a defiant charter
school that has refused an order to close, yesterday asked the attorney
general what action the state can take to force the closing of the small
Roxbury school. The Roxbury Charter High Public School was supposed to
close last Friday, but opened its doors yesterday, ignoring state education
officials who said the tiny, financially troubled high school could not
stay open. Officially, a state education spokeswoman said, the students
are truant because they are not in an approved school." [FND
editor's note: So a local school, with the backing of parents and teachers
alike, tries to keep its doors open, in the face of educrats trying to
slam them shut. Were this not a "government" school, the story
would be quite different! - SAT] (09/20/05)
This reminds
us of one of the great dangers of charter schools: they are considered
creatures of the state, and subject to state control. Far better if these
people had organized a private school, and if necessary fought a tax rebellion
to be able to pay for it instead of having their money stolen for the
"system."
Mideast
Tarbabies
Iraq
insurgents assassinate Kurdish official
Houston Chronicle
"Insurgents assassinated a Kurdish member of parliament and police
found 20 bodies shot to death and dumped in the Tigris River north of
the capital, where there was no major violence today for the first time
in five days. Faris Nasir Hussein, a member of the Patriotic Union of
Kurdistan party, was killed along with his brother and their driver in
an ambush 50 miles north of Baghdad. A second Kurdish lawmaker, Haidar
Shanoun, was wounded in the attack near the town of Dujail."
(09/18/05)
More Muslim-on-Muslim
murder and mayhem. Iraq's problem isn't the Coalition occupation: maybe
the West should adopt another practice of the ancient empires: wholesale
deportation and dispersion of the entire population: 20 million Iraqis
distributed over, say, 40 countries, would leave only a half-million in
each nation, and if allowed to assimilate, might even turn into a bunch
of good citizens!
What
has happened to Iraq's missing $1 billion?
Independent [UK]
"One billion dollars has been plundered from Iraq's defence ministry
in one of the largest thefts in history, The Independent can reveal, leaving
the country's army to fight a savage insurgency with museum-piece weapons.
The money, intended to train and equip an Iraqi army capable of bringing
security to a country shattered by the US-led invasion and prolonged rebellion,
was instead siphoned abroad in cash and has disappeared. ... The carefully
planned theft has so weakened the army that it cannot hold Baghdad against
insurgent attack without American military support, Iraqi officials say,
making it difficult for the US to withdraw its 135,000- strong army from
Iraq, as Washington says it wishes to do. ... The fraud took place between
28 June 2004 and 28 February this year under the government of Iyad Allawi,
who was interim prime minister." (09/19/05)
"Islamic"
government has been corrupt since the first petitioner gave a bribe to
Mohammed's vizier, which happened about 15 minutes after the conquest
of Mecca. This is no different, except that it is not THEIR money - it
is money already stolen once from American taxpayers.
Iraq:
US military deaths pass 1,900
Detroit Free Press
"The war in Iraq passed a sobering milepost Tuesday when U.S.
officials reported 12 more Americans were killed -- eight of them members
of the armed forces, raising to more than 1,900 the number of U.S. service
members who have died in the country since the invasion. A Diplomatic
Security agent attached to the U.S. State Department and three private
American security guards were killed when their convoy was hit by a suicide
car bomber Monday in the northern city of Mosul, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad
said. The four were attached to the U.S. Embassy's regional office in
Mosul." (09/20/05)
Clearly,
mercenaries are taking up more of the brunt of the fighting, as this story
shows. But the killing continues as the Coalition forces try to referee
between the various Iraqi factions and keep a peace that really isn't
"peace" but not quite "war" either.
Iraq
coming apart, Saudi official warns
USA Today
"Iraq is moving toward disintegration, and war there could spread
to its neighbors, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said Thursday.
In part because of a new constitution that would give more power to various
regions in Iraq, 'there seems to be no dynamic that is pulling the country
together,' Saud said. Iraqis are to vote on the constitution next month.
Sunni Arab leaders are urging a 'no' vote, while majority Shiites urge
approval." (09/22/05)
When you
get right down to it, the fragmentation of Iraq, Iran, and Arabia might
be for the best, for both the world as a whole and for the region. While
the Morganthau Plan never was implemented (dividing post-WW2 Germany into
a dozen small nations), the division of Germany while tense, seems to
have avoided a good many problems and allowed a recovery and gaining of
freedom.
Powerful
cleric backs Iraq constitution
Indianapolis Star
"The country's most powerful Shiite cleric endorsed the draft
constitution Thursday, rejecting opposition voiced by two popular leaders
of Iraq's majority sect and underlining a rift also on display in anti-British
violence in the southern city of Basra. Two officials in the Shiite Muslim
hierarchy in Najaf said Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani called senior aides
together and told them to promote a 'yes' vote among the faithful during
the Oct. 15 national referendum on the constitution. The officials refused
to be identified because they are not authorized to speak for al-Sistani,
who only issues statements through his office and makes no public appearances."
(09/22/05)
They see
the writing on the wall.
Planned
Cut For British Troop Numbers In Iraq Postponed: Report
SpaceWar.Com
London (AFP) Sep 19, 2005 - A recent upsurge in violence in Iraq has
prompted Britain's government to shelve plans to reduce the number of
its troops serving in the country, a report said.
This has
been a bad week for the Brits in Iraq, as this and the next story focus
on.
