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September
11, 2006
Libertarian
Commentary on the News, 2-9 September 2006
This week
seems to be a bit better than last week, perhaps because the economic
news is a bit better (relatively, only, of course).
The Economy:
Dip in gas
prices may lift entire economy
Christian Science Monitor
"Motorists are finally getting a break at the pump. Over the past
month, gasoline prices have dropped more than 30 cents a gallon with the
price of fuel at the lowest level since mid-April. The falling prices
are a welcome benefit to consumers who have been grumbling all year about
how much more it costs to fill their tanks. With more money in motorists'
pockets, the economy should benefit as well since this is the time of
year when consumers tend to spend more time at the mall. In fact, the
ripple effect of falling energy prices should help everyone from Detroit
automakers to the airline industry to incumbents running for office this
fall. 'The decline in gasoline prices has the effect of a tax cut,' says
Richard DeKaser, chief economist at National City Corporation, a bank
in Cleveland. 'Of course it's only partly reversing the 'tax increases'
of the past three years.'" (09/05/06)
Written
on Tuesday: I really don't know where the "30 cents" is taking
place: we've dropped perhaps 20 locally, and not even that much some places.
Still, I'll not look a gift horse in the mouth, even if I don't hold my
breath waiting for gas to hit $2.00 by Spring, or even $2.50 by Thanksgiving,
as some pundits have claimed. (Not that I don't wish it would!: Say $2.50
by Thanksgiving, $2.00 by New Years, $1.50 by President's Day, and $1.00
by April Fools?) See the next article for my more optimistic view at the
end of the week.
Mama's
Note: Twenty cents drop? Where? It's still 305.9 a gallon here in Newcastle,
unchanged for weeks. sigh And if we do see a significant drop, wouldn't
it be nice if people used that money to pay off some debt? Heaven forbid
we don't spend every penny!! There won't be any real improvement in the
economy until the government quits printing fake money and running up
ever greater debts. This is an illusion at best.
The Economy:
Too early to let discovery govern decisions
Arizona Republic
"Is now the time to buy a big SUV or shift smaller? Go hybrid
or stick with a regular car? Take the job with more money but a longer
commute or hang with a shorter route? The future of gasoline prices is
a nagging uncertainty for many consumers. Now comes news of something
else to wonder about. Chevron Corp. says it and its partners have tapped
an apparently giant oil find deep in the Gulf of Mexico. A 300-square-mile
area could hold the equivalent of 3 billion to 15 billion barrels of oil
and natural gas liquids, Chevron said Tuesday. The United States consumes
more than 7 billion barrels of petroleum a year, about a third of it produced
domestically. How should consumers plug the news into their energy consumption
decisions? Don't expect much, experts say. At least not in the short term."
(09/06/06)
Yeah, it
may be too early to influence decisions, but I do expect this discovery
to have a salutatory effect on the futures markets, which have been driving
the spot price of crude and the price at the pump. At the same time, unless
you really need it, it is way past time to dump the "keeping up with
the Joneses" SUV. And, come to think of it, doesn't this put a spike
in the "Peak Oil" fear-mongering balloon that so many people
are parading around with? Meanwhile, this ups the threat of Venezuela
to the US - the vision of fortified oil production platforms to defend
against "peaceful" Venezuelan pirates is a scary one.
Home Front:
How Low Can Gas Prices
Go?
MSNBC
After marching relentlessly higher this year, gasoline prices suddenly
have made a sharp U-turn in the past few weeks. And analysts say consumers
can expect even more relief at the pump in the coming weeks. "Wholesale
prices are down 70 cents since Aug. 7, and retail are down about 30 cents,"
said Tom Kloza at Oil Price Information Service. "It doesn't take
John Maynard Keynes to anticipate that we've got tens of cents of catching
up to do."
We are
finally starting to see some changes here in the Four Corners - several
stations have dropped to $2.71 in just the last two days!, from a high
of $3.20. My earlier comments seem now to be off-base - and some people
actually ARE talking about reality of my dream of $1.00 gasoline by April
Fool's Day.
Mama's
Note: You don't mind if I don't hold my breath... I hope. The same economic
insanity that caused the high prices in the first place are still going
on and our government is merrily working to destroy what's left of the
economy and what passes for money these days. Inflation and devaluation
of the dollar continue, as does government debt creation. Don't get your
hopes up too far.
Home Front:
Bush vows to
use all anti-terror tools
Denver Post
"A day after President Bush acknowledged for the first time that
the CIA runs secret prisons overseas, he told an Atlanta audience that
he would continue to use all tools available to combat al-Qaeda and terrorists
determined to attack the United States. 'I will continue using every element
of national power to pursue our enemies and prevent attacks on the United
States of America,' Bush said today. The president has said that the CIA
has used tough interrogation methods to force terrorist leaders to reveal
plots to attack the United States and its allies." (09/07/06)
Ultimately,
ALL force can be justified by "necessity" - but aggressive force,
and abuse of those who are powerless, is evil and will result not in liberty
and peace, but subjugation and bloody war.
Mama's
Note: All the hysteria about "martial law" and so forth is starting
to hit my in-box again after this announcement. Who knows? I suspect it's
just a matter of time, and some 9-11 copy - real or manufactured - is
very likely to spark it. Just be prepared, folks. Get OUT of the cities.
Home Front:
Cottage in
a kit coming to Lowe's
News Observer
"Lowe's Home Improvement is tearing a page from the old Sears,
Roebuck catalog. In November, the Mooresville company will start selling
what amounts to homes in a kit -- plans, materials and appliances. The
new bungalow-style homes, called Katrina Cottages, will be sold first
in Louisiana and Mississippi to offer alternative, lower-cost housing
to people in the Gulf Coast areas, Lowe's spokeswoman Jennifer Wilson
said. 'We really wanted to give those residents a dignified alternative
to the trailers supplied by' the Federal Emergency Management Agency,
she said. Lowe's plans to offer blueprints for the homes at its stores
nationwide in November, but initially, the complete home packages will
be available at only 30 stores in the Gulf Coast area. The company would
eventually like to offer the complete package at all of its stores."
