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April
24, 2006
Libertarian
Commentary on the News, 16-22 April 2006
The
theme for this week's news and commentary seems a simple, even quaint,
one - stupid acts all over the place, and if one were trying to track
trends, at an accelerating rate. How long can a civilization survive,
even in a decadent state, until it grows too stupid to avoid collapse?
This week's stories should scare us.
Culture
Wars
Police
in Tehran ordered to arrest women in 'un-Islamic' dress
Guardian [UK]
"Iran's Islamic authorities are preparing a crackdown on women
flouting the stringent dress code in the clearest sign yet of social and
political repression under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. From today police
in Tehran will be under orders to arrest women failing to conform to the
regime's definition of Islamic morals by wearing loose-fitting hijab,
or headscarves, tight jackets and shortened trousers exposing skin. ....
The clampdown coincides with a bill before Iran's conservative-dominated
parliament proposing that fines for people with TV satellite dishes rise
from £60 to more than £3,000. Millions of Iranians have illegal
dishes, enabling them to watch western films and news channels. .... The
new campaign will hold taxi agencies accountable for their passengers'
attire, police will be able to impound cabs carrying women dressed "inappropriately".
Agencies guilty of repeat offences will be closed." (04/19/06)
Gee, are
we surprised? The more I study Islam, the more bizarre it is - not just
out of touch with 21st Century life but with 7th or 17th Century as well.
Mama's
Note: Just consider that the only way this has gone on so long is that
the women themselves have always bought into this deal. Their conditioning
and "education" has always made them, at least in large part,
into more or less willing victims in all this. Without that support, it
couldn't continue very long at all. With the increasing influence of western
ideas and culture on even remote parts of the world, it will be interesting
to see at what point the WOMEN of Islam finally decide to stop supporting
such nonsense (along with the much darker aspects such as genital mutilation,
of course).
Roe
v. Wade: The divided states of America
USA Today
"Two hours after South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds signed an abortion
ban last month, NARAL Pro-Choice America blasted an e-mail to its supporters:
'Is your state next?' The South Dakota legislation and the abortion rights
group's warning are early skirmishes in a battle over what states would
do if the landmark Roe v. Wade decision were overturned -- though both
sides concede that may never happen. If it does, a fight that for three
decades has focused on nine members of the Supreme Court would be waged
instead among more than 7,000 legislators in 50 state capitals. 'Now is
the time to get moving on this in Ohio,' says Tom Brinkman, a state legislator
who has introduced a bill to ban almost all abortions. Meanwhile, Kellie
Copeland of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio is braced. 'Our supporters feel the
fight is coming back to the states,' she says. What would states do?"
(04/17/06)
Barring
any perfect solution, letting the fight go back to the 50 statehouses
seems like the best thing to do for now. Yes, some states will continue
to kill unborn children, just as many nations continue to murder not just
children but millions of others. But at least liberty can be regained
some places.
Government-ruined,
theft-funded schools
States
omit minorities' school scores
Detroit Free Press
"States are helping public schools escape potential penalties
by skirting the No Child Left Behind law's requirement that students of
all races must show annual academic progress. With the federal government's
permission, schools deliberately aren't counting the test scores of nearly
2 million students when they report progress by racial groups, an Associated
Press computer analysis found." (04/17/06)
Government
cheating government. Of course, this is not the only area in which such
things happen.
CA:
School makes kids use buckets for toilets
Guardian [UK]
"A principal trying to prevent walkouts during immigration rallies
inadvertently introduced a lockdown so strict that children weren't allowed
to go to the bathroom, and instead had to use buckets in the classroom,
an official said. Worthington Elementary School Principal Angie Marquez
imposed the lockdown March 27 as nearly 40,000 students across Southern
California left classes that morning to attend immigrants' rights demonstrations.
The lockdown continued into the following morning. Marquez apparently
misread the district handbook and ordered a lockdown designed for nuclear
attacks. " (04/17/06)
Good education
on the effects of tyranny - maybe a brief introduction to the holocaust?
What is scary is that the teachers and the students apparently went along
with this nutcase? And so did the parents? If I had a child in this mess
(let me amend that - if I were STUPID enough to have a child in this mess),
I'd have been banging on the school doors about 30 minutes after the normal
end of school.
Mama's
Note: I'm afraid that's an oxymoron. Anyone (or at least 90%) who actually
cared about this incident to get mad about it has ALREADY removed their
children from this toxic environment. Oh, some might get "mad"
about it for other reasons, but not because it demonstrates mindless tyranny.
