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March
06, 2006
LIBERTARIAN
COMMENTARY ON THE NEWS 27 February to 4 March 2006
Wow!
March is here, and so our character for liberty-lovers is suitable to
prepare for the Ides AND for Saint Patrick's Day: Watchfulness. Closely
related to Caution (last week's character trait), watchfulness is the
old idea of being alert - watching the entire world around us to be aware
of what is going on that is both good and bad. A person watching only
for the bad things will miss a lot of joy, but if we don't keep alert
for the bad things, we won't be able to enjoy the good things. And sometimes,
before we know it, some good things slip away forever.
Harry
Browne, 1933-2006
Los Angeles Times
"Harry Browne, who twice ran for president as the Libertarian
Party candidate, has died. He was 72. Browne, an author and investment
adviser, died at his home Wednesday night, family friend Jim Babka said.
He died of Lou Gehrig's disease. Browne received 485,134 votes, or 0.5
percent, for president in 1996 and 384,431, or 0.367 percent, in 2000."
(03/02/06)
For libertarians,
this is surely the top news of the week. Harry succumbed to this long-fought
neurological disorder, and his influence, for good and bad in libertarian
electoral politics, will be felt for a long time, even if in general politics
he will be barely a footnote. Our condolences to his family and friends,
who will miss him deeply. Although many of us disagreed with him an his
tactics, I'll call him a libertarian long before I will the subject of
the next story.
Mama's
Note: I met Harry Brown many years ago during the Ed Clark years in California.
He was a good and gentle man and I believe that politics never changed
that. Rest in peace.
UK:
Blair calls self "libertarian"
The Age [Australia]
"British Prime Minister Tony Blair, accused both nationally and
from within his own Labour Party of undermining civil liberties, said
his critics were mistaken and out of touch with reality. ... He only won
key votes this month on banning smoking in public places, introducing
national identification cards and anti-terrorism laws by significantly
changing initial proposals to head off a revolt from his own lawmakers.
'I accept the good faith of our critics. I just believe them to be profoundly
mistaken,' Blair wrote in the Observer newspaper in an article entitled
'I don't destroy liberties, I protect them.' ... Blair said he was the
most libertarian and accountable prime minister, bringing in key human
rights legislation ... Blair introduced controversial Antisocial Behaviour
Orders - known as ASBO's .... 'People should be prevented from glorifying
terrorism. You can say it is a breach of the right of free speech but
in the real world, people get hurt when organisations encourage hatred
...'" [RRND editor's note: Well, now we know Blair uses hallucinogens
- TLK] (02/27/06)
Obviously
Gordon Brown is the villain in this piece - or is this a mellerdrammar?
He must be Tony's evil twin and doing all the nasty stuff, stifled only
by Tony's deeply-held beliefs in - something.
Mama's
Note: Blair may well be as mad as the hatter, but he's also the victim
of those who work so hard to rewrite the meanings of words. He may sincerely
believe what he's saying, but if so, he can't have much of a clue what
"libertarian" really means. Unfortunately, a lot of people who
use the word have various shades of understanding as well. Words have
meaning, but if that meaning can be diluted, distorted and undermined,
our communication becomes much more difficult. I suggest that we use that
single word much less and concentrate our efforts on talking about non-aggression,
justice and truth - demonstrating them in every aspect of our lives. Let's
"walk the talk."
The
Danish Cartoon War and Other Free Speech News
More
this week, but at least, no more deaths apparently.
Too many Iraqis are busy killing each other, and the bloodbath seems to
have drawn the attention of the rest of the Ummah.
The
End of Euro-Tolerance?
Newsweek
Weren't the Dutch supposed to be the nicest people on earth, the most
tolerant nation in Europe, a melting pot for minorities and immigrants
since the Renaissance? No longer, and in this the Dutch are once again
at the forefront of changes in Europe. This time, the Dutch model for
Europe is one of multiculturalism besieged, if not plain defunct.
Yeah, I
know, I'm really slumming. CSM is bad enough, but I have to go to Newsweek?
But this is important: even Newsweek (competing with Time for the title
Isvestya of the Atlantic Seaboard) has to recognize that the Cartoon Wars
are here. Of course, they still have the education of a GRTF-schooled
fourth grader - the "melting pot" (a metaphor stolen from the
US and not really applicable to Europe EXCEPT possibly the Netherlands
1880-1950 or England before 1700) is not about "multiculturalism"
but about ASSIMILATION into a single UNIFIED society. They don't get it
- melting, blending, merging together, like that pasta sauce before it
burns, like mayonnaise!
I have
several questions:
1. Are they serious about it? The politicians, I mean, that are calling
for integration and an end to purdah and "No speakee Engliss"
(or French or German)? Somehow, I doubt it - because they will be seeking
the votes and fearing UN sanctions and losing oil.
2. Is this happening fast enough, soon enough? Again, I doubt it: Europe
is not-breeding itself out of existence, but that is only a later step
of a more serious problem and cause: a loss of faith in anything - a malaise
not unlike what sapped Rome, combined with the idea that government (more
government, especially) is the answer to everything, that indeed, government
IS god.
