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June
19, 2006
Libertarian
Commentary on the News, 11 to 17 June 2006 Special to the Price of Liberty
This week,
I'll concentrate on news from the Home Front, the Middle Eastern Front,
and the rest of the world, in the various wars and rumors of wars that
batter us silly in each day's news. These stories virtually all have a
common theme - human government is a failed institution, and deserves
to be put on the same ash-heap of history that so many of its flavors
have been, and recognized for the evil it produces. It is an evil that
is worse than that of Moloch-worshipping, or Kali-worshipping, or the
bloody worship of the Aztecs.
There is
no "democratic" government on this planet today that does not
share too much with the Communist, National Socialist, and Imperial governments
of the past, from Nimrod and Sargon right up to Mao, Gorby, Castro, and
Milosivic, and that applies to the semi-republican governments, right
down to the local level, that we have today. This week's stories remind
us of that.
Home
Front in the Wars
Specter
set to fight on White House spy plot
MSNBC
"The Senate Judiciary Committee chairman says he's prepared to
force telephone company executives to testify about the White House's
eavesdropping program if the Bush administration doesn't fully cooperate
in drafting new rules on what's allowable. 'If we don't get some results,
I'm prepared to go back to demand hearings and issue subpoenas if necessary,'
Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said Sunday on CNN's 'Late Edition.' Specter
said he was more hopeful, after talking Thursday with Vice President Dick
Cheney, that committee hearings and subpoenas could be avoided."
[RRND editor's note: What is this "drafting new rules" stuff?
The FIRST step is prosecuting the thugs, not trying to find a way to give
them legally what they took illegally - TLK] (06/11/06)
But of
course, Tom, that is the Congress' natural tendency - just as Rep. Jefferson's
woes become a reason to attempt to further exempt them from the normal
process of law, and election defeats of incumbents are excuses to make
nominating and running challengers harder. They aren't in it (for the
vast majority of them) to protect our liberty, but for the power. The
objection to the spying program isn't that it was done, but that it was
done without their approval.
Insurance
limbo delays Gulf rebuilding
Loveland Daily Reporter-Herald
"The owners of the sagging, flood-stained home aren't in. Above
the front door, a banner explains their absence, and the lack of progress:
'Allstate paid $10,113.34 on this house for storm damage.' Like the home
next to it and the one after that, the house was disemboweled nine months
ago by Hurricane Katrina. The force of the gushing water punched the refrigerator
into the kitchen wall, and it still sits leaning through the house's broken
ribcage. Inside, mud has hardened into a crusty carpet, covering a designer
sofa and a leather swivel chair." (06/12/06)
While I
can understand their anger, it is easy to see why the insurance companies
are paying out so pitifully - they have gotten the government to foot
almost everything, in exchange for regulation that means that the premiums
paid are not intended, and never will, be properly set compared to the
risks of building in a coastal swamp like this.
Mama's
Note: The whole idea of trying to "repair" this kind of thing
is like paying someone to launder and iron paper towels or toilet paper.
They are GONE, and the sooner people admit it and move on, the better.
Of course, that won't happen as long as YOU and I are forced - at gun
point - to launder and iron that toilet paper!!!
Philly:
Evil bureaucrats vs. Geno's
Mankato Free Press
"An English-only ordering policy at one of the city's most famous
cheesesteak joints drew a warning Monday from officials who threatened
to file a discrimination complaint. The city's Commission on Human Relations
planned to argue that the policy at Geno's Steaks discourages customers
of certain backgrounds from eating there, said Rachel Lawton, acting executive
director. Geno's owner Joseph Vento posted two small signs at his shop
in south Philadelphia proclaiming: 'This is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING 'PLEASE
SPEAK ENGLISH.''" (06/12/06)
We may
not agree with him, but support his right to say it - no matter what language
he uses.
AMA
asks government to penalize the uninsured
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
"Hoping to prod an estimated five million uninsured Americans
into buying health insurance, the American Medical Association Tuesday
backed a tax penalty for individuals and families who make enough to buy
medical coverage but choose not to. The AMA's policymaking House of Delegates
vote in favor of what it called 'individual responsibility' comes as state
and federal lawmakers are weighing similar ideas in the form of legislation
in Congress and statehouses across the country. ... The vote at the group's
meeting in Chicago this week means the AMA will put its lobbying clout
behind state and federal initiatives that advocate a tax penalty for uninsured
individuals making $49,000 or more a year and for families of four who
make $100,000 or more if they do not buy medical coverage." [Editor's
note: Hey, RRND/FND readers, contribute or the IRS will get you! Oh, wait
... MOST of us don't ask the government to make people buy our stuff,
do we? - TLK] (06/14/06)
Proving
(as if we didn't already know it) that the AMA is just another union,
eager to suck up to government to gain its ends.
Mama's
note: This is the natural outcome of such things, since most of the medical
"coverage" isn't really insurance at all because the premiums
don't truly reflect the risk involved. Since the premiums of willing buyers
can't begin to cover the costs, they must force healthy people who don't
NEED insurance and won't make claims on it so their money can be redistributed
to those who will. And, believe it or not, the AMA does not reflect the
thinking of most physicians. The Association
of American Physicians and Surgeons, Inc.. has been working hard at
fighting injustice and bad medicine since 1943!
DHS
thugs flub paperwork change, delay weddings
USA Today
"True love waits for no one -- except maybe the Homeland Security
Department. Red tape has put wedding bells on hold for about 10,000 U.S.
citizens seeking visas for their foreign brides and grooms as the department
works on new paperwork for their applications. The form change was required
as part of a law, enacted in March, to protect foreign mail-order brides
from abusive American spouses. But Homeland Security missed its deadline
three months ago, putting the visa applications of thousands of law-abiding
lovers in limbo." (06/13/06)
Don't be
surprised if this "missed deadline" isn't intentional, to build
sympathy for the administration's semi-open border policy and amnesty
plans. And after all, if these would be spouses had just snuck in over
the fence, then they'd be married already - and we aren't deporting those
kind, are we?