Home
Front
Red
Cross gets pink slip in Alabama
New York Times
Frustrated with the performance of the American Red Cross, Alabama's
governor has asked Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff
for the federal aid necessary to let the state assume primary responsibility
for operating its own emergency shelters in disasters. The move comes
after months of criticism of the Red Cross, inspired by what even the
organization's own leaders acknowledge was its inadequate response to
Hurricane Katrina last year. Governor Bob Riley said that too often the
Red Cross shelters did not have all the necessary services or equipment,
like showers and cafeterias, which became a particular problem when evacuees
ended up living in the shelters for weeks. To avoid that, Riley said he
would like to establish a network of official state shelters at 30 state
junior colleges that could accommodate a total of 25,000 evacuees.
IF government
were able to do better itself, this would make sense. But Katrina and
hundreds of other events demonstrate that government is completely unable
to do this sort of work. The problem with the Red Cross is that the more
it resembles government in its operations, the more ineffective it becomes:
as demonstrated time and time again in the past few months. Solution?
Break up the "Red Cross" monopoly into a decentralized network
of volunteer agencies driven from the bottom up, not the top down. The
fire service in rural areas (i.e., volunteer) might be one model, with
their various mutual aid agreements and common standards for training
and equipment and response.
Mama's
Note: As a former Red Cross volunteer myself, I can tell you that the
entire organization has deteriorated in direct proportion to how much
it has tried (or been forced) to accommodate various laws, regulations,
and the ever present threat of litigation and liability. It went from
a decent, hard working organization in 1960 (and before) to a bureaucratic
nightmare in the years following. I quit in 1990 after our successful
and well run emergency shelter was determined "inadequate" by
the Red Cross, which shut us down during a terrible forest fire! There
were NO other shelters available, and the good people of the town simply
began to take refugees (and their horses, pets - not allowed into a shelter
anyway) into their own homes. It worked, and we never bothered with the
Red Cross after that.
Wal-Mart
drops gun sales in some stores
Boston Globe
"Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has decided to stop selling guns in about
a third of its U.S. stores in what it calls a marketing decision based
on lack of demand in some places, a company spokeswoman said Friday. ...
Wal-Mart, based in Bentonville, Ark., has about 1,200 discount stores
and 1,900 Supercenters, which include a full grocery section, in all 50
states. Wal-Mart says it sells rifles and shotguns. In Alaska, it also
sells handguns. 'As with all merchandise decisions that we make, our decision
to remove guns from Wal-Mart locations is simply based on the lack of
customer purchase history of firearms in a given community,' Stewart said.
... As Wal-Mart seeks growth by moving from rural America into cities
and suburbs, it finds it needs to retune its inventory to appeal to more
urban consumers." (04/14/06)
It is a
private business, so it is their choice - even when I do not agree with
it. But I think that if they offered handguns everywhere, they'd be very
much surprised at the market share they could take from independent gun
shops (which would not, in the eyes of many, be a good thing). This does
give an opportunity for more gun shops to be established and do better.
Mama's
Note: What has completely astonished me - coming from Kommiefornia, remember
- is seeing all kinds of ammunition just sitting out on shelves in all
kinds of stores! I laughingly asked a clerk if she wasn't afraid it would
jump off the shelf and go around shooting people, and she looked at me
like I was crazy. I told her about the song and dance one must go through
to buy ANY kind of ammunition in California, and she just shook her head
sadly, welcoming me to Wyoming.
Civil
rights leader boosts war protesters
Houston Chronicle
"The Rev. Joseph Lowery on Sunday urged war protesters camping
near President Bush's ranch to keep working for peace. Lowery, 84, who
co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with the Rev.
Martin Luther King Jr., spoke at a sunrise interfaith Easter Sunday service.
Lowery said after the service that he sees many parallels between the
civil rights movement and the peace movement, and so he decided to miss
a traditional Easter church service for the first time." (04/16/06)
In other
words, this bogus "peace movement" which is against (some but
not all wars) is more important than his religion? How hypocritical can
you be?
Myers
says Rumsfeld didn't intimidate
Cincinnati Enquirer
"Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld did not intimidate members
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during planning of the Iraq war as some retired
generals have charged, a former chairman said Sunday. With Rumsfeld described
by his critics as a micromanager who did not listen to military leaders,
the Pentagon circulated a one-page memo late last week detailing the defense
secretary's frequent contacts with numerous military and civilian advisers."
(04/16/06)
"He
said, she said - how sad." This sort of thing belongs in a soap opera,
NOT people to whom we literally trust our lives (to say nothing of fortunes
and sacred honor) - This is one of the problems with the foofoorah made
about the "generals' revolt" of six retired generals dissing
Rumsfeld: Rumsfeld can easily find 60 or even 600 who will disagree with
the six, whatever their reason for doing so.
New
Orleans to begin returning seized firearms
Second Amendment Foundation
"More than seven months have passed since New Orleans residents
were forcibly and illegally disarmed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina,
and starting Monday, April 17, the City of New Orleans will be returning
seized firearms to their rightful owners, thanks to legal action by the
Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and National Rifle Association (NRA).
'We've learned from the police that starting Monday at 8 a.m., New Orleans
gun owners can get their firearms back,' noted SAF founder Alan Gottlieb.
