October 23, 2006

Libertarian Commentary on the News, 15 to 21 October 2006
Congressional and other races are heating up, while abroad, the death tolls are climbing, with fresh massive killing in Sri Lanka, the usual almost-random murder of Iraq, and claims (at least) that North Korea didn’t bluff this time.

African Front
Somalia: Islamists go gun-grabber
The Peninsula [Qatar]
"Somalia's Islamists plan to do what many believe to be impossible in a country synonymous with anarchy -- take the guns away from one of the world's most heavily armed populations. Abdullahi Maalim Ali, head of internal security for the Islamists who control the capital Mogadishu and most of south-central Somalia, said the Islamists will go door-to-door collecting weapons owned by ordinary Somalis and organisations. ... If implemented, the plan would make the Islamists Somalia's sole possessors and regulators of weapons in the areas they control. Ali, known locally as Abu Utayba, is also in charge of public executions -- the second of which the Islamists carried out on Friday when a firing squad executed a murderer." (10/15/06)

Well, I hope (and suspect) that we will see a self-induced ethnic cleansing of the Islamists in East Africa. What a target of opportunity! All those hoploclastic, would-be tyrants going from door to door exposing themselves to people who have weapons, and demanding that they be turned in. Clearly the correct answer is to only turn in the ammo –one round at a time.

Culture War
Rice’s Reference to Homosexual’s ‘Mother in Law’ Offends Some
CNS News.com
A conservative activist group has written to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, asking her to explain why she used the “morally provocative” term “mother-in-law” to describe the mother of a homosexual man...

Hey, if homosexual marriage is supposed to be “the right thing to do” to have equality, then “mother-in-law” is a perfectly good legal term, isn’t it? And as one conservative guest host (on a conservative radio talk show) pointed out, the Bush Administration is not a conservative administration, it is a liberal administration led by a “man of faith” – a faith-based liberalism which is what many religious liberals claim to want.

Culture War
Legal Abortions Caused Pregnant Woman’s Murder, Says Group
CNS News.com
A Philadelphia man who claims he killed his pregnant girlfriend because she refused to have an abortion is now on trial for the murders of the woman and her unborn child, but a pro-life group says the crime would never have happened if abortion was not an option in the United States...

While I admit that they have a point, this is dangerous ground for a supposedly pro-life group to tread: it smacks of ignoring personal responsibility because “the devil made me do it.” It would not be the first time a pregnant girlfriend was deemed so inconvenient that her death was preferred – abortion laws or no abortion laws.

Culture War
Christian Groups Urged to End Civil Rights Group Affiliation
CNSNews.com
A civil rights group has accepted Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, as a member, and the news prompted one pro-life group to urge religious organizations members to end their affiliation with the civil right group...

My question is what business any church which claims to following the teachings of Jesus Christ has being a member of a group like the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) in the first place. It is clearly a liberal organization dedicated to increasing the power of the state and to promoting state “support” (interference) with things which ought to be the function of the church and the family: education, health care, and “fairness.”

Culture Wars
Hunters, Anti-Hunters Duke It Out Over Doves
CNSNews.com
A Michigan ballot question on dove hunting is pitting hunters against animal “rights” activists -– and people against politicians. A referendum on the Nov. 7 ballot will allow voters to say yes or no to a 2004 [law] that made dove hunting legal in the state...

I certainly am not like Neil Smith (the libertarian SF writer) and believe that hunting is essential to society and humanity, but for a state to outlaw hunting of a species that is hunted elsewhere commonly is an example of state abuse of its supposed powers.

Mama's Note: While I'm not sure that hunting is "essential to society" in and of itself, it is an excellent medium for teaching especially young people many of the hard lessons of liberty, justice and personal responsibility. When done properly, and of course that's the key, it's as good for these lessons as raising livestock for food, but much more practical for the great number of people who don't have that option.

