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April
17, 2006
Libertarian
Commentary on the News, 9-15 April 2007
Although
I'm starting out with a cute story, too much of the news this last week
has been depressing, and it is hard to concentrate on the depressing news
and travel about 2000 miles on the ground and comment the way everything
deserves. So be warned, I may be nastier than usual this week.
China:
Villagers put on banquet for cats
Ananova[UK]
"A Chinese village splashed out on a fish banquet for more than
200 cats to thank them for their hard work. Residents of Sanjiang, in
Guangdong province, wanted to thank the cats for eradicating rats from
their farms. China Daily reports the village committee spent about £860
to purchase the cats which they released in about 250 acres of land to
control the rats. The move was a success and villagers decided to reward
the cats for the good harvest they expect this year as a result. The village
suffered a rat infestation after snakes were caught and slaughtered by
local residents in previous years." (04/12/06)
I know,
this has nothing to do with liberty, but hat can I say - stupid people
tricks and I like cats - God's natural libertarians. And it always reminds
me of Commodore Grimes' motto (from the A Bertram Chandler novels): "This
is Liberty Hall - you can spit on the rug and call the cat a b******."
Mama's
Note: There might very well be a liberty story in this. Why were the snakes
killed? Who ordered it and who carried it out? I can't believe these people
didn't understand the consequences of killing the snakes, so it is unlikely
they did it willingly. I'd sure love to learn the rest of the story...
Culture
Wars and Free Speech
All too often, both sides are wrong in greater or lesser degree on many
cultural war issues, and both sides seeming seek to gag their opponents.
WY:
No free speech on government land?
Casper Star Tribune
The individuals and organization that sued the federal government --
which was joined by the Mormon church -- over the management lease agreement
of the Martin's Cove area are in the final stages of a settlement, their
attorneys said Thursday. Martin's Cove is considered a significant historical
site by the LDS Church because about 200 Mormon handcart settlers died
in a blizzard there in October 1856. The settlement will include a requirement
that signs clearly identify the land owned by the Bureau of Land Management
and the land owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
said Megan Hayes, an attorney from Laramie for the four Wyoming residents
and the Western Land Exchange Project who filed the lawsuit in March 2005.
It also will require that those affiliated with the church stop proselytizing
while on the federal property, Hayes said.
In other
words, the Bill of Rights doesn't apply on Federal land. Even when it
is being leased by a religious group - even when it is a site which should
have been sold by the fedgov to the church group years ago. (Unless, of
course, you are practicing a "native American" religion - in
which case (such as Devils Tower or Bear Butte) you aren't allowed to
do anything to interfere with the religious observances.) Thank the ACLU
and a bunch of nosy-parkers for this little bit of freedom chipped away,
sickeningly, in the name of freedom.
NC:
Second grader can't give out "religious" candy in school
Alliance Defense Fund
The Alliance Defense Fund is stepping in to defend the constitutional
rights of a second-grade student who was prevented from distributing Easter
candy with religious messages to his classmates. "Schools should
not be treating religious speech as second-class speech," said ADF
Litigation Counsel Delia van Loenen. "For school officials to tell
a second-grade boy that he is not allowed to pass out Easter candy to
his classmates because it contains a religious message is a blatant violation
of his constitutional rights."
Another
example of how GRTF-schools are used to fight on one side or another -
another reason to get your children out, and to separate school and state.
Mama's
Note: Indeed! It is important to realize that we waste our time and resources
fighting with the government schools on this (or any) issue. The ONLY
real solution is to remove the children from this deadly poisonous environment
immediately if you value their liberty or their lives.
DC:
Parents line up for White House Easter Egg Roll
Houston Chronicle
"Hundreds of gay and lesbian parents hoping to take their families
to the annual White House Easter Egg Roll plan to start lining up Friday
evening to make sure they get tickets for the Monday event. Thousands
of tickets -- an estimated 16,000 last year -- are given away on a first-come-first-come
basis beginning at 7:30 a.m. Saturday. ... 'I don't think this is a protest,'
said Jennifer Chrisler, executive director of the Family Pride Coalition.
'Showing up, participating fully in an American tradition, showing Americans
that we do exist, that in our minds isn't a protest.' Some say the gay
and lesbian parents are playing politics. 'I think it's inappropriate
to use a children's event to make a political statement,' said Mark D.
Tooley, of the Institute on Religion and Democracy. (04/13/06)
Listen
to the lies. Yeah, on both sides, but the primary blame can be put on
the homosexual activists, as they continue to shove themselves and their
lifestyle in the face of those who believe that what they do is wrong.
It is not that they are going - and they certainly weren't being KEPT
from going - it is that they are making a big deal of going. Even while
they win "points" they create greater hatred and resentment
for their actions and their very existence.
Mama's
Note: Personally, I can't understand why any self-respecting person would
want anything to do with this mockery of God.
GA:
Christians sue versus "tolerance" policies
Los Angeles Times
"Ruth Malhotra went to court last month for the right to be intolerant.
Malhotra says her Christian faith compels her to speak out against homosexuality.