'The city had been denying for more than five months that these guns were
in possession. Only when SAF and the NRA filed a motion to have Mayor
Ray Nagin and Police Superintendent Warren Riley held in contempt of court
did city officials miraculously discover that more than a thousand seized
firearms were being stored.'" (04/14/06)
Finally
- how many people have died, been robbed, been abused, been attacked,
because the thugs know better and stole their guns?
Mama's
Note: Maybe the real problem ultimately lies in the fact that these people
let government thugs disarm them in the first place. I hope all the rest
of the gun owners in this country has gotten the message, loud and clear.
Getting your guns "back" is not the issue here. Being disarmed
AT ALL is the problem, and should never be allowed to occur. If you
are not willing to fight to keep your arms, please do us all a favor and
sell them to someone else who will.
Plan
"allows" entire Big Easy to be rebuilt
Christian Science Monitor
"For residents of New Orleans, especially the flood-ravaged lower
Ninth Ward, it was welcome news: By raising some homes three feet off
the ground, residents in the whole city can rebuild knowing they are eligible
for federal flood insurance in the event of another Katrina. In a much-awaited
move that has been painted as a key piece of the rebuilding puzzle, the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Army Corps of Engineers
on Wednesday released a new flood plain advisory for the flooded areas
that, along with a $2.5 billion proposal to build stronger and taller
levees, will make it easier for displaced residents to decide whether
to rebuild. The wait of such guidelines and worries that some homes may
have to be raised by as much as 10 feet have hampered the recovery, experts
say." (04/16/06)
What a
slick, sick piece of work! So we (the taxpayers) can pay for a quite a
bit more hurricanes over the next centuries, and let this cesspool (in
more than one way) be rebuilt on OUR dime.
FEMA
deemed these homes habitable
Houston Chronicle
"A New Orleans house flattened but for a concrete staircase on
a crumbling facade was among many storm-ravaged structures that federal
officials deemed fit for occupancy by Katrina victims now living in Houston,
Mayor Bill White said Friday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency
has notified about 8,900 heads of households in Houston, representing
more than 20,000 Katrina evacuees, that they will be ineligible for the
cash assistance intended to replace a massive city voucher program that
has paid their rent. A common reason was that the evacuees' former homes
were now habitable. A team from Houston's Hurricane Housing Task Force,
however, conducted a spot check of 43 New Orleans homes deemed 'habitable'
by FEMA and found 70 percent unfit for occupancy, White said Friday after
a briefing by the team." (04/15/06)
Anytime
you give bureaucrats the power to do something that should be decided
on technical grounds, like determining whether a building is usable, you
open yourself up for trouble. This is just a large-scale example of something
that happens, and hurts people, every day across the nation, with building
inspectors and all sorts of other bureaucrats. What a stupid act to keep
doing the same thing over and over again, and coming up with more ways
for the burro-rats to run our lives.
CA:
To many, government's case weak in terror trial
Baltimore Sun
"Ten months ago, FBI agents arrested a father and son and detained
two Muslim clerics, suggesting the men were participants in activities
linked to terrorism. Residents feared that a terrorist cell connected
to the [Lodi, CA] area's 2,500-member Pakistani community was operating
in the agricultural city of 62,000. Even President Bush said the arrests
were part of the government's effort to 'bust up these terrorist networks.'
... Today, however, as jurors deliberate in the trial of the father and
son, who are charged with lying about whether the son attended an al-Qaida
training camp in Pakistan, residents said that what they saw in the nine-week
trial assured them their fears were unfounded." (04/16/06)
Well, this
is what trials are for - at least in a nation where trials are to determine
the facts and guilt, not simply punish. Hopefully, not just the residents
of Lodi but the jurors will see the truth, and not allow pressure to prevent
justice from being done.
Mama's
Note: Remember the vital importance of the jury and the absolute right
of any jury to acquit, no matter what the "law" or the judge
says. This is our final line of official power in relation to government,
and we won't keep it long if we don't educate ourselves about it and USE
it. Visit the Fully Informed
Jury association NOW and find out about it.
US
employers send for immigrants
Arizona Republic
"When Pedro Lopez Vazquez crossed illegally into the United States
last week, he was not heading north to look for a job. He already had
one. His future employer even paid $1,000 for a smuggler to help Vazquez
make his way from the central Mexican city of Puebla to Aspen, Colo. 'We're
going to Colorado to work in carpentry because we have a friend who was
going to give us a job,' Vazquez said. Vazquez, 41, was interviewed along
the Arizona border after being deported twice by the U.S. Border Patrol.
He said he would keep trying until he got to Aspen. His story is not unusual.
A growing number of U.S. employers and migrants are tapping into an underground
employment network that matches one with the other, often before the migrants
leave home." (04/16/06)
No surprise
here, either. Of course laws don't apply to the ultra-jet-setters that
can afford to live in Aspen, Snowmass, and elsewhere. You can't go anywhere
in the entire Roaring Fork Valley and most of Garfield County without
hearing southern Mexican accents, not Tex-Mex or Coloradoan-Spanish.
