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11/22/08
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May
22, 2006
The
Economy Tax
Deduction Urged to Ease Pain at the Pump Another foolish idea which shows that "conservatives" are NOT libertarian in so many ways - such as ignoring the most simple solutions to high gasoline prices: first, cut or eliminate the federal gasoline tax for an immediate drop in price; second, eliminate indirect taxes that raise the cost of production, distribution and retail sales; and third, eliminate government bureaucratic restrictions on allowing more production of crude oil (including exploration) and on more construction of refineries. Will you find any conservative supporting these common sense measures? Of course not. Mama's Note: A good place to start would be the elimination of all the designer gas blends mandated by government which do nothing to improve the environment as promised. There are countless other regulations and restrictions that could easily be removed as well, resulting in a rapid increase in the supply with an automatic reduction in price. Elimination of all the taxes and restrictions, useless regulations and regional "blends" would go a long way toward turning the economy of the whole country into a healthier path. Will any of it happen? Not likely. Hedge
funds play major role in gas price hikes Futures markets are perhaps a necessary evil that have become so evil as to eliminate their usefulness. Futures are explained as being of great use to farmers and other producers of raw materials (such as oil, theoretically) to be able to hedge against sudden drops in prices which can beggar them. But that is in a "theoretical" market in which there are a very large number of small producers, NOT a market which has been skewed by manipulations and which is not dominated by a very few large (nation-state) producers. Mama's Note: I suspect that without the perverse incentives of tax "breaks" and other government manipulation, the free trading of future contracts wouldn't be a problem, or at least the risks involved would be carried only by those who executed such contracts. More
Nuclear Power, Bush Says; No Oil Drilling, Pelosi Insists Like I said, brainless. Ever since the Cabinet became, in many respects, a "ruling council," the old adage applies: the IQ of a committee is found by taking the IQ of the smartest person there and dividing it by the total number of feet in the committee. (I think that is the number of human feet, not the sum of the height of all the members - but I may be mistaken.) The
Coming Fall of Europe Call
for new French-African relationship, changes in immigration Funny definition of slavery, eh? Here I thought slavery was forcing black Africans to go to France, the Western Hemisphere, etc. to work. Now we know that it is just the opposite: NOT allowing them to go to France, etc. to work. And that the conditions of slavery include such hideous and difficult tasks as learning French and respecting the principles [sic] of the RF. Sounds like what we are hearing on this side of the border. Austria:
Way of life clipped by bird flu Things change, especially when you have gov-goons who panic over everything. Meanwhile, here in the States, the ether is filled with signs of the same kind of panic. (And at the same time, other far more serious but better known medical threats, like bubonic plague on the Colorado Plateau, are relegated to the back pages, or the amateur press: a nearby neighbor has recently lost two house cats to plague, probably from rodents, and the only way we know is because she was kind enough to leave off a little flyer: no health department or emergency management concern or warning has been issued, despite reports to both agencies.) UK:
"Vast bulk" of foreign prisoners to be deported I am sure that many people will scream about how horrible this is, but if someone has been convicted of a violent crime or even a crime against property, that has resulted in a prison term (so that we presume it is a felony), then why should they be allowed to continue to be a guest of the country that they just abused? And why should we be overly concerned about the consequences of their deportation, since they clearly weren't too worried themselves? There should be, of course, some provision for mercy, and it appears that is the case (although given the state of the British judicial system (see the next story) that might be overly optimistic. I would agree that theft is not a capital crime (though it sometimes becomes one when through misfortune the idiotic thief disturbs an armed homeowner), but again, the criminal made that choice by committing the crime in the first place. Immigration:
Woman denied transplant, dies We see here a horrible example of how panic and government can make a bad situation into a hideous situation where no one comes out ahead. Sadly, it appears that no one was willing to support her and go to bat for her, for whatever reason. Mama's Note: This kind of thing is a direct result of socialized medicine, of course. I'm sure it happens every day, all over the world. What are the chances she went to the UK for the sole purpose of getting that "free" medical care? Probably pretty good. She may well not have been a good candidate for a transplant in the first place, of course, and such surgery is incredibly expensive. Why should the people of Europe pay for such a thing, especially for a visitor. In