More
troops to US-Mexico border
Cumberland Times-News
"More than 1,000 National Guard troops will be working at the
U.S.-Mexico border by Thursday under President Bush's plan to free up
immigration agents, officials said. Three hundred National Guard troops
were already along the border, and the remaining 700 set to arrive by
Thursday will be divided among the four southern border states, said Paul
McHale, assistant defense secretary for Homeland Defense. The buildup
occurs as authorities report significant reductions in illegal border
crossings." (06/13/06)
As I believe
that I've pointed out, the 300 troops there were NOT part of the prez's
massive plan, but have been scheduled to deploy from Utah for their annual
training for months. Notice that even that pittance of Engineer troops
(not even, technically, combat troops in their present mission) has greatly
reduced crossings, for good or for bad. It might also be of interest to
note the comment that someone FINALLY replied to the claims that the US
can't simply deport 11 or 12 or 20 million people. "It must be possible
to get that many people to voluntarily leave a country - after all, Mexico
got rid of 11 or 12 million all by itself." (An autonomous contributor
to a friend's weblog)
Mama's
Note: That's not going to happen as long as there are jobs here and none
in Mexico... trust me. They have nothing to go back for, and no way to
live if they do. It's just that simple.
Pentagon
won't hide interrogation tactics
Visalia Times-Delta
"Under pressure from Congress, the Pentagon has dropped plans
to keep some interrogation techniques secret by putting them in a classified
section of a military manual, defense officials said Tuesday. Two senior
officials said there will not be a classified section in the long-awaited
revision of the Army Field Manual. One of the officials said descriptions
of interrogation techniques initially planned for the classified section
are either being made public or are being eliminated as tactics that can
be used against prisoners." (06/13/06)
Good. Sadly,
congressional pressure is all too often used to produce the wrong results,
but this time, it seems to have done a good thing. Blind luck, of course.
Mama's
Note: Don't count your chickens just yet. These people can promise all
kinds of things, remember, and we only know what we are told in the long
run. Since when are they going to start telling the truth? Not bloody
likely.
Katrina:
$1.4 billion was bogus aid
Amarillo Globe News
"The government doled out as much as $1.4 billion in bogus assistance
to victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, getting hoodwinked to pay for
season football tickets, a tropical vacation and even a divorce lawyer,
congressional investigators have found. Prison inmates, a supposed victim
who used a New Orleans cemetery for a home address, and a person who spent
70 days at a Hawaiian hotel all were able to wrongly get taxpayer help,
according to evidence that gives a new black eye to the nation's disaster
relief agency." (06/13/06)
This AP
story makes hash of the entire report and the evidence. We are dealing
with two different things here: first, that many people who were NOT supposed
to be entitled to a dime of disaster-welfare tanked up on it. Second,
people who did receive the disaster-welfare spent it on things that the
government (and admittedly, most of us) consider to be inappropriate,
and possibly even outright in violation of the conditions attached to
the money. Sometimes, these were the same people, sometimes not.
I do have
to wonder if the people who really needed the money might have to be given
the benefit of the doubt regarding their spending - just because they
were wiped out does not mean that they were stupid. (Actually, it is the
taxpayers that footed the boondoggle of "compassion" in the
first place that seem to be the stupid ones, no?) Anyone who knows anything
at all about welfare, even the personal, one-on-one, voluntary charitable
giving knows to expect this kind of thing. Most churches I am familiar
with (local churches, I mean, NOT denominational bureaucracies) have long
ago stopped giving out cash to people: either they are falsely begging
(case 1 above) or they will go out and use it for booze or drugs rather
than food and gasoline (the most common requests); or both. (Many of those
churches learned to do that a few years ago, like in 1965 or so - you
see how far behind the curve government is?)
Mama's
Note: See "The
Tragedy of American Compassion" - read it and weep -- or get
mad and do something about it.
Middle
East Tarbabies
Canaan:
PA vote set for 26 JUL
BBC News
The Palestinian Authority president has set 26 July as the date for
a controversial referendum on a statehood plan that implicitly recognizes
Israel. Mahmoud Abbas made the announcement in an official decree. The
Hamas movement, which leads the government, has rejected the proposal
saying such a vote would be illegal. The plan sets out formal Palestinian
claims to an independent state on land occupied by Israel in 1967, and
implicitly adopts a two-state solution. The referendum will be non-binding.
Leading Hamas official Mushir al-Masri denounced the proposal as nothing
short of a "a declaration of a coup against the government".
Hamas, which does not recognize Israel and actively works for its destruction,
has warned that putting the issue to a referendum could cause divisions
within the nation.
Cause divisions?
Seems like a mild misstatement. And it seems that if just holding an election
is a coup (which is, by the way, forbidden by the Quran), then it is going
to be kinda hard for this so-called nation of Palestine to be anything
other than a brutal tyranny.
Iraq:
Seven killed in car-bombings
Sydney Morning Herald [Australia]
"A blast killed at least six people when it struck a minivan of
workers in Baghdad today as US and Iraqi officials promised to crackdown
on violence and sectarian attacks. ... A roadside bomb detonated next
to a police patrol east of Kirkuk, but missed and struck a civilian car.
One was killed in the explosion, two more were injured, police said. ...
Meanwhile, US President George W Bush was to begin a two-day summit at
Camp David with his top advisers to discuss a new strategy for Iraq, which
would include reconstruction effort and curbing violence." (06/12/06)
The Camp
David summit, as it turned out, was cover for a yo-yo trip to Baghdad
to shore up the new government. If they really want to curb violence,
then it is the religion and society that need to be "reconstructed"
- and making sure that people are able to defend themselves and taught
that initiating force is completely different from using force to defend
themselves are good first steps.
Iran
responds to Western nuke offer
Stevens Point Journal
"Iran said Sunday that it accepted some parts of a Western offer
aimed at getting Tehran to drop its nuclear program, but it rejected others
while calling the central point ambiguous. Iran said the key issue of
uranium enrichment -- a process that can make nuclear fuel for a power
plant or fissile material for an atomic bomb -- needed clarification.
Although the government did not give specifics, the comments were the
first time Iran has said directly that it rejects or accepts parts of
the package." (06/12/06)
My, aren't
we the devious ones. This should be good for another three or four weeks
of yammering back and forth. We need to remember that the Iranians as
a nation have been kicking around for about 2500 years or so, and both
love and have a lot of experience at being subtle. They played off the
Romans for centuries and are the only empire or nation to really survive
and recover from that initial wave of conquest exploding out from Arabia
- even though they essentially gave up Zoastrarism and Christianity for
Islam to do so. Their track record indicates they'll be here long after
these upstart European unionists and Americans fade away.
US
general predicts gradual withdrawal
USA Today
"On the eve of President Bush's summit on Iraq, the top U.S. commander
in Baghdad predicted Sunday that coalition troops will gradually move
out of the country in the coming months. Gen. George Casey said he thinks
it will be possible to withdraw some of the 130,000 U.S. forces in the
months ahead as long as Iraq's government and security forces make progress.
Casey would not say whether he plans to advise Bush on a troop reduction
plan during two days of meetings with the administration's top national
security officials that begin Monday at Camp David in Maryland. But the
general hinted the time soon may come for such a recommendation."