Mama's
Note: Obviously, these "immigrants" are not a problem. They
are not in jail, using "social services" (which are immoral
anyway, no matter who "uses" them), and they are working hard.
What real difference does it make how much money their employers have?
We are all rich beyond the wildest dreams of someone else on this planet.
The only "bad" wealth is that which is stolen from the one who
created it. We all know who the greatest thief is, don't we - and we are
asking them to solve a "problem?"
Enforcing
immigration law against employers
Washington Post
"Serious criminal charges once typically reserved for drug traffickers
and organized-crime figures are increasingly being used to target businesses
that employ illegal immigrants, a strategy highlighted last week when
three Maryland restaurateurs pleaded guilty to federal offenses and agreed
to forfeit more than $1 million in cash and property. The little-publicized
approach, which can include charging such employers with money laundering
and seizing their assets, amounts to a strategic shift in the enforcement
of immigration law in the workplace." (04/16/06)
Hmm. I
thought that the immigration laws were NOT being enforced against businesses?
Perhaps the enforcement is very, very selective, and used (as so much
is) as a hammer to get back at people for whatever reason that they annoyed
the powers that be. Naah, we are a nation of laws, not people, right?
(At the same time, knowing how much is NOT done in most of the nation,
I question the WP's claim that it is a "strategic shift in the enforcement"
- too many PTB oxen would be gored if that were the case.)
Mama's
Note: Just think about it... do you really want all the "law"
and government gestapo tactics you pay for? Do you want to live in a country
of endless "raids" and destruction of lives this would entail.
Be careful what you ask for... you may get it.
GA:
Perdue signs immigration bill
Houston Chronicle
"Georgia's governor signed a sweeping immigration bill Monday
that supporters and critics say gives the state some of the toughest measures
against illegal immigrants in the nation. 'I want to make this clear:
we are not, Georgia's government is not, and this bill is not, anti-immigrant,'
Gov. Sunny Perdue said at the signing. ... The law requires verification
that adults seeking many state-administered benefits are in the country
legally." (04/17/06)
Oh? I thought
that states couldn't have immigration laws, that it was something they
surrendered to the federal government in 1787? Unlike laws which attempt
to impair private contracts (like the employment contracts in Maryland,
above), these laws regarding giving "state-administered benefits"
(a phrase describing things bought with money stolen from taxpayers) have
some justification - but the entire problem could be solved more simply
by getting rid of the "state-administered benefits" altogether.
Fedgoons
pledge crackdown on labor competition
USA Today
"The government plans to crack down ever harder on employers who
harbor and hire illegal immigrants, pursuing companies that ignore the
law so they can exploit cheap labor. 'We are going to move beyond the
current level of activity to a higher level in each month and year to
come,' Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Thursday. He
pledged to 'come down as hard as possible' on violators." (04/20/06)
Fine-sounding
talk (to some, at least) - but all hot air, most likely. Apparently, now
they will actually get their hands slapped, after the right amount of
money has left them, of course. It would seem that in the past, they have
just been told that they might get their hands slapped.
May
1 boycott plan by migrants tempered
Arizona Republic
"Immigrant rights advocates in the Valley have backed off plans
to support a nationwide worker boycott slated for May 1 to call attention
to the economic importance of undocumented immigrants. Organizers fear
too many participants could lose their jobs and are concerned an economic
boycott could alienate employers and fuel a backlash undermining any gains
made after the massive April 10 march and rally in Phoenix that drew more
than 100,000 supporters, many of them undocumented immigrant workers.
'We know that immigrants work very hard to support their families, and
some have been warned not to take more time off of work,' said Joel Foster
of Somos America, the coalition of Valley groups that organized the April
10 demonstration. Instead, organizers plan to promote alternative actions,
including a candlelight vigil, a prayer vigil and possibly a human chain."
(04/19/06)
"Any
gains?" Except for giving an excuse for liberals to proclaim their
support for anything to get more votes, I can see no gains and many, many
losses (backlash) after the various April rallies and marches - even among
the various communities made up of people who immigrated here to become
Americans, or whose parents did, as the next story illustrates.
Return
of the Know-Nothings?
USA Today
"Recent demonstrations demanding that immigration laws be eased
are fueling new interest in states far from the U.S.-Mexican border in
groups that support stricter immigration enforcement. Membership in organizations
in Tennessee, Illinois, Oregon and other states is growing. The Minuteman
Project that deploys volunteers along the border to help prevent illegal
immigration is forming official chapters across the nation. Hundreds of
people attended a rally this week in Kansas City, Mo., demanding tighter
immigration controls. About 400 signed up to join the Mid-America Immigration
Reform Coalition, which supports tougher immigration laws, says organizer
Joyce Mucci." (04/19/06)
This is,
indeed, backlash, and after 1 May, expect even more of it.