(09/03/06)
A good
idea - and one that actually several firms (virtually all mail-order or
internet-only, not brick and mortar) already offer - but Lowe's has the
capital and the national presence to make a very big impact. Another reason
to say we don't really need FEMA or all the other alphabet agencies.
Mama's
Note: Hmmm, but if it leaks or won't go together right, how in the devil
do you take it back? <G>
Home Front:
FAA cracks down on air controllers
naps
Miami Herald
"The Federal Aviation Administration is cracking down on air traffic
controllers who nap during break time, overruling standing policy in at
least one control center. FAA workers at an Indianapolis control center
- which handles flight traffic into airports in Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois,
Ohio and West Virginia - were notified during the weekend that the agency
was ending a policy that allowed workers to doze off during down time.
They were later told disciplinary action could include suspension."
(09/07/06)
The logic
of this escapes me - it is BREAK time and whether you want to go for a
walk, visit the toilet, smoke, get a cup of coffee - or take a nap should
be a matter of personal choice. Better to nap during breaktime than when
staring at the screen!
Mama's
Note: This story only tells a small part of the tale. My nephew is a long
time ATC, and the stress has always been incredible. Now they are forbidden
to leave the tower for any reason during their shift, not just the nap,
and a lot of other idiotic things have been imposed on them as well. Every
possible way to combat the stress has been outlawed, so get ready for
more of these people to come apart at the seams. My nephew is going to
find another job as fast as he can. This is the last straw.
Home Front:
GOP blocks no-confidence vote on Rumsfeld
Reuters
"Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked a no-confidence vote
on Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld as Democrats sought to keep attention
on the unpopular Iraq war before November's congressional elections. Trying
to stem the drag on their poll numbers caused by Iraq, Republicans denounced
as a political stunt the Democrats' resolution urging President George
W. Bush to replace Rumsfeld, whom they depict as a symbol of the war's
failures, and to 'change course in Iraq to provide a strategy for success.'
... Republicans also defeated an amendment to make the administration
report quarterly to Congress on the extent to which Iraq is in a civil
war, which Democrats said was needed to counteract the administration's
repeated denials the mounting sectarian violence amounted to civil war."
(09/06/06)
Are we
at war or not? Even during the Vietnam era, the "anti-some-wars"
cabal in Congress didn't go this far. They just don't get it - their bumbling
attempts to end an "American War" in Iraq are doing nothing
to help the situation or bring a single trooper home (except in more aluminum
boxes).
Home Front:
GOP divided over detainee rights
CNN
"The GOP is once again divided over how the nation should treat
its most dangerous terror suspects, setting up a showdown in Congress
just weeks away from elections when all members will try to sell themselves
as tough on terror. President Bush Wednesday sent Congress a legislative
proposal that would aid the government in prosecuting terrorists using
secret military tribunals. On Thursday, a leading House Republican on
defense matters aligned himself with Bush's new plan for trying terror
war suspects, saying the proposed military commissions must allow the
government to protect intelligence sources." (09/07/06)
We are
seeing the ripening of the evil fruit of an evil decision. Enemies are
NOT necessarily criminals.
Mama's
Note: Ah, but don't you see that our government is incapable of seeing
the difference. To them, anyone who doesn't kiss their feet and support
them IS a criminal AND an enemy. They are now inseparable.
Home Front:
Group asks judge to stop wiretap program
Reuters
"A U.S. civil liberties group asked a federal judge on Tuesday
to halt a contentious domestic spying program that the U.S. government
argues is essential to national security. In a hearing in Manhattan federal
court, lawyers for the Center for Constitutional Rights asked U.S. District
Judge Gerard Lynch to stop the National Security Agency's secret telephone
eavesdropping program, which was leaked to the media last year. President
George W. Bush has acknowledged authorizing the NSA shortly after the
September 11 attacks to monitor international phone calls and e-mails
of U.S citizens without obtaining warrants. Bush said the program was
aimed solely at suspected terrorists and their allies. Lawyers for the
civil rights group, who filed their lawsuit in January, say the program
violates freedom of speech, protections against unreasonable searches
and constitutional checks on presidential power." (09/05/06)
You would
think that this case would be a slam-dunk, but remember how federal judges
seem to think - if a school (See GRTF section article) can prohibit a
kid from wearing a tee-shirt poking fun at Bush, then surely (so the judge
reasons) Bush can read anyone's mail he wants, as long as it is a "bad
guy."
Mama's
Note: Whatever the courts say is moot. Just who is going to police the
government wire taps, and who is going to enforce any court order? Forget
about it. The government is going to snoop as much and for as long as
it wants, and will define the "bad guys." We must simply come
up with ways to shut out the snoopers, that's all.
Home Front:
Jail
Time instead of Community Service
Rocky Mountain News
See column - discusses a woman who accepted and served 11 days in jail
instead of taking the offer of "useful public service" (usually,
picking up litter on the highways or something similar) instead for invading
and occupying a recruiting office in Metro Denver.
I normally
don't include commentaries, but this is actually more of a news story
about what several women protesting the Iraqi occupation and other overseas
adventures went through in Denver, recently.
Home Front:
Nursing home owners sue over Katrina
Miami Herald
"Two nursing home owners who were arrested after 34 of their patients
died in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina are suing the government, saying
federal, state and local officials failed to keep residents safe and evacuate
vulnerable citizens as the storm approached. An attorney for Salvador
and Mabel Mangano said Tuesday that the lawsuit was filed last week, just
before the anniversary of the storm. The Manganos own St. Rita's nursing
home in St. Bernard Parish, a coastal suburb of New Orleans badly flooded
by Katrina." (09/05/06)
Why NOT
blame the government for your own murderous, immoral, and cowardly behavior?