(06/11/06)
It's an
easy prediction for him to make, of course, since he will not be making
the decision, and since it is what everyone wants to hear.
Mama's
Note: Well, not everyone wants to hear that. All of the "contractors"
getting fat all over the world on military spending sure don't want the
gravy train to stop. Neither do the "chicken hawks" who preen
themselves with the false "patriotism" of these unjust, immoral
and illegal "wars." Oh no... not everyone.
Iraq:
US, new government release 200
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
"U.S. and Iraqi authorities released more than 200 prisoners Sunday
in an ongoing bid to promote national unity, but that effort faltered
as Sunni Arabs demanded more releases and the Shiite-controlled parliament
locked in stalemate. Sunni Arab Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi congratulated
dozens of inmates waiting at the Abu Ghraib detention center west of Baghdad
to board buses carrying them to freedom. He urged the Shiite-led government
to free more prisoners and demanded compensation for the former detainees."
(06/12/06)
They appear
to be betting that most of these thugs won't immediately go out again
and start killing their opponents once more. It is not a bet I'd be willing
to make, which shows the desperate actions that forming the new government
is requiring.
Iraq:
New beheading video surfaces
Iron Mountain Daily News
"Insurgents signaled the fight is still on after Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's
death, posting an Internet video Saturday showing the beheading of three
alleged Shiite death squad members in revenge for killing Sunnis. The
video -- as grisly as any the al-Qaida in Iraq leader issued -- was clearly
designed to quash hopes that the Sunni-dominated insurgency might change
tactics by ending attacks on Shiite civilians and institutions, especially
the police. Fellow Sunni insurgent groups sent condolences for al-Zarqawi
in Internet messages Saturday and warned Sunnis not to cooperate with
the Iraqi government, an apparent call for unity three days after U.S.
Forces killed the terror leader in a targeted airstrike." (06/11/06)
More mixed
signals. According to many stories, al-Zarqawi was NOT an "insurgent"
or ally of "insurgents" but they seemed to have picked up on
his butcher's tactics readily enough. And no one tries to explain why
his death should make anyone change tactics - it is a straw-man argument
and nothing more. In the centuries-long war between Sunni and Shi'a, there
has been very little change in tactics - the major one seems, as always,
to be "kill them all, in as gruesome" a way as possible. Modern
inventions like guns and bombs have just made this basic tactic easier
to carry out.
Iraq:
Al Anbar troops leave army in droves
Stars & Stripes
"Iraqi soldiers in Al Anbar province are leaving their army in
droves, draining much-needed manpower from fledgling Iraqi security forces
and preventing U.S. troops from reducing troop strength in the volatile
region, U.S. And Iraqi military officials say. Lousy living conditions,
bad food and failure to receive regular pay are the main reasons behind
the exodus, which is running at least several hundred soldiers a month,
the officials say." (06/11/06)
Sounds
like the American army in the late 1800s on the Western Frontier. And
that is what Anbar is - a western frontier province in a country that
has no reason to exist as a country. I am sure that many Iraqis view their
military as an employer of last resort, and in addition to the reasons
listed in the story, you can add religious differences and perhaps, in
a few cases, an inability to stomach what they are expected to do.
Iraq:
"No Mercy" from both sides
CBS News
"A series of explosions struck the northern city of Kirkuk on
Tuesday, killing at least 15 people. Iraq's prime minister promised to
show 'no mercy' to terrorists and said his long-awaited security plan
for Baghdad will include a curfew and banning weapons. ... a parked car
containing a bomb exploded near a police patrol in the city center, killing
10 .... Some 30 minutes later, guards opened fire on a suspected suicide
car bomber trying to pass through a checkpoint at the Kirkuk police directorate.
The car exploded, killing five .... Another suspected suicide car bomber
tried to hit a Kurdish political office ... but guards opened fire on
that car, and it exploded .... A suicide car bomber targeted a police
patrol south of Kirkuk .... The explosion killed the driver of a car and
wounded six .... Iraqi police found eight bodies, including one policeman,
in western Baghdad. A professor at the Engineering College of Baghdad
University was gunned down in a drive-by shooting ..." (06/13/06)
Although
it may be that the prime minister should not have the authority to make
such a statement, it is clear that the Islamicist terrorists have already
made that their policy. And it is clear that "no mercy" might
indeed be a justifiable response by the ordinary citizen who is threatened
by the bombing and other tactics of these faux freedom fighters. We try
to show mercy to all, but sometimes, as with rabid dogs and poisonous
snakes, we simply MUST adopt a policy of "no mercy" and sound
the Deguello. The US and the Coalition forces cannot be blamed for these,
except for the fact that they have drawn these thugs into Iraq by their
presence. Otherwise these would be spreading out their killing in a much
larger area, for these attacks are a sadly, horribly, normal part of life
in virtually EVERY Islamic country, including Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia,
and Bangla Desh, all places with little or no western influence and presence.
You don't let mad dogs run freely - you shoot them down in the street.
So should the people of Mesopotamia do, now.
Afghanistan:
37 suspected Taliban killed
CNN
"Security forces raided a southern Afghan village and killed 15
suspected militants, including a relative of Taliban leader Mullah Omar,
while fighting elsewhere left 25 dead, an Afghan army general said Monday.
The violence extends three weeks of the fiercest battles since the Taliban's
fall in 2001. U.S. Ambassador Ronald Neumann said the insurgents are proving
to be better organized and greater in numbers than expected."
(06/12/06)
I am sure
the ability of a guerilla movement like the Taliban comes as surprise
to many people, who do not understand the nature of such organizations
and the nature of the war being fought. And who do not know of the bloody
history of Afghanistan back to at least the time of Alexander the Great.
Fatah
gunmen go on anti-Hamas rampage
CBS News
"Palestinian forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas went on a
rampage against the Hamas-led government Monday, riddling the parliament
and Cabinet buildings with bullets and setting them afire to protest an
attack on their comrades in the Gaza Strip. ... The Ramallah rampage erupted
late Monday, hours after Hamas gunmen attacked a building belonging to
the Fatah-dominated Preventive Security agency in Gaza. ... Firing wildly
in the air, the security forces marched through the streets of Ramallah
toward parliament. They were joined by hundreds of gunmen from the Al
Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a pro-Fatah militia. The crowd shot out the windows
of parliament before storming the two-building Cabinet complex. The throng
smashed furniture, water coolers and air conditioners, destroyed computers
and tore up documents before setting one of the buildings ablaze."