IL:
Ryan found guilty in corruption case
Seattle Times
"Former Gov. George Ryan was convicted of corruption charges Monday
in the scandal that ended his political career in 2003 at the same time
he was winning international acclaim for commuting the sentences of every
inmate on Illinois' death row. Ryan, 72, a Republican, sat stone-faced
as the verdict was read, and vowed afterward to appeal. He was convicted
of steering state contracts and leases, including a $25 million IBM computer
deal, to political insiders while he was Illinois secretary of state in
the 1990s and then governor for one term. In return, he got vacations
in Jamaica, Cancun and Palm Springs, and gifts ranging from a golf bag
to $145,000 in loans to his brother's floundering business. ... The scandal
that led to Ryan's downfall began over a decade ago with a fiery van crash
in Wisconsin that killed six children. The 1994 wreck exposed a scheme
inside the Illinois secretary of state's office in which truck drivers
obtained licenses for bribes." (04/18/06)
Corruption
is not limited by party - especially not in modern America. And cleaning
it up is very difficult, if not impossible the way it is normally done.
Remove the power of the officials, reduce it to levels common before the
War Between the States perhaps, and the impact of the corruption will
be less, and the corruption itself will be greatly reduced. But with today's
power and wealth, figure that he is just the ½ of ½ of 1
percent that are called to account - and ultimately, expect him to get
off with little or no real punishment. But if he's worried, maybe he ought
to use the Mossaoui defense strategy discussed in the next story.
Mama's
Note: If less is better, isn't NONE the best? If you simply cut a tree
back, it will grow ever bushier and fuller. If you really want to get
rid of it and end the problems, you pull it out by the roots and dispose
of it. Why do we want to prune this rabid government "back"
to anything at all? It will only grow again, probably stronger than ever.
Defense:
Moussaoui schizophrenic
Cleveland Plain Dealer
"A defense psychologist testified Monday that Zacarias Moussaoui
is a paranoid schizophrenic with delusions, as defense lawyers presented
additional evidence that the confessed Sept. 11 conspirator believes he
will be freed from prison by President Bush. Psychologist Xavier Amador
testified that Moussaoui displays symptoms of the brain disorder, including
delusions and disorganized thoughts and speech. Moussaoui's court-appointed
defense lawyers believe that he has lied on the witness stand twice about
having a role in the nation's worst terrorist attack in order to achieve
martyrdom through execution or an enhanced role in history."
(04/18/06)
I think
I am not the only one to quickly decide that this guy is a grade-A nutcase,
so it is no surprise that his defense lawyers have finally decided to
point this out.
DHS
dumps British-owned security firm
Fox News
"Not long after national debate raged on the use of foreign entities
to operate critical U.S. infrastructures, the Department of Homeland Security
has made an about face, dumping a British-based security firm that was
contracted to protect the buildings where U.S. domestic security policy
is formed. DHS had received a variety of complaints about Wackenhut Services,
Inc., and was supposed to sign a new security contract on April 1. Instead,
Paragon Systems of Chantilly, Va., announced last week it was getting
the five-year, $29 million contract. 'I welcome the news that the Department
of Homeland Security is finally starting to get serious about its own
security,' said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who with Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D.,
praised the department's switch. 'We will keep a close eye on the new
contractor and make sure that higher standards equal better security at
the department tasked with keeping our nation secure.'" (04/17/06)
Do these
people really believe that a company with 51% "American" stockholders
is any more loyal or trustworthy than a company with only 49% "American"
stockholders? Apparently - a stupid act of shortsightedness and blindness
that is all too common. If this were really a critical target, and if
we were serious about true domestic security, the duty of providing security
would not be given to mercenaries, foreign or domestic. Of course, the
government brand of sec-cop isn't much better, as the next story reminds
us.
FL:
Passenger finds TSA uniform in baggage
First Coast News
"An airline passenger made a surprising discovery after flying
from New Jersey to Florida -- When she opened her luggage, she found a
uniform belonging to the Transportation Security Administration. ... The
TSA says her luggage wasn't searched by a TSA employee because there was
no note left in her suitcase stating it was physically searched. Debra
says she's certain someone had access to her bag." (04/18/06)
Maybe someone
else got the body? Did the nametag say "Houdini?"
Airports
leery on traveler registry
USA Today
"Only one of the USA's busiest airports has signed up for a much-vaunted
program to speed travelers through checkpoints, while at least a half-dozen
others are balking at an idea that they say won't work. The lack of sign-ups
could threaten the Registered Traveler program, pushed by Congress for
years as a way to speed up post-9/11 security lines by giving minimal
inspections to air travelers who pass a background check. 'The program
is far less appealing and less effective if only a handful of airports
offer it,' said Chicago O'Hare International Airport spokeswoman Wendy
Abrams." (04/18/06)
Sadly,
I suspect this is more about costs than about any belief in freedom or
functionality. Expect an administration effort (either a bill in Congress
or an Executive Order) to force the airports to accept it.