Dublin, O'Toole holds her ground A "cop-czar," eh? And a Boston Irish Cop, to boot? Talk about punishing the old country! I know nothing at all about Ms. O'Toole, but anything coming from Boston is likely to be bad news. And a centralized "independent" Chief Boss Cop? Sounds like a recipe for tyranny. Even Germany decentralizes its cops' and they are responsible to local governments, not to the big crooks. Now that I think about it, privpols (private police) sounds better and better. Home
Front Bush's
Immigration Proposals Praised and Panned Reid is a step above Bush on the ladder of lying, I would say. Like so many of his colleagues (no, that's too polite a term - like so many of his fellow criminals), his hypocrisy has achieved new highs as well. When you have Teddy Kennedy "worried" about the mental and physical condition of US troops, you know the sewer has backed up to the ceiling. Border
Security Is A 'Manpower Issue,' Group Says It all depends on just what is meant by "immigration" versus "invasion" - and the problem is, this has passed from a simple series of "illegal immigration" actions to an invasion on the scale of the Saxon migration into England in the 500s, or the push of Germans into Lithuanian and Baltic territories in the 1100s. The right of peaceful and honest people to freely cross borders, and even to settle, is much, much different than the so-called right of an invading army, however disorganized and fragmented, to kill, steal, lie, and use aggressive force in many other ways to come into another house, town, community, or state, and take someone else's possessions, directly or indirectly. Mama's Note: Seems the answer to that is personal and local self-defense, by individuals and their voluntary groups. Asking for government "solutions" to this is a clear invitation to more and more tyranny. The recent shooting at the border (next item) of a person trying to LEAVE the US, is just one more indicator that things can and will escalate. Building our very own "Berlin Wall" is not going to promote either peace or freedom for anyone. CA:
Border crossing closed after fedgoon murders driver A very bizarre incident. Something like this seems to happen every few years, and the timing on this one will just add more to the worries and fears of those that don't like the way the border debate is already going. Bush
requests $1.9 billion for "security" Right. What about all the agents that were supposed to be hired years ago? And what about all the other money that has been wasted? Compared to New Orleans, this is a drop in the bucket - which makes you believe he isn't serious about it. Lawmakers
worry border plan will strain military Hagel is correct about the overextension of US military forces, but to flat-out claim that the military is unable to secure a nation's border is to admit that the military does not exist to defend the nation. Which of course, for anyone except braindead congrus-kritturs, would cause you to ask "Then why do they exist?" Of course, most people don't want to go there. The limited role of "support" to the Border Patrol is clearly, in my opinion, misusing troops and military units, and risks further damaging them. Senator
Labels Colleagues Ignorant on Immigration No fooling? There is little evidence that Congress is anything BUT ignorant in dozens of different issues. Why should this one be any different? Unfortunately, many of them are ignorant because they WANT to be. Positions
still fixed after Bush speech Obviously, announcing that Guard troops are being sent is something new, but not really anything different. It will be the same old, same old as far as the Border Patrol, and nothing will really change. But expect big "news flash" stories about (1) every half-pound of pot or anything else found within 10 miles of a Guardsman, (2) any traffic fatalities or accidents involving Guardsmen, and (3) all the congrus-krittur visits to "our brave boys and girls" supporting the Border Patrol goons. Immigration,
Legal Groups Rebuff Mexican Lawsuit Threat Can someone explain to me how one sovereign nation can be sued by another sovereign nation because the first nation decides to defend itself against invasion, however unofficial and stealthy that invasion is? As for secretly funding lawsuits, the US has been and would be condemned by the rest of the world (especially the Third World and modern Europe) for even coming close to doing such a thing. Yet, Mexico accuses the US of violating ITS sovereignty? Please. Senate
OKs border fence, backs citizenship (amnesty) The outcry at this action is loud and very widespread, cutting across most of the usual political lines. It may very well see the three largest parties all split up, at least for this election cycle. It may be the doom of the Bush administration. And it once more shows that the Congress is so completely out-of-touch with anything except campaign fundraising and spending that we would be far better off without it. My own view of immigration is well-known and publicly stated, but I cannot see how it should be the power of the government to, en mass, not just forgive people who have broken the law (no matter how bad or wrong that law is), but to actually REWARD them for breaking that law while continuing to enforce that law and punish millions of others for doing the same thing. To me, this proposed action by the President and Congress is pretty near the equivalent of passing a law saying "anyone who uses drugs but started doing so more than seven years ago is going to receive a pardon, and will be given free supplies of their drug of choice for the rest of their lives and those of their children; but anyone else using drugs will now have the penalty doubled, and if we catch you actually using them, you'll be shot out of hand." Insane, insane, insane. States