Mama's
Note: We don't know what happened there. The idea that these fragile elderly
could be left in such a situation is pretty terrible. I don't know why
they were not evacuated early, and none of the stories tells us anything
helpful. Where were their families? As long as everyone is blaming everyone
else, the truth will not be found.
Home Front:
On border, a daily game of cat and
mouse
USA Today
"As the nation debates what to do about tens of thousands of people
who cross into the USA illegally every year, it is here along the dusty
border that one sees the enormous difficulty of cutting off the flow.
Despite night-vision cameras, helicopters and seismic-motion detectors,
the success of border-enforcement policies in the Southwest often come
down to whether an agent can run faster than whomever he is chasing. On
this night, the agents managed to outfox rather than outrun the men. In
serviceable Spanish, Coates asks the men for immigration papers. Each
shakes his head no. 'This guy here,' he says, 'I've caught three times
in the last week and a half.'" (09/06/06)
Sounds
fun, doesn't it? It would make more sense if the Border Patrol guy would
ask "May I see a letter confirming you have employment?"
Mama's
Note: Just what is the point of playing ping-pong with these people? If
we are not going to do anything to actually keep them out, why bother
guarding the revolving door? I agree with Nathan, but then what do we
do with those who have no such letter? It's such a horrible mess...
Home Front:
TN: Cops plan ID checks of jailed immigrants
Tennessean
"Thousands of illegal immigrants who are arrested in Davidson
County for other crimes would be deported each year, under a proposal
being pushed by local law enforcement officials. By installing a federal
immigration computer system in the Metro Jail and placing an immigration
officer in the lockup full time, local authorities would be able to quickly
identify criminal suspects who are in the country illegally and keep them
from being released. The proposal is contained in an Aug. 15 letter from
Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall to Immigration and Customs Enforcement
officials and comes on the heels of several high-profile crimes in which
illegal immigrants are accused. Several of the illegal immigrants had
been arrested repeatedly -- and not deported -- before committing more
serious crimes." (09/05/06)
This makes
a great deal of sense - a casual trespasser is one thing - but when the
uninvited guest (or for that matter, even an INVITED guest) starts breaking
up the furniture, kicking the cat, and stuffing the silverware in their
coat pockets, it is time to boot them out of the house. The problem is,
we are trusting the Nashville City-County government to do this - and
while they aren't extraordinarily incompetent, they certainly are in the
upper 25th percentile.
Home Front:
US targets loophole on deportation
Arizona Republic
"Top Department of Homeland Security officials want Congress to
close a loophole that they say leads to the release of scores of undocumented
immigrants into the interior of the United States. An 18-year-old court
order requires that all undocumented immigrants from El Salvador appear
before a judge before deportation, while people from other countries typically
are removed without a hearing. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff
said the injunction, issued while El Salvador was involved in a bloody
civil war, has resulted in a logjam of cases that increase detention time
and take up valuable space in federal prisons. 'The civil war is gone.
There is a democratically elected government now,' Chertoff said. 'We
need to be free of this court order.' But immigration lawyers warn that
the proposed legislation ... goes beyond simply lifting the requirement
that Salvadorans appear before a judge." (09/05/06)
Sorry,
but it seems like a kind of loophole that everyone should be entitled
to - and the rest of the bill is even worse.
Culture
Wars: Court stays FCC ruling on TV
profanity
Reuters
"A U.S. appeals court on Thursday put on hold a Federal Communications
Commission ruling that four television broadcasts of profanity violated
decency standards and gave the agency two months to consider rebuttals
by the broadcasters. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
stayed enforcement of the agency's March decision that profanities uttered
on ABC's 'NYPD Blue,' CBS's 'The Early Show' and the 2002 and 2003 Billboard
music awards shows on Fox were indecent. The FCC did not propose any fines
for the incidents. The shows included variations of 's---' and 'f---.'
The FCC based its decision on a 2004 FCC ruling that the fleeting use
of the word 'f---ing' by U2 rock singer Bono during the 2003 Golden Globe
Awards was indecent." (09/07/06)
Well, this
is sure to bring screams of outrage from both sides of the issue - nobody
will be happy with it. Family groups continue (for the most part) to recognize
that it is the parents who are responsible for what their children watch.
I suspect that some "adults" refuse to accept that they can't
use the government to replace their own self-discipline.
Culture
Wars: Latest
anti-porn target: Hotel room TV
Christian Science Monitor
"It's a business that has become quietly entrenched in America's
corporate culture: pay-per-view pornography in hotel rooms. Most large
chains provide the service, along with standard-issue films. The pay-per-view
service has brought hotels millions of dollars a year. But these days,
the US hotel business is also attracting moral outrage and vitriol --
on a scale that pornography insiders say amounts to one of the largest
organized assaults on the skin business in recent memory. A consortium
of 13 conservative groups has created CleanHotels.com, a website that
provides listings and reservation services for US hotels where travelers
can rest safe from taint or temptation. The conservative groups have also
run a series of full-page ads in USA Today, urging authorities to prosecute
hoteliers under federal and local obscenity statutes." (09/06/06)
If this
group would limit itself to the website and the promotion, fine - but
they go too far in trying to promote government interference. Sick as
these things may be, it is NOT the business of government to get in what
should be a business-consumer transaction.
The Coming
Fall of Europe: UK:
Motorist jailed for blowing up speed camera
Yahoo! News
"A British motorist who blew up a road safety camera which had
caught him speeding was jailed for four months Wednesday, Greater Manchester
Police said. Craig Moore, 28, took his revenge on the camera, which had
flashed him in the Hyde area of Manchester, in August 2005. Although the
camera itself was badly damaged, images of him speeding and returning
to destroy the evidence were stored in recording equipment in its unscathed
base." (09/07/06)
"Safety"
camera? More like "squeeze every ha'penny out of them" camera.
While this guy was no "V" - it is good to see that not all Britons
are lickspittles.