But the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she's a senior, bans speech
that puts down others because of their sexual orientation. Malhotra sees
that as an unacceptable infringement on her right to religious expression.
So she's demanding that Georgia Tech revoke its tolerance policy. With
her lawsuit, the 22-year-old student joins a growing campaign to force
public schools, state colleges and private workplaces to eliminate policies
protecting gays and lesbians from harassment." [FND editor's
note: Which is it? Policies banning speech, or policies banning harassment?
The two are not the same thing - TLK] (04/10/06)
It is not,
of course, just anti-homosexual speech that these codes ban, but a wide
variety of speech determined to be "exploitative" or "intolerant."
Yeah, Tom has a good question, but he already (I'm sure) knows the answer:
even speech is now deemed as "harassment." Question - why isn't
the disruptions of children's events (previous article) considered "harassment"
if these other things are?
Mama's
Note: Once again it seems clear that nothing will change these "public"
institutions toward liberty. I don't know why anyone would waste their
time and money sending their children to them, let alone fighting them.
They are blind guides. We need to form our own private institutions to
educate our children.
Home
Front
Again this week, the big headlines were the continuing fight over immigration.
Like the homosexual activists, the "immigration" activists seem
to be their own worst publicity in many cases - arousing more people to
fear.
Huge
crowds march for immigration freedom
Las Vegas Review-Journal
"Hundreds of thousands of people demanding U.S. citizenship for
illegal immigrants took to the streets in dozens of cities from New York
to San Diego on Monday in some of the most widespread demonstrations since
the mass protests began around the country last month. Rallies took place
in communities of all sizes, from a gathering of at least 50,000 people
in Atlanta to one involving 3,000 people in the farming town of Garden
City, Kan., which has fewer than 30,000 residents." (04/11/06)
I don't
know if "immigration freedom" is what these folks are marching
for -based on the groups promoting and supporting these marches, it appears
more that they are marching for the Reconquista or against American society.
What the LVRJ doesn't say is that Garden City is a major work center for
immigrants, "legal" or not, and a hotbed of socialist action.
Mama's
Note: What few of us seem to be saying is that there simply is NO good
"government" answer to this problem. No matter what congress
does about it, the end result will be less freedom for everyone. Whatever
they decide to do will mean more taxes, more controls, more statist tactics
of every kind used against everyone. Their main goal is to increase government
spending and control, and both sides are giving them ample excuse to do
just that.
The
only real answer is liberty and the true free market; the elimination
of welfare, minimum wages and all the rest of the crap that stands between
all of us and freedom, between all of us and prosperity. Why aren't more
of us talking about that?
AZ:
Libertarians leaflet immigration rally
Free Market News Network
"The marchers in the Immigration Rally in Phoenix, Arizona, will
get some unexpected information during their protest outside the state
capitol on Monday. Along with the many leaflets and flyers promoting one
agenda or another, many of them received little cards, introducing them
to the concepts of libertarianism, free society and open borders, in a
sort of 'reverse reconquista' maneuver. These 'Philosophia de Libertad'
(Philosophy of Liberty) cards will contain links to websites containing
further information, including a flash presentation on the basic principles
of free society. The cards are being handed out by local Libertarian activist
Ernest Hancock and the Representante del Gobernador de Sonora, Ricardo
Valenzuela, along with a number of their friends, family members, and
fellow liberty-activists." (04/10/06)
Any effort
like this to promote the ideas and ideals of liberty is worthy, but we
should not expect much from it - the socialist leftist participants in
these rallies are not likely to take to the idea of little or no government,
or responsibility for themselves.
Mama's
Note: It's good to know someone is talking about this, but I'd like to
see one of these cards. It would be interesting to see just what they
are proposing.
Public
divided over how to treat "illegals"
USA Today
"It's easy to understand why Congress is having so much trouble
settling on an approach to immigration: Americans endorse the most controversial
proposals of both those who want to penalize illegal immigrants and those
who want to let them stay. A USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Friday through
Sunday found a majority of those surveyed want to make it a crime for
foreigners to immigrate illegally to the USA and for Americans to help
those illegal immigrants once they arrive." (04/11/06)
This division
is true both in libertarian circles and elsewhere. It was, once upon a
time, first a felony and then a misdemeanor, to cross the border without
going through the proper procedures, but the status of the "crime"
was reduced in several steps, and it is now a "civil violation"
- not even a "petty offense" as some states have, and therefore,
technically the action is not "criminal" but only "illegal."
No wonder the polls show confusion - even those who study the situation
can't get it straight.
Mama's
Note: It depends on what you consider to be truly a "crime."
Those who love liberty should understand that the only true crime is aggression
against another person or their property. Obviously, some of these immigrants
are aggressors, trespassers and true criminals. They should be dealt with
as such. Those who have not been aggressors, however, are guilty of no
real crime and should be left alone to live in peace. Lumping them all
into one group because of some "laws" few can even define is
not very intelligent, and it is certainly not consistent with liberty.