When post-Christian
Europe sees its "Islamic cleric accreditation" schemes fail
and it runs out of bedpan changers and fast-food mechanics, it will again
(just as Rome did) invite the barbarians in as "guest workers"
without any strings attached. Just as the US is doing on all sides. And
the rest of this article stupidly shows that even as Europe doesn't get
it, neither do Newsweek's writers nor editors. Their solution for Europe
is MORE multiculturalist claptrap, MORE accommodation , not assimilation;
MORE tolerance for evil instead of rejecting it and other forms of evil.
Too bad.
TN:
Student in trouble for honking at cops
KIRO TV
"A college student has been given a lesson from a judge after
his day in court -- don't correct the police. Clay Palmer, a student at
the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, honked his car horn when he
saw police stop their patrol car, turn on blue flashers to go through
a red light and then turn the flashers off. He got a ticket for violating
the city noise ordinance. The charge was reduced to a warning Wednesday
when he went before a judge who told him he acted wrongly. 'The horn blowing
is not the real problem here, it's that you were trying to correct the
police and they didn't need correcting,' Judge Russell Bean said. Palmer
left traffic court saying he still believed officers were abusing their
authority. 'I see this cop with his blue lights come screeching up beside
me and I didn't know what was going on,' Palmer said. 'Before they got
to the next light, I could see they turned their blue lights off.' Palmer
said officer Matthew Puglise forced him onto the hood of his car and issued
him a ticket for honking the horn when there was no reason."
[FND editor's note: Of course the "nobles" don't any backtalk
from the peasants! Anyone who drives much knows that police abuse their
"emergency response" lights in this way all the time - TLK]
(02/25/06)
And people
wonder why there is a J.A.I.L.
movement not just in South Dakota but nationwide. I think that Chattanooga
needs a Zorro, no?
VA:
State nixes doctor/gun bill
News Advance
"Doctors can continue asking patients whether they own and safely
store firearms. The Senate Education and Health committee, known for defeating
controversial bills, voted down legislation that would have made it unlawful
to routinely ask patients about firearms. The committee killed the bill
after hearing from doctors who said the bill would prevent them from properly
caring for their patients, especially children and domestic violence victims.
... The bill would have allowed doctors to ask about gun ownership if
the question was relevant to the patient's health, but specifically barred
questioning for statistical use or to justify patient counseling. ...
The bill's chief patron, Del. Ward Armstrong, D-Henry, said the bill was
not a gun-rights bill but a privacy-rights bill. 'In this day and age
it's pretty tough to protect and maintain our privacy,' said Armstrong.
'You're there to get a mole removed and you get asked about your private
life.' Although patients can currently refuse to offer such information,
Armstrong said the bill would protect less-assertive people from privacy
intrusion." (02/24/06)
I have
no problem with allowing medical personnel to ASK, and this patron was
wrong to do this - but if MY doctor asked me that, I don't know how I
would answer. My first reaction, was "MYOB!" [Mind Your Own
Business - a motto that used to be on American coins and should be again.]
But then, I would probably (since it is MY doctor, that I picked for a
number of reasons) say, "Of course - do I LOOK stupid enough not
to have at least one for every member of the family?" As for "safe
storage" - of course. The only safe weapon is a loaded one, ready
to your hand when you need it, and able therefore to keep you safe. Of
course, that requires teaching your children at a very young age to be
responsible and know what is deadly and what is not - stoves, swimming
pools, polecats, and guns, at least.
Mama's
Note: Those who know their doctors well and have chosen them carefully
might find this question an opportunity to teach. Those who have no choice
which doctors they will see would probably be better off telling them
that they do not see any reason to answer such a personal and irrelevant
question. You can bet that the answer will be recorded, whatever you say.
VA:
Slumber party draws child porn investigation
Roanoke Times
"Teenage slumber-party antics resulted in four Botetourt County
juveniles being investigated for child pornography, according to a release
from the county's sheriff's office. During a sleepover on Dec. 28, according
to the release, a teenage girl photographed two other teenage girls. The
photographs were e-mailed to a teenage boy. The incident involved two
14-year-old girls, a 15-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy. State law
prohibits the release of information resulting in the identification of
juveniles, the sheriff's office said. Juvenile authorities, consulting
with Botetourt Commonwealth's Attorney Joel Branscom, decided to treat
the incident as a diversion, informally handling the juvenile cases instead
of going to court. The matter remains open, however, and the teens could
still be prosecuted until they turn 18." [editor's note: Hmm
... the law says they're too young and naive to consent to sex or to "sexual
photography" ... but they may be prosecuted for engaging in either.
And they're calling the kids juvenile? - TLK] (02/27/06)
Remember
when you used to have to worry only about having the Man wait for you
at the place outside town where the speed limit changes, if you got a
cop or the sheriff mad at you? No longer, with the tens of thousands of
felonies on the books. More than ever today, the law is a hammer for anyone
with a grudge or looking to get a bit more power.
Mama's
Note: Once again - where were the parents? The parents are responsible
for the safety and morals of their children until they are ready to be
responsible for themselves. There is no magic about the 18th birthday,
of course, and some never accept full repsonsibility for themselves, including
parents, but that's the place to start.
Government-Ruined,
Theft-Funded Schools
A
few examples of public school silliness (or stupidity) and that of their
masters in statehouses.