The Coming
Fall of Europe: UK: Seven quit government
over Blair row
Guardian [UK]
"A minister and six other junior members of the Government have
quit in protest at Tony Blair's determination to cling to office. In one
of the most serious political crises of his premiership, the Prime Minister
was rocked by the resignation of defence minister Tom Watson and six Parliamentary
Private Secretaries. The apparently co-ordinated move brought a furious
reaction from Mr. Blair, who accused Mr. Watson of being 'disloyal, discourteous
and wrong' in signing up to a round-robin letter from 15 MPs calling on
the premier to stand down." (09/06/06)
As a result,
Blair has announced, at least somewhat formally, that he WILL be leaving
office within 12 months, so this little front- and back-bench revolt seems
to have partially worked. So Britons will get to elect a new dictator
through their parliamentary massas in the next year - gee, how thrilling.
Mama's
Note: I'd love to see the halls and offices of the US Congress empty and
echoing because every single legislator discovered the horrible crimes
being committed there and simply walked out... leaving Bush to wander
around in the gloom all alone. Nice dream, of course, but most of those
people are well aware of the crimes and happy to be a part of them. There
are other ways to cleanse those halls, and I hope we can make use of at
least one of them soon... but I won't hold my breath for this either.
GUVMINT-RUINED,
THEFT-FUNDED SCHOOLS: Court: Bush-mocking
shirt OK to wear
Yahoo! News
"A U.S. student who sued school officials after he was made to
censor his T-shirt that labeled [sic] President George W. Bush 'Chicken-Hawk-In-Chief'
and a former alcohol and cocaine abuser won an appeal on Wednesday to
wear the T-shirt to school. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled
in favour of Zachery Guiles, who through his parents claimed his free
speech rights had been violated when school officials made him put duct
tape over parts of his T-shirt that showed a Bush image surrounded by
cocaine, a razor blade, a straw and a martini. Guiles, who as a seventh
grader in 2004 wore the T-shirt to Williamstown Middle High School in
Vermont once a week for two months after purchasing it at an antiwar rally,
appealed the case after a lower court ruled in favour of the school."
(08/30/06)
The bizarre
part of this story is that a lower court believed a school could and should
do this. Get your kids out, people.
GUVMINT-RUINED,
THEFT-FUNDED SCHOOLS: Detroit cancels
school amid strike
Iowa City Press-Citizen
"Detroit Public Schools officials canceled classes until further
notice Tuesday, the eighth day of a teachers strike. It was supposed to
have been the first day of school for the district's 130,000 students.
But instead, students returning from summer vacation were greeted by teachers
on picket lines instead of in classrooms. The decision to cancel classes
came after Wayne County Circuit Judge Susan Borman ordered that both sides
return to the bargaining table Wednesday morning." (09/05/06)
Every year
this happens in one or more places, again showing the foolishness of depending
on the government for schooling. Things got worse the next day.
GUVMINT-RUINED,
THEFT-FUNDED SCHOOLS: School strike
law faces test
Detroit News
"Community leaders criticized a Detroit judge Wednesday as Republicans
vowed to toughen a law that they believe should have forced striking teachers
of Michigan's largest school district back into the classroom. Local and
state leaders accused Wayne County Circuit Judge Susan Borman of ignoring
the state law by not ordering Detroit Public Schools teachers back to
work at a Tuesday hearing. The teachers strike, 10 days old on Wednesday,
has sparked a legal and political showdown over the controversial 1994
measure that requires judges to order striking public workers back to
their jobs. Borman on Tuesday questioned the constitutionality of the
law and delayed a decision on whether she'd tell teachers to return until
after a hearing today." (09/07/06)
This is
now really more a court story than a school story - and one of those areas
where libertarians are often divided: are government employees more slaves
than non-government employees? But should parasites be able to strike?
Of course, the solution is obvious - end the virtual monopoly of government
on the education of children and then allow parents and teachers to come
to a mutual, voluntary agreement about compensation and working conditions.
Mama's
Note: The only good thing about any of this is the fact that every hour
these vultures fight over the carcass, the children are spared that much
insane indoctrination and destruction. I hope it goes on forever so parents
must face the alternatives.
Middle
East Tarbabies - Afghanistan: Blast
kills 16, including 2 US GIs
Guardian [UK]
"A suicide car bomber struck a convoy of U.S. military vehicles in
downtown Kabul on Friday, killing at least 16 people, including two American
soldiers, and wounding 29 others, officials and witnesses said. The blast,
near the U.S. Embassy, came as NATO chiefs appealed for member nations
to send reinforcements to combat resurgent Taliban militants fanning the
deadliest violence in five years. A top British general said the fighting
in volatile southern Afghanistan was now more ferocious than in Iraq."
(09/08/06)
8:1 ratio
of innocent bystanders to military deaths; sounds like the Taliban may
qualify for governmental status soon, eh? For those who don't recall,
"southern Afghanistan" was made famous as the "Northwest
Frontier" about 120 years ago by one Rudyard Kipling. Reacquaint
yourself (or learn for the firs time) such gems and "lessons learned"
as "Arithmetic
on the Frontier", "Ford O'Kabul River", and "The Young
British Soldier."
Middle
East Tarbabies - Afghanistan: Taliban
making inroads in key Afghan province
CNN
"The Taliban -- the Islamic militant group that once controlled
Afghanistan and harbored the al Qaeda terror network -- is making inroads
in a region 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the Afghan capital of Kabul.
A U.S. Military official in Afghanistan said that about half the districts
in Ghazni province are now under Taliban control. This development --
which has caught the attention of the U.S. Military in the past month
-- represents an important shift by the Taliban from their traditional
strongholds in the south and east of the country." (09/06/06)
The Taliban
is trying very hard to move into the next, traditional, level of a guerilla
war.