Sensing
change, migrants rush to the border
MSNBC
"At a shelter overflowing with migrants airing their blistered
feet, Francisco Ramirez nursed muscles sore from trekking through the
Arizona desert -- a trip that failed when his wife did not have the strength
to go on. He said the couple would rest for a few days, then try again,
a plan echoed by dozens reclining on rickety bunk beds and carpets tossed
on the floor after risking violent bandits and the harsh desert in unsuccessful
attempts to get into the United States." (04/12/06)
One of
the many unintended consequences of this explosive debate.
Database
at center of immigration reform
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
"At the heart of any immigration bill that makes it through the
heated congressional debates is likely to be a computerized system that
could help employers determine instantly whether someone can legally work
in this country. A voluntary version of the Internet-based system has
been up and running on an experimental basis since 1996 and now includes
more than 5,000 companies nationwide. Democrats and Republicans alike
-- including Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
-- have included expanded versions in every bill now under serious consideration."
(04/11/06)
Right -
any system like this is going have an error rate of at least 1% - if not
much, much higher. So what will be proved?
Mama's
Note: Just an opportunity for government to collect more personal information
about all of us, and watch our every move even more closely. It will be
as effective and useful as the "no fly" lists, and just as subject
to error and abuse. No matter what congress decides to do, the result
will be less freedom for everyone, and probably another deadly blow to
the entire economy. Then watch the backlash as everyone blames it all
on the immigrants, not the politicians. Mark my words.
A
tale of hope gets a jarring new chapter
Boston Globe
"It was a story that touched the hearts of Minnesotans. But now
it has taken a surprising turn, in Boston. A homeless, 22-year-old, undocumented
immigrant from Mexico was found secretly living inside a Twin Cities high
school last year, using the showers and foraging for cafeteria food. Francisco
Javier Serrano's story captivated the news media there and moved a wealthy
developer to provide him with money, an immigration attorney, and a rent-free
apartment overlooking downtown Minneapolis. But immigration officials
ordered Serrano back to Mexico. Officials believed that he boarded a plane
for his home country Jan. 5, and it seemed to be a closed case. Then,
two weeks ago, a tenant in Boston's North End heard a sound inside his
apartment. A man with a knife had broken in. The tenant struck the intruder
with a kitchen pan, and police responded to find Serrano and the tenant
in a struggle, authorities said. Now, Serrano sits in Suffolk County Jail
facing charges of home invasion." (04/13/06)
This man
has become a poster child for anti-immigration forces, who can point out
that one bad apple can ruin the whole barrel.
Mama's
Note: Yes, a very human failing indeed, not to take the trouble to judge
each person as an individual, by their individual words and deeds - only
as a member of a group, usually by a false stereotype. That is true racism.
Immigrant
advocates convene May 1 work stoppage
Yahoo! News
"U.S. immigrant rights advocates on Thursday called for a nationwide
boycott of work, school and commerce on May 1, seeking to capitalize on
the momentum of recent mass demonstrations across the country. ... The
groups announcing the boycott in New York said they had had the backing
of the so-called March 25 Coalition that amassed a huge crowd in Los Angeles.
They are calling on immigrant workers, elected officials, labor unions
and churches to 'take back' May Day, a public holiday in much of the world
but not in the United States, where the international labor day has its
origins. Organizers declined to predict how many people would take part,
but they aim to demonstrate how the United States depends on cheap labor
and generate more concern for the well-being of America's legal and illegal
immigrants." (04/13/06)
May Day,
is of course, the Euro-Socialist-Communist "Labor Day" so it
is appropriate. But emphasizing this connection will do their cause no
good in the eyes of most Americans.
Mama's
Note: Again, nobody defines these "rights." Is it the right
to travel, work and live where they want, or the "right" to
welfare and "free" health care? I think most of us would defend
the first and reject the second one, but too few people are making that
distinction at all.
Some
immigration marchers pay high price
USA Today
"Six employees at a seafood restaurant in Houston were fired this
week after skipping work to take part in a pro-immigration march. In Detroit,
21 immigrants lost their jobs as meat cutters after attending a similar
protest last month. And several students at a high school near Tampa,
were suspended this week for walking out of class to go to a demonstration.
Across the country, workers and students have paid a price for attending
the immigration rallies that have recently swept the nation." (04/13/06)
Oh, dear.
Well, they should have counted the cost - or taken vacation time properly.
Protesting
truckers warn higher fuel costs push up other prices
(CNN)
Independent truckers steered their rigs in convoys to Washington on
Thursday, seeking federal relief from the rise in fuel prices that they
say threatens their livelihoods. Venting anger at the government, drivers
also warned that the fuel costs that have more than doubled for them in
the past year will ripple through the U.S. economy, forcing higher prices
for food and other merchandise. New government statistics backed them
up.
The price
of gasoline nationwide is now 40 cents a gallon higher than a year ago,
after jumps of more than a dime in the past week, and thirty cents in
the past month. A combination of factors, including speculators using
panic over claims of US military action against Iran, seems to be driving
up prices, and it hurts us all.
