May 08, 2006

Liz Claiborne Inc. (Part I) A Case Study of Deception
By Richard L. Davis

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) estimates that more than 90% of all domestic violence victims are female and that most abusers are male. Because of this we use he when referring to abusers. Whether the victim is female or male, violence of any kind is unacceptable.

That DOJ data cited above has been cherry picked from reams of DOJ, National Institute of Justice and Bureau of Justice Statistics criminal and self reporting data because it fits the ideological feminist claim – men/boys are abusers and women/girls are victims that Liz Claiborne Inc. steadfastly adheres to. To continue with that ideology Liz Claiborne must manipulate the findings of the survey it commissioned. (Read the rest here)

United 93 - Movie Review
Interview By Lady Liberty

I have a rule where movies are concerned: If the trailer makes me cry, I'm not allowed to see it. That rule is partially something of a joke, of course. At the same time, I can't claim to be a true fan of the three-hanky movie. Apparently I've never quite gotten over watching Brian's Song almost every year in high school English class, and I never managed to stop weeping like a fool every time I saw it, either.

By virtue of my Internet alter ego and involvement in almost all things political and pro-freedom, however, I didn't see how I could avoid seeing United 93. That's despite the fact that each of several different trailers made me cry. I started reading early reviews before seeing the movie, and most of those made me cry, too. Resigned, I dropped a packet of Kleenex into my purse and headed out to the theatre. (Read the rest here)

Ordained By the State: - A Recipe for Failure
By Michael Gaddy

My life experiences have taught me to be more than a little skeptical when it comes to accepting the words, qualified or certified, as relates to those who are "educated." I am even more suspicious when those certifications or qualifications are bestowed by the State. I believe those words carry far too much weight with most Americans.

My first experience with this phenomenon came at the ripe old age of 18. I had problems understanding why a 23-year-old Lieutenant with an Animal Husbandry degree from Clemson University, and less than 7 months in the Army, was more qualified to lead men into combat than a 40-something sergeant with a 10th grade education and several years of combat experience in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. What the hell, the Army said he did, and since they were the representatives of the omnipotent State, they were the ultimate authority. (Read the rest here)

True Foreign Aid
by Congressman Ron Paul - R - TX

A recent Hudson Institute study found that, last year, American citizens voluntarily contributed three times more to help people overseas than did the United States government. This should not surprise us at all, as Americans are generous to those in need, whether here or abroad. There are so many moral, religious, and human reasons to help our fellow men and women in need. It is only when government gets in the way and tries to crowd out private charity that problems arise.

There are good reasons why the US Constitution does not allow our government to send taxpayermoney overseas as foreign aid. One of the best is that coerced “charity” is not charity at all, but rather it is theft. If someone picks your pocket and donates the money to a good cause it does not negate the original act of theft. (Read the rest here)

The United States May Have to Live with a Nuclear Iran
By Ivan Eland

Unbelievably, a belligerent Bush administration is trying to rattle the saber again against Iran, because of its defiance of the United Nations Security Council’s resolution against Iran’s nuclear program. In the long-term, such blustering by a superpower is only likely to speed the efforts of Iran and other countries with nuclear aspirations to get atomic weapons.

Stopping or slowing the spread of nuclear weapons has been a primary foreign policy goal for both Republican and Democratic administrations. During the Clinton administration, for example, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright explicitly gave the policy a very high priority. U.S. policy has always focused on three tactics to stop nuclear proliferation in other countries: banning the materials and technology needed to develop nuclear weapons, punitive economic sanctions, and military action. (Read the rest here)

Oil Feeding Frenzy
by Sheldon Richman

The feeding frenzy in Washington over oil prices and profits may win pander-points for cynical politicians, but it takes the public’s eye off the ball.

The regular outcry over rising prices, which, you’ll notice, requires a previous period of falling prices, highlights some fascinating puzzles. For example, there is a considerable gaggle of folks who think world oil production is reaching its peak and will soon decline. If that is correct, then where’s the mystery in rising prices? Furthermore, if the “peak oil” theory were correct, there would be no need for oil executives to conspire to gouge the public. In fact, the peak-oil theory is wrong. People have been predicting imminent exhaustion of world oil reserves since shortly after the first reserves were discovered. The world is actually awash in oil, not only the conventional kind, but other kinds, such shale and tar sand. (Read the rest here)

Joe Biden's Weird Sense of Chivalry
By Carey Roberts

Call it senator Joseph Biden's family secret. He grew up with a bully-sister. She didn't just boss people around - she beat people up. Her name was Valerie. She was Joe's younger sister.

How do we know this? Because Mr. Biden, with his usual unblemished candor, told us. It happened during the Senate hearings held on December 11, 1990 to probe the problem of violence against women. This was Biden's tell-all:

"In my house, being raised with a sister and three brothers, there was an absolute - it was a nuclear sanction, if under any circumstances, for any reason, no matter how justified, even self-defense - if you ever touched your sister, not figuratively, literally. My sister, who is my best friend, my campaign manager, my confidante, grew up with absolute impunity in our household." (Read the rest here)

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