Economic News
OPEC cuts production by 1.2 million barrels
Pawtucket Times
"Oil cartel OPEC decided to cut production by a greater-than-expected 1.2 million barrels a day on Friday, and some members indicated it was open to further cuts. United Arab Emirates oil minister Mohammed bin Dhaen al-Hamili made the announcement at a news conference after OPEC's oil ministers held an emergency meeting in the capital of Qatar." (10/19/06)

This indicates, of course, that OPEC has decided that enough is enough, and oil prices are dropping too fast. Clearly, I should have added al-Hamili to the list of conspirators with Dick Cheney (see “Imperial Courts” below) – but they must have had a falling out. Definitely, the Bush administration would have ordered OPEC to wait another three weeks or so to try and “stabilize” oil prices. Meanwhile, in many parts of the US, gasoline prices have dropped below $2.00 a gallon! Milk, however, continues to remain at $2.50 or more.

The Coming Fall of Europe:
Germany: "No smoking" sign won't be illuminated
Sun Times
"A German entrepreneur wants to create a nostalgic smokers' haven above the clouds by starting a nicotine-friendly airline offering Cuban cigars, caviar and flight attendants in designer uniforms -- as well as smoking allowed in every seat. Alexander Schoppmann, a 55-year-old former stockbroker, has come up with a business plan for Smoker's International Airways, or Smintair, which he says will offer flights between his hometown of Duesseldorf in western Germany and Tokyo. It's all about service, he says -- and that includes helping people avoid long hours confined without a cigarette break on a long-haul flight." (10/15/06)

No doubt someone will find this to be illegal. To me, it sounds like the market trying to function, even under government controls.

The Coming Fall of Europe:
UK: Terrorism suspects on run
Independent [UK]
"Two terrorist suspects are on the run despite being on control orders which are supposed to monitor their every move, the Home Office has admitted. The embarrassing admission leaves a serious question mark over the main strategy used by the Government to keep track of people it deems a security threat either at home or abroad. It means authorities have now lost contact with two of the 15 terrorist suspects they believed potentially dangerous enough to put on control orders severely restricting their freedom. One man, a British national of Pakistani origin, fled a fortnight ago after climbing through the window of a mental hospital unit where he was being held. ... Control orders, which can amount to virtual house arrest, were introduced 18 months ago after the policy of indefinite detention without trial was ruled illegal .... An array of conditions can be imposed, including restrictions on movement, meetings, going out at night and internet and telephone use. Suspects can also be put on electronic tags." (10/16/06)

The effectiveness and efficiency of government – Blair’s Bumblers can’t even tyrannize efficiently!

The Coming Fall of Europe:
Germans Are Poorer Than Ever
Space War News
German politicians are debating poverty in a country where some 6.5 million people feel they are increasingly left behind in society, a new underclass that may undermine the stability of any government, observers say.

Socialism’s chickens coming home to roost, indeed. And Germany is not the only country with this problem.

The Coming Fall of Europe:
UK: Police want spy planes to patrol troubled estates
Telegraph [UK]
"Police chiefs are considering using unmanned surveillance drones to hover over problem estates as part of plans for Britain's first "yob squad" to tackle antisocial behaviour. Merseyside Police's new Antisocial Behaviour Task Force, already known locally as "the yob squad", will have an annual budget of £1 million, and a staff of 137 drawn from the fire service as well as the police. Its leader is promising to bring an "Al Capone approach" to antisocial behaviour, using "any lawful means necessary". Task force leaders are in discussions with the Civil Aviation Authority about the feasibility of sending surveillance drones to hover over problem estates." (10/15/06)

Al, of course, was only convicted of income tax evasion, and never of gunning down anyone in cold blood or similar type mayhem. If you think about it, income tax evasion is one of these few crimes (legal, not moral, crime) that governments have a hard time committing. But more to the point, notice that once more when technology threatens freedom, technology (in the form of radio-controlled pursuit aircraft or well-aimed potato-guns [click here for more info] will be able to respond. Of course, equipping a RCA with weaponry or shooting potatoes at low-flying nuisance gnats might get you branded as a “yob” unless you are a government thug.

Free Speech
CA: Blogger stays in prison, defying grand jury order
San Francisco Chronicle
"Blogger and anarchist Josh Wolf, spending his 57th day in federal prison today for refusing to surrender video he shot of a violent San Francisco protest, is well on his way to becoming the longest-jailed journalist in U.S. history. To the government, the 24-year-old San Franciscan is hindering a federal grand jury investigation into serious crimes -- an attack on a police officer who suffered a fractured skull during the July 2005 rally and the attempted burning of his patrol car. To Wolf and his supporters, including prominent press organizations, he is the latest victim of a Bush administration assault on journalists and is being punished because he won't help a law enforcement fishing expedition. Wolf says he didn't even film the crimes in question." (10/16/06)

Yet another example of how courts, supposed to be in the business of protecting our rights and liberties, are instead more interested in taking them away.