Mama's
Note: As usual, very few people seem to understand that government policies
and actions (over many, many years) are responsible for the rising prices,
not the oil companies alone. Insofar as they are the beneficiaries of
government policy, they are part of the problem of course, but anything
like increased taxes on the industry will not in any way reduce the cost
of fuel and would, undoubtedly, reduce the amount available. Again, no
matter what congress does about this, the results will not be good for
our economy or our way of life. That is a given.
Lott
lawyer: State Farm destroying papers
Cincinnati Enquirer
"A lawyer for U.S. Sen. Trent Lott said Monday that State Farm
Insurance Co. is destroying documents that could show the insurer has
fraudulently denied thousands of claims by Lott and other policyholders
whose homes were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Zach Scruggs, one of
Lott's attorneys, says his client has a 'good faith belief' that several
State Farm employees in Biloxi are destroying engineering reports that
gave conflicting conclusions about whether wind or water was responsible
for storm damage." (04/10/06)
Well, engineers
(until they've been corrupted, at least) have this distressing tendency
to tell the truth about what they see, even if government-buddy companies
don't want the truth.
OH:
Taft may face ethics charges
ABC News
"A state office that monitors lawyer behavior recommended Monday
that Gov. Bob Taft be disciplined for failing to report golf outings and
other gifts while in office. Taft pleaded no contest in August to the
ethics violations and was fined $4,000. He was the first Ohio governor
to be charged with a crime while in office. The Office of Disciplinary
Counsel, an arm of the state Supreme Court, said Monday that Taft also
violated Ohio's code of professional conduct for lawyers, which states
that a lawyer shall not 'engage in any other conduct that adversely reflects
on the lawyer's fitness to practice law.' The final decision on punishment
ultimately lies with the Supreme Court. Taft could face a penalty ranging
from a reprimand to loss of his license to practice law." (04/11/06)
Taft is
the current head of one of the nation's oldest political dynasties, and
while he might be the first Ohio CEO to actually face charges, he is far
from the first that should have faced charges.
IL:
Security still worries some on east side
State Journal Register
"A month after devastating tornadoes roared through Springfield,
Tim Williams finds himself living in a camper parked in the driveway of
what remains of his garage in the 2000 block of East Cedar Street. ...
Williams can't leave his property -- which has been in his family since
1943 -- because the garage door is gone and he is wary of looters. The
phrases 'You loot I shoot' and 'You try you die' are spray-painted on
the east side of the garage, just in case anybody might be tempted. He's
not kidding, either. Williams keeps a pistol and his 150-pound dog, Tyler,
with him to deter looters. 'I just ran one off last night. He had so much
stuff with him, he couldn't carry it all,' Williams said Tuesday afternoon,
during a break from filing out insurance forms. 'I pointed my pistol at
him and told him I was calling the police.'" (04/12/06)
This is
as much a self-defense issue as a Home Front issue, and should remind
us, again, that all the government forces in the world can't and won't
prevent looting and crime. We must depend on ourselves and neighbors and
family for that, especially after a disaster.
Drug
thug who shot self in foot sues US
The Smoking Gun
"A Drug Enforcement Administration agent who stars in a popular
online video that shows him shooting himself in the foot during a weapons
demonstration for Florida children is suing over the tape's release, claiming
that his career has been crippled and he's become a laughingstock due
to the embarrassing clip's distribution. Lee Paige, 45, blames the video's
release on DEA officials in an April 7 federal lawsuit filed against the
U.S. government." (04/11/06)
Rightfully,
this guy is again being roasted in the talk shows and elsewhere, just
as he was when he shot himself. My question is simple: why wasn't he fired
for criminal stupidity when he first shot himself?
GA:
ATF rids university of ninja threat
Red and Black
"ATF agents are always on alert for anything suspicious -- including
ninjas. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearm agents, on campus Tuesday for Project
Safe Neighborhoods training, detained a 'suspicious individual' near the
Georgia Center, University Police Chief Jimmy Williamson said. Jeremiah
Ransom, a sophomore from Macon, was leaving a Wesley Foundation pirate
vs. ninja event when he was detained. After being held in investigative
detention, he was found to have violated no criminal laws and was not
arrested. 'It was surreal,' Ransom said. 'I was jogging from Wesley to
Snelling when I heard someone yell 'freeze.'' Ransom said he thought a
friend was playing a joke before he realized officers had guns drawn and
pointed at him. ... Ransom was wearing black sweatpants and an athletic
T-shirt with one red bandanna covering the bottom half of his face and
another covering the top of his head, Williamson said. 'Seeing someone
with something across the face, from a federal standpoint -- that's not
right,' McLemore said, explaining why agents believed something to be
amiss." [Editor's note: "From a federal standpoint?"
Yo, McLemore -- from an reasonable standpoint, your thugs should be either
in jail or in the unemployment line - TLK] (04/12/06)
A wonderful
example of a stupid government trick, and clear evidence that these agencies
are incapable of protecting our "homeland security" in any meaningful
way. McLemore is the classic example of the Peter
Principle.
Our
Imperial Courts and Jack-Booted Thugs
Several items today of great interest, showing how much government cares
for people.