(06/12/06)
No American
or Coalition troops on the ground here in Gaza, are there? And not even
any Israelis, anymore. So they are killing each other for the cause of
being able to go out and kill more Jews. Really, it is too bad that the
Israelis don't have someplace they could all go on vacation for a few
years, and take Canaanite Christians and Samaritans and such with them.
Then they could let the Arab Muslims practice their "way of submission
and peace" and kill each other off, leaving the land empty for resettlement.
This latest business makes Arafat seem more and more like Tito - the only
guy that could keep the peace by creating so much outside hatred that
they were willing to coexist inside their "nation."
Iraq
contractors make billions on the front line
CNN
"Private military contractors are earning billions of dollars in
Iraq -- much of it from U.S. taxpayers. Business is booming for those
willing to tackle one of the most dangerous jobs on Earth. Lucrative U.S.
government contracts go to firms called on to provide security for projects
and personnel -- jobs that in previous conflicts have been done by the
military. A single contract awarded to Britain's AEGIS Specialist Risk
Management company by the Pentagon was worth $293 million, and while the
government says it cannot provide a total amount for the contracts --
many of which are secret -- industry experts estimate Iraq's security
business costs tens of billions of dollars." (06/12/06)
There is
no doubt that much of the cost of the occupation of Iraq is being swallowed
up by these kinds of contracts. But that is what you get when you try
to fight "on the cheap" as the Senate of Rome first learned
about 2,000 years ago. Fighting on the cheap, in this case, means trying
to minimize the number of US (military) casualties to keep the voters
at home from getting upset with their Congresscrittur - instead using
contractors who don't necessarily have to use US citizens and who don't
have to report casualty lists. This is also part of the growing trend
(over a 30 year period) encouraged by both GOP and Demo Congresses and
Administrations to contract out everything possible to do with military
support, to be able to reduce the number of troops in uniform, the number
of bureaucrats, and overall expenses. They would claim, at least, that
to have the US military do this kind of work would cost billions more
in dollars, and thousands more in casualties
Bush
reviews Iraq plan, says oil is key
North Adams Transcript
"President Bush began a two-day strategy session on Iraq at Camp
David on Monday, saying Iraq's neighbors should be doing more to help
and suggesting the nation's vast supply of oil could be a way of reuniting
the country. Bush said the United States expects countries that have promised
$13 billion in financial assistance to make good on their pledges. He
also reassured Iraqis the U.S. stands ready to help the new government,
but said success depends largely on Baghdad's ability to secure the nation
and care for its citizens." (06/12/06)
Oil is,
admittedly, one of the few things that tends to keep the various communities
in Iraq from going their own ways, as well they should. They all want
a "piece of the pie" - which in many cases amounts to stealing
from their neighbors.
Al
Qaeda in Iraq names new leader
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
"Al-Qaida in Iraq named a successor Monday to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
and said he would stick to the slain leader's path -- attacks on Shiites
as well as on U.S. And Iraqi forces. The new leader, identified by the
nom de guerre Abu Hamza al-Muhajer in a statement posted on the Web, appeared
to be a foreign Arab, like his predecessor. But otherwise he is an unknown.
The name has not appeared in previous al-Qaida in Iraq propaganda or on
U.S. lists of terrorists with rewards on their heads, suggesting he is
a lower-level figure or someone more prominent who has taken a new pseudonym."
(06/12/06)
The man
was later identified by another name, al-Misri ("father of an Egyptian")
- both names appear to be nom de guerre - aliases. Whichever he is, it
appears that thanks to data collected after al-Zarqawi's death, he will
have a few less terrorist cells and locations to operate. Is Al-Qaida
in Iraq dead? Far from it, as they follow the same model as in Afghanistan.
But weaker and less likely to interfere immediately with other events.
In
some Arabs, Zarqawi tactics bred disgust
Boston Globe
"Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's unyielding, lethal anti-Americanism initially
won him accolades across the Arab world. But his terror campaign ultimately
killed far more Islamic civilians than Americans, turning the wave of
early support into a tide of revulsion among many Arab Muslims. 'How is
this jihad, how is this holy war?' asked Bashar al-Akhras, 24, whose father
was killed in the November 2005 suicide bombings of three Amman hotels,
claimed by Zarqawi as retribution for Jordan's support of US policy in
the region. ... 'If you are fighting foreigners, how come you kill 5,000
Iraqis or other innocent civilians and only a few Americans?' said Akhras,
who said the beliefs of Osama bin Laden and his followers never appealed
to him. 'They have a weird mentality. It is not our religion at all.'"
(06/12/06)
I am very
much pleased (if a bit surprised) to see this kind of thing - but have
to wonder if the Globe is really reporting honestly or just taking statements
from a rare few that found him despicable.
Iraq:
Killing continues during "clampdown"
Epoch Times
"Clashes erupted between gunmen and Iraqi troops and a car bomb
killed two people on Wednesday as the government launched a security clampdown
to root out al Qaeda militants in Baghdad. Gunmen carrying automatic rifles
blocked roads with stones and tree trunks and exchanged fire with Iraqi
soldiers in Adhamiya, a Sunni insurgent stronghold that is one of Baghdad's
most dangerous areas, a Reuters reporter at the scene said. Civilians
fled the area but there were no immediate reports of casualties. Five
Iraqi army tanks moved through Adhamiya and clashes later subsided. In
northern Baghdad, a car bomb targeting a police patrol killed two people
and wounded seven." (06/14/06)
Of course
the clampdown will not cut down on deaths - not in a country like this
where it is "every man's hand against his brother" and the thugs
who claim to be freedom fighters don't care who they kill as long as the
toll is high enough.
Afghanistan:
Two occupation troops, 40+ Afghans killed
USA Today
"Coalition and Afghan forces killed 26 suspected militants Wednesday
in fighting in eastern mountains, while in southern Afghanistan, more
than 11,000 troops prepared for their biggest offensive since the fall
of the Taliban five years ago. Suspected Taliban militants attacked a
coalition logistics patrol in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan
with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire, killing one American
soldier and wounding two others, the U.S. military said. About 100 British
troops were quickly air-dropped in to support the patrol and coalition
air fire killed or wounded 12 militants in the area, said coalition spokesman
Maj. Quentin Innis. Another coalition soldier died in combat in the eastern
Kunar region. Coalition and Afghan forces killed 26 suspected Taliban
militants in eastern mountains near the Pakistani border, said Paktika
provincial Gov. Akram Khelwak. Helicopter gunships and artillery fire
supported troops on the ground, Khelwak said. One Afghan police officer
was wounded. Four civilians were also killed when a rocket hit their home
in a separate rebel attack in Paktika, Khelwak said. " (06/14/06)
The week
continued with still heavier fighting in Afghanistan, suggesting a critical
point is nearing in the future of that country and liberty there.
