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October
09, 2006
Libertarian
Commentary on the News, 7 - 14 October, 2006
A slight variation in format this week, starting with North Korea’s
week’s surprise and going on from there:
Korean
Front:
North Korea says nuclear test successful
Fall River Herald News
"North Korea said Monday it has performed its first-ever nuclear
weapons test. U.S. and South Korean officials could not immediately confirm
the report. The South Korean seismic monitoring center confirmed that
tremors felt at the time of the alleged test were not natural occurrence.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said information still needed to be
analyzed to determine whether North Korea truly conducted the test."
(10/08/06)
This
triggered a week of panic and reaction, as everyone around the world suddenly
seemed to forget about Iran (and some even about Iraq) to concentrate
on Korea. The UN reacted with its usual speed (see later story), and by
the end of the week, technical analysis was indicating that this may very
well have been a type of Potemkin village: that it was really just a large
conventional explosive trying to simulate a nuclear explosion, or a failed
attempt to set off a device.
Korean
Front:
Bush rejects idea of talks with N.
Korea
Indianapolis Star
"President Bush unapologetically defended his approach to North
Korea's nuclear weapons program Wednesday, pledging he would not change
course despite contentions that Pyongyang's apparent atomic test proved
the failure of his nearly six years of effort. Bush rejected the idea
of direct U.S.-North Korea talks, saying the Koreans were more likely
to listen if confronted with the combined protest of many nations."
(10/11/06)
For once,
Bush is taking the “cooperative” approach so beloved of his
opponents, but events show that the “cooperative” approach takes
a lot of time and is watered down to very little meaning at all, as we
see in the next three or four stories.
Korean
Front:
UN weighs sanctions against North Korea
Corvallis Gazette-Times
"The world lined up against North Korea on Monday for staging a nuclear
test denounced even by key allies. President Bush called it 'a threat
to international peace and security,' and the U.N. Security Council weighed
severe sanctions to punish the impoverished communist nation. There was
no talk of military action. But the Security Council quickly condemned
North Korea's decision to flout a U.N. appeal to cancel the test after
the reclusive regime announced it had set off an underground atomic explosion."
(10/10/06)
“Lining
up” is not the same as “doing something that will make a difference,”
obviously.
Mama's
Note: Of course they are insane. The definition of insanity is doing the
same thing over and over, expecting different results. The "sanctions"
have worked so well in Cuba, Iraq, and so many other places, haven't they?
And further starving the Koreans will accomplish exactly what? They don't
have any oil to trade for food, now do they?
Korean
Front:
Democrats assail Bush's N. Korea policy
Longmont Daily Times-Call
"Democrats seized on North Korea's brazen act to criticize President
Bush's record in confronting the communist regime, contending the administration's
focus on Iraq ignored legitimate threats. Democratic Sen. John Kerry,
the president's rival in 2004 and a potential 2008 candidate, assailed
Bush's policy as a 'shocking failure,' and said, 'While we've been bogged
down in Iraq where there were no weapons of mass destruction, a madman
has apparently tested the ultimate weapon of mass destruction.'"
(10/09/06)
You can
tell it is an election year, of course, as the opposition party screams
about how Bush hasn’t been tough enough on N. Korea and how the US
needs to unilaterally take action (a position about 180 degrees from a
lot of previous screams). Election-year politics demands that they take
the opposite view – heaven forbid that they agree with him on the
color of the sky, much less anything else.
Mama's
Note: Oh, I love that last line. A "madman" with a "weapon
of mass destruction?" They seem to forget the incredible arsenal
of them now firmly controlled by the little madman in the White House...
Korean
Front:
UN close to sanctions for North Korea
Monroe News Star
"Key U.N. Security Council members moved closer to agreement late
Thursday on a U.S.-proposed resolution that would impose sanctions but
no military measures against North Korea because of its claimed nuclear
test. The United States reported significant progress in bridging differences
with Russia and China, which had sought to moderate the tough sanctions
proposed in the U.S. draft resolution." (10/12/06)
So Bolton
thought, on Thursday. But two days later…. (next story)
Korean
Front:
Russia, China may delay N Korea Vote
Denver Post
Despite winning key concessions, Russia and China raised new objections
that could delay a vote Saturday on a U.N. Security Council resolution
imposing punishing sanctions on North Korea for its claimed nuclear test.
U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said the changes sought by Moscow and Beijing
were essentially technical in nature and a vote may still be possible
Saturday. (10/14/06)
This is
as of midmorning on Saturday – six days after. So much for the UN
being able to make any difference. In 1967, the Six-Day War was already
over in the same amount of time. Hitler was already in Brussels and possibly
in Paris six days after the invasion, as I recall. What stupidity –
even if it turns out this is just a trick on the part of Kim.
Afghan
Front:
Afghanistan: Occupation chief seeks
Pakistani aid
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
"NATO's commander in Afghanistan praised Pakistan's role in the
war on terror but pressed the country's president on Tuesday for more
cooperation to combat militancy, a Pakistani official said. British Gen.