UT:
House kills "anti-science" bill
Houston Chronicle
"House lawmakers scuttled a bill that would have required public
school students to be told that evolution is not empirically proven --
the latest setback for critics of evolution. The bill's sponsor, Republican
state Sen. Chris Buttars, had said it was time to rein in teachers who
were teaching that man descended from apes and rattling the faith of students.
The Senate earlier passed the measure 16-12. But the bill failed in the
House on a 28-46 vote Monday. The bill would have required teachers to
tell students that evolution is not a fact and the state doesn't endorse
the theory." (02/28/06)
Hardly
a setback - more an advance that was (probably temporarily) stymied by
the arrogance of the supporters of a bizarre and untenable religion. But
evolution shall never lack for supporters as long as the mainstream media
exists, as this Houston article proves. Like statists and other authoritarians,
evolutionists are so afraid of open discussion and challenge that they
go completely overboard in their response - a situation which makes them
more vulnerable to future attacks.
AZ:
English-only immersion debated for schools
Arizona Republic
"In November 2000, Arizona voters approved the most restrictive English-only
education law in the country and prohibited textbooks, materials, bulletin
boards, or teaching in any language but English. Two years later, voters
reinforced their message by electing a state schools chief who promised
tougher enforcement of the new law. The law nearly eliminated bilingual
education programs that had been widely used in Arizona schools, classes
with specially trained teachers that combined instruction in Spanish and
English. To help schools comply with the new law, the state developed
a model English-only immersion program. Under the model, English-learners
would be placed in English immersion classes of five to 15 students with
a specially trained teacher and a teaching assistant. State planners said
most students would learn enough English in one year to keep up with their
peers in regular classes by their second year." (02/28/06)
I suppose
that this entire idea has been tested, and that the educrats can provide
proof that it will work? Of course not, but don't worry - they're professionals
and they know best. Expect a new generation of non-English speaking barrio-dwellers.
Get your kids out of the (government) schools, now!
Alumni
vow Dillard will survive Katrina
Washington Times
"There were no VIPS, no velvet rope and no valet parking. The
nonpolitical fundraiser had a simple purpose that is rare in Washington:
to raise money rather than to elevate the egos of the party givers. Michael
D. Jones and his wife, Shaun, hosted a Mardi Gras party to benefit his
hurricane-ravaged alma mater in New Orleans, Dillard University, founded
in 1869 to educate former slaves. Ranked by U.S. News & World Report
as one of the best liberal arts universities in the South, Dillard is
a jewel among historically black colleges. After Hurricane Katrina hit,
the oak-shaded campus lost three dormitories, sustained $340 million in
damages and was left in more than 10 feet of water." (02/28/06)
If this
school were serious about education, they would consider this as an opportunity
to get out of this scummy excuse for a city, and go to someplace decent,
like Gulfport or Biloxi.
Mama's
Note: They would also take this as an opportunity to get out from under
the heavy hand of government that dictates what they do in exchange for
all that stolen loot used to fund their operation. We know what they are
and understand they are only haggling over the price.
Home
Front Antics
As
the first story tells us, not all threats are credible or "new"
as people would have us believe. Some have in fact been around for decades,
and some are INSIDE the government, really!
FL:
Neo-Nazis retreat early, swamped by critics, police
Orlando Sentinel
"More than 500 counterprotesters held back by 300 police officers
drowned out the message of a neo-Nazi group that marched through Orlando's
historic black Parramore neighborhood Saturday. Twenty-two members of
the National Socialist Movement, some wearing khaki uniforms with swastika
armbands, finished their march with a rally outside the federal courthouse
that could not be heard over the jeering crowd. The group shut down the
rally 90 minutes early and left town. Seventeen people were arrested,
all of them from the crowd separated from the neo-Nazis by lines of police
in riot gear. Police and civic leaders expressed pride that the event
ended without the violence some had feared." (02/26/06)
These sorts
of incidents always make me laugh - the "counterprotesters"
are so abysmally comical and do the job the marchers want them to do -
help them make an impact on the area.
Mama's
Note: What if they staged a "riot" and nobody came? The best
thing to do about these things might be to ignore them - or just laugh
at them. Maybe that's what these "counterprotesters did?
Seven
arrested in anti-war protest
Truthout
"Holding a banner that read 'GOD FORGIVE AMERICA,' seven peace
activists were arrested yesterday in front of the White House, in a civil
disobedience protest against the war in Iraq. Arrested by US Park Police
were Brian Terrell, Ed Bloomer, and Elton Davis, all from Catholic Worker
communities in the Des Moines, Iowa, area; David Goodner, a University
of Iowa student; Eileen Hansen, a Catholic Worker from the Winona, Minnesota;
Jeff Leys, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence (VCNV); and
Bernie Meyer, a retired social services worker from Olympia, Washington.
The seven were charged with the federal misdemeanor of demonstrating without
a permit, fined seventy-five dollars, and released yesterday evening.
The action was part of VCNV's 'Winter of Our Discontent' demonstrations
in the month leading up to the third anniversary of the US invasion of
Iraq on March 20. " [editor's note: Oh, the horror -- demonstrating
without a permit - MLS] (02/28/06)
I cannot
believe that we still have stupid laws like requiring a permit for free
speech - what about a permit for printing a newspaper? Or for writing
for one? Or a permit for assembling for worship?