Under
fire: Brits attacked in Basra
Independent [UK]
"British troops were struggling to maintain control in Basra last
night after the city exploded into bloody violence following the alleged
killing of an Iraqi policeman by a British soldier. Two British servicemen,
dressed in civilian clothes, were held at Basra's main police station
after the incident. Outside, rioting began as the city threatened to descend
into anarchy. Last night, British forces used up to 10 tanks - supported
by helicopters - to smash through the walls of the jail and free the two
British servicemen. John Reid, the Defence Secretary, later confirmed
they were back with UK forces. Around 150 prisoners were said to have
escaped during the assault, which was condemned as 'barbaric, savage and
irresponsible' by Mohammed al-Waili, the provincial governor."
(09/20/05)
This is
too much of a mess to figure out who did what, but it shows that Basra
is not immune from the problems facing the rest of the nation. The fact
that the men were arrested at all, to me, shows that the sovereignty is
real, if limited. It has not been that long since Japanese officials were
unable to arrest American troops in Okinawa, despite the "occupation"
having ended decades ago.
Nations
present case against Iran to UN
Indianapolis Star
"The United States and European nations whose diplomatic advances
were rebuffed by Iran worked Sunday to present a case against the Tehran
regime to the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency meeting this week.
The Bush administration's lead diplomat on Iran, Undersecretary of State
Nicholas Burns, huddled with representatives of Germany, France and Britain
a day after Iran's new hard-line president used a United Nations speech
to proclaim his country's 'inalienable right' to produce nuclear fuel."
(09/18/05)
Why are
they wasting their time? It would seem that just letting Iran produce
whatever they want to, and at the same time telling them that the first
missile that leaves their own borders will be replied to by a joint Brit-US-French-Russian
missile launch to slag all of Iran, will be far more bearable than this
mess.
Iran
Warns Aggressors Of 'Fire And Destruction'
SpaceWar.Com
Tehran (AFP) Sep 23, 2005 - Under pressure over its nuclear programme,
Iran on Thursday flaunted its ballistic missiles and warned any nation
considering attacking the Islamic republic would face a "destructive
and fiery" response.
Is this
Iran or North Korea? Or is Saddam ghostwriting for Tehran now? This raises
the "evil neighbor" question: is it moral to take preemptive
action against a neighbor who sits on his front porch cleaning his gun
and counting his ammo while loudly saying about how he's going to pay
back his neighbors and see them in their graves?
Risks
Of Proliferation 'Too High' If Iran Persists: EU
SpaceWar.Com
Paris, France (AFP) Sep 22, 2005 - The risks of proliferation are "too
high" if Iran persists in its current nuclear policy, the foreign
ministers of the EU troika - Britain, France and Germany - said in a joint
article in Le Monde newspaper Thursday.
Methinks
it is not the proliferation that is the problem - it is the nuts which
would have their fingers on the triggers (see above article).
Afghan
vote successful, but threats loom
Detroit Free Press
"From women in burqas in former Taliban strongholds to impoverished
desert nomads, Afghans embraced the chance to vote in the final formal
step toward democracy. But the country still faces myriad threats, from
a reinvigorated insurgency to rampant drug production and power-hungry
warlords. Turnout for Sunday's legislative elections was lower than many
hoped, taking a little of the luster off the historic day. Still, the
rebels' failure to make good on threats to subvert the vote was a major
boost to efforts to bring peace nearly four years after U.S.-led forces
drove the Taliban from power." (09/19/05)
This follows
up on the earlier story (see "Elections") as to the impact of
elections (or lack of impact) on Afghanistan. Like Iraq, its problems
are NOT going to be solved by more government. As the next stories report,
Afghanistan has many problems that an election is NOT going to solve.
Al-Zawahiri
downplays US efforts in Afghanistan
CNN
"In a videotape that aired Monday on the Arabic-language TV network
Al-Jazeera, Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant, Ayman al-Zawahiri, downplayed
U.S. efforts in Afghanistan and again claimed responsibility for the July
bombings in London. Meanwhile, a United Nations panel of experts issued
a report Monday saying there is no shortage of recruits for terrorism
worldwide and that Iraq has provided new training ground for them, replacing
al Qaeda bases lost in Afghanistan." (09/19/05)
Better
Iraq than Mexico or the US or the UK, I think. And Al Qaeda obviously
has been significantly weakened in Afghanistan, despite their claims,
or the elections would not have even taken place.
Karzai
questions US strategy in Afghanistan
Houston Chronicle
"President Hamid Karzai today challenged the need for major foreign
military operations in Afghanistan, saying air strikes are no longer effective
and that U.S.-led coalition forces should focus on rooting out terror
bases and support networks. Karzai also demanded an immediate end to foreign
troops searching people's homes without his government's authorization."
(09/20/05)
This seems
to be part of an effort by Mr. Karzai to gain more internal control and
respect. And Mr. Karzai, how about just ENDING searches of homes completely,
with or without "government" permission?
Pakistan:
Five killed in Lahore blasts
ABC News
"At least five people were killed and 26 wounded in two blasts
within hours of each other in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on
Thursday, police said. ... Pakistan has suffered a series of terrorist
attacks linked to militants angry with the government for siding with
the U.S.-led war on terrorism since late 2001, and those involved in sectarian
violence between the country's Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims." (09/22/05)
Problems
are not, of course, just limited to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran, and the
West is not occupying Pakistan! But like other Islamic countries, there
is no peace.
More
News and Commentary on Page 2
Nathan Barton is a libertarian engineer and writer, enjoying the cooling
evenings in the Rockies and the Four Corners, where "monsoon"
rains cause some creeks to overflow their banks, but nothing like the
mess down in the South. His views are his own and do not necessarily represent
the views of anyone else, including the sources of his news and other
libertarians! Be sure to visit my blog,
Liberty's Outpost.
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