seek relief from high gas costs No doubt, like me, you find it hard to be sympathetic to the tax-supported agencies who are having a hard time making ends meet because of rising fuel costs. I know my family and I are, so why shouldn't some government agency? Cutting or temporarily eliminating fuel taxes WOULD be a great idea (though we should remember that properly administered and set, fuel taxes are almost the only true user fees in widespread use in the United States). Mama's Note: I'm not completely sure, but I suspect that at least some government agencies get gasoline without paying all the taxes already, and they most certainly "use" the roads. I suspect that few of us would object at a "user fee" of some kind if the funds were used for the stated purpose and there was complete accountability for them at every level. But we all know this is not the case, and the shocking condition of so much of our infrastructure does not reflect the billions of dollars collected in fuel taxes. Diversion of these funds, and the usual graft and inefficient use of them accounts for only a part of the vast sums that vanish into thin air here. Each time you fill up your tank, you might take a moment to think about just what it is you are paying for, and why... New
Orleans gets $150 million line of credit The city is already, in every sense of the word except the strictly legal definition for governments, bankrupt. It is surviving on handouts, and is no different than those people holding cute little cardboard signs at the top of highway exit ramps, or sitting blocking the sidewalk with their hat strategically placed. Mama's Note: Those bankers are not doing this as charity, that's for sure. They expect to collect, one way or another. The most likely is a bailout from the taxpayers, of course. Briefings
on NSA spy plot due today Patience in this case has apparently won out, but it is crazy to think that Congrus-kritturs are going to do anything other than posture and rubber-stamp whatever the NSA has done, whether it makes sense and whether freedom and defense are benefited or not. Protesters
arrested at Halliburton meeting Regardless of how you might feel about Halliburton or Kellogg-Brown-Root, this was private property, folks! If we can't support the right of private property for people and groups we hate, we need to seriously reexamine our hypocrisy. FBI
seeks help in GOP convention arrests Speaking of hypocrites: these arrests were on public property, and the FBI was intimately involved in the whole mess in New York. What will the ACLU do? It will be interesting to find out. Mama's Note: The fiction of "public property" will eventually unravel. There is really only private property and "government property." Left to itself, the distinction will become less and less clear and private property will vanish. In a truly free country, there would only be private property. Senate
Approves English As 'National' Language Much as I don't think that the US needs an official language, the reasons given for opposing this measure are absolutely ludicrous. How is requiring English to be used "racist"? Last I checked, there is no racial tie to inability to learn a new language - it is tough for all of us. Even inner-city blacks and Hispanics can speak proper English - shucks, even TEXANS can learn to speak good English. Now, I admit those NoDakers (North Dakotans) might have a spot of difficulty replacing their strange Scanahoovian-Canuk lingo with real English, but if we can teach someone from Soho or Surreyside to speak real American English, then anything is possible. (Have I offended enough people yet, Mama Liberty?) One more example of abuse of a word, and abasement of the coinage of human language. OH, I get it - maybe it is the critics that realize they haven't learned English (like the definition of "racist") and are afraid they won't be able to get all the government services they need. Mama's
Note: What is truly amazing, given government "education," is
that anybody under the age of 40 can make themselves understood in English
at all! But language is never static, and almost everyone but the most
conservative French will recognize that government cannot dictate how
people communicate, no matter what "laws" they pass. I believe that ALL humans, regardless of age, intelligence, ability to care for themselves, ability to speak, economic status, or state of grace, are entitled to freedom, and have rights given by God. I also believe that people who transgress against others STILL have some rights, and that force exercised in response to aggression should be tailored to the circumstances - lethal force is not always the proper or moral response. I also believe that people who claim "we are interfering or getting into areas that God doesn't want us to get into" are wrong and need to study their religion a lot more, as are people who try to legislate for God. IVF