Gaza:
Israeli airstrike kills 11
Chicago Tribune
"An Israeli air strike on an Islamic Jihad rocket squad in a crowded
Gaza neighborhood killed 11 Palestinians Tuesday, nine of them civilians,
including three boys and four hospital workers. Thirty-nine people were
wounded, hospital officials said. The deaths further inflamed Palestinians
after an incident Friday in which eight people, including seven from a
single family, were killed by an explosion on a Gaza beach that followed
Israeli shelling in the area to suppress militant rocket fire. The latest
killings drew renewed threats by Palestinian militants to strike back
hard at Israel after Hamas called off a 16-month truce and fired rockets
from the Gaza Strip in response to Friday's deaths." (06/14/06)
Gee - I
wonder why the rocket squad set up in such a crowded neighborhood and
put all those civilians in harm's way? Just like Iraq, these jihadists
don't care who is killed as long as the blood flows enough.
Hamas
foreign minister brings home the bacon
Reuters
"Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar on Wednesday brought
suitcases stuffed with $20 million in cash into the Gaza Strip through
its border with Egypt, Palestinian officials said. Zahar, returning from
a fundraising trip for the cash-starved Hamas-led government, was at least
the third known Hamas official to make the crossing carrying large sums
of cash. ... International donors and Israel have frozen funds to the
Palestinian Authority since it came under Hamas control after the Islamic
militant group won elections in January. Palestinian banks, fearing U.S.
sanctions, have refused to handle Authority funds." (06/14/06)
Hmm. I
know a lot of Americans who have gone to prison for doing 1,000 times
less (20,000 dollars instead of $20M). I wonder if this man will not be
considered a potential felon and arrested the next time he comes to the
United States?
Iraq
PM: "no mercy" for terrorists
MSNBC
"Iraq's new prime minister promised 'no mercy' for terrorists
Tuesday as President Bush paid a surprise visit to Baghdad on the eve
of a security crackdown involving 75,000 troops, road closures and a curfew.
Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, who didn't know Bush was coming until
five minutes before they met, said that Iraq was 'determined to succeed,
and we have to defeat terrorists and defeat all the hardships.' Security
officials said Iraqi and multinational forces would deploy Wednesday throughout
Baghdad, securing roads, launching raids against insurgent hideouts, and
calling in airstrikes if necessary." (06/13/06)
He can't
very well promise much else, unless he wants his own head in a fruit crate
- and his stand should be something that both Sunni and Shi'a can agree
on - it has been standard practice for Arab rulers since the time of Herod's
grandfather.
Poll:
Most still think Iraq war a mistake
CNN
"More Americans expressed optimism about the war in Iraq after
the killing of terrorist mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, suggests a CNN
poll released Monday, but a majority still believes the invasion was a
mistake. The poll found 43 percent of respondents said the war is going
either very or moderately well, up from 38 percent in a March poll. Fifty-four
percent said they still believe the war is going either very badly or
moderately badly, down from 60 percent in March." (06/13/06)
Gee, is
this a surprise? But it is presented as what seems to be a well-orchestrated
effort by the media (including NPR and ABC, to my personal knowledge)
to downplay the significance of this man's death. Of course, more events
will quickly drive these numbers back down, and the numbers will likely
(as even an NPR commentator mentioned) do absolutely nothing to get either
this administration or a new administration in 2009 (either Demo or GOP)
to bring US troops home from Iraq. As with Germany and Japan after WW2,
they are going to be there for a very long time, at least until it becomes
physically impossible for the USG to sustain them.
Iran:
Women's rights demonstrators beaten
Yahoo! News
"Iranian police with batons and shields beat women's rights demonstrators
in a downtown Tehran square Monday, injuring one protester and detaining
20. The protest by about 200 women was organized by a previously unknown
group calling itself the Labor and Communist Party. An invitation delivered
to The Associated Press on Sunday demanded equal rights for women and
the nullification of a law allowing Iranian men to have four wives. 'We
are women, we are human, but we don't have any rights!' protesters chanted.
Some 100 police, including female officers, attacked the demonstrators
and dispersed them about an hour after the protest began. Throughout most
of the confrontation, female officers beat female protesters and male
police beat male protesters there to support the women. Male police generally
are not permitted to touch female suspects. ... 'I don't care about the
police charging us with batons,' said Laila, 21, who would not give her
last name. 'I would attend any pro-human rights demonstration in the future,'
she said. None of Iran's state-run media reported on the protest."
(06/12/06)
A peaceful,
Allah-loving society and government hard at work. Notice they were careful
to abide by the Quran and have only women cops beat women.
Iraq:
Mosque attack kills four
Reuters
"Four worshippers were killed and 20 others were injured when
gunmen attacked a mosque in the small town of Alam east of Tikrit ....
Gunmen shot dead an Iraqi army soldier in the city of Haweeja .... Gunmen
shot dead police Colonel Ali Shakir Mahmoud, director of units protecting
oil installations in Baquba .... Security forces have seized al Qaeda
in Iraq documents giving key information about the militant group's network
and the whereabouts of its leaders, the country's national security adviser
said." (06/15/06)
No one
can explain to anyone how killing people in a mosque is going to get the
US and Coalition forces out of Iraq. A bloody week continues.
Afghanistan:
Bus bomb kills 10
Torrance Daily Breeze
"A bomb hidden on a bus carrying Afghan laborers from a coalition
base in southern Afghanistan exploded Thursday, killing 10 and wounding
15, police said. The attack occurred as the bus was carrying the workers
from the Kandahar Airfield, the coalition headquarters in southern Afghanistan,
said Abdul Hakim Hungar, the deputy provincial police chief. The blast
destroyed the bus and left blood and body parts scattered on a road in
downtown Kandahar city, a former Taliban stronghold." (06/15/06)
As in Iraq,
a very bloody week and month continues. Unlike the deaths in Israel and
Iraq (and many other deaths in Afghanistan), these deaths at least seem
to be of people who could be called collaborationists.
World
Wars
This week, we see a worldwide trend of increased bombings, led but
certainly not caused by the bombings in Canaan, Afghanistan, and Mesopotamia.
But many other problems continue to ratchet their way up into major issues.