David Richards met President Gen. Pervez Musharraf in the capital, Islamabad,
days after the alliance took over military control from the United States
for all of Afghanistan. ... On Sunday, Richards told The Associated Press
that Afghanistan was at a 'tipping point' and warned that if there were
no visible improvements in people's lives in the next six months people
would likely switch their allegiances to the Taliban." (10/10/06)
Asking
the vulture to protect the kill from the jackal? Richards is clearly infected
with “Westernitis” – the idea that physical comfort is
so important that it always dictates religious and cultural decisions.
Afghan
Front:
Canada troops battle 10-foot Afghan
marijuana plants
CNN
"Canadian troops fighting Taliban militants in Afghanistan have
stumbled across an unexpected and potent enemy -- almost impenetrable
forests of marijuana plants 10 feet tall. General Rick Hillier, chief
of the Canadian defense staff, said Thursday that Taliban fighters were
using the forests as cover. In response, the crew of at least one armored
car had camouflaged their vehicle with marijuana." (10/12/06)
And here
we thought poppies were the REAL problem in Afghanistan. Seriously, how
potent can they be? Will Canadian troops bring back Kandahar Gold and
start exporting it to the US?
Mama's
Note: This one was all over the message boards this week. I almost fell
out of my chair laughing when I read they decided NOT to try burning any
more of it because it was too wet. They probably forgot to mention that
they all got high as a kite in the meantime! What a joke.
Afghan
Front:
Ex-Gitmo detainees arrive in Afghanistan
Elkhart Truth
"Sixteen Afghans and one Iranian released from years in captivity
at the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, arrived in Afghanistan on
Thursday, an Afghan official said. The 16 Afghans appeared at a news conference
alongside Sibghatullah Mujaddedi, head of Afghanistan's reconciliation
commission, which assists with the release of detainees from Guantanamo
and the U.S. Prison at the Bagram military base north of Kabul."
(10/12/06)
It is hard
to imagine a similar headline in late 1944 – “French Nazis released
from POW camps arrive in Paris” while a hundred miles away, US forces
were still fighting Nazi troops in the Battle of the Bulge. How stupidly
do we Americans wage the Long War?
Culture
Wars:
Court rejects 'Roe vs. Wade' companion
case
Arizona Republic
"The Supreme Court on Tuesday turned aside the case of Sandra
Cano, one of the women behind the legalization of abortion, who had sought
to reverse the victory she won 33 years ago. Cano says she never wanted
an abortion and that her difficult early life resulted in her becoming
the anonymous plaintiff in Doe vs. Bolton, the lesser-known case which
the justices ruled on the same day in 1973 as Roe vs. Wade. 'We're very
disappointed that the Supreme Court has not decided to protect women and
children from the harm of abortion," said Allan Parker, Cano's attorney.
"The court has aborted the normal regulation of medicine in this
area.' Cano says she was a 22-year-old victim of an abusive husband and
that her children were in foster care when she sought legal assistance
in getting a divorce and in getting her children back. She said an aggressive
attorney pushed her into the abortion case." (10/11/06)
This does
not bode well for those who hope that the new Court will overturn Roe
v. Wade. But at the same time, the pro-life forces realized that this
was a long shot, at best.
Mama's
Note: Seems to me that people have to make up their mind if this "court"
can honestly legalize murder or not, regardless of whether the issue is
abortion or the president's new gulag powers. If not, then we must do
whatever is necessary to stop the murder.
Culture
Wars:
MO: Idiot
pols pass smoking ban
Columbia Missourian
"In a 4-3 vote that hinged largely on worries about the health
of people who work in bars and restaurants, the Columbia City Council
made history early Tuesday morning by banning smoking in bars, restaurants
and many other public places. The new ordinance will take effect Jan.
9, giving business owners and their patrons about 90 days to adjust. The
vote took place about 1 a.m., after more than 60 people offered their
views during a 4 1/2-hour public hearing and after the council debated
the bill and various amendments for another hour and a half." (10/10/06)
I cannot
imagine that the job market is so tight in Columbia – given the crying
need for workers all over Missouri and the nation – that people are
being enslaved by bar and restaurant owners.
European
Front:
France:
Assembly passes censorship bill
Houston Chronicle
"France's National Assembly, defying appeals from Turkey, approved
legislation Thursday that would make it a crime to deny that the mass
killings of Armenians in Turkey during and after World War I were genocide.
The legislation, which was criticized by Turkey's government and some
European Union officials, could further complicate talks for Turkey's
admission to the Union. With 106 deputies voting in favor and 19 against,
the law sets fines of up to 45,000 euros, or about $56,000, and a year
in prison for denying the genocide. Of the 577 members of the Assembly,
four abstained and 448 did not vote at all, raising the question of whether
there would be enough political will to push the law through the Senate."
(10/13/06)
Another
stupid “line-in-the-sand” law that makes no sense, except from
the point of view of totalitarian government: of regulating EVERYTHING.
Why not make it a crime to deny that the earth is round? Or a crime to
deny that the French government is perhaps the most idiotic in the First
World?