Governors:
Bush policies weakening National Guard
New York Times
"Governors of both parties said Sunday that Bush administration
policies were stripping the National Guard of equipment and personnel
needed to respond to hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, forest fires and other
emergencies. 'We should be increasing the number of National Guard combat
brigades, not reducing it,' Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco [D-LA] said.
Tens of thousands of National Guard members have been sent to Iraq, along
with much of the equipment needed to deal with natural disasters and terrorist
threats in the United States, the governors said here at the winter meeting
of the National Governors Association. The National Guard, which traces
its roots to the colonial militia, has a dual federal-state role. Governors
normally command the Guard in their states, but Guard members deployed
overseas in support of a federal mission are under the control of the
president. The governors said they would present their concerns to President
Bush and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Monday." (02/27/06)
This echoes
a call a few others and I have made since as early as 1990 or 1989 - the
end of the Cold War should have seen exactly the opposite of what happened
to the reserve forces, especially the Guard: instead of cutting the Guard,
every two active duty personnel slots should have been replaced by one
new Guard slot, and returned the nation at least somewhat to its volunteer
PART-TIME tradition, and reduced Federal control over the State forces.
So these politicians are only 15 years behind the times.
89
Senators repudiate oaths of office
Indianapolis Star
"The Senate gave its blessing Thursday to the renewal of the USA
Patriot Act ... President Bush applauded the Senate for overcoming "partisan
attempts to block its passage." The House was expected to approve
the two-bill package next week and send it to the president, who would
sign it before 16 provisions expire March 10. The bill passed 89-10."
(03/03/06)
The headline
is that of RRND, but seems to be about right. The fairly short battle
is over, and now we have to see both what damage the USA PATRIOT Act will
do, and what next will be proposed as "Must-have" legislation
to win a war and lose a struggle.
Our
Imperial Court System
The
Supremes are clearly in session and lots of news about their doings:
On Monday the Court met.
On Tuesday " " "
On Wednesday " " ".
You get the idea.
Supreme
Court reconsiders political censorship law
Fox News
"The Supreme Court on Tuesday will revisit its 30-year-old standing
precedent on campaign finance reform in a case that could break new ground
in time for the upcoming midterm elections. The debate at hand is over
Vermont's Act 64. The 1997 law limits the amount of private contributions
to a candidate, political committee or party. It also limits expenditures
each can make and establishes rules for receiving public financing for
campaigns. Act 64 has never fully gone into effect because of lower courts'
mixed verdicts on whether it violates a constitutional right to free speech.
In the case to be heard this week, the justices will decide whether the
2nd Circuit Court of Appeals was correct in concluding that the high court's
1976 Buckley v. Valeo ruling did not contain a sweeping prohibition of
mandatory spending limits that would negate Act 64." [FND editor's
note: Although you wouldn't know it from this article, the Libertarian
Party of Vermont has been a prime mover behind getting this suit heard
- SAT] (02/27/06)
We have
made such a hash of representative government that our elections have
been turned into such high-stake contests that the money flow has become
a significant part of our economy, and a source of all kinds of evil.
But our short-sighted view of things makes it impossible to truly correct
the situation, so bandaid approaches are tried which often not only fail
to resolve the problem, but make matters worse. And then, THEN, the courts
come in and slash-and-burn and truly make it a stinking mess.
Supreme
Court backs abortion protestors
Yahoo! News
"The Supreme Court dealt a setback Tuesday to abortion clinics
in a two-decade-old legal fight over anti-abortion protests, ruling that
federal extortion and racketeering laws cannot be used to ban demonstrations.
The 8-0 decision ends a case that the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
had kept alive despite a 2003 ruling by the high court that lifted a nationwide
injunction on anti-abortion groups led by Joseph Scheidler and others.
... In Tuesday's ruling, Justice Stephen Breyer said Congress did not
intend to create 'a freestanding physical violence offense' in the federal
extortion law known as the Hobbs Act. Instead, Breyer wrote, Congress
chose to address violence outside abortion clinics in 1994 by passing
the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which set parameters for
such protests." (02/28/06)
I do think
this headline is a bit misleading: the Supremes, for once in a blue moon,
have decided to back ALL protestors, both of popular and unpopular causes
- especially those who protest groups with big budgets for shysters.
Mideast
Tarbabies
This week saw a massive surge in fighting but not against the Coalition
as much as internal. I am not including a blow-by-blow, day-by-day account
of the killing this week in Iraq: we don't need to be reminded, yet again,
of the many ways that people kill other people for sport and political
purposes. This still is a huge section this week, with items from Israel,
Canaan, Iran, Syria, and elsewhere in the briar patch.
Iraqi
People Targeted
Spacewar.com
Washington DC (UPI) Feb 27, 2006 - Iraq's insurgents were stepping
up their campaign of assassination again against the new Iraqi armed forces
even before they triggered nationwide civil strife with their attack on
the Golden Mosque in Samara last Wednesday. According to the Iraq Index
Project of the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank, 83 Iraqi
policemen and soldiers were killed by insurgent action in the 16 days
from Feb. 7 through Feb. 22.