DoD
identifies three Gitmo suicides
Clarksville Leaf Chronicle
"One of the Guantanamo detainees who committed suicide had been
cleared for transfer to another country, a second was involved in a 2001
prison uprising in Afghanistan where a CIA agent died, and a third had
ties to al-Qaida, the Pentagon said Sunday. The Department of Defense
identified the three as Saudi Arabians Mani Shaman Turki al-Habardi Al-Utaybi
and Yassar Talal Al-Zahrani and Yemeni Ali Abdullah Ahmed. The two Saudis
were also identified earlier by Saudi officials." (06/12/06)
I had understood
that straight-out suicide (not "suicide bombing" and such hideous
acts) was a sure ticket to eternal torment for Muslims, and a claim that
their suicides are "harming" the US seems far fetched. Suicide
is always a problem in prison populations and in POW camps, especially
where there is no internal prisoner discipline and esprit de corps. It
can't be prevented, but the alternative may be worse: letting these people
go back to being soldiers in the jihadist arm so that they can kill others
at the same time they are killing themselves is no solution.
Bolivia
shifts tactics in cocaine war
San Francisco Chronicle
"As Bolivian soldiers torch a pit filled with chemicals and coca
leaves used to make cocaine, a fireball shoots toward a jungle canopy.
The anti-narcotic task force destroys seven such holes daily in a region
known as the Chapare. Since Bolivia's new president, Evo Morales, assumed
power in January, he has continued his nation's war on drugs in the Chapare
near Bolivia's third-largest city, Cochabamba. But he also has antagonized
the United States by shifting the focus away from the subsistence farmers
who grow coca leaf -- the raw ingredient of cocaine -- to destroying pits
and laboratories and confiscating chemicals needed to manufacture cocaine.
Coca has been the lifeline for many Chapare farmers, many of whom had
been tin miners until the collapse of metal prices in the 1980s."
[RRND Editor's note: "The U.S." is pissed, because if this works,
they won't be able to justify the far more expensive and destructive War
on (Some) Drugs, or have an excuse to invade Bolivia for empire-building
purposes! - SAT] (06/12/06)
Steve may
be at least partly right on this, but I have a further idea to consider:
Morales' plan has a far greater chance of interfering with supplies to
the US market than the old hit-the-farmers system does - and that is NOT
wanted by DEA. At the same time, I think Steve is being needlessly alarmist
at suggesting that the US wants an excuse to invade Bolivia. Even with
the new communist-socialist president, Bolivia is more naturally an ally
of the US than not. And US troops have rotated in and out of Bolivia for
decades, and not just because of Drug War operations.
Sri
Lanka: Bus blast kills 62
MSNBC News
"A powerful land mine ripped through a packed bus in northern
Sri Lanka on Thursday, killing at least 62 people in the worst act of
violence since a 2002 cease-fire, the army said. Sri Lanka's air force
responded by bombing rebel-held areas in the northeast. The government
blamed the Tamil Tiger rebels for blowing up the bus -- crowded with commuters
and schoolchildren -- but the rebels strongly denied responsibility."
(06/15/06)
The Middle
East is not the only place getting bombed seriously, as this and the next
story says. People who use bombs like this clearly have no concern for
who they kill - they only want to rack up a high body county. I suspect
that Muslim "insurgents" are responsible for this one as well
those in Afghanistan, Iraq, Canaan, Thailand, and Turkey. (Tamils are
split fairly evenly between Hindu and Muslim, apparently.)
Thailand:
41 bombs kill two
Times Online [UK]
"Forty-one bombs exploded within less than half an hour, killing
two people and wounding 16, across southern Thailand today. One of the
homemade devices went off at government offices in Yala minutes before
Deputy Prime Minister Chitchai Wannasathit was due to arrive for an official
visit. The attacks are believed to have been carried out by Muslim insurgents
who have mounted a long-running but largely hidden campaign for independence
of the country's three most southern provinces." (06/15/06)
Is there
any place in the world free from the threat of homegrown Islamic terrorism?
The US comes closer than most, but even we face that threat. Thailand,
after years of facing China and other threats to the north, must pay more
attention to its tsunami-damaged south as well.
Turkey:
Istanbul bomb injures four
Mens News Daily
"Turkish police say a bomb hidden in a trash can exploded near
a bus station in Istanbul Thursday, injuring at least four people. ...
Turkish authorities say they have received no claim by any group claiming
responsibility for the explosion, but police have said unofficially that
they suspect the bomb was planted by Kurdish militants." (06/15/06)
And yet
another bomb - blamed for political reasons on Kurds (who are, after all
Islamic as well), but just as likely to be more Islamicists eagerly striking
at "secular" Turkey.
The
Coming Fall of Europe
UK:
17,000+ Knives Stolen
BBC News
Machetes, meat cleavers and axes as well as knives were among the haul
of 17,715 surrendered to the 43 police forces across England and Wales
[during the first week]. Home office minister Vernon Coaker said the results
were "encouraging". The five-week amnesty, running until 30
June, allows people to surrender knives at police stations without fear
of punishment.
Guns, knives,
anti-tank weapons, Her Majesty's subjects being disarmed one-step at a
time; presumably ice picks, rocks, walking sticks, and large books are
each, in turn, to be surrendered to the police. What a sick sight - a
free people reduced to less than sheep.
UK:
Reid in row over 'moaning public'
The Scotsman
John Reid, the Home Secretary, came under fire yesterday after appearing
to suggest that the public should "stop moaning" about yobs
and nuisance neighbours and do something about the problem themselves.
This is
a surprising and refreshing change in language coming from the nanny state
of the modern British government. As you can imagine, as with the cop,
he was promptly set upon for daring to suggest that "free Englishmen"
have any responsibility for their own safety. Of course, it would be easier
for people to do something if Britain were still an armed society ("An
armed society is a polite society." - R.A. Heinlein), but still the
right of people to defend themselves is a basic human right. The second
point to consider is that people don't turn into yobs (hoodlums) overnight:
they are raised to be thugs, and a state crèche system can't replace
decent parents.
Nude
cyclists peel off around Spanish cities
Reuters
"Hundreds of nude cyclists pedalled around Spanish cities on Saturday
to protest against car-clogged streets and demand greater respect for
pollution-free transport. With slogans like 'one car less' and 'bio methanol'
painted on their backs, the naked cyclists staged Spain's third annual
Ciclonudista or 'Nudecycle' in Madrid, Barcelona and Pamplona. The protest
was part of worldwide naked bike riding events on Saturday across Europe,
North America and South America. 'We feel naked when up against traffic
because people don't see the bicycle as just another means of transport,'
said Madrid cyclist Ramon Linaza, wearing only a cycle helmet and shoes.
Towing cardboard cars with gaping jaws, protesters said the rapid rise
of automobile ownership in Spain was turning city streets into ever more
hostile and dangerous cycling territory. Organizers said the bicycle was
a healthy and efficient form of urban transport that is largely ignored
by Spanish drivers and city planners." (06/011/06)
I don't
really know if riding around nude is going to get exactly the kind of
attention that they want. Distracting drivers around bicyclists is usually
very bad for the bicyclists. And considering how much your everyday scrapes
and such hurt when you have some protection, bare skin is just daring
worse. Ouch!