European
Front:
Germany: Leftover jelly triggers German
security alert
Yahoo! News
"A small pile of leftover jelly discarded beside the road after
a wedding party caused a large-scale security alert in Germany with biochemical
experts, firemen and police called in to investigate."Passersby called
police after finding a pool of a flabby red, orange and green substance
on the roadside," a police spokesman in the eastern town of Halle
told Reuters on Monday. Fears of toxic waste led to the closure of a wide
area after the emergency call on Sunday, and experts wearing chemical
warfare suits spent two hours examining the gelatinous substance before
deciding that it was -- jelly." (10/09/06)
Yahoo is
apparently using the word “jelly” in the Queen’s English
definition as being gelatin (one trademark being JELL-O ™). It must
have been a relief to the first responders, of course, and they did what
was proper. But panic is still panic, and people should know better.
European
Front:
UK: Doormat
tested in the name of art
BBC News [UK]
"A man is receiving a council pay-out for walking on the spot
on a doormat all day long in a Northumberland town. Performance artist
Ian Thorley is being paid £1,600 for his week-long 'Utilitarian
Utopia' in Ashington's main shopping street. He wears a badge stating
he is a government doormat tester and the project aims to be 'thought
provoking.' ... Entitled 'Temporary Address,' the total cost is £43,000,
with the two councils contributing £6,000 each." (10/11/06)
How stupid
a government trick is this? I wonder where the other 41K pounds are going
to?
Mama's
Note: Having seen some of the "art" bought by various local
governments, the people in Northumberland can be glad that this one is
temporary and they won't have to look at it or clean the pigeon dung off
it for a hundred years to come. What a total waste of perfectly good stolen
money!
European
Front:
UK:
Move to ban smoking in the street
Telegraph [UK]
"The Government is to consider allowing councils to ban smoking in
the street. From next summer, smoking in enclosed public places will be
illegal and those caught lighting up may be fined. But now the Department
of Health is considering a Westminster council request that it should
be allowed to create smoking "exclusion zones" outside bars,
restaurants, clubs or workplaces so those caught smoking there could be
punished." (10/10/06)
Follow
up to Columbia, MO (see story above). Europe is also a front in the culture
war. I don’t know if the entire anti-smoking effort has been planned
out in phases but you might be excused for thinking it was so:
1. Mandatory no-smoking areas/rooms
2. Banning smoking in public rooms of buildings
3. Banning smoking in any room of public buildings
4. Banning smoking in any room of any business.
5. Banning smoking in “enclosed public areas” not in buildings.
6. Banning smoking in exclusion zones around public and business buildings.
7. Banning smoking in apartments where there is a chance of smoke traveling
to other parts of the building.
8. Banning smoking in private homes with children or where children might
come.
9. Banning smoking in all private homes.
10. Banning smoking in all woods and other environmentally-sensitive areas.
11. Banning smoking. Period.
Mama's
Note: We are not smokers, just believe that those who wish to indulge
have the right to do so on their own property (or with permission from
the property owner) and at their own risk. The whole idea of "public
property" makes this issue so much more complicated than it needs
to be... along with a lot of other things.
GOVERNMENT-RUN,
TAX-FUNDED SCHOOLS:
Boy banned from school lunchroom because
of two snacks
Telegraph [UK]
A boy aged 10 has been banned from his school dining hall because his
packed lunch broke the government's healthy eating guidelines. The father
of Ryan Stupples is protesting after his son was forced to eat in the
headmaster's office at Lunsford primary school, Larkfield, Kent, because
his lunch contained two snacks, instead of one. Ryan's lunch consisted
of a sandwich, fruit, fromage frais, cake, mini cheese biscuits and a
bottle of water. The cake and the biscuits broke the snack limit. They
were discovered when a teacher checked his lunch box.
No doubt
the teacher was searching the child’s lunchbox to make sure he didn’t
have an illegal sword, gun, or Bible in the box. What can I say? Insanity
reigns. Get your kids out!
GOVERNMENT-RUN,
TAX-FUNDED SCHOOLS:
Suddenly,
vocational training back in vogue
Christian Science Monitor
"Six years ago, as his 11th-grade classmates struggled with the
college-application ritual, Toby Hughes tried to envision his future.
A Georgia honors student with a 1350 SAT score, he knew he wanted to go
into computer science, so he went to local computer companies and asked
what they wanted in an employee. 'They told me I would be more marketable
if I had practical technical training as opposed to theoretical academic
training,' says Mr. Hughes. He began taking specialized computer-networking
classes while still in high school, landed a $52,000 job after graduating,
and now, at 24, makes well past that. Similar scenarios are repeating
so often that the world of career technical training -- once known somewhat
disparagingly as 'vocational training' -- is experiencing a renaissance
in America. Enrollment in technical education soared by 57 percent --
from 9.6 million students in 1999 to 15.1 million in 2004, the US Department
of Education reported to Congress." [Editor's note: My nephew,
Eric, figured this out a while ago, and is well on his way to becoming
an expert welder, among his other many talents - SAT] (10/12/06)
Out here
in the West, VoTech (no disparagement intended) has never been out of
vogue – once again demonstrating the vast difference between real
world and the media world. Not everyone has to have a college degree to
do well – or to do what they want to. Despite GRTF school propaganda.