Stimulates Debate in East Africa There is no question that it can be a controversial issue, but only in areas with a high impact by Islam and various remnant pagan religions does it seem to be an issue that frequently leads to bloodshed. This seems to be approaching that state in Kenya and neighboring countries. It should come as no surprise. Amnesty
International May Endorse 'Right to Abortion' Frankly, Amnesty International should stick to its usual stand - it is not as if the problems that it usually tries to correct have all gone away. That said, this is a classic, sick example of how too many people turn language on its head and claim "liberty" that is anything but. How can it be a "basic human right" to kill an unborn child? In 99.99% of pregnancies, the child is in the womb because of the choice of the woman - pregnancies due to rape account for a very tiny percentage of abortions. It is not, necessarily, that the woman chose specifically to have a child, but she DID chose to have sex with a man. The child is her responsibility - abortion is not only killing another human, a very innocent human (even in the case of rape), but also a refusal to accept responsibility for one's own actions. Even in the case of rape, abortion of the fetus as response to "being a parasite" or "trespassing on the woman's body" is a moral outrage: the equivalent of setting a poacher trap that will kill any trespasser onto your property without regard for any lack of intent or malice on the part of the trespasser. Two
Views of Abortion Pill on Capitol Hill Amazing how in this case, all the usual suspects are pooh-poohing the danger because it is such a tiny number, while howling so loudly if the possible cause is nanoparticles (see the story in Tech section) or a food additive, or a drug to treat an illness. At the same time as this is going on, there are active movements to FORCE druggists to carry and provide this drug, and even to require schools and other institutions to provide the drug to all females in their care or student body. Unfortunately, the government "drug regulation" system is such a botched mess that it is unlikely to resolve this issue to anyone's satisfaction. Culture
Wars This little internal war is part of one which engulfs all of American society and indeed, much of the world. There are many sides - it is like playing Risk with real people and it is deadly serious. Losing the culture wars is far worse, over the long term, than losing a purely military conflict; and often there are NO winners. Senate
panel OKs same-sex measure; Feingold walks Yup, Specter is right for once - neither him NOR Feingold are protectors of the Constitution, and both need to be brought to justice. Methane-Belching
Bugs Inspire A New Theory Of The Origin Of Life On Earth Gee, I thought that the "Scientists" (praise be unto their identities: PBUTI) had figured out everything about the origins of life and that it was no longer just a "theory" but a "THEORY" - yet here are some people saying that everyone had it all wrong. Hmmm. And not only that, but apparently we have yet ANOTHER challenger to the "acceptable" theory of the origins of petroleum that is NOT the evil and hated "abiotic" theory, and that could indeed provide a mechanism whereby petroleum IS a renewable resource. My, aren't a lot of people going to be hating these guys at Penn State. Clinton
Pushed RU-486 in First Official Act, Report Shows So his opposition to "ethnic cleansing" in the Balkans was, well, hypocritical. He was trying to do the same thing here at home. Should we be surprised? The man is a murdering, oath-breaking, liar; of course we shouldn't be surprised that part of his "middle-of-the-road" liberal agenda included eugenics. If you ever have any doubts about where abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia is leading to. Asian
Christians Gear Up for Da Vinci Assault The fuss over this seems poised to eclipse that over "The Passion of the Christ" (which was supposed to have started a new wave of anti-Semitic pogroms around the world), but from the opposite direction. I am seeing it being touted as a "semi-documentary" by some segments, and used as an excuse for attacking believers and even (in the case of some Islamic commentators and sources) for killing. In an era when the faith of many seems to be weak, the greatest damage may be internally to churches whose members are poorly taught and get their history from the silver screen, whatever size that may be. Mama's Note: Reminds me of a Bible verse about the end times, where people will stop listening to the truth and wander off into myths... Seems that's been going on for a long time now. WA:
Supreme Court won't block gay parent's rights A very hard decision, and a very hard case. I don't know if there IS an acceptable answer in this situation. Clearly, the best thing would have been to have avoided the mistakes and irresponsible behavior that led to this mess in the first place. Our social system has obviously become so damaged in recent years that we find these messes more and more often, and the consequences for the next generations are scary. Mama's Note: True rights for both parents and children are almost extinct now anyway. There are millions of children who have been "legally" deprived of one or both parents due to insane "domestic violence" and "abuse" laws, along with every other miscarriage of justice. The implications for this country are staggering. We have an entire generation (or several) growing up without any real family ties or values and with serious emotional problems because of it. We WILL reap what we have sown. Group