Free Speech
Liberty dollars can buy users jail time
Washington Post
"Once upon a time, a 'monetary architect' named Bernard von NotHaus decided to make his own money. He put a beautiful Lady Liberty and a majestic flaming torch on the silver and gold coins, and he named them 'Liberty Dollars.' On his Web site, www.libertydollar.org , he said: 'It is fun to use REAL money. Liberty Dollars are a proven and profitable currency that protects and grows the purchasing power of your money!' True story, phony money. So says the U.S. Mint, which would like to remind Liberty Dollar users that since the United States already has its own currency, the only thing Liberty Dollars buy in these parts is a jail term." [Editor's note: And as we would like to remind our readers, there is no law prohibiting the use of pre-measured, attractively presented quantities of gold and silver as "money," nor any excuse for the US Mint's lies - TLK] (10/10/06)

Competition always hurts – this is the Mint’s version of the USPS monopoly, and as Tom says, a pack of lies that shouldn’t stand up in a real, neutral court. It is also a contract issue, a free-speech issue, a free-market issue, and a matter of personal choice.

Mama's Note: Too bad he decided to call them "dollars" at all. Not that it would ultimately made a big difference, but they might have stayed under the radar a bit longer. We have discussed this at some length on a forum I belong to, and most agree that the simple fact people are starting to prefer these things is what has the government panties in a bunch. Well, they can just go pound sand... we can trade anything we like, so far, and we can call anything "money" if we want to. There are not enough gov goons in existence to do a darn thing about it, unless perhaps you tried to pay your taxes with "Liberty Dollars." What a waste!!

Free Speech
WI: Marquette University bans Dave Barry quote from office door
FIRE
"Writer and humorist Dave Barry probably never expected that one of his jokes would spark a university free speech dispute. But in early September, a Marquette University administrator removed a Barry quote about the federal government from Ph.D. student Stuart Ditsler’s office door because the quote was “patently offensive.” Facing this arbitrary exercise of political censorship, Ditsler contacted the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) for help." (10/18/06)

I suppose this is a cultural war issue, too, and how on earth could anyone believe that libertarian Dave Barry could ever be offensive? Next, someone will ban a quote from Neil Smith or Vin Suprynowicz. Sigh. (The quote, lest we offend any unsuspecting reader, is this week posted at the very end of the column, right after the definitions. However, next week it may very well appear on the front page or other prominent place so that we can accurately determine how many readers of TPOL are offended by it.)

Mama's Note: Here you go... let's find out! "The quote read, “As Americans we must always remember that we all have a common enemy, an enemy that is dangerous, powerful, and relentless. I refer, of course, to the federal government.”" Those who are offended by the simple truth have my deepest sympathy... but they can go pound sand too!!

Free Speech
Tax thugs cracking down on churches
Boston Globe
"Alarmed by an increase in political activity by religious organizations, the IRS pledged earlier this year to crack down on violators. The agency issued a memo in February warning that churches and other tax-exempt organizations 'are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office.' The agency says such organizations risk losing tax-exempt status if they endorse candidates, distribute statements for or against candidates, raise funds for or donate to candidates, or become involved in any activity that would either be supportive or opposed to a candidate. They are also prohibited from allowing a candidate to use their assets or facilities, if other candidates are not given the same opportunity." (10/19/06)

Can ANYONE tell me where in the Constitution it says that free speech is tied with tax exempt status?

Mama's Note: Can anyone SHOW me anywhere in the Constitution where the federal government is authorized to impose an income tax? It doesn't exist!