GOVERNMENT-RUN,
TAX-FUNDED SCHOOLS:
TN: Teachers union head says give kids
cash
Tennessean
"Students at two Metro [Nashville] elementary schools should be
given cash awards totaling $400,000 based on their performance, Jamye
Merritt, the teachers union president, told the school board Tuesday.
Merritt also addressed claims at the school board meeting that her organization
mismanaged the vote in which union members rejected a performance-based
incentive plan that would give them bonuses up to $6,000 each if students
performed better compared with last year. Merritt also stood by her decision
not to publicize the number of members who voted. 'I want us to be clear
that the vote was conducted in the same way all official votes of the
MNEA membership are conducted,' she said to the board. 'It was a fair
and secret-ballot vote.'" (10/11/06)
Just in
case you were wondering just what to do with that “extra” cash
in your pockets. As you can see, the educrats have already solved that
burning problem for you.
Home Front:
$1 million for arrest of American al
Qaeda charged with treason
CNN
"An American al Qaeda propagandist was indicted Wednesday on treason
charges, the first person charged with the offense during the United States'
war on terrorism, officials said. Adam Yahiye Gadahn, who has appeared
in five al Qaeda videos, is also charged with offering material support
for terrorism, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty said. He has
been put on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list, and the State Department
is offering a $1 million reward for information leading to his arrest
and conviction." (10/11/06)
This, for
once, appears to be a legitimate charge: the man has appeared on the videos,
apparently more than willing to do so. Does it make up for dozens of bogus
charges and arrests? No, of course not.
Mama's
Note: I wonder how many false arrests and "convictions" will
result from the 1M "reward." Sigh
Home Front:
Jury selection begins in terror funding
trial
Santa Barbara News-Press
"Jury selection began Thursday in the trial of two men charged
with bankrolling terrorism aimed at toppling Israel's government. Muhammad
Salah, 53, from suburban Bridgeview, and Abdelhaleem Ashqar, 48, of Alexandria,
Va., are charged with operating a 15-year racketeering conspiracy to supply
the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas with money to carry out a campaign
of murders and kidnappings." (10/12/06)
Considerably
less clear than the Gadahn case above, this little bit of prosecution
has a lot more gray, and a lot is going to be expected out of these jurymen.
Home Front:
AK: Villagers refuse Venezuelan oil
Portsmouth Herald
"In Alaska's native villages, the punishing winter cold is already
coming through the walls of the lightly insulated plywood homes, many
of the villagers are desperately poor, and heating-oil prices are among
the highest in the nation. And yet a few villages are refusing free heating
oil from Venezuela, on the patriotic [sic] principle that no foreigner
has the right to call their president 'the devil.'" (10/10/06)
Little
bits of propaganda all over the place. “Lightly insulated” they
may be by Alaska standards, but native housing is far better prepared
for Alaska winters than most homes in the lower 48 are for our winters.
And poor does not equal lack of pride nor lack of patriotism – but
their own feelings towards DC are far more mixed than any mainstream media
story is willing to portray. Just because they don’t want to accept
money from an ex-military thug like Chavez doesn’t mean they are
the jingoists this article makes them sound.
Mama's
Note: Why are heating oil prices so high in Alaska? Don't they produce
the stuff right there? The government gives away money all the time that
is generated by the oil industry, so it doesn't make sense these people
would be without, even absent any handout. Something mighty fishy here...
beyond the political slant of the article, of course.
Home Front:
Bush sets refugee ceiling
at 70,000 for 2007
MSNBC
"President Bush said Wednesday that up to 70,000 refugees from
around the world can be admitted to the United States in the next year.
Bush declared the figure in a memo to the secretary of state, as he does
each year after consulting with Congress as required by law. Bush has
set the figure at 70,000 each time. The United States admitted 69,304
refugees in 2001 but suspended admissions briefly after the terrorist
attacks of Sept. 11, 2001." (10/12/06)
70,000
compared to 1 million + illegals? Who is fooling whom?
Mama's
Note: As I understand it, "refugees" are quite separate from
immigrants, illegal or otherwise.
Home Front:
Lower standards help Army recruit more
Morganton News Herald
"The U.S. Army recruited more than 2,600 soldiers under new lower
aptitude standards this year, helping the service beat its goal of 80,000
recruits in the throes of an unpopular war and mounting casualties. The
recruiting mark comes a year after the Army missed its recruitment target
by the widest margin since 1979, which had triggered a boost in the number
of recruiters, increased bonuses, and changes in standards." (10/09/06)
The Army
responded as expected, and as any business would do – when you need
a certain supply of whatever, including employees, you either raise your
prices, lower your standards, or both – and that is just what the
Army will continue to do, if Congress lets it. Calls for a draft have
not come from military ranks, but from Congress (and usually those who
are opposed to the current involvement in Iraq – so go figure).