targets schools on homosexuality This story was included on Rational Review's daily digest on Thursday, with a full array of bigoted and foolish remarks and attacks on the women's group, which I am for the most part omitting in my commentary. I fully expect to be very loudly condemned with the same level of hatred because of what I am writing here. This was the RRND commentary: [RRND editor's note: Those who claim the theocratic state, and the imposition of "Christian values," are not a threat to personal liberty, should read this carefully - SAT] For the record, let me again state my own personal position, which I believe is fully libertarian, and which I do not believe I have recently changed in any way. I am very much opposed to government-run, taxpayer-funded (public) schools, in ANY form. There are many reasons that I am opposed to them, and many reasons I believe that they are both wrong and evil, and deadly to personal liberty (a danger far, FAR greater than any "Christian values" in schools or anywhere else is, also). One of the many reasons is that the GRTF schools are being used to advocate, promote, and encourage homosexuality and to present it as a valid and reasonable lifestyle; and that the GRTF schools are being used both to undermine real families (nuclear AND extended), religion, and society in general, as well as to promote the point-of-view that supports these efforts to undermine. People have a right to stand up and denounce things that they find evil, just as people have a right to decide for themselves what to do, even if it IS evil. And people (still) have a right to "audit" what is going on in the "public schools" (GRTF-schools) and publish all they want, and encourage (AS WELL THEY SHOULD) parents to get their children out of these institutions, whatever their reason for doing so. Yet, too many people who claim to be "libertarian" draw the line at giving people who have a religious or moral basis for their views and actions the right to do so - claiming (as does the story/commentary below) that we are nothing but wannabe tyrants who will enslave them to our religious fanaticism. Folks, it doesn't work that way. Trying to equate people who try to follow the Bible with Aztec human-sacrificing priests or Islamicist jihadists is just not accurate. These people (CWA and others) may not be following the Bible as they should, and may be too fanatic for your taste, but unless they start bombing your schools and gunning down abortionists and atheists and calling for incorporation of the book of Leviticus into US Code, I don't think you have to worry. And if you feel uncomfortable about them holding themselves to a higher standard than you would - look in the mirror to see who to blame for your feelings. Saving
Secular Society (Commentary) Yet the latest blast against millions of Americans and our beliefs as being opposed to "secular" freedom, and just as paranoid, bigoted, and evil as the last few, including Rational Review's little snippet above. As the old saying goes, it takes two to make a fight, and the in-your-face humanism - more and more the religion of Europe and the power elites of the United States - are just as much, if not more, to blame for these troubles this woman catalogs as any of we "religious extremists" she so hates. Our American freedoms, flawed as our system is, are a legacy of the people who shared this "ideology" she so hates: people who examined society in the light of the Scriptures and rejected the "divine right of kings," slavery, and so much else. It was religious "zealots" that made the American revolution possible - and the establishment of the "secular society" she so prizes, and NOT the children of the "Enlightenment." To see the fruits of their labors, look at the French Revolution and the evils that resulted from that, including Socialism and Communism. It was these people of faith that she so fears - and with good reason, for these are not the kind to support technocracy or any kind of "natural order" for society built on Darwinian or Marxist principles - but rather the kind who recognize the worth of every human, and recognize their God-given right to go to Hell in their own way; just that they don't have the right to take anyone else with them. For my comments about earlier postings of her vitriol, please visit last week's commentary. DA
Vinci Code' Called 'Real Danger' to Christians' Faith This may be true, or just panic, given the hype provided to both the book and the movie. I am glad that most groups are NOT calling for censorship, or demanding death for the producers and writers, as some groups are wont to do. (And no, boycotting something is NOT censorship.) Imagine the screams and actions if a movie were made today presenting Mohammed (PBUH) as a fraud and liar and claiming that his descendants and followers were plotting to take over the world. Ron Howard and Tom Hanks are very unlikely to go the way of Theo Van Gogh. But you see, God and his real prophets don't need to have clerical "justices" defend them against blasphemy and denigration. Mama's Note: Anyone who bases their faith on what they see in a book or movie doesn't really have any faith to begin with. Just remember that a great many people were Christians, many being killed for that faith, long before there was such a thing as a Bible. Christianity is and must be an "inside job," personal faith inspired and fed by the Spirit of God. True faith cannot be moved by anything from outside the soul. Far too many rest their beliefs on an earthly "church" instead of God. Mideast