Yeah, quoting
from a site that Google won't index. Bad me. But this article makes the
point I was trying to make last week, but much better than I did. The
West, and the Coalition forces, have become a sideshow as Muslim butchers
Muslim in the name of Allah, on a scale that "Christendom" has
not seen since the Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre or perhaps the Thirty
Years' War - that makes the Troubles in Northern Ireland look like a casualty
list from a rugby game.
Iraq:
Bombers kill 47, injure 130
Geo World News [Pakistan]
"Bombers killed at least 47 people, including four British soldiers,
in Iraq on Tuesday as tanks guarded mosques amid fears of a new outbreak
of violence. Three bombs went off in quick succession in various areas
of Baghdad, killing at least 43 people and wounding 130, a security official
and medics said. ... In southern Iraq, four British soldiers were killed
on Tuesday, the defence ministry in London told media. Iraqi police said
a roadside bomb targeted a British patrol on the outskirts of the southern
city." (02/28/06)
Now, here
is an interesting question - is this uptick in Muslim-on-Muslim murder
both a direct result AND the intended result of the US and Coalition actions
in Iraq and the rest of the world - i.e, are we intending to split Islam
into warring factions even more than they have been historically? Are
we not referees but rather choreographers in Iraq's killing fields?
Mama's
Note: Very good question, and one that had not occurred to me. It's something
to think about, indeed. But couldn't that be done without spending so
much on this invasion and without the death of so many Americans? I wonder...
Iraq:
"Night of carnage" raises death toll
KYW CBS 3 News
"Gunmen stormed an electricity substation and slaughtered Shiite
factory workers in separate attacks during a night of carnage that killed
at least 19 people in Baghdad's southeastern suburbs, police said Friday.
The attacks raised the toll from Thursday's violence to 58. Iraqi police
and soldiers took to the streets Friday to enforce a daytime ban on private
vehicles in an effort to blunt a surge of sectarian violence that has
pushed Iraq to the edge of civil war. ... Security forces sealed off Baghdad,
preventing most vehicles from entering or leaving the city of 7 million,
said Capt. Adil Mohan of the traffic police. Armed police and soldiers
in bulletproof vests manned checkpoints across the capital, preventing
most cars and motorcycles from leaving their neighborhoods. Militiamen
loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr were also out in force
in the teeming Shiite slum known as Sadr City, helping police check cars
and patrol the area." (03/03/06)
As I said
above, I'm NOT doing a day-by-day repetition of the bloodletting news
from Iraq. Suffice to say that this story explains what has happened all
week, as radicals in both the Shi'a and Sunni camps try to push the nation
into complete civil war, trying simultaneously for power in their own
nation and the whole of the Ummah, and using the Coalition as the anvil
to their hammers. The people of Iraq seem willing to let the radicals
and jihadists control their destinies and destroy their futures.
Iraq:
1,300 dead in past week
MSNBC
"Grisly attacks and other sectarian violence unleashed by last
week's bombing of a Shiite shrine have killed more than 1,300 Iraqis,
making the past few days the deadliest of the war outside of major U.S.
offensives, according to Baghdad's main morgue. The toll was more than
three times higher than the figure previously reported by the U.S. military
and the news media. Hundreds of unclaimed dead lay at the morgue at midday
Monday -- blood-caked men who had been shot, knifed, garroted or apparently
suffocated by the plastic bags still over their heads." (02/27/06)
The numbers
in this article were immediately challenged on Wednesday in the press
and media. Like numbers during and after Katrina, it is easy to make outlandish
claims and demand that the "other side" prove that they aren't
wrong.
Negroponte:
Iraq may spark regional battle
Tampa Tribune
"A civil war in Iraq could lead to a broader conflict in the Middle
East, pitting the region's rival Islamic sects against each other, National
Intelligence Director John Negroponte said in an unusually frank assessment
Tuesday. 'If chaos were to descend upon Iraq or the forces of democracy
were to be defeated in that country ... this would have implications for
the rest of the Middle East region and, indeed, the world,' Negroponte
said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on global threats."
(02/28/06)
Frankly,
I thought that there was already a series of broad conflicts in the Middle
East: the Muslims (including the Arab majority) against the Israelis (Jews,
if you prefer) which has been going on for about 90 years; the Sunni versus
Shi'a fight, which has been going on for a good thousand years; the Iranian
Muslims versus the Turkish Muslims versus the Arab Muslims, which has
been going on for about 800 years; the Kurds versus everyone else, in
at least four countries, for about 500 years; the Muslims versus the christians,
Druze, and animists (plus others), for about 1400 years; the Anglo-American
colonialists/neo-colonialists versus the indigenes, for about two hundred
years; the various Arab clans or tribes with each other, since Ishmael's
second son was born, apparently; oh, and of course, the fight between
freedom and tyranny. Negroponte may be right, but he understates the history
of that poor, benighted land.
India:
Maoist rebels kill 55
swissinfo [Switzerland]
"Maoist rebels set off a landmine under a truck on Tuesday in
the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, killing 55 people and wounding at least
20 who belonged to a government-backed anti-Maoist group, police said.
The attack came on the eve of a visit to the country by U.S. President
George W. Bush and was one of the worst single acts of violence by Maoists
in the past three decades. Analysts said the attack showed New Delhi could
ill-afford to take the growing Maoist threat lightly, saying that the
rebels posed a bigger danger than Kashmiri Islamist militants."