Mama's
Note: Taxpayers and passengers will pay for it, one way or another.
Terrorist
"Lookalike" wins case
The Guardian
A jury awarded $27.5 million in damages to a woman of Iranian descent
who said she was racially profiled when Southwest Airlines Co. accused
her of assaulting a flight attendant. Samantha Carrington of Santa Barbara,
Calif., won her case Friday after suing the Dallas-based airline for false
imprisonment and malicious prosecution. Federal authorities arrested her
in 2003 after her Houston-to-Los Angeles flight made a scheduled stop
in El Paso. She was never charged with a crime.
It does
seem to be possible to win against the private goon-thugs!
Mama's
Note: And how much in money, time and agony did that "win" cost
her and her family? That's better than jail time, obviously, but I'd hardly
call it a "win." We can be bankrupt and our lives destroyed
without ever being charged with a crime of any kind, let alone a REAL
crime.
Atlanta
Muslim faces terror charge
CNN
"A Georgia Tech university student has been indicted for material
support of terrorism, and another Atlanta-area man has been arrested in
Bangladesh in connection with the case, authorities said Thursday. Though
the U.S. Attorney's Office in Atlanta on Thursday unsealed an indictment
against Syed Ahmed, 21, details remained sealed. A grand jury indicted
him March 23, the same day he was arrested." (04/20/06)
Quick action,
for our courts and for "terrorists" these days - and amazing,
to boot.
Mama's
Note: What happened to "due process?" What ARE the facts, the
"details?" The idea that someone the government calls a "terrorist"
should be treated differently than anyone else is just dead wrong.
Intel
chief says personnel number 100,000
Cincinnati Enquirer
"Nearly 100,000 Americans are working in intelligence in the U.S.
and around the world, the nation's spy chief says, revealing the number
for the first time. In a speech at the National Press Club marking his
first year on the job, National Intelligence Director John Negroponte
indicated his willingness to make some normally classified information
public. 'The United States intelligence community comprises almost 100,000
patriotic, talented and hardworking Americans in 16 federal departments
and agencies,' he said." (04/20/06)
Even the
bureaucrats and the beltway bandits are getting tired of the pork and
the waste - such as this bloated bureaucracy of "intelligence workers."
CA:
Exile says gun stash was for Cuban liberation
Arizona Republic
"A Cuban exile arrested for stashing more than 1,000 guns in his
suburban Upland, Calif., home told federal authorities the weapons were
for a quasi-military group bent on overthrowing communist dictator Fidel
Castro, but officials said that may be a cover story for his black-market
gun ring. ... Ferro told federal investigators that he was a member of
the anti-Castro group, Alpha 66, 'a militant group who collectively desire
to overthrow Fidel Castro and liberate the country of Cuba,' according
to an affidavit filed in federal court by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and
Firearms Special Agent Keith Krolczyk. Ferro said the group, made up of
fellow Cuban exiles, paid for the guns and had other caches of weapons,
according to the court document." (04/20/06)
I would
not be surprised to find that neither side is telling the whole truth,
here. If this was for a Libre Cuba filibuster, opsec (operational security)
would not have had all these weapons stored in just one place, and especially
not a home. If he really were running a ring, how could he afford this
big an inventory? Legal or illegal, economics does have its rules.
Mama's
Note: Unless he actually harmed someone, why or how many guns he had,
or where he had them is simply irrelevant - nobody else's business.
Bloggers
fanning the controversy over Rumsfeld
Boston Globe
"The war of words between Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld
and former generals has spread to the lower ranks as soldiers, recent
war vets, and Pentagon civilians alike use a growing number of Web logs
on the Internet to sound off on their current and former bosses. Many
who run the independent sites, which tend to defend the Iraq war against
criticism by politicians and media, are backing Rumsfeld, while some bloggers,
most writing under assumed names, have joined the call for a fresh start.
One widely accessible site operated by those still in uniform, the 'Countercolumn'
at iraqnow.blogspot.com, has awarded one of the retired generals a 'that-was-then-this-is-now'
award for criticizing the invasion even though he had previously said
Iraq was a danger to the United States." (04/20/06)
Another
good use for the blogs - it does provide for almost anonymous feedback
and hashing out of things that can't be done openly for fear of the effects
of exposing the dirty linen.