Tarbabies Mama's Note: The best way to help people learn how to live in liberty and justice is to model that way of life. As long as the US is both socialist and totalitarian in so much, our government has little that is useful to teach. Iran
Says Israel Will 'Vanish' As Nuclear Diplomacy Hots Up I will be curious to see the various translations of this speech, seeing how previous speeches have been given so many interpretations (to support the political view of the translation-sponsors, clearly). Is he doing a Henry II ("Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?") or is he just making a theological statement about the evil Jews? Or something else? But the tone seems to be the normal bear-baiting that Iran has been doing for the past several months. Iraq's
Nightmare Reality Sadly, I am more and more convinced from my study of Islam and Arab and Middle Eastern culture that what Iraq is experiencing IS fairly close to "normality" - that the religion which is totally woven into their society, and that society itself, makes this kind of violence inevitable and "normal." Apparently one of the goals Mohammed (PBUH) had was to stop the incessant fighting between the various Arab tribes (that made Celtic heroic mythology and AmerInd warrior life seem kind of peaceful) by sublimating it to spiritual struggles on the one side and massive raids on everyone who was NOT Arab - which led to the massive explosion of the Arab-Islamic Empire of the 700s and 800s. But the cure did not take, and bloodletting both internally and externally to the Arab people has continued for 1400 years. Russia,
China won't support UN attack on Iran Smart folks. Hopefully this isn't just raw appeasement. Expect a lot of other countries to jump on the bandwagon. That will leave the US, for obvious reasons, and certain European nations who are willing to slap Iran hard in order to allow their own special friends, the Arabs, to continue to dominate the Dar al Islam. Saddam
formally charged as trial enters new phase Finally. Bad as American and Western justice is, these days, Islamic justice really, really sucks. Even a scumbag like this guy deserves more than what these judges are willing to give. We can make jokes about "military justice" but I'd much rather be under the UCMJ and face a military court-martial or judge in a western country than these Islamic "justices" that operate under the abomination called shari'a. Afghanistan:
Up to 105 dead in fighting It appears that this big push by the Taliban - perhaps intended to be the first battle of a new rise to power - failed, at least militarily. Politically, we will have to see. Such spasms frequently are a final gasp of a failing movement, but not always. The major thing that Afghanistan has going for it that Iraq does not (besides perhaps being a more morally-legitimate target for attack by the West a few years ago), is that Iraq is both Islamic and strongly Arab, while Afghani tribesmen have at least some tradition and history of liberty, at least in a tribal context. Navy
conducts Haditha war crimes probe Isn't it
nice to know that we have such omniscient lawmakers, who are able to make
such instant judicial decisions? This guy needs to be on the Supreme Court,
clearly. Think how much more efficient that body could be if they didn't
have to sit through all those arguments. What need do we have for judges
or juries (or court-martial boards) when we have such godlike leaders
in Congress. This is completely wrong for this foolish man to use this
for political gain and try to prejudice the court. If I were the defense
attorney, I'd ask for a mistrial and dismissal of all charges. The point
is not that this might not have happened - it is that rather than waiting
to discover the truth - for JUSTICE - Murtha and the mainstream media
have a feeding frenzy and declare the results before the trial. Then WE
have the guts to complain about kangaroo courts? A congressman has already
declared these Marines guilty without a single piece of evidence being
introduced, without a single word of testimony, without ANY of the constitutional
protections that ANY accused person should have - and people don't think
that is just as important, if not MORE important than what will be found
and who will be found guilty? If nothing else, Murtha and these others
have made it nearly impossible to get a conviction, even if the Marines
did do it. Iran
mocks European nuclear incentives Baiting the bear, nothing more. Iran's agenda is proceeding with seemingly the full cooperation of the West, as if the western leaders really don't know Iran's objectives. Later news this week stated that Pakistan and Iran are cooperating to "fight terrorism." We'd best see exactly how "terrorism" is defined in their agreements: I suspect it is not what western governments define as terrorism. To us, this would be like a ranching association and a packing company cooperating to reduce consumption of meat. US