Middle
East Tarbabies - Afghanistan: Use
of Canadian troops in Afghanistan criticized
ScrippsNews
"A key Quebec political leader is calling for an emergency debate
on the direction Canada's foreign policy is taking _ including whether
Ottawa should pull its troops from Afghanistan. Bloc Quebecois leader
Gilles Duceppe said there's a growing feeling among Quebeckers that Conservative
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is moving in lockstep with President Bush
on foreign policy, from Israel to Afghanistan. 'I think they have more
and more the impression that Harper is taking the same alignment that
Bush is taking, and they are firmly against that,' Duceppe said in an
interview as the death toll of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan reached
32." (09/05/06)
In other
words, it isn't whether Afghanistan should be left to slide back into
Islamic tyranny, but about hating Bush.
Mama's
Note: Maybe it's more about the idea that nothing anyone can do will prevent
that slide, and that it's none of Canada's business either way. It's also
none of our business, or anyone else who isn't living there. Who made
us their nanny?
And,
like it or not, I will continue to hate Bush terribly for the traitor
and criminal he is.
Middle
East Tarbabies: Iran abruptly postpones
talks with EU
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
"Iran abruptly announced Wednesday that last-ditch talks on its
disputed nuclear program were postponed, moving Tehran a step closer to
U.N. sanctions after it defied a deadline to freeze uranium enrichment.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, meanwhile, said any sanctions
must exclude military force, suggesting that Moscow was contemplating
the possibility of sanctions but remained opposed to harsh and quick punishment."
(09/06/06)
Oh, gee,
what a surprise - don't they dance well?
Mama's
Note: Oh yes, and these "sanctions" will do the same wonderful
job they've done in Cuba and Iraq and so many other places. Just the ticket...
to make everything worse and worse, as usual. We couldn't all just mind
our own business, of course....
Middle
East Tarbabies: Iran brushes off UN
chief
Chicago Sun-Times
"The U.N. chief got little satisfaction Sunday at the close of
his trip to Tehran, snubbed by Iran's leader over international demands
to stop enriching uranium and ignored in warnings not to incite hatred
by questioning the Holocaust. In a provocative move on the final day of
Kofi Annan's two-day visit, Iran announced it would host a conference
to examine what it called exaggerations about the Holocaust, during which
more than 6 million Jews were killed by the Nazis." (09/04/06)
My - this
could make me feel a bit more sympathetic to the Iranian leader, Ahmadinejad.
Anyone who snubs Annan can't be all bad, eh? Unfortunately, he has since
demanded that he be allowed to talk to the General Assembly, so he clearly
does not have a proper contempt for the UN.
Mama's
Note: He's also delusional in other ways. Holocaust denial, like the flat
earth society, is a waste of everyone's time and effort. The truth is
too well known to be refuted.
Middle
East Tarbabies: Why
Iran sees no rush for a nuke deal
Christian Science Monitor
"In the diplomatic swirl around Iran's controversial nuclear program,
a meeting set for Wednesday between Tehran's top negotiator Ali Larijani,
and European foreign policy chief Javier Solana, was meant to bring a
rare moment of clarity. But that meeting was postponed until Friday, the
day after senior negotiators of the UN Security Council's permanent five
members and Germany are expected to meet in Berlin to discuss economic
sanctions in response to Iran's nuclear fuel work. Iran appears in no
rush, emboldened by a combination of factors, say analysts, which range
from an ironclad belief in the rightness of its nuclear case, to record-high
oil prices, and the state of conflicts in Lebanon, Iraq, and Afghanistan
that Tehran believes have given Iran an advantage over US and Israeli
foes." (09/07/06)
More analysis
than news, admittedly, and as usual, the CSM just doesn't get it. To put
it one way, how can Iran possibly be the leading nation of the Ummah if
it does not have nukes? To put it another way, unless it shows it can
continually bait the bear (the West), how can it prove itself the leader
of all Islam?
Middle
East Tarbabies - Iraq:
17 dead as Iraq "takes control" of army
Guardian [UK]
"Iraq formally took over command of its armed forces from the
U.S.-led coalition Thursday, a milestone American officials have hailed
as crucial to the country's difficult road to independence and eventual
withdrawal of foreign troops. However, Iraq's bloodshed continued in the
hours before the handover. Six bomb attacks targeting police patrols in
Baghdad killed at least 17 people and wounded more than 50. (09/07/06)
Hmm- does
this make Iraq a Muslim nation again, in the eyes of the judges or Shar'ia?
I appreciate the comment of one writer, who said this mess is too disorganized
to be a "civil war" but it certainly is a "free-for-all"
in which there are so many factions fighting and killing each other that
it is a way of life. Only in the Ummah!
Mama's
Note: As far as I've been able to determine, this internal fighting has
been going on for a very long time. Just what makes anyone think they
will suddenly quit killing each other long enough to come together and
become effective at attacking anyone else? I don't see it. Far better
to leave them alone to wipe each other out - at least the radical elements.
Middle
East Tarbabies - Iraq: Bush uses bin
Laden quotes for war rally
Torrance Daily Breeze
"Quoting repeatedly from Osama bin Laden, President Bush said
Tuesday that pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq would fulfill the terrorist
leader's wishes and propel him into a more powerful global threat in the
mold of Adolf Hitler. With two months until an Election Day that hinges
largely on national security, Bush laid out bin Laden's vision in detail,
including new revelations from previously unreported documents."
(09/05/06)
How many
people will believe this? Given in his halting style, it does sound very
sincere and rational. At the same time, this opens the Administration
to still more attacks on various fronts, and will be branded as pure political
posturing.
Middle
East Tarbabies - Iraq: GIs face court
martial in Iraq rape, murder case
Monterey Herald
"A U.S. Army investigator has recommended that four American soldiers
accused of raping a a 14-year-old girl and of killing her and her family
face a court-martial, a lawyer in the case confirmed on Monday. Col. Dwight
Warren, the investigator in the case, said in a report issued Sunday that
'reasonable grounds exist to believe that each of the accused committed
the offense for which he is charged.' The report was given to lawyers
in the case and obtained by The Associated Press from David Sheldon, the
lawyer of one of the defendants. The four soldiers of the 101st Airborne
Division are charged with raping Abeer Qassim al-Janabi in her family's
home in Mahmoudiya, about 20 miles south of Baghdad, then killing her
along with her parents and her younger sister. Military prosecutors say
the four set the teenager's body on fire to hide their crime."