AT&T
asks judge to order documents alleging wiretaps returned
Mercury News
"Attorneys for AT&T have asked a federal judge to order a
San Francisco civil liberties group to return 'highly confidential'' documents
that allegedly show that the telecommunications giant provided detailed
records of millions of its customers to a government intelligence agency.
In documents filed on Monday, AT&T's attorneys also asked Judge Vaughn
Walker to order the Electronic Frontier Foundation to refrain from referencing
the documents in its lawsuit. The EFF filed a lawsuit against AT&T
in January alleging that AT&T had collaborated with the National Security
Agency in a 'massive and illegal program to wiretap and data-mine Americans'
communications.'' Last week, the group filed additional documents to the
federal court in San Francisco totaling more than 140 pages. The documents
purportedly provide evidence of the technology that AT&T had used
to conduct surveillance for the NSA. The documents, which included a sworn
declaration from retired AT&T technician Mark Klein and confidential
company documents, were voluntarily placed under seal by the group pending
a decision by the judge to make them public." (04/11/06)
Snitch
but don't tell? Of course, by now, the documents have been reproduced
and spread around so much that there is no chance, ultimately, of keeping
the data secret.
CA:
Officer cites 82-year-old woman for being too slow to negotiate busy street
LA Daily News
"Mayvis Coyle, 82, was shuffling with her cane across busy Foothill
Boulevard while a traffic police officer watched and waited. And watched
and waited. Even before Coyle finished crossing the intersection at Woodward
Avenue, he had scribbled a $114 ticket for crossing against a don't-walk
signal. 'I entered the crosswalk, it was green,' said Coyle, of Sunland,
who is fighting the infraction issued Feb. 15. 'It turned red before I
could get over. There he was, waiting, the motorcycle cop. He said, "You're
obstructing the flow of traffic."'" (04/10/06)
A clear
top contender for Jackbooted Thug of the Month!
Mideast
Tarbabies
I've
got a lot of articles in this section this week, so I've broken it out
by general area: Afghanistan, General, Iran, Iraq, etc.
Afghanistan:
Rocket attack kills six schoolchildren
MSNBC
"A rocket exploded in the middle of a packed school in eastern
Afghanistan on Tuesday, killing six children, police said. The rocket
landed in the yard of Salabagh School in Asadabad, close to a U.S.-led
coalition base, said Mohammed Hasan, a police commander in the city in
volatile eastern Kunar province, near the Pakistani border. At least 14
people were wounded, including one teacher and the school cleaner, Hasan
said. The bodies of the six dead students were handed over to their parents,
who came rushing to the school when they heard the blast." (04/11/06)
Assuming
this was a Taliban/Jihadist rocket, it once more shows that they do NOT
care about civilian deaths and other casualties, or the people that they
are supposedly fighting for.
Afghanistan:
Stolen military data for sale
MSNBC
"Just outside the main gate of the huge U.S. military base in
Bagram, Afghanistan, shopkeepers at a bazaar peddle a range of goods,
including computer drives with sensitive -- even secret information --
stolen from the base. This week, an NBC News producer, using a hidden
camera, visited the bazaar and bought a half dozen of the memory drives
the size of a thumb known as flash drives. On them, NBC News found highly
sensitive military information, some which NBC will not reveal."
(04/13/06)
This sounds
like any situation where theft and corruption lead to such things.
Israel
to boycott inquest into British activist's death
Guardian [UK]
"Israel will boycott an inquest opening today in London which
will investigate the death of a British peace activist shot dead in broad
daylight by an Israeli soldier. Tom Hurndall, 22, died after being shot
in Rafah, Gaza, while trying to lead Palestinian children to safety after
the soldier opened fire from a nearby observation tower in April 2003.
His mother, Jocelyn, told the Guardian she is angry Israel is not cooperating
as she still has many questions about how her son came to be shot: 'We
are hoping the coroner will address the culture of impunity in which the
soldier was functioning and the enormous lack of cooperation we have experienced
from the Israelis.'" (04/10/06)
It is an
interesting question: "boycott" in this case appears simply
to mean, "will not cooperate with" the inquest - and I don't
know if there is anything in international law or custom that would require
this. It would still seem to be in Israel's best interest to do so.
Mama's
Note: Indeed, and I suspect they would be much more apt to cooperate if
they were not being shielded from reality by the US. One of these days
their chickens will all come home to roost, and they will have to start
dealing more honestly with everyone.
UK:
Prisoner of conscience
Independent [UK]
"An RAF doctor who refused to serve in Iraq because he believed
the war to be illegal was jailed for eight months yesterday. The conviction
and imprisonment of Flight Lieutenant Malcolm Kendall-Smith, the first
member of the armed forces to be charged with disobeying orders to deploy
in Iraq, has provoked widespread condemnation. Anti-war groups declared
that a man who had shown great moral courage and acted according to his
conscience was being pilloried for his beliefs." (04/13/06)
Yes, he
is - and it is exactly what he should have expected (and probably did)
and is what makes his action morally justifiable: that he was and is willing
to accept the consequences.