Freedom Fighters
Ex-detainee fights for woman's release
Orlando Sentinel
"Cong Thanh Do knows life in a Vietnamese prison. The San Jose, Calif., man was imprisoned for 38 days in Ho Chi Minh City. His cell was 10 feet by 10 feet, hot and stifling. Guards interrogated him, sometimes four hours at a time: 'Who are you? What are you doing here?' they shouted at him in Vietnamese. Finally, after pressure from congressional leaders and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Do was released Sept. 21. Now, Do has joined others in fighting for another detainee: Thuong Nguyen 'Cuc' Foshee, a pillar in Orlando's Vietnamese community." (10/16/06)

Why can’t Schwarzenegger and others see that all too often, we are treating people the same way in the US?

Guvmint-Ruined, Theft Funded Schools:
MD: Color coded IDs for students
NBC 4 News
"Students at Montgomery Blair High School are upset about a new policy requiring them to wear color-coded identification badges. The new badges issued two weeks ago are color-coded by the students' grades, and the lanyards worn around their necks designate 11 categories of learning 'academies' represented at the 3,000-student campus in Silver Spring, Md. Seniors wear black badges, students in magnet programs wear white and those who have limited English proficiency wear yellow. ... Gainous said he believes students are most upset about the penalties for not wearing them, which range from a verbal warning to an in-school suspension. Intentionally breaking the rule can mean a detention for the first infraction and suspension for the second." (10/18/06)

Tattoos and implanted RFID chips next? Get your kids out, people, please.

Mama's Note: What, no "Yellow Star of David?" The insane urge of bureaucrats to tag and categorize people seems to be in serious contradiction to other socialist mandates that eliminate every possible mechanism we have for deciding whom we wish to associate with or not. Of course, "discrimination" is bad when we do it, but good and benevolent when they indulge. Government, however, is the ONLY entity that cannot morally discriminate, while individuals must do so in many ways just to survive. As usual, they've got it ass backwards.

Home Front
Delay on visa could scuttle cancer grant
Boston Globe
"Loling Song is one of thousands of immigrants each year whose permanent residency applications are held up because of FBI background checks. But in her case, that delay has consequences that go beyond a life held in limbo: Song, who was born in China, is a scientist at Harvard Medical School, and the recipient of a $750,000 grant for breast cancer research from the National Cancer Institute. Unless her application for permanent residency is approved by Nov. 30, Harvard Medical School will lose Song's research funding. The biophysicist sued officials at the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI in US District Court in Boston last week to try to bring a successful conclusion to her quest for a green card, which began in April 2004." (10/16/06)

One of so many people caught in the bureaucracy and doomed to live in misery as a result.

Mama's Note: Harvard Medical School has enough clout with the government, along with the National Cancer Institute, that I'm wondering what might be missing from this story. If these big institutions REALLY wanted this person, there would have been no delay whatsoever. I suspect infighting among the organizations, with this woman being used as a pawn.

Home Front
Stewart gets 28 months in prison for helping terrorists
New York Sun
"Civil rights lawyer Lynne Stewart was sentenced Monday to 28 months in prison on a terrorism charge for helping a client who plotted to blow up New York City landmarks communicate with his followers, a sentence far less than 30 years prosecutors wanted. Stewart, 67, smiled as the judge announced he would send her to prison for less than 2 1/2 years. 'If you send her to prison, she's going to die. It's as simple as that,' defense lawyer Elizabeth Fink had told the judge before the sentence was pronounced." (10/16/06)

There is, at least in my mind, a big difference between the defense attorney who represents the client and the shyster who becomes a part of the gang – apparently this woman did that.

Home Front
U.S. bars victim of torture from entry to receive award
Arizona Republic
"Syrian torturers could find nothing to implicate Canadian Maher Arar in al-Qaida or any other terrorist ties. An official Canadian government report agreed with that finding and recommended that Arar be compensated for his 10 months in a Syrian prison. Still, Arar remains on the U.S. government terror watch list. And the United States has not admitted fault for holding him incommunicado for a week, and then, five days after his first telephone call, putting him on a private jet and flying him to the Syrian prison. Arar and his American lawyer, Michael Ratner, president of the Center for Constitutional Rights, were invited to Washington on Wednesday to receive human rights awards from the Institute for Policy Studies. Ratner came from his New York headquarters to accept for the center, a longtime campaigner against torture and other abuses." (10/19/06)

It is, of course, obvious mistakes like this that alert us to the fact that government is doing many evil things – and I admit that the evil things are not always from evil motives: they are often from fear or just plain incompetence. Meanwhile, the Canadian authorities are fearful that Somali-Canadians who are Islamic are going to learn many ways to do evil things in fighting in Somalia (where, I agree, the Islamists ARE doing many evil things, including attempting to disarm the populace) and will then return to Canada to practice their newly-gained terrorism skills. As if the Federal government in Ottawa isn’t as good an example of a kakocracy as California’s government is.