(09/05/06)
Again,
I remind everyone (including myself) that these men are innocent until
proven guilty. If they are found guilty, the four need to do something
very old-fashioned and very non-PC: they need to dance the "Danny
Deever" - that is, hang by the neck until dead. Such a crime as this
is a stain on the honor not just of their unit, but the service, and the
nation as a whole. There is no possible justification - if they indeed
committed this heinous act.
Mama's
Note: And if they didn't do it, we need to find whoever did. "Not
guilty" because of some technicality isn't going to cut it either.
Either they did it, or they didn't. We need to find the truth.
Middle
East Tarbabies: Iraq extends state
of emergency
Biloxi Sun Herald
"Iraq's parliament reopened Tuesday after a summer recess and
voted to extend a state of emergency for a month because of unrelenting
sectarian violence, while the president predicted bloodshed will be quelled
by the end of next year. The U.S. Military announced the deaths of three
more American servicemen, bringing to 10 the number of coalition soldiers
killed the previous two days -- eight Americans and two Britons. Iraq's
state of emergency, which has been in place for almost two years, covers
every area except the autonomous Kurdish region in the north." (09/05/06)
And news
stories indicate more and more that Kurdistan is functioning as an independent
country - if not quite as independent as Taiwan, say, but certainly more
than Scotland or Catalonia.
Mama's
Note: Good for them! The whole insanity in Iraq at least partly stems
from the artificial formation of the "country" 80 years ago
by foreigners, trying to force various tribes to come together. They need
to be left alone to live their lives and form their own associations and
even "governments" if they want one.
Middle
East Tarbabies - Iraq: 9
Iraqis, 1 American, 1 Brit killed
CBS 2 Chicago
"A roadside bomb in Baghdad and a mortar attack on Shiite pilgrims
south of the capital killed five people Friday, authorities said, a day
before tens of thousands of people were expected in the Shiite holy city
of Karbala for a religious festival. A roadside bomb also struck an Iraqi
army convoy in a village near Karmah ... killing four Iraqi soldiers ....
An American soldier died after being wounded in a roadside bomb explosion
.... A British soldier died Thursday of injuries sustained when his patrol
came under fire ..." (09/08/06)
Strange,
eh? There are lots of "holy cities" in Europe, in Mexico, and
even in the US - but pilgrims going to them aren't targets of mortar attacks.
Yet this DOES happen in such places as India, Pakistan, and the Sudan
- places few if any American soldiers have ever walked. What is the common
denominator? It is NOT occupation by the US - it is the the "religion
of peace" which dominates these lands - apparently, the peace of
the grave.
Mama's
Note: My sister had an interesting theory. She said these attacks seem
to be carried out at times when faithful Muslims are expected to be at
prayer, especially in a mosque - and therefore those who explode the bombs
consider any Muslims killed as being unfaithful and unworthy to live...
Could be, of course, at least sometimes, but I don't see a real solid
pattern of this myself. I think it's far more a case of murder, simply
because they are not of the "right" faction, or just in the
wrong place at the wrong time. The murderers don't seem to care much either
way.
Middle
East Tarbabies - Iraq:
Four occupation troops killed; al Qaeda leader captured
CNN
"Al Qaeda's No. 2 operative in Iraq, Hamed Jumaa Al Saeedi, has
been arrested, the U.S. Military and Iraq's national security adviser
announced Sunday. Al Saeedi, also known as Abu Rana and Abu Humam, is
said to be second in command in the terrorist group al Qaeda in Iraq,
behind Abu Ayyub al-Masri. Al-Masri succeeded Abu Musab al-Zarqawi after
he was killed during a U.S. airstrike in June. ... Two British soldiers
were killed Monday and two others were wounded when a roadside bomb struck
their convoy north of Basra .... The U.S. Military said on Monday that
two Marines were killed on Sunday in Iraq's Anbar province. They were
assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5 and died as a result of 'enemy action.'"
(09/04/06)
Another
blow for Al Qaeda, but one which will likely have minimal impact even
in the short term. They have plenty of thugs to use to replace this guy.
As in past weeks, this was the beginning of another week of bloody killings,
of civilians as well as occupation troops.
Middle
East Tarbabies - Canaan: Israel plans
to end Lebanese blockade
Wooster Daily Record
"Israel said it would lift its stifling air and sea blockade of
Lebanon on Thursday, marking a crucial breakthrough in international efforts
to rebuild from the war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas. The move,
announced Wednesday by the prime minister's office, will be the first
major test for the U.N. force charged with keeping the peace and preventing
arms shipments from reaching Hezbollah." (09/06/06)
I'm not
sure whether Israel backed down or whether they really believe there is
enough of a "peacekeeping force" to meet their demands. Given
the poor track record of the current Israeli government, I suspect the
first.
Middle
East Tarbabies - Canaan: Jordan: Gunman
kills one, wounds six
Portsmouth Herald
"A gunman opened fire on Western tourists at Roman ruins in the
heart of Jordan's capital Monday, killing a British man and wounding six
people before being overpowered. Police said the attacker came from the
same area as the slain leader of al-Qaida in Iraq. The attack at an ancient
amphitheater came despite a heavy clampdown on security in this key U.S.
ally since a string of deadly bombings at hotels last November that al
Qaida in Iraq claimed to have staged. Police were trying to determine
if the alleged gunman, Nabeel Ahmed Issa Jaourah, was enticed by Islamic
militants or a terror group to carry out the shooting, said a Jordanian
security official .... Preliminary investigations found no link between
known terror groups and Jaourah, a Jordanian of Palestinian origin who
worked as a metal welder, the official said." (09/05/06)
As in India,
the Sudan (see last story this week) and a number of other places, this
killing attack occurs in a Muslim country with NO recent history of US
or other Western occupation. Nor can organized "militants" or
"terrorists" be blamed this time, if these reports are correct.