Mama's
Note: One wonders why he would join the RAF in the first place, knowing
that his beliefs would be violated. This relates very much to the young
US service members who have decided that going to Iraq or where ever is
counter to their beliefs and conscience. People need to make that determination
before they sign on the dotted line and raise their hand to swear an oath,
not afterwards.
Iran,
at milestone, insists nuke program is peaceful
Las Vegas Review-Journal
"Iran's hard-line president said Tuesday that the country 'has
joined the club of nuclear countries' by successfully enriching uranium
for the first time -- a key process in what Iran maintains is a peaceful
energy program. The announcement from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was
certain to heighten international tensions surrounding Iran's nuclear
program. The U.N. Security Council has demanded that Iran stop all enrichment
by April 28 because of suspicions the program is designed to make nuclear
weapons." (04/11/06)
Iran is
clearly throwing everything back in the face of the UN and the Western
powers, as the next story explains further.
Iran
says it's moving to expand enrichment
Cincinnati Enquirer
"Iran intends to enrich uranium on a scale hundreds of times larger
than its current level, the country's deputy nuclear chief said Wednesday,
signaling its resolve to expand a program the international community
insists it halt. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that Iran
for the first time had succeeded on a small scale in enriching uranium,
a key step in generating fuel for a reactor or fissile material for a
bomb. The U.N. Security Council has demanded that Iran stop all enrichment
activity because of suspicions the program's aim is to make weapons."
(04/12/06)
Properly,
many conservatives, themselves no fan of the UN, should be torn by this
- for lovers of freedom who believe that any private organization or company
should have the right to process and sell whatever material they wish,
this is also mixed news: the idea of a government of madmen (well, madder
than most governments) with the ability to make nukes is much scarier
than your average dotty aunt doing it in the back of the garage.
Iran
rebuffs request to suspend enrichment
Indianapolis Star
"Iran rebuffed a request by the U.N. nuclear agency chief in talks
Thursday that it suspend uranium enrichment, and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
insisted his country will not retreat 'one iota.' The chief, Mohamed ElBaradei,
looked much less optimistic after the four hours of talks with Iran's
top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, than he had when he arrived for
the one-day visit and said the time was 'ripe' for a political solution
to the standoff." (04/13/06)
Does the
UN understand the meaning of "no?" Perhaps they should do it
in English.
IRAN
NUKES - Alarm Over Reports Of Possible US Strike On Iran
SpaceWar.Com
Washington (AFP) Apr 10, 2006 - Critics of the George W. Bush administration
expressed alarm Sunday about explosive new reports that the president
is mulling military options to knock out Iran's nuclear program.
Meanwhile,
Iran claims that the US
Military talk of strikes is 'Psychological Warfare'. Panic is setting
gasoline prices up, up, up, and everyone is in a dither. Iran is possibly
whistling as it walks past the graveyard, hoping that they really haven't
pushed too far and gone from Israeli air attacks (damaging but ultimately
much in their favor) to watching Tehran glow and an outright takeover
of the entire area by the US.
Iraq:
Attacks continue; US cracks down in Baghdad
Buffalo News
"American soldiers again have hit the streets of dangerous neighborhoods
in western Baghdad that had been handed over to Iraqi forces, trying to
keep a lid on sectarian attacks that have raged since the February bombing
of a Shiite shrine in Samarra. The U.S. Military has refocused its mission
to confront death squads that have tortured and killed hundreds, a tacit
acknowledgment that Iraqi troops have not been able to control violence
between Shiites and Sunnis on their own. ... The U.S. Military reported
the deaths of three more American troops, all of them a result of hostile
action in Anbar province, a Sunni-dominated province west of Baghdad.
At least 11 Iraqis were killed Monday, police said. In addition, five
bodies were found Monday, four in Baghdad and one south of the capital."
(04/11/06)
Clearly,
the Iraqi troops are as torn as their fellow countrymen are, much as police
in Northern Ireland were during the Troubles.
Iraq:
US shooting of soundman "unlawful"
Reuters
"U.S. soldiers who shot dead a Reuters television soundman in
Iraq last year breached their rules of engagement and the killing was
'unlawful,' an independent investigation commissioned by Reuters has found.
Waleed Khaled died and cameraman Haider Kadhem was wounded on August 28
when the troops fired on their car in Baghdad as the two Iraqis covered
the aftermath of an attack on policemen. An investigation by the Army
unit involved found that its soldiers had acted within rules of engagement
that allow them to fire if they feel under threat. But The Risk Advisory
Group (TRAG), a risk management consultancy asked by Reuters to examine
the incident, said the use of force was neither proportionate nor justified."
(04/10/06)
So now
we have two separate "agencies" claiming the opposite: Reuters'
contractor is as suspect as the Army internal investigation, however.
Too bad there isn't some impartial person or organization to decide in
such cases. There used to be, you know, before the Court system in Iraq
and elsewhere became totally corrupted.