Mama's
Note: Not to mention sunburn and being hit by flying objects off the road...
sounds like a bunch of really dumb people to me. There are more sane ways
to protest things, if that's their aim. Oh, and BTW... did you ever try
to bring home family groceries for a week on a bicycle - in pouring rain
yet? Not going to happen...
UK:
Militant mothers take on Tony Blair
Independent [UK]
"Families of British soldiers killed in Iraq have reacted furiously
to a letter from Tony Blair saying that their loved ones died defending
their country, since, they say, the Iraqi regime never posed a threat.
The anger has strengthened the resolve of mothers and wives who yesterday
launched their campaign to bring British troops back home from the Gulf.
They also called for a nationwide picket of Army recruiting offices."
(06/11/06)
Perhaps
these women will have a little more brains and honesty than Cindy Sheehan
did - for they are doing nothing but imitating her, when you get right
down to it. Of course, considering that British mothers have been sending
their sons to die in foreign adventures that had nothing to do with defending
Britain since Constantinus first led a legion back over the Channel to
try and seize the purple in Rome, this should be quite a surprise. Battlefields
in every corner of the world hold such bodies, and probably not 1 in 10
were actually "defending" the UK.
UK:
Gardener charged for releasing squirrels
Daily Mail
"When grey squirrels began preying on birds nesting in his garden,
Roy Hill thought he had the humane solution. The 68-year-old former Welsh
Guardsman set up a cage, captured the troublesome pests, then released
them into the wild. So Mr. Hill was astonished to receive a visit from
an RSPCA inspector who he said scolded him for breaking the law and threatened
to haul him into court. He was even more outraged to learn that, thanks
to a bizarre quirk in the law, he would not be in any bother at all if
he had simply shot the squirrels dead, rather than letting them go. ...
An RSPCA spokeswoman said it was not illegal to catch grey squirrels but
that it was illegal to release them into the wild. She said: 'It is against
the Wildlife and Country Act 1981 to release nonnative species into the
wild because there are problems they may cause to British wildlife such
as red squirrels.'" (06/09/06)
Yeah, what
a stupid government trick. Grey squirrels don't read signs, folks, and
don't know they are supposed to stay out of certain woods lest they replace
(or worse, breed with) their red cousins. (Note: the RSPCA is a defacto
government agency despite its name.) The RSPCA inspector is more concerned
with enforcing laws than with protecting animals, which is the stated
reason for his agency's existence.
Mama's
Note: And since when is it "legal" for him to shoot the little
garden wreckers? I'd be surprised. But there is a much better way to get
rid of them. Mix a little sweet horse (or cattle) feed with dry plaster
of Paris (or plain cement)- a 3 to 1 mix is fine. Put small portions of
this into butter tubs or egg cartons and cut some holes in the top. The
squirrels, gophers, rats, mice and other problem rodents eat the grain
and the plaster sets up in their guts. The nice part is that no harm is
done if a cat or dog then eats the dead rodent (aside from any worms,
etc. in/on it) and nobody is hurt when you save your garden this way.
UK:
Terror raid arrestees freed
Times [UK]
"The two brothers arrested during an anti-terrorism raid in which
one of them was shot were released last night without charge. Abul Kahar
Kalam, 23 and Abul Koyair Kalam, 20, were freed from Paddington Green
police station after Scotland Yard said it had completed the search of
their East London property. The pair, one of whom was shot in the shoulder,
had been under arrest since the dawn raid a week ago which involved more
than 250 police officers. ... Earlier in the day more than 100 Muslims
protested over the raid, waving placards and calling for the implementation
of Sharia -- Islamic law -- in Britain. The demonstration, which took
place outside Forest Gate police station, near the scene of the shooting,
remained peaceful, and the protesters were outnumbered by uniformed officers."
(06/10/06)
This shows
(1) the wisdom behind such "silly" things as search warrants,
in order to prevent hyped-up cops (see the above squirrel story or the
Swatara, PA story in SGT) from going out and doing something stupid, as
they did in this, and (2) how such stupid tricks create a lot more trouble
- many more people are joining for the call of Sharia and hating the UK
society and government even more as the result of this halfcocked home
invasion by uniformed thugs. (Of course, those rooting for Sharia are
stupid, too - they don't realize that if Sharia were in force in the UK,
the minions of the state wouldn't need to worry about their rights at
all, and could have legally gunned both these men down, stolen everything
in the house, and then fired on the protesters themselves.)
UK:
"Depraved" civil servants play naked office pranks
Guardian [UK]
"Civil servants who were supposed to be administering the government's
much-criticised farm subsidies system have been taking part in 'depraved'
office pranks such as leaping naked from filing cabinets. The beleaguered
Rural Payment Agency has begun an investigation into the behaviour of
its staff at its Newcastle office, which allegedly included leaving cups
of vomit in cupboards, taking drugs, having sex in toilets and holding
breakdancing competitions during office hours. The agency, which delayed
the payment of £1.5bn worth of European subsidies to thousands of
farmers, said it has so far sacked one junior member of staff over the
allegations." (06/12/06)
Sadly,
all too often when you find the kind of people willing to be in these
government offices and programs, you find that they have other mental,
emotional, social, and spiritual problems.
Mama's
Note: And all of it caused by "one junior member of staff?"
I seriously doubt it, but he/she was expendable.
The
2006 Political Campaign - Much Ado About Nothing?
TX:
Libertarians hopeful for November election
Sherman Denison Herald Democrat
"Libertarians were hopeful during the party's state convention
Saturday that their smorgasbord of political values could win the party
a variety of offices in November. ... Between 100 and 150 members attending
the two-day convention were set to choose their candidates for state races
that include governor and attorney general. ... in a state where Democrats
have for years not fared well against the GOP's political dominance, Libertarians
might have a hard time winning. However, Michael Badnarik expressed confidence
as he gave the convention's opening speech. Badnarik said he's optimistic
about being elected to represent U.S. House District 10, which stretches
from Austin to Houston." (06/11/06)
Even local
media don't really get it - it is not the LP position on dozens of ideas
that will win, it is the constant adherence to the basic principle of
liberty. I see no smorgasbord. At the same time, I would dearly love to
see Mike Badnarik join the good Doctor (Ron Paul) in Congress.