(02/28/06)
Of course,
it isn't just religious folks killing each other - Communists can do a
hideous job, also - as history should remind us.
Iran
reportedly aims to widen nuke program
Detroit Free Press
"Iran appears determined to expand its uranium enrichment program
-- a key international concern because of fears it could eventually make
nuclear weapons, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a new
report Monday. The U.N. watchdog, in a confidential report made available
to The Associated Press, said Iran plans to start setting up thousands
of uranium enriching centrifuges this year even as it negotiates with
Russia on scrapping such domestic activity." (02/27/06)
Iran appears
to be close to winning, despite all the wailing and moaning that the West
is making.
US
settles kidnapping victim's suit
BBC News [UK]
"The US government has agreed to pay $300,000 (£172,000)
to settle a lawsuit brought by an Egyptian arrested after the 11 September
attacks, reports say. Ehab Elmaghraby was detained for nearly a year and
deported after being cleared of links to terrorism. ... The settlement,
in which the government did not admit wrongdoing, is said to be the first
involving claims of dozens of Muslims arrested after 9/11. ... The US
government has dismissed the claims, saying that the circumstances of
the 11 September attacks justified extraordinary measures to confine non-citizens
who fell under suspicion." (02/28/06)
An interesting
thing - the FedGov settles but dismisses the claims. This is the biggest
goat rope in a while - and shows the problem in fighting a war with an
enemy that has no uniforms and normal military organization: are these
guys really the enemy or not? In this case, apparently not.
Mama's
Note: The big problem here is that you and I were forced to pay for this,
not the people responsible for the crime. We won't see any end to this
until those who do such things are held both legally and financially liable
for their actions. Please don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen.
Syria:
Opposition rejects US funding
Yahoo! News
"Syria's liberal opposition has said it will not accept money
from a U.S. offer to fund democratic groups in the country, saying that
its credibility would be damaged if it took the cash. A group of a dozen
parties, known as the Damascus Declaration, said on Monday they had enough
resources on their own to press ahead with a campaign for peaceful change
to end a 40-year monopoly by the Baath Party on power. 'The Damascus Declaration
refuses foreign funding, including the $5 million from the U.S. State
Department for the Syrian opposition,' a statement by the group said."
(02/28/06)
Huh! Honest
opponents to a dishonest regime - rare as hen's teeth. I suppose that
the various worldwide libertarians might see if this should be funded,
or it is just another case of wantabe tyrants.
Postwar
Iraq chaos blamed on poor planning
Indianapolis Star
"Poor prewar planning left the United States without enough skilled
workers to efficiently rebuild Iraq's economy and public works, according
to a report issued Monday. The study by the Special Inspector General
for Iraq Reconstruction provided a new explanation for the lagging reconstruction
effort. Surveys by the Bush administration and congressional auditors
have blamed insurgent attacks and the high cost of security. Thanks to
inadequate planning, the report said, early occupation officials lacked
enough reconstruction staffers who knew what they were doing."
(02/27/06)
This should
make us all concerned that this is the same government that everyone expects
to help American states recover after massive natural or manmade disasters.
If we can't plan and have adequate people to rebuild a country of just
25 million, what will happen when the next Katrina hits a REALLY important
American city instead of just New Orleans? As I recall, the greater LA-San
Diego has a bigger population (and larger land area, I think) than Iraq.
So does Texas, and New England.
Poll:
Iraq troops support US withdrawal
Zogby International
"An overwhelming majority of 72% of American troops serving in
Iraq think the U.S. should exit the country within the next year, and
nearly one in four say the troops should leave immediately, a new Le Moyne
College/Zogby International survey shows. The poll, conducted in conjunction
with Le Moyne College's Center for Peace and Global Studies, showed that
29% of the respondents, serving in various branches of the armed forces,
said the U.S. should leave Iraq 'immediately,' while another 22% said
they should leave in the next six months. Another 21% said troops should
be out between six and 12 months, while 23% said they should stay 'as
long as they are needed.'" [editor's note: 29% is not "nearly
one in four" -- it's "nearly one in three" - TLK] (02/28/06)
If this
poll is as legit as the one announced yesterday that found Bush and Cheney
at their lowest numbers ever, this news item is worthless. For one thing,
I question the validity and lack of bias of a poll conducted "in
conjunction with" a center for "peace studies" - especially
from a liberal college like Le Moyne. Second, of COURSE troops want to
come home - nobody thinks what is going on in Iraq is fun, but as with
such polls, the questions are always worded to give the results the sponsors
want.
Israel:
Terror leader said killed in Gaza attack
Houston Chronicle
"Israel launched an airstrike on a car in Gaza City on Wednesday,
killing the top commander of the Islamic Jihad militant group, Palestinian
police said. Khaled Dahdouh, 39, was targeted in the attack, police said.
The Israeli military had no immediate comment. Abu Dajana, a spokesman
for Islamic Jihad's military wing, vowed revenge." (03/01/06)
Revenge
for revenge for revenge? Of course, Islamic Jihad is one of these groups
that "shouldn't exist" according to the "mainstream"
of that religion of love and peace, Islam, since they obviously don't
think "jihad" means "spiritual struggle."