Middle
East Tarbabies - Canaan: Turkey pledges
peacekeepers for Lebanon
Long Beach Press-Telegram
"Turkey on Tuesday became the first Muslim country with diplomatic
ties to Israel to pledge troops to an expanding international peacekeeping
force that will monitor a fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah.
Hundreds of Lebanese army troops rolled into southern villages after Israeli
soldiers withdrew from five of them, slow but steady steps toward implementing
a U.N.-brokered peace plan agreed last month." (09/05/06)
As I recall,
the last time Turkish troops were in Canaan was just before Allenby sent
them packing during World War One - I wonder how the Arabs, especially,
will view the return of their old Imperial masters? Especially as "secular"
Muslims. For all intents and purposes, no "faithful" Muslim
would consider Turkey to be anything but renegade, even if still part
of the Ummah.
Mama's
Note: This ought to be just dandy... and another good excuse for Muslims
to kill Muslims all over the place. I have a hard time understanding why
some Americans are so worried these people will attack us directly en
mass. They can't agree on the time of day, let alone anything more important.
Leave the dead to bury their own dead...
NORTH AMERICAN
UNION - Cuba: Castro
recovering, plans meetings
ABC News
"Cuban leader Fidel Castro said he has put the worst of his health
crisis behind him and will be able to receive foreign dignitaries in private
during a summit of developing nations next week. But the left-wing firebrand
said in a statement published on Tuesday that a full recovery from the
undisclosed illness that forced him to turn over power to his brother
will take a long time. Castro, 80, said he lost 41 lbs (18.6 kg) in a
few days after undergoing emergency surgery to stop intestinal bleeding
caused by an unexpected health problem on July 26." (09/05/06)
The clock
is definitely ticking, however - and what will happen afterwards? For
that matter, without his hand on the wheel - what will happen?
Mama's
Note: I very much believe that the time left to this man will be determined
by his lifestyle decisions. Whether the intestinal problem was cancer
or not, I suspect it was brought on by a lifetime of heavy drinking. He
may gain a few more years of life if he can give that up now. If not,
then his time is short.
NORTH AMERICAN
UNION - Mexico: Lawmakers block Fox's
speech
Yahoo! News
"Vicente Fox was forced to forego the last state-of-the-nation
address of his presidency Friday after leftist lawmakers stormed the stage
of Congress to protest disputed July 2 elections. It was the first time
in modern Mexican history a president hasn't given the annual address
to Congress. ... The opposition lawmakers took over the stage in Congress,
waving Mexican flags and holding placards calling Fox a traitor to democracy.
They ignored demands that they return to their seats, shouting 'Vote by
Vote' -- a rallying cry for Lopez Obrador's bid for a full recount in
the election. They raised up leather-bound copies of the Mexican Constitution
and flashed the victory sign. Fox left without entering the congressional
chamber and the session was adjourned. ... Fearing violent protests, authorities
earlier surrounded Congress for up to 10 blocks with multiple layers of
steel barriers; attack dogs in cages, ready to be released; water cannons;
and riot police in full protective gear. Entire neighborhoods were sealed
off, preventing some of the city's sprawling markets from opening, and
nearby subway stations were shut down." (09/01/06)
Civil war
is just that much closer. People simply do not seem to understand the
impact such a war would have on the United States.
2006 Political
Campaigns: OH Libertarians beat political
suppression law
Cleveland Plain Dealer
"A federal appeals court struck down a chunk of Ohio's election
laws that traditionally have made it difficult for minor political parties
to get candidates on the ballot. The 2-1 ruling Wednesday by the 6th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati was sought by the Libertarian Party
of Ohio, which contended that the state's electoral system was designed
to favor candidates chosen by Republicans and Democrats." (09/07/06)
Don't expect
this to make a bit of difference. If elections could change anything,
they'd be against the law - a cynical attitude, but one increasingly matching
the current situation in Ohio and the rest of the former American Union.
2006 Political
Campaigns: CT
Pollster pleads guilty to fraud
Free New Mexican
"The owner of DataUSA Inc., a company that conducted political
polls for the campaigns of President George W. Bush, US Sen. Joe Lieberman
and other candidates, pleaded guilty to fraud for making up survey and
poll results. Tracy Costin pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of conspiracy
to commit wire fraud. Costin, 46, faces a maximum of five years in prison
and a fine of up to $250,000 when she is sentenced Nov. 30. As part of
her plea agreement, Costin agreed to repay $82,732 to the unidentified
clients for 11 jobs between June 2002 and May 2004. DataUSA is now known
as Viewpoint USA. According to a federal indictment, Costin told employees
to alter poll data, and managers at the company told employees to 'talk
to cats and dogs' when instructing them to fabricate the surveys."
(09/07/06)
Nothing
but the tip of the iceberg, I'm sure. Of course, this lady is a lot more
stupid than most people who cook surveys -she was just itching to get
caught. Don't trust any poll - no matter how much you WANT to.
2006 Political
Campaigns: DC Final Gasp of Congress
(Baby gets hold of hammer)
Casper Star-Tribune
"Republicans controlling Congress will focus on traditional strong
suits of national defense and battling terrorism in a brief pre-election
session that's a prelude to the battle for control of Capitol Hill. The
September session kicking off this week will focus on security issues
-- the defense and homeland security budgets, border and port security,
as well as efforts to give congressional blessing to the National Security
Agency's warrantless wiretaps of terrorist suspects." (09/05/06)
What a
joke! I surely don't expect too much mischief to come out of this, fortunately.
Mama's
Note: "Baby" has had a hammer, a knife, and a bazooka for a
long time now. One election, more or less, isn't apt to make a bit of
difference to that, but a divided house with opposing parties in the various
components might just give us a little relief through gridlock. Don't
hold your breath, of course.