Home Front:
MA: Iraq pullout resolution on ballot
Boston Globe
"Voters in more than one-third of Massachusetts' cities and towns
will get a rare chance to register their opinion on the war in Iraq next
month when they consider a ballot question on whether the United States
should immediately withdraw all troops. The nonbinding question asks voters
in all or parts of 139 municipalities whether their state representative
should be instructed to vote in favor of a resolution calling on President
Bush and Congress to end the war and bring the soldiers home. The American
Friends Service Committee, one of several groups that organized volunteers
to fan out across the state to collect signatures in the spring and summer
to get the question on ballots, said yesterday that more voters can consider
the Nov. 7 ballot question than any other advisory policy issue in state
history." (10/11/06)
Good idea?
For a slavish believer in “democracy,” yes. For anyone else,
a qualified maybe should be as far as you go. Remember that Massachusetts
was the first state to start babbling about secession, about 1810 or so
– and continued until the crusade to end slavery was firmly linked
to the Union cause. At minimum, this is incredibly naïve – the
idea that the “elected representatives” of the Commonwealth
would listen to mere voters on any “advisory” opinion is as
ludicrous as expecting Teddy Kennedy (one of those elected representatives)
to ‘fess up about a certain car ride.
Home Front:
New lawsuits
challenge Congress's detainee act
Christian Science Monitor
"President Bush has yet to sign into law Congress's new terror-detainee
legislation, but defense lawyers are already asking federal judges to
strike down key parts of the measure as unconstitutional. Two suits were
filed this week in US District Court here. At issue: Whether the new antiterror
legislation retroactively strips the courts of jurisdiction to hear detainee
cases, and if so, would that amount to an unconstitutional suspension
of the writ of habeas corpus. Lawyers rushed to file suit before the measure,
the Military Commissions Act of 2006, was signed into law. 'By filing
when we did, we wanted to make sure that at least we preserved the retroactivity
argument,' says Michael Ratner of the New York-based Center for Constitutional
Rights, which filed both suits." (10/06/06)
Well, one
can scarcely accuse these lawyers of being slow off the mark. Will it
make a difference? I’m not holding my breath.
Mama's
Note: Sounds like a terrific way for these lawyers to rake in the big
bucks for as long as the suckers will pay them. The court is firmly in
the hands of the government, so it is impossible for them to force any
real integrity on their paymasters. Not going to happen. The courts answer
to the government, not the people.
Home Front:
Texas man sentenced for terrorist deals
Monterey Herald
"A former computer company executive was sentenced Wednesday to
seven years in prison for conspiring to launder money for an official
of the militant Palestinian group Hamas. Bayan Elashi was convicted last
year in federal court on charges accusing him of having financial dealings
with a terrorist. Prosecutors said Elashi and two of his brothers tried
to hide a $250,000 investment in their Richardson computer company by
the Hamas official, Mousa Abu Marzook, by making it look like his wife's
money." (10/11/06)
Worth seven
years? Probably not – considering that the usual penalty for lying
like this is much less. But these people acted stupidly and got caught
playing with fire. Now, if we could just see some of the politicians who
accept foreign “investments” from such places as China and Venezuela
get the same sort of thing.
Home Front:
The south turns
against the Iraq war
CounterPunch
"Despite strong early support for the Iraq war in the South, the
region's opposition to the war now matches national levels -- and by some
measures frustration is higher in the South than elsewhere in the country.
Those are the findings of a new public opinion poll run by the Institute
for Southern Studies and the School of Public and International Affairs
at North Carolina State University." (10/12/06)
These opinion
polls are of course worth slightly less than the electrons used to publish
them – so take this with a grain of salt, especially considering
NCSU as the source of the study. But the likelihood is that dissatisfaction
with the Bush handling of Iraq is growing in all parts of the country.
Home Front:
Teen Questioned About Bush Threat
in MySpace
AOLnews
She posted a picture of the president, scrawled "Kill Bush"
across the top and drew a dagger stabbing his outstretched hand. She later
replaced her page on the social-networking site after learning in her
eighth-grade history class that such threats are a federal offense. It
was too late. Federal authorities had found the page and placed Wilson
on their checklist. They finally reached her this week in her molecular
biology class. The 14-year-old freshman was taken out of class Wednesday
and questioned for about 15 minutes by two Secret Service agents. The
incident has upset her parents, who said the agents should have included
them when they questioned their daughter.
I suppose
that we haven’t yet reached the point where the two feds just take
her out and “disappear” her – but are we that far away
from it? And what will her teachers, classmates, and anyone else do to
her? One things for sure – she hasn’t been intimidated; the
story ends: “Julia Wilson plans to post a new MySpace.com page, this
one devoted to organizing other students to protest the Iraq war. ‘I
decided today I think I will because it (the questioning) went too far,’
she said.”
Mama's
Note: The other question here is: Why is this child still in government
school? I'd think this was a wakeup call for her parents, especially if
they taught her to think for herself this way.