Our
Imperial Courts
MO:
Judge punishes voters for government error
Kansas City Business Journal
"A Circuit Court judge in Jefferson City on Monday upheld a challenge
to a petition seeking a state constitutional amendment regarding eminent
domain. Senior Judge Byron Kinder in the 19th Judicial Circuit for Cole
County ruled that the fiscal note attached to the petition from Missourians
in Charge was inadequate. The note said the impact would be greater than
$100,000 but didn't clearly indicate whether the amendment would cost
or benefit the state. Kinder also ruled that State Auditor Claire McCaskill
didn't do enough research to determine the impact. ... Missourians in
Charge wants to prevent eminent domain from being used to force private
property owners to sell for projects such as H&R Block Inc.'s new
downtown headquarters." (04/17/06)
This is
a good example of one of the many sneaky ways governments are coming up
with to be able to ignore petitions for referenda and initiatives, especially
when it involves constitutional amendments. Together with "regional
signature gathering" and "no paid circulators" and "pre-legislative
review" and a whole host of other good-sounding restrictions, this
"fiscal note" is a convenient way to delay or prevent people
from upsetting the apple cart.
Mama's
Note: "Fiscal impact" is, of course, important to any government
body; far more than any foolish moral question. The problem really is
the fact that eminent domain is immoral, regardless of how the citizens
of any area might vote. The only moral condition for a transfer is a willing
seller and agreed upon price. My neighbors can't morally "vote"
to give someone else the right to take my property if I don't want to
sell it. Doing so is "democracy" in its worst form.
CA
court: Offensive language not sexual harassment
San Francisco Chronicle
"Crude sex talk and vulgar gestures by writers of the television
show 'Friends' did not constitute sexual harassment of a female assistant
because the comments were not aimed at her or at women in general, the
state Supreme Court ruled today. In a case closely watched by motion picture
and news organizations as well as women's-rights advocates, the court
ruled unanimously that offensive sexual language in the workplace is not,
by itself, grounds for damages under laws that prohibit sexual harassment
and discrimination. 'While (state law) prohibits harassing conduct that
creates a work environment that is hostile or abusive on the basis of
sex, it does not outlaw sexually coarse and vulgar language or conduct
that merely offends,' said the opinion by Justice Marvin Baxter."
[Editor's note: Common Sense 1, Litigious PC 0! - SAT](04/20/06)
Common
sense, yeah, probably. But the mere fact that the company had to fight
this all the way to the state Supreme Court will make many other companies
even more careful to avoid a similar situation, which will bleed them
dry with legal fees and other costs.
Mideast
Tarbabies
Iran
to give Hamas $50 million
MSNBC
"Iran said Sunday it would give the Palestinian Authority $50
million in aid, moving in for the first time with money after the United
States and Europe cut off funding to the Hamas-led government. Iran has
long had close ties to the Islamic militant movement Hamas and is believed
to have given money to the movement in the past -- though the Shiite clerical-led
government in Tehran has denied that, saying its support has only been
moral." (04/16/06)
Kinda time,
isn't it, Tehran? Supposedly Hamas and the Palestinians are at the front
line of the battle against the evil, crusading infidels, but you expect
your enemies (the US) and dhimmis (protected truce-allies; the Euros)
to support them?
Iranian
decries bid to block nuke program
Detroit Free Press
"Iran's former president accused the United States Sunday of waging
'a psychological war' against Tehran and said an American strike against
the Islamic republic would not be in Washington's interests. Former Iranian
President Hashemi Rafsanjani, who heads the Expediency Council, a powerful
body that mediates between Iran's parliament and clerical hierarchy, said
Western nations' attempts to block Iran's nuclear program were 'unjust.'"
(04/16/06)
It seems
to me like he doth protest too much - and has way too high opinion of
the US and the West: it is Iran that has been doing a wonderful job on
psych-war, a part of which is discussed in the next story.
Iran
parades its military might
Times Online [UK]
"Iran staged a show of military might today as thousands of its
troops paraded with guns, rockets and even small submarines through central
Tehran. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took the salutes at the Army Day
military parade, and remarked that any aggressor attacking Iran would
live to regret it. The Islamic Republic is involved in a standoff with
the international community, after defying the United Nations Security
Council and restarting its uranium enrichment programme. Last week Tehran
announced that it had 'entered the nuclear club' by mastering the nuclear
fuel cycle, and had successfully enriched a small amount of uranium for
use as fuel for a nuclear power station." (04/18/06)
Sounds
like May Day in Moscow, doesn't it? I expect it to do about as much good,
in the long run. But then, maybe Iran knows what it is doing - after all,
it has been around a whole lot longer than Russia, the USSR, or any part
of the West.
Mama's
Note: All the pomp and glitter are fine show, but the bottom line will
be just how many true warrior riflemen they have, and how well they are
trained. Islam might not seem like a very good environment for that kind
of discipline, but remember what a handful of ragged desert nomads did
to the Russian army in Afghanistan...