2006 Political
Campaigns: For Democrats, Senate fight
a long shot
Boston Globe
"Senate Democrats enter the fall political season needing both
a storm of anger toward President Bush and a series of unlikely breaks
to seize control of America's House of Lords. Conventional wisdom is that
they don't have the hounds to do it. Democrats need to snatch six seats
from Republican hands, and only one -- in Pennsylvania, where Rick Santorum's
conservative voting record is out of step with his moderate state -- seems
a clear bet. Instead, Democrats are hoping that anger toward President
Bush motivates undecided voters to back Democratic challengers against
relatively undistinguished GOP incumbents in the conservative-leaning
states of Montana (Conrad Burns), Missouri (Jim Talent), and Ohio (Mike
DeWine). Still, the incumbent Republicans are either slightly ahead or
within striking distance in polls, so a big Bush backlash would be crucial
to Democratic chances." (09/05/06)
My, such
language! But everything seems to be too close to call.
2006 Political
Campaigns: NH Alciere challenged by
write-in opponent
Nashua Telegraph
"An unabashed proponent of cop killing is going up against a local
attorney mounting a write-in campaign next week for the Republican Senate
nomination in District 13 in Nashua. It is one of the more interesting
and watched races that will be decided during the upcoming Sept. 12 primary.
Tom Alciere, 47, resigned from his position as a state representative
in 2001 after controversial statements on his Web site were brought to
light. Five years later, those views haven't changed. Alciere wants to
repeal all drug laws and has no sympathy for police officers killed while
enforcing those laws. [RRND editor's note: OK, now we have a test
case on whether or not "pure" or "pragmatic" positions
identified with libertarianism do better at the polls. Let's see which
balloted candidate gets a higher percentage of the vote total versus a
write-in -- Alciere in New Hampshire, or Smither in Texas - TLK] (09/08/06)
Tom has
a great idea here, if we keep in mind that the voters of New Hampshire
and Texas are very different folks indeed.
2006 Political
Campaigns: OH Libertarians beat political
suppression law
Cleveland Plain Dealer
"A federal appeals court struck down a chunk of Ohio's election
laws that traditionally have made it difficult for minor political parties
to get candidates on the ballot. The 2-1 ruling Wednesday by the 6th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati was sought by the Libertarian Party
of Ohio, which contended that the state's electoral system was designed
to favor candidates chosen by Republicans and Democrats." (09/07/06)
So some
libertarians were able to finally convince a panel of judges (well, 2
out of 3) of the truth - which must mean that the Demos and GOP have already
found a workaround solution to having a lot more candidates on the ballot
- like about 2/3 of the states have - use the press and "nonpartisan"
organizations like the League of Women Voters to shut the candidates out
- on the ballot or not.
2006 Political
Campaigns: Poll- Voters anti-incumbent,
angry
CNN
"Most Americans are angry about 'something' when it comes to how
the country is run, and they are more likely than in previous years to
vote for a challenger this November, a new poll suggests. A majority of
Americans surveyed -- and a higher percentage than recorded during the
same time last year -- said things in the United States are going 'badly.'
Among this year's respondents, 29 percent said 'pretty badly' and 25 percent
-- up from 15 percent a month ago -- answered 'very badly.' By comparison,
37 percent described the way things are going as 'fairly well,' and 9
percent answered 'very well.'" (09/04/06)
Will this
really translate to votes, or will we just see more apathy? I'll have
to vote for apathy, really. Assuming I'm even going to vote, of course.
For one thing, more and more people are realizing that just "throwing
the rascals out" does nothing but give new faces to do the same old
things.
Mama's
Note: The big problem is that even the "angry" people have no
idea that they must take personal responsibility for their own lives.
They are angry because the government isn't taking good care of them and
the economy is getting worse. They don't understand the real reasons for
any of it, and just want government to "fix" it, as usual. As
long as this is why most are "angry," nothing will change except
for the worse.
2006 Political
Campaigns: Security front and center
in Capitol posturing
San Francisco Chronicle
"Congress returned Tuesday for a highly charged pre-election session
in which Republicans portrayed Democrats as dangerously weak on national
security, while the minority party -- sensing victory in November -- struck
back with its argument that Republicans have bungled the war in Iraq and
made the nation less safe against a possible terrorist strike. At stake
in the rhetorical contest is control of the House and Senate when Americans
vote Nov. 7. House and Senate Republican leaders hope to take up several
pieces of legislation by the scheduled Sept. 29 congressional recess aimed
at polishing the party's credentials on national security, the GOP's trump
card in the 2002 and 2004 elections. In the process, they will virtually
dare Democrats to oppose or obstruct their plans." (09/06/06)
Of course,
FIRST they must deal with REALLY REALLY CRITICAL issues like whether it
should be evil and wrong to eat horsemeat. (See the article in "Stupid
Guvmint Tricks" section.)
2006 Political
Campaigns: Some
GOP candidates change war message
Fox News
"As Republicans try to maintain majorities in the House and Senate
in November, some members of Congress who are seeking reelection are starting
to distance themselves from the Bush administration on the war in Iraq.
Walking a tightrope between the White House and their constituents at
home, some Republicans say they continue to support the war but are not
happy with how it has been conducted. Perhaps no other Republican exemplifies
this subtle position shift more than Rep. Chris Shays, R-Conn., who surprised
everyone recently by calling for a 'timeframe' for U.S withdrawal from
Iraq. 'I believe that our troops cannot be there indefinitely. I believe
we need to have a sense of when our troops can withdraw,' Shays told reporters."
(09/06/06)
If you
thought that Republicans had principles. (Of course, Shays is about as
much a Republican as the "GOP" senator from the same state.)
More
News and Commentary Page 2 -- Our right to defend ourselves
and other good stuff.
Nathan
Barton is writing this from a wonderful place in the West, which might
be in the Black Hills of South Dakota or Wyoming, or might be in one of
the Four Corners States. Exactly where it is, the breezes blow with the
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
to visit my blog, Liberty's
Outpost.
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