Iraq:
US soldier, 16 Iraqis killed in fighting
Yahoo! News
"Sunni Arab politicians reaffirmed their opposition to Prime Minister
Ibrahim al-Jaafari on Monday, calling on Shiite politicians to come up
with new names for the top Iraqi post to end the deadlock over formation
of a new government. ... gunmen stormed a Shiite home in the southern
Baghdad neighborhood of Dora and killed a 25-year-old man and his parents
.... The body of an official of an eastern Baghdad power plant was found
a day after his disappearance .... gunmen entered a grocery store and
killed the Shiite owner .... Drive-by shooters opened fire on a group
of construction workers in the Shurta district of southwestern Baghdad,
killing one .... Two policemen were killed and several wounded in clashes
with gunmen at a checkpoint in Amariyah. ... In Fallujah, west of Baghdad,
fighting between gunmen and police commandos guarding a truck convoy left
three civilians dead .... The U.S. Military reported the death of a U.S.
soldier from Regimental Combat Team Seven, who died from wounds sustained
in enemy action Saturday in Anbar province .... American troops raided
two buildings six miles outside the town of Balad early Monday, killing
a woman the U.S. Military said was an armed insurgent .... three gunmen
killed the mayor of Qurna and his wife in a drive-by shooting in Basra
.... gunmen killed a policeman after storming into his home, and in Karbala,
two gunmen on a motorcycle killed another policeman at a checkpoint on
Sunday ..." (04/10/06)
Sounds
like the Chicago southside, doesn't it? Or Prohibition-era New York.
Iraq:
Mosque blast kills 22; US reports four more KIA
Buffalo News
"A car bomb exploded Wednesday evening as worshippers left a Shiite
Muslim mosque northeast of Baghdad, killing 22 people and wounding about
60, police said. The U.S. Military reported the combat deaths of four
more American soldiers. ... No group claimed responsibility for the blast,
which was the second major attack in the village in six months. A bomb
hidden in a truck carrying dates exploded there Oct. 29, killing 30 people.
... Three U.S. Soldiers were killed Wednesday in roadside bombings --
two south of Baghdad and a third on patrol east of the capital, the U.S.
Military said. The military also reported that an American soldier from
the 101st Airborne Division died Monday from a 'nonbattle injury' near
Tal Afar in northern Iraq." [Editor's note: Initial, brief reports
indicate another two US military deaths today which were not reported
in this story - TLK] (04/13/06)
Sad as
the American deaths are, the local deaths are far worse for being civilians
and their own people. What makes this Sunni-Shi'a
violence even more sad is that this is essentially a fight over who should
have been the Prophet's successor about 1350 years ago. It is kind of
like if Catholics were still fighting and killing each other over who
should have been pope after Gregory the Great died in AD 604.
Al
Qaeda figure backs Iraqi insurgents
Indianapolis Star
"Al-Qaida's deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri praised insurgents
in Iraq -- particularly Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi -- and
called on all Muslims to support them in a video posted Thursday on the
Internet. The video was dated with an Islamic month corresponding to November
2005 -- and al-Zawahri mentions an Oct. 23 earthquake that hit Pakistan
and Afghanistan. But it appeared to be the first time the 28-minute video
has been made public." (04/12/06)
Hmm- taken
from the reserve stacks and moved to "general circulation" perhaps?
More fodder for the talking heads, of course, but scarcely any great revelation
that Iraq's bloodshed is welcome good news to Al-Qaida.
Iraq:
Six killed, dozens missing in convoy ambush
CBS News
"At least six Iraqi policemen were dead and dozens were missing
Friday after insurgents ambushed their convoy north of Baghdad, police
said. Ten policemen were wounded in the attack Thursday night as they
were on their way from Najaf to a U.S. base to pick up new vehicles. U.S.
And Iraqi forces engaged the attackers. In Najaf, a senior official in
the governor's office said only 35 of 80 members of the police convoy
had returned to the Shiite city 100 miles south of Baghdad. ... a suicide
car bomber attacked a police station in the northern city of Mosul, wounding
at least seven ..." (04/14/06)
The odd
thing about this news story is that it didn't have new reports of massive
civilian casualties, as most this week have.
Pakistan:
Bomber kills 41 at prayer service
Indianapolis Star
"A suicide attacker detonated a bomb during an outdoor Sunni Muslim
prayer service Tuesday, killing at least 41 people and wounding dozens.
In the mayhem that followed, angry mobs torched cars and hurled rocks
at police, who fired warning shots in the air. The attacker blew himself
up near leaders of the Sunni Tehrik religious group, which helped organize
the prayer service at a downtown Karachi park, police chief Niaz Siddiqui
said." (04/11/06)
Notice
please that Pakistan is NOT occupied by any Western powers, has NOT been
invaded by any Western powers, and that this is pure Muslim-on-Muslim
killing and wounding.
Mama's
Note: Also notice that there were no Americans, Brits or other than Muslims
killed there - because none of them were there where they didn't belong.
If the Muslims want to kill each other, so be it. Sad as it is, it's none
of our business, and it is certainly not our responsibility to stop it.