Mama's
Note: So would I, but I suspect both of them would be able to do far more
for the cause of liberty if they ran for state office instead. Did you
know that the great state of Texas does not "allow" anyone to
open carry their guns? Seems to me that if we all concentrated on our
own state, the fed might follow eventually. Where do all the federal elected
folks come from? The states, of course.
Fallen
star blames self, GOP tactics
Boston Globe
"For nearly a decade, Allen Raymond stood at the top ranks of
Republican Party power. He served as chief of staff to a cochairman of
the Republican National Committee, supervised Republican contests in mid-Atlantic
states for the RNC, and was a top official in publisher Steve Forbes's
presidential campaign. He went on to earn $350,000 a year running a Republican
policy group as well as a GOP phone-bank business. But most recently,
Raymond has been in prison. And for that, he blames himself, but also
says he was part of a Republican political culture that emphasizes hardball
tactics and polarizing voters. Raymond, 39, has just finished serving
a three-month sentence for jamming Democratic phone lines in New Hampshire
during the 2002 US Senate race. The incident led to one of the biggest
political scandals in the state's history, the convictions of Raymond
and two top Republican officials, and a Democratic lawsuit that seeks
to determine whether the White House played any role. The race was won
by Senator John E. Sununu, the Republican." (06/10/06)
I don't
care whether we are talking GOP tactics or Democrat tactics (making victims
out of everyone and building coalitions based on pork and more pork, to
name two), they are all wrong, and it should be no surprise to see Raymond
or anyone else in jail for doing things like this. A pox on both their
houses.
VA:
"Fighting Dem" Webb wins primary
Guardian [UK]
"James Webb, a former Reagan Navy secretary who broke with the
GOP over the invasion of Iraq, won the Democratic nomination to challenge
Republican U.S. Sen. George Allen, a man he had endorsed six years earlier.
Webb won 53 percent of the vote in Virginia's primary Tuesday, defeating
Harris Miller, a wealthy businessman and longtime Democratic activist
who outspent him nearly 2-1." (06/14/06)
As I've
said more than once, this proves how little difference there really is
between the two old parties, when Webb can switch and win a primary like
this.
Hillary
faces antiwar critics
Raw Story
"A liberal crowd both booed and cheered Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton
Tuesday after she encouraged Democrats to have a 'difficult conversation'
about their position on the Iraq war in order to win over middle-of-the-road
voters. ... At a speech before a liberal gathering dubbed 'Take Back America,'
the New York senator took grief from those in the audience critical of
her vote for the Iraq war and her opposition to an immediate withdrawal
of U.S. troops. 'I do not think it is a smart strategy, either, for the
president to continue with his open-ended commitment, which I think does
not put enough pressure on the new Iraqi government,' said Clinton. ...
'Nor do I think it is smart strategy to set a date certain. I do not agree
that that is in the best interests,' said Clinton, prompting loud booing
from some at the gathering." (06/13/06)
So now
she is starting to tilt back to the antiwar side, even while her pro-war
stance is being protested. Like too many other people who sway in the
wind on the occupation of Iraq and other related issues, she makes her
own side (whatever it is) look foolish with her fence-sitting.
CA:
Gubernatorial race could be pricey
San Francisco Chronicle
"The race for governor this fall could be the most expensive in
state history despite new contribution limits aimed at taking big money
out of California politics. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has set a $75 million
goal for his campaign and is expected to bring in much of that from traditional
GOP sources in the business community, including builders, energy and
insurance firms, and big pharmceuticals. Democratic challenger Phil Angelides
will try to match the governor by raising money from his party's allies,
including labor unions, trial lawyers and consumer groups as well as Greek
Americans across the United States. The big wild card in the race is spending
from independent groups that are still allowed, under voter-approved Proposition
34, to accept and spend unlimited funds in support of a candidate as long
as there is no coordination." (06/13/06)
Notice
it is "big pharmaceuticals" but not "big labor." The
Chron's biases are well-known, of course, even if Arnie's politics are
somewhat erratic. But isn't a "Greek-American" going out and
raising funds from other "Greek-Americans" just another example
of "divisive" and "bigoted" politics? After all, if
Angelides is appealing to Greek-Americans, then he is rejecting "Turkish-Americans"
and probably "Macedonian-Americans" and who knows what other
ethnic groups.
MN:
Libertarians withdraw Jeffers nomination
Grand Forks Herald
"The Libertarian Party has withdrawn its endorsement of a Minneapolis
bar owner for governor. The party withdrew its support for Sue Jeffers
after she decided to challenge Gov. Tim Pawlenty in a Republican Party
primary in September .... 'As exceptional as a candidate as Sue is, the
Libertarian Party of Minnesota will not endorse a candidate in the Republican
primaries, or a Republican for the general election,' [state LP chair
Lee] Brennise said." (06/15/06)
While I
very strongly support the MNLP's decision to do so, they may not have
had any choice, since I believe that MN law prohibits anyone but the DFL
candidate from being endorsed by another party. At least MN is going to
avoid the Weld fiasco in New York.
"Libertarian"
Republican pushes Web censorship
Arizona Republic
"Commercial Web-site operators who publish sexually explicit or
pornographic material would be required to place official government warning
marks or labels on their sites or face up to five years in prison, under
a bill by Arizona GOP Sen. Jon Kyl. Those warnings would enable parents
and other Internet users to filter such pages. Sexually explicit material
also could not appear on a site's first page or home page, requiring additional
steps by the Internet visitor to view the explicit content. Similar punishment
would face pornographers who camouflaged the source coding of their Web
sites, including hiding key words like the brand names of popular toys,
so those sites pop up more frequently through Internet search engines
such as Google. But free-speech advocates say the new bill, which would
require the Federal Trade Commission to develop the new warning notices
for sexually explicit Web pages, is too sweeping." [Editor's
note: Kyl places fourth on the Republican Liberty Caucus's 2005 "Top
Ten" list with a 90% rating - TLK] (06/14/06)
Senator
Kyl, I am told that these websites DO have all kinds of warnings - and
the few times I've hit on the wrong site I have seen them for myself.
For that matter, most of these sites already DO have limits on their first
pages, knowing that those interested will click further. This is nothing
more than more grandstanding for votes. Take all these ratings and claims
about being libertarian with a big chunk of rock salt.
More
News and Commentary on Page 2 (Starts with: Our Right to Defend
Ourselves)
Nathan
Barton is writing this from a wonderful place in the West, which might
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scent of liberty, and the sound of the pines or the pinions is the sound
of freedom. For thousands of years, people have fought and died for the
liberty that Americans in the great spaces of the West enjoy, and he writes
these commentaries in the hopes that continued generations will be able
to do so, until the end of Time.
Be sure
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