The Iraqi
Front:
2,660 Iraq civilians killed in September
Rockford Register Star
"More than 2,660 Iraqi civilians were killed in Baghdad in September,
according to new Health Ministry figures - 400 more than the month before
despite an intensified U.S.-Iraqi sweep aimed at reining in violence.
The numbers indicate how tough the vital battle to secure Baghdad has
proven amid a wave of bloodshed this year, not only from Sunni Arab insurgents
but also from Shiite and Sunni death squads who kidnap and kill members
of the opposing sect." (10/11/06)
We’ve
seen these reported day-by-day, but the total number is staggering, given
a population of about 25 million: this is the equivalent of having nearly
32,000 Americans killed by violence in one month. This is what a country
seeped in Arabic culture and wracked by Muslim-on-Muslim violence has
to live with: so much for the “religion of peace.” Northern
Ireland was never this bad.
The Iraqi
Front:
Army: Troops to stay in Iraq until
2010
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
"For planning purposes, the Army is gearing up to keep current
troop levels in Iraq for another four years, a new indication that conditions
there are too unstable to foresee an end to the war. Gen. Peter Schoomaker,
the Army chief of staff, cautioned against reading too much into the planning,
which is done far in advance to prepare the right mix of combat units
for expected deployments. He noted that it is easier to scale back later
if conditions allow, than to ramp up if they don't." (10/11/06)
Many of
us predicted this – keeping in mind that the occupation of Japan
lasted a minimum of 15 years and that of Germany between 10 and 20 years,
depending on what is considered the “end” – a 2010 date
would only be 7 years. But I doubt even a new Republican administration
in 2009 will be able to sustain this occupation, as the next story hints.
The Iraqi
Front:
Baker panel preparing Iraq alternatives
Johnson City Press
"James A. Baker III, the former secretary of state with a long-standing
reputation of service to Republican presidents and the Bush family in
particular, has joined a list of prominent Republicans raising questions
about the administration's Iraq policy. Co-chairman of a bipartisan commission
studying what to do next in the wartorn country, Baker said his panel
is preparing to recommend that President Bush consider options other than
his 'stay-the-course' strategy in Iraq." (10/09/06)
It will
be interesting to see what they can come up with – I suspect we may
see a revival of the basic concept of the post-WW2 Morganthau plan for
Germany: break up the country into a very loose federation and leave them
to stew in their own juices.
Mama's
Note: That's what I've been saying for a very long time... but then, what
do I know?
The Iraqi
Front:
General:
Iraq attacks on occupiers up sharply
San Jose Mercury News
"Armed attacks on U.S. soldiers and Iraqis in Baghdad have increased
by 43 percent since midsummer, despite an ongoing American-led campaign
to secure individual neighborhoods, the top U.S. military spokesman in
Iraq said Thursday. Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV said violence was
down by 11 percent in neighborhoods where the sweeps had been focused.
But that decline was more than offset by more attacks elsewhere, and Caldwell
said the military was expecting the level of violence to keep rising during
the remaining weeks of the Muslim month of Ramadan." (10/13/06)
It is precisely
because of the intense campaign to secure neighborhoods that the attacks
have increased, of course – the butchers realize that the troops
can’t be everywhere. And I expect his prediction of things getting
worse will be fulfilled.
The Iraqi
Front:
Iraq: 21 killed, TV station assaulted
Wilson Daily Times
"Gunmen stormed the headquarters of a new Sunni Arab satellite
television station Thursday, killing the board chairman and 10 others,
the second attack on an Iraqi station in the capital in as many weeks.
The people killed in the brazen morning assault were among at least 21
people who died in attacks that centered on Baghdad, including a suicide
bomber who slammed into a police patrol on his motorcycle and a coordinated
double bombing of a central square." (10/12/06)
Again,
this is NOT an attack on the occupation troops or even on the existing
Iraqi government: it is an attack on a media outlet – in some eyes,
more justified morally than attacks on other civilians, or even on pure
military targets. It is yet another example of the massive Muslim-on-Muslim
violence common throughout the Arab world and very intense in Iraq.
The Iraqi
Front:
Mess hall boss arrested for sickening
Iraqi troops
CNN
"Iraqi authorities have arrested the man in charge of the mess
hall in Numaniya, where hundreds of Iraqi police fell ill after eating
their evening meal on Sunday, breaking their daily Ramadan fast. Initial
lab test results of the food and water suggest it was negligence by the
contractor, not an attack, Interior Ministry spokesman Brig. General Abdul
Karim Khalaf said. The contractor was arrested and the cooks are being
interrogated, he said." (10/09/06)
I put this
story in because it shows the intensity of the fear and hatred permeating
that poor land (you can scarcely call Iraq a “nation” any longer).
We can expect more things like this – as even in the US, the spinach
scare has been cited by some as an “act of terrorism.”
The Iraqi
Front:
Study: 655,000 Iraqis died due to war
Kerrville Daily Times
"A controversial new study contends nearly 655,000 Iraqis have
died because of the war, suggesting a far higher death toll than other
estimates. The timing of the survey's release, just a few weeks before
the U.S. congressional elections, led one expert to call it 'politics.'