Afghanistan:
Prisoner says armed inmates roaming free
CNN
"Prisoners armed with chains and knives are roaming Afghanistan's
highest-security prison after negotiations to quell the uprising broke
down Tuesday, said an American prisoner taken hostage by his fellow inmates.
'They're afraid that the police are going to storm in and kill more people,'
said Edward Caraballo, speaking on a cell phone from inside the prison.
It was not clear how Caraballo obtained the phone. He is one of three
Americans being held at Policharki Prison and has been there since he
was convicted two years ago of torturing Afghans in a private jail."
(02/28/06)
Sounds
like Mexico, Honduras, or a good many other places around the world. Not
exactly encouraging to Americans who have been trying to make a difference
for almost five years now.
Pakistanis
hit militants on Afghan border
Cincinnati Enquirer
"Pakistani security forces backed by helicopter gunships struck
a militant hideout Wednesday in a tribal region near the Afghan border,
killing or wounding at least 25 militants, an official said. The militants
had entered Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region after a raid inside
Afghanistan. Army troops and three helicopter gunships attacked them,
said Syed Zaheerul Islam, the top government administrator of the region.
He said between 25 and 30 militants were killed or wounded in the raid.
He said militants were running a training camp and that the strike triggered
explosions in an arms dump at the site." (02/28/06)
Definition
of a "militant" - anyone whose body is found after a gunship
attack? This may be true, but I just have a hard time believing that the
Pakis can do this, but anytime the US or Coalition attacks a camp, it
is a peaceful wedding party.
US
pays MIT to plumb chemistry of Iraq IEDs
Boston Globe
"The Pentagon is staking $3 million on a small team of students
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to help the military identify
new ways of disarming the kind of homemade bombs that insurgents are using
to kill and maim US troops in Iraq, according to Defense Department documents
and researchers. Under the auspices of the Office of Naval Research, the
Pentagon will fund a research project led by MIT chemistry professor Keith
A. Nelson that is analyzing the molecular interaction of explosive materials.
The goal of the three-year program, Nelson said, is to study the physics
and chemistry of improvised explosive devices -- known as IEDs -- and
find techniques to detonate or short-circuit them before they cause harm.
'We are studying the microscopic mechanisms that are characteristic of
the core materials that bad guys use in IEDS,' Nelson said in an interview
yesterday. 'There is a whole set of things that have to happen to get
[a detonation] and we are studying the chemistry in small amounts of energetic
materials.'" (02/28/06)
Some congrus-crittur
is crowing loudly about this one, you bet. The entire description of the
project (which, admittedly, the Boston Glob may have bungled) sounds bogus
- it is not "microscopic" mechanisms that need to be understood,
it is the basics of munitions design and structures and mechanics and
electronics. More money flushed down the toilet, in the state that really
knows how to do so, especially to federal taxpayers' money.
Afghanistan:
Five Canadian troops wounded in attack
http://tinyurl.com/f8nhh
Reuters
"Five Canadian soldiers were wounded, one seriously, in a suspected
suicide car bomb attack on their armoured vehicle in southern Afghanistan
on Friday, the Canadian military said. The attack happened about 15 km
outside the city of Kandahar, and not far from the airport where Canadian
troops are based. Taliban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousuf said guerrillas
were responsible." (03/03/06)
You don't
often hear about Canadian troopers getting wounded, because there aren't
that many of them, and usually, since they withdrew from Germany, they
don't do very much but smile and talk a lot. The Taliban needs to be careful
- if they had killed these guys instead of just wounding them, they might
have gotten Ottawa angry at them - although what effect that might have
on the price of eggs in Kandahar (or even Ottawa, for that matter) I haven't
the slightest idea.
Hamas,
Russian officials begin talks
Ely Times & County
"Hamas leaders met senior Russian officials on Friday in their
first talks with a major foreign power since winning a January 25 Palestinian
election, but flatly rejected international demands to recognize Israel.
Shunned by Israel and the United States since the parliamentary poll,
the Islamist militant group whose charter calls for the Jewish state's
destruction hoped to gain a measure of international standing from the
Moscow talks before forming a government. ... Although the visit dealt
a blow to U.S.-led efforts to isolate Hamas, Russia's mediation is seen
by some in the West as a chance to push the group into embracing more
moderate views." (03/03/06)
The Russians
are trying to play peacemaker in this, but getting the same cold shoulder
as everyone else. They can see what is causing the US to act as it has.
The
Campaign Follies of 2006
More and more items as time marches on. The Ports Deal continued to
demand screams and charges.
GOP
unease spreads to security issues
MSNBC
"The first heading on the issues page of Rep. Mark Foley's Web
site brags that he is 'one of President Bush's strongest supporters in
Congress.' The Florida Republican voted for the president's legislation
90 percent of the time, according to the Web site, 'the 3rd highest ranking
among the Florida delegation.' Now the Florida delegation's third-strongest
Bush supporter is on the front lines of the Republican revolt against
the president on the deal to turn over key operations at six U.S. ports
to a United Arab Emirates company. Republicans who once marched in lock
step behind their president on national security are increasingly willing
to challenge him in an area considered his political strength."