Pakistani
gunships target compound
CNN
"Pakistani helicopter gunships converged Wednesday night on a
suspected terrorist compound near the Afghan border, killing 'a number'
of militants, including some foreigners, according to a military statement
read on Pakistani television. The military targeted the compound near
Miran Shah in the country's North Waziristan province, a tribal area,
said army spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan." (04/12/06)
More Muslim
on Muslim violence and killing.
Pakistani
forces kill suspected terrorist
Detroit Free Press
"An al-Qaida member wanted for his suspected role in the bombings
of U.S. embassies in East Africa was killed by Pakistani forces in a raid
near the Afghan border, a Pakistani Cabinet minister said Thursday. Egyptian
Mohsin Musa Matawalli Atwah, 45, who was on the FBI's list of most-wanted
terrorists, was killed along with at least six other militants in a raid
led by helicopter gunships late Wednesday in the remote North Waziristan
village of Naghar Kalai, near the Afghan border, the minister said on
condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation."
(04/13/06)
Convenient.
Mama's
Note: Remember that, increasingly, a "terrorist" is whoever
any government says is one, and little proof is required at all, even
in the US - certainly no proof of actual violent behavior. I have no idea
if this person and those killed with him WERE responsible for anything
at all, but we will never know. Dead men tell no tales... Innocent until
proven guilty does not apply to anyone accused of being a "terrorist."
I'm afraid that will include all of us very soon.
Political
Campaigns, 2006
Lots more news, of course, this week. It is interesting to see the backstopping
and jockeying for position.
DeLay-linked
lobbyists "want their money back"
Raw Story
"Some lobbyists who raised money for outgoing Congressman and
former Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) are saying they want their money
back, according to today's Roll Call. The lobbyists are angered by the
shifting of donor money from campaign to legal defense funds. ... Delay,
who is fighting an indictment in Texas, announced last week his intention
to resign. He is also caught up in the Jack Abramoff scandal, in which
some of his former aides have pleaded guilty. ... 'If I wanted to give
to a legal fund, I would've done it directly,' snarled one GOP lobbyist
who refused to have his name attached to such callous-sounding sentiments,
even if Delay is leaving Congress." (04/10/06)
How crass!
Don't they think he has any influence left at all with his fellow-travelers?
Of course they do: otherwise they'd give their names.
CA:
Sheriff targets elected Libertarian
San Mateo Daily Journal
"Sheriff Don Horsley is putting away his gun and taking aim at
Libertarian Jack Hickey in a bid for the Sequoia Healthcare District Board.
Horsley is not seeking another term as [San Matero County] sheriff, but
instead will run for one of three available seats on the health care district
board currently held by Art Faro, Jack Hickey and John Oblak. Horsley
wants to focus on funding for indigent care and automated defibrillators,
but doesn't discount rumors that he's running to unseat Libertarian Hickey.
Doing so would eliminate an often contentious element on the board as
Hickey ran on a platform of dissolving the district and often feuds with
other board members. ... Hickey is a staunch opponent of the district.
He was elected in 2002 on the platform to disband the district and return
the tax dollars to residents. He promotes private philanthropy. Hickey
was surprised by the news Monday. He said he'll only run again if his
current bid for the San Mateo County supervisor seat currently held by
Rich Gordon fails in June." (04/11/06)
Although
you would think that they are bringing out the local big guns by sending
a sheriff in to clean Hickey out, my question is, exactly what has Hickey
been doing for four years? How many attempts to disband the board and
the district? Is he a libertarian in name only? The claim that a law enforcement
officer is concerned about indigent care, in California, sounds a bit
strange.
New
revelations surface in Abramoff probe
MSNBC
"A Republican Party official and Jack Abramoff's lobbying team
bluntly discussed using large political donations as a way to pressure
lawmakers into securing federal money for a tribal client, according to
e-mails gathered by prosecutors. The e-mails detail how Abramoff's team
worked to leverage assistance from the White House, Congress and the GOP
to get a reluctant federal agency and a single Republican congressional
aide to stop blocking school construction money for the Saginaw Chippewa
tribe. The e-mails were obtained by The Associated Press." (04/11/06)
Blunt?
Truthful. Why on earth do people give these donations, if not to influence
(pressure) these donkeys and elephants? More than anything and anywhere
else, the nation's Indian Reservations are the hostages of political shenanigans
like this - which is why Abramoff did so well so long.
Bush,
Reid trade barbs on immigration
Cincinnati Enquirer
"President Bush accused Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid on
Thursday of 'single-handedly thwarting' action on immigration legislation,
and got a brisk retort in return. 'President Bush has as much credibility
on immigration as he does on Iraq and national security,' shot back the
Nevada Democrat. The exchange was the latest in a series of maneuvers
among party leaders trying to assign blame for Senate gridlock over comprehensive
immigration legislation." (04/13/06)
This clearly
has almost nothing to do with immigration, and everything to do with the
2006 elections.
(Campaign
news continued on page 2)
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 reelect Gaius Julius Caesar dictator of the Republic
- or was that Senator Palpatine? Granville James Corbin? W? Q?
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