In the new study, researchers attempt to calculate how many more Iraqis
have died since March 2003 than one would expect without the war. Their
conclusion, based on interviews of households and not a body count, is
that about 600,000 died from violence, mostly gunfire." (10/10/06)
We have
to keep in mind that this total is NOT the number of Iraqis killed by
American or Coalition action, although the news stories seem to try to
give that impression. Most of these deaths are by other Iraqis or other
Muslims – the Muslim-on-Muslim violence I’m talking about throughout
this section. Would these deaths have happened if the US had not invaded
in 2003? While certainly many would not have, the likelihood is that Saddam’s
regime would have become more repressive, and open Sunni-Shi’a conflict
broken out sooner or later, and many killings would have been done anyway.
It is ironic that this news story has been used by some antiwar activists
to condemn the US military for not using body-counts, a grisly little
practice in Vietnam that has thankfully been relegated to the dustbin
of history – ironic because antiwar activists have always been critical
(until now) of such practices; now they claim that they are being used
to hide the actual cost of the war. As far as I can see, nothing is being
hidden about the death toll and toll of wounded and maimed in this war
– for good or bad: the info is out there and readily available.
The Iraqi
Front:
UK Army head said to seek Iraq pullout
New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung
"Britain's new army chief called for a withdrawal of British troops
from Iraq, warning that the military's presence there only exacerbates
security problems, according to an interview published Thursday. Gen.
Richard Dannatt described British Prime Minister Tony Blair's Iraq policies
as 'naive,' declaring that while Iraqis might have welcomed coalition
forces following the ouster of Saddam Hussein, the good will has since
evaporated after years of violence." (10/12/06)
Widely
reported to loud “aha’s”, Gen Sir Richard quickly stated
that he was misquoted in the interview – no surprise at all. First,
the mainstream media doesn’t just misquote libertarian candidates
at election time, after all – they misquote anyone they can. Second,
a serving military officer has no business criticizing his civilian bosses
to the media or public. It may sound stupid to say that, but the reason
is that, good or bad, the civilians are the bosses and NOT the military,
and the step from criticism to action is not very far.
Canaan
Front:
Israel ramps up Gaza offensive
NewsDay
"Israel stepped up its offensive in the Gaza Strip on Friday,
killing at least four people in a series of attacks throughout the coastal
area. The fighting brought the death toll in the offensive to 13 Palestinians,
including a young girl, since Thursday. The army has been carrying out
an offensive throughout Gaza since June, when militants linked to the
ruling Hamas militant group tunneled into Israel and captured an Israeli
soldier. The soldier remains in captivity. After a recent lull, the fighting
has picked up in recent days. Israel TV said the operation in Gaza Friday
was the largest there in weeks." (10/13/06)
With “peace”
in Lebanon, attention has been turned away from the continued fighting
in Canaan, as this story related.
North American
Union:
Cuba: US maintains
embargo
BBC News [UK]
"The US government has announced that it will aggressively pursue
those who violate the decades-old US trade embargo with Cuba. A new task
force has been set up to police the sanctions and those breaking them
will face large fines. The chief federal prosecutor in Florida said anyone
who traveled illegally or traded with Cuba would be punished." (10/10/06)
Meanwhile,
in our own neighboring approach to Lebanon, we continue to shore up the
Castro regime by protecting him from the ravages of capitalism and tourism.
The 2006
Political Campaign:
AZ: $1 million voter lottery on ballot
Arizona Republic
"In slightly less than four weeks, state elections officials will
know if Arizonans are voting with their hearts or their wallets. Some
political experts have panned Proposition 200, the so-called Voter Rewards
initiative, as a gimmick that cheapens Arizona elections. But supporters,
such as Mark Osterloh who engineered the effort to get the issue on the
ballot, have argued that it could be the trick needed to spark better
turnout. The initiative is one of 19 on the Nov. 7 ballot. It would enter
all who vote in the state's primary and general elections in a $1 million
lottery drawing. Proposition 200 has generated international attention,
making Osterloh a split-screen fixture on several political talk shows
in recent months." (10/12/06)
How about
voting with their heads? Naw, that is too much to expect of any Americans
in the 21st Century. I can sympathize with the critics of this proposal,
but honestly, how much more can elections in Arizona or anywhere else
in the USA be cheapened? There isn’t much lower than the Bargain
subbasement, and we’re already sitting in the Dumpster waiting for
the truck.
The 2006
Political Campaign:
Handshake
hazards: Politicians get 'grip & grin' safety tips
Fox News
"Worse than holding babies or petting puppies, it's the parades,
with their endless sea of hands to shake, that really takes it out of
politicians seeking votes. Glad-handing, it turns out, can have more than
electoral consequences. Touchy-feely politicians can really feel some
pain — from repetitive stress injuries. That's why the Bethesda,
Md.-based American Occupational Therapy Association has just published
'Grip and Grin,' a tip sheet about preventing such problems. Doug Gansler,
Democratic nominee for Maryland attorney general, knows firsthand the
perils of improper shaking technique. 'Like all politicians, you've gotta
stay in the center — not squeeze too hard, but not give 'em the "wet
fish,"' said Gansler, known for his door-to-door personal touch."