(02/28/06)
While I
do not believe that all opposition to the ports deal (which I see no real
problem with) is based on some kind of anti-Arab prejudice or "Islamaphobia,"
I think the GOP folks like Foley are wrecking their own party with this,
perhaps in a desperate attempt to honor principles which they constantly
crow about but seldom follow.
Lawmakers
vow not to force quick port vote
Detroit Free Press
"Congressional Republicans and Democrats on Tuesday tempered calls
for an immediate vote to block a Dubai-based company's takeover of some
U.S. port operations as President Bush prodded them to avoid a confrontation.
Returning to the Capitol in force for the first time since news of DP
World's takeover broke, lawmakers from both parties criticized the White
House for failing to let them know about the deal before it became public."
(02/28/06)
Someone
is finally thinking, but the talk shows are still full of rhetoric over
this. As far as "not being told" - what, have these people no
internet, no business papers? This sale has been in the works for months.
Is this the US's version of the Danish cartoons? All the sudden, it is
a horrible thing, going to kill us all? Please. Sadly, this is being used
as yet another excuse to increase government control over daily business
activities, in the name of "national security".
Mama's
Note: Interesting that they are all so worried about taking their time
to study and debate this port deal when a far more important and destructive
item was pushed through with nobody even reading it, let alone giving
it reasoned debate - the so-called "PATRIOT act." I highly doubt
that many bothered to read the new version either.
Abandoning
Bush
Townhall.com
In a closed-door meeting Tuesday of the top House Republican leadership,
the consensus was that President Bush had gotten himself in deep trouble
on the Dubai ports management deal and he was on his own to try to save
it. Rep. Tom Reynolds was particularly adamant in separating House Republicans
from presidential wreckage on the ports affair. As the current chairman
of the National Republican Congressional Committee, Reynolds is responsible
for election of enough Republican candidates to retain control of the
House.
Watch where
you are walking. Clearly, these guys are scared - some are even talking
about retiring! No more feed trough. Of course, if they'd had the courage
of their convictions the last eleven years, this ports deal wouldn't have
been a show breaker - they'd have support and confidence of the American
people that comes from exploding economic growth in a true free market
without governmental controls and without government sucking up six cents
of every dime today, and seven cents tomorrow. So now they worry about
principle? Please, you make me sick.
Byrd
regrets voting for Patriot Act
ABC News
"Sen. Robert Byrd, the dean of the Senate and its resident constitutional
expert, counts only a few regrets in his 48-year Senate career: filibustering
the 1964 Civil Rights Act, voting to expand the Vietnam War, deregulating
airlines. Add to the list a new one from this century: supporting the
anti-terror USA Patriot Act after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. ... This
week as he embarks on a re-election campaign for a record ninth term,
Byrd, 88, will vote 'no' on renewing 16 major provisions of the act due
to expire March 10. ... On a 96-3 test vote earlier this month, Byrd,
Feingold and Sen. Jim Jeffords, I-Vt., were the only dissenters. "
[FND editor's note: Then, d****t, they should have filibustered with Feingold
- MLS] (02/28/06)
New stripes
for an old tiger? Hardly. Byrd's career has been one of opportunism and
backdealing, and this seems no different - it is just that for once he
is using being on what we consider the side of the good guys to feather
his own nest. The man is a walking poster for term limits.
MD:
Black vote no longer a lock for Democrats
Washington Times
"Black voters' loyalty to the Democratic Party is no longer a
certainty in Maryland, especially among young independent voters, several
black leaders say. 'We might be the last generation of unabashed loyalists
to the Democratic Party,' state Senate Majority Leader Nathaniel J. McFadden
of Baltimore says. 'The Democratic Party is no longer a monolith for the
African-American community.' Rep. Albert R. Wynn of Prince George's County
warns his party's leaders that 'black voters can no longer be taken for
granted.' Securing the black vote has become a critical concern among
Maryland Democrats in an election year rife with racial politics."
(03/02/06)
This is
hardly a brainstorm, as the liberal snobbishness has shown more and more
clearly. But neither will the GOP gain much - because of a century of
indoctrination.
MA:
In blow to GOP, Mihos to run as independent
Boston Globe
"Bolting from the Republican Party, wealthy businessman Christy
Mihos said yesterday he will run for governor as an independent, a decision
that delivers a blow to GOP chances of victory in November. Mihos concluded
that the Republican Party establishment and its party rules for qualifying
for the ballot were stacked against him, said a Mihos adviser who asked
not to be named. Mihos's presence on the November ballot is widely expected
to draw independent voters from Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, the
probable Republican nominee. 'I'm running as an independent,' Mihos told
the Globe last night. 'In the final analysis it was a question of conscience
and heart. I'm not part of the establishment Republican Party, and I had
to move on and do what I think is right. The party has morphed into what
the Democrats are; they are both controlled by special interests.'"
(03/02/06)
He definitely
is no libertarian, but he might cause as much trouble.
More
News and Commentary on Page 2
Nathan
Barton is writing from his secret bunker complex on the eastern slopes
of the Paha Sapa, swilling Doctor Pepper (and gallons of water each day,
milady) and plotting to re-elect Gaius Julius Caesar dictator of the Republic
- or was that Senator Palpatine? Granville James Corbin? W? Q?
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