US
building massive embassy in Baghdad
Yahoo! News
"The fortress-like compound rising beside the Tigris River here
will be the largest of its kind in the world, the size of Vatican City,
with the population of a small town, its own defense force, self-contained
power and water, and a precarious perch at the heart of Iraq's turbulent
future. The new U.S. Embassy also seems as cloaked in secrecy as the ministate
in Rome. 'We can't talk about it. Security reasons,' Roberta Rossi, a
spokeswoman at the current embassy, said when asked for information about
the project. ... The embassy complex -- 21 buildings on 104 acres, according
to a U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee report -- is taking shape
on riverside parkland in the fortified 'Green Zone,' just east of al-Samoud,
a former palace of Saddam Hussein's, and across the road from the building
where the ex-dictator is now on trial." (04/14/06)
Sounds
like a new Presidential Palace, doesn't it? Or perhaps a new Forbidden
City. Much better than what the US had in Germany or Japan. Notice they
don't talk about the price tag - in dollars or units (of blood).
Israeli,
Palestinian envoys trade charges
Indianapolis Star
"Israel said Monday that a new 'axis of terror' -- Iran, Syria
and the Hamas-run Palestinian government -- is sowing the seeds of the
first world war of the 21st century. The Palestinians accused Israel of
an escalating and indiscriminate military campaign that targets civilians
and entrenches its occupation. The Israeli and Palestinian envoys traded
charges at an open Security Council meeting held in response to the recent
upsurge in Israeli attacks in Gaza. It took place on a day that a Palestinian
suicide bomber struck a packed fast-food restaurant in Tel Aviv, killing
nine people in the deadliest bombing in more than a year." (04/17/06)
Frankly,
it seems to me as though Israel is a bit more restrained in their attacks
than usual, despite calls for reoccupation of Gaza. Hamas is also moving
more slowly than most of us thought they would, but the direction is clear
- it has not renounced its holy mission to destroy Israel.
Afghanistan's
drug kingpins above the law
San Francisco Chronicle
"The smugglers' trail jolts toward the southern border, crossing
salt-encrusted plains, scrabbly farmland and hundreds of blossoming poppy
fields. Suddenly, a fortress-like compound looms. Locals say the imposing,
high-walled mansion near Garmser belongs to Haji Adam, a well-known drug
smuggler. Tales of his wealth are legion. 'When he became sick, he was
flown directly to Germany,' said a man in the village of Garmser, who
asked not to be named. 'Even helicopters have landed at his house,' said
another. Like nearly every other major drug figure in the region, Adam
appears to worry little about the law. 'Many smugglers don't even bother
hiding their wealth,' said a British diplomat in Kabul, who spoke on condition
of anonymity. 'It's their way of saying 'screw you' to authority.'"
(04/17/06)
Well, I
guess this means that Afghanistan is becoming a more civilized place -
how many "civilized" western countries do you know where "drug
kingpins" aren't above the law? I'm not talking about the joint-a-day
user or the kid selling in the back room of the bar - they're fair game
everywhere. But the people bankrolling and managing the operations are
very, very seldom ever called to account, in the West, or now, in Afghanistan,
at least according to the Chron.
Mama's
Note: Aren't we all glad we don't get all the "law" we pay for?
The only real law involved here is "supply and demand."
Iraq
PM abandons claim on another term
Indianapolis Star
"Bowing to intense pressure, Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari
agreed Thursday to allow Shiite lawmakers to find someone else to head
the new government, abandoning his claim on another term in the face of
Sunni and Kurdish opposition. Al-Jaafari's abrupt reversal was an apparent
breakthrough in the months long struggle to form a national unity government.
The Bush administration hopes such a government will curb Iraq's slide
toward anarchy and enable the U.S. to start bringing home its 133,000
troops." (04/20/06)
The new
nominee is apparently supposed to be much more agreeable to both Sunni
and Kurd factions: Iraq's largest parliamentary bloc, the Shia United
Iraq Alliance (UIA), has
nominated Jawad al-Maliki as its choice for the post of prime minister.
Note that this bowing out came after days and days of standing firm, and
reams of commentary about how Iraq was doomed by the intransigence of
the politicians (like every other nation in the world, probably).
Iraq's
daily death toll keeps a lot of people working.
MSNBC/Newsweek
"The outlook for Iraq's economy is grim. Oil production has fallen
to prewar levels. With foreign investors scared off by political instability
and a climate of violence that produces about 70 attacks a day, private
investment has stagnated. Local businesses keep shorter hours, while wealthy
businessmen are regularly targeted for kidnapping. Electricity levels
have dropped to the same as they were three years ago, frustrating ordinary
Iraqis and hampering new development projects. The main reason for these
troubles: insurgents and unchecked militias have done a good job of driving
Iraq's economy to a near halt. Well, almost. One sector of the economy
has been quietly expanding since the March 2003 invasion -- the so-called
death industry." (04/20/06)
No surprise:
look at postwar Germany or Japan, or for that matter, look at the victors:
the Soviet Union's economy didn't return to prewar levels until the late
1950s. War and the aftermath of war, like this occupation, are agonizing
ways to destroy lives and property.
Our
right to defend ourselves on the next page!
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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