spells out plan to bomb Iran Folks, don't get too het up, and don't worry - this is nothing but media hype. DoD has been updating plans for doing a whole dictionary full of things to Iran since the end of WW2, and there is a regular schedule of such things, and they almost all have these huge lists - except for the locations and the weapons systems, this could have been quoted from the same operational plans that were updated in 1989, or even 1969, when the major concern was a sudden Soviet occupation of Iran. Just because they are being updated now does not mean that anyone is going to use them, any more than they used the updated plans twenty or thirty years ago. But stating things like that doesn't sell newspapers or ads on radio news stations. Mama's Note: Sorry, but that's not much comfort. These same madmen have already bombed and invaded a lot of other places, many with far less "reason." There isn't much we can do about it, of course, but it would seem better if we at least cared. Hamas
official caught smuggling $800K Nice to know the Palestinian Authority has such honest and upright workers, nowadays. It sounds like Israel doesn't need to destroy the Palestinians anymore - they'll do it to each other. In fact, doesn't this sound just like Iraq, Egypt, Turkey, and a few other places in the "Dar Al-Islam" - clearly the sarcastically named "House of Peace." Mama's Note: Of course the Palestinian "government" is no more legitimate than any other, and is engaged in destructive things like most others. One hopes they will destroy themselves from within... but what gives the US or Israel, or anyone else the right to determine whether or not a person can collect and bring home anything, including money? Rumsfeld:
Don't count on significant Iraq withdrawal soon At least he appears to be truthful. I am sure that many of us are surprised that they just don't lie and say that troops are going to come home, then use any uptick in violence as an excuse to not bring them back. Iraqi
drivers who run roadblocks will be blinded by the light Not a bad idea. Mama's Note: Oh really? So now someone driving a car at high speed toward troops, etc. will be totally blinded. That will certainly help them steer the vehicle, won't it? If they are suicide bombers, it probably won't make a difference - they will still crash and explode. If it is some poor guy who is frightened and confused, trying to get his family out of danger, they'll crash and burn too. Very useful, I'm sure. The
2006 Political Campaigns GOP
Could Lose Congress, White House on Immigration I personally find it amazing that anyone with a modicum of intelligence could believe that the Democrats would do a single thing more effective about immigration or border issues than the GOP is doing (which means, in essence, failing to do anything that makes a difference. But it is not just switchers that the GOP is (and should be) worried about - it is also the disheartened GOP voters (both registered GOP and "independents" who consistently vote GOP) who will simply stay home and not vote for anyone. Regardless of where you stand on the immigration debate, this can be a killer. No
Prime Time Address on Marriage Amendment? Don't be surprised if the President doesn't come out swinging on this one, in an attempt to save his conservative votes and get them to come out and support the GOP candidates this year. Regardless of what he does, a lot of GOP congress-wannabes and retreads will try to claim this as their position to get votes. Jerry
Brown can't stop running It seems more like a drug - shouldn't DEA, or at least a crisis intervention team of some sort, be involved? You shouldn't have to tell as 68-year-old to get a life. NM:
Pol goes from Democrat to Libertarian Welcome, Mr. Trujillo. Please, bring all your friends with you. Bush,
GOP reach new lows in polling Yeah, people can be pretty stupid - and as I said above, how anyone except a permanent dyed in the wool Democrat believe that the Dems can do any better than the GOP - but they do. Sadly, we have few libertarians able to take advantage of this disaffection, but we do have a good possibility of recruiting at least a few disgusted GOP types. And then, probably about the end of March of '07, a whole lot more when the people who vote the Democrats back into power find out what a mess that leads to. Potential
Foes in '08 See Eye to Eye on Illegal Immigration Gee, but everyone KNOWS the two parties are so different from each other that we are having a real choice when we vote for them. Of course, apologists for the parties would say that neither of these two pols are representative of their parties: just of crooked and perverse politicos everywhere. 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? Be sure to visit my blog, Liberty's Outpost. Special
Feature! Add your signature to the NEW
Declaration of Independence Several people have asked about buying Gadsden Flags (the rattlesnake "Don't Tread on Me flags used by the June 23d Movement and other Property Rights Organizations: you can get them for $10.00 plus shipping here.
Please note: Information about readers is never given or sold to anyone for any purpose. Remember, however, that many people can read and recover anything posted to web sites or email unless it is carefully encrypted. MamaLiberty) Visit the Rational Review News Digest
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