(10/09/06)
Oh, my,
oh dear, you don’t suppose they deserve some kind of hazard pay –
or maybe workers’ comp?
The 2006
Political Campaign:
Kerry's barnstorming sparks talk of
a run
Boston Globe
"Yesterday , Senator John F. Kerry was in Iowa. Tomorrow and Wednesday,
he'll be in Nevada. On Friday, he'll be in New Hampshire. After that,
he'll visit 11 more states, including South Carolina, before the Nov.
7 election. With a frenetic pace of barnstorming and fund-raising on behalf
of Democratic candidates, Kerry's moves over the last several months have
convinced his inner circle that he intends to launch another run for president.
Kerry himself insisted he has not decided whether to run. But more than
a dozen longtime loyalists interviewed for this story said they had no
doubt that Kerry would attempt what a host of Washington doubters think
unimaginable: become the first Democrat in half a century to lose a general
election and be renominated four years later." (10/09/06)
Ugh. Double
ugh. With Gore as Veep candidate, no doubt. I think I need to throw up.
Mama's
Note: Would someone please show this demented man the way OUT of the revolving
door he seems to be stuck in?
The 2006
Political Campaign:
Protesters
chase Jeb into closet
Common Dreams
"Protesters greeted Florida Gov. Jeb Bush on his way to a campaign
event for a Pennsylvania senator, and he briefly took refuge in a subway
station supply closet to avoid the anti-Republican demonstrators. The
president's brother encountered protesters on their way to join a demonstration
outside the exclusive Duquesne Club, where Sen. Rick Santorum, a Republican,
was holding a fundraiser Friday. Officers used stun guns to subdue two
protesters, saying they disobeyed orders to disperse, said Bob Grove,
a Port Authority spokesman. .... The protesters, made up of members of
the United Steelworkers union and the antiwar group Uprise Counter Recruitment,
chanted, "Jeb go home," and said Bush blew them a kiss. Bush,
accompanied by a security guard and an aide, retreated into a nearby subway
station and was followed by about 50 picketers, said Bob Grove, a Port
Authority spokesman."(Bush) was quickly getting out of the way and
not wanting to engage us," said Jon Vandenburgh, a protester and
a researcher for the United Steelworkers. As a precaution, Bush was ushered
into a station supply closet and stayed there until the crowd left."
[Editor's note: Dang, I love this story-MLS] (10/07/06)
Of course,
if the above made me barf, this is just as bad. First, that cops think
an “order to disperse” is an order that they have any authority
to give to anything more than a pack of dogs, if the people are behaving
peacefully (and all indicates that they were). The second being that a
“political leader” supposedly as seasoned as Jeb would find
it necessary to run and hide like this.
Mama's
Note: True, but the mental image of a "Bush" hiding in a closet
is priceless.
The 2006
Political Campaign:
VA:
Allen, Webb spar in final TV debate
ABC News
"Republican Sen. George Allen and his Democratic challenger Jim
Webb sparred with both each other and their pasts during the final televised
debate in Virginia's tight, closely watched U.S. Senate race. ... Each
candidate attempted to use the debate to clearly distinguish himself from
his opponent Allen to reassure conservatives who were unsettled by his
missteps that have erased his clear lead and Webb to advance himself as
a populist champion of the middle class and connect Allen with Bush, the
war and tax cuts for the wealthy. The debate spun out of control during
a segment in which candidates were allowed to ask each other questions.
Allen and Webb became argumentative, talking over one another and making
it virtually impossible to understand what either was saying."
(10/10/06)
In other
words, they behaved like children – or American politicians. Mark
Twain, where are you?
Mama's
Note: And, of course, neither one breathed a word about any of the REAL
issues that confront us today, like a sinking economy because of government
meddling and corporate welfare, the Fed creating money out of thin air,
the need to return to a gold standard, real constitutional limits, ...
none of those really hard things.
The 2006
Political Campaign:
Warner nixes presidential run
Seattle Times
"In a surprise decision that reconfigures the race for the 2008
Democratic presidential nomination, former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner announced
Thursday that he would not run, saying he was unwilling to put his family
second to a presidential campaign. Warner, a centrist Democrat from a
Republican-leaning Southern state, was considered by many Democratic strategists
to be the strongest potential rival to Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., the
early front-runner for the nomination. His decision opens the field for
other candidates hoping to present themselves to voters as centrists,
including Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., Iowa Gov. Thomas Vilsack and New Mexico
Gov. Bill Richardson." (10/13/06)
Note that
the Seattle Times apparently doesn’t think that Kerry is a serious
candidate. Ugh, again.
More
News and Commentary Page 2 -- Our right to defend ourselves
and other good stuff.
I'm
sorry! I did it again! The
second page for last week is HERE. This week is linked correctly!
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.
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