Home Front
Milwaukee man questioned in bogus stadium threat
Fox News
"The FBI was interviewing a Milwaukee resident Thursday believed to be responsible for posting what officials think are phony threats on a Web site about radiological dirty bomb attacks on NFL football stadiums this weekend. The person, described only as a young adult, did not appear to have any ties to terrorist groups, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing. The threats, which were posted on the Internet site a week ago, were not seen as credible and were not backed up by intelligence indicating such an attack might be imminent, according to the FBI and the Homeland Security Department." (10/19/06)

Wouldn’t it be nice if the FBI were so zealous in tracking down the criminal thugs that infest DC?

Mama's Note: Two kinds of thugs in DC... most of them have diplomatic or government immunity, no matter what their crimes. The rest of them simply need to be confronted with an armed intended victim once or twice. Who needs the "FBI" at all? They aren't the solution, they're part of the problem.

Home Front
Torture of detainees? No. 'Coercion'? It depends.
Christian Science Monitor
"When he signed the new terror legislation into law earlier this week, President Bush said the measure fulfilled his most important requirement - that the Central Intelligence Agency be authorized to continue using aggressive interrogation tactics against Al-Qaeda leaders and operatives. 'This program is one of the most successful intelligence efforts in American history,' the president said on Tuesday. 'It has helped prevent attacks on our country. And the bill I sign today will ensure that we can continue using this vital tool to protect the American people for years to come.' Despite Mr. Bush's forceful statement, legal and other experts say the new law does not give the White House -- and the CIA -- the clear and broad authorization the president had requested." (10/19/06)

So the judges will once more get to decide what is illegal and what is illegal – a situation most thugs (Senate and House) and senior administration officials really seem to prefer over passing legislation that makes sense.

Home Front
Chertoff: Internet may hone future terrorists
America's Network
"Disaffected people living in the US may develop radical ideologies and potentially violent skills over the Internet, something that can present the next major security threat to the nation and to the world, Reuters quoted Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff as saying. 'We now have a capability of someone to radicalize themselves over the Internet,' Chertoff said on the sidelines of a meeting of the International Association of the Chiefs of Police last Monday." (10/17/06)

No foolin’? Chertoff sounds like Bush the Elder, with his bizarre syntax. People don’t need no stinkin’ internet to “radicalize” themselves, bubba. Just an example of thugs and thieves and such – either we decide to join them or fight them.

Mama's Note: Yeah, so why don't they quit making so many of us "disaffected?" The definition of "radical ideologies" is in the eye of the beholder too. Bush and his minions don't have any trouble giving that label to anything that doesn't toe their party line.

Home Front
Government: Stadium threats not credible
Chicago Sun-Times
"A Web site is claiming that seven National Football League stadiums will be hit with radiological dirty bombs this weekend, but the government on Wednesday expressed doubts about the threat. The warning, posted Oct. 12, was part of an ongoing Internet conversation titled 'New Attack on America Be Afraid.' It mentioned NFL stadiums in New York, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle, Houston, Oakland and Cleveland, where games are scheduled for this weekend. The Homeland Security Department alerted authorities and stadium owners in those cities, as well as the NFL, of the Web message but said the threat was being viewed 'with strong skepticism.'" (10/19/06)

Predictions or warnings? Whichever it was, it seems to have been a hoax. Now where have we heard THAT before? Now we have the DHS in the bizarre position of “strongly urging” people to go to football games? I hope that MLB and the NBA will immediately sue for failure of the government to recognize their sports, as well. Of course, I’m sure that some people who DON’T like football are really, really disappointed by the news that this is bogus.

Mama's Note: They're not going to be blown up? Aw, shucks... guess the tailgate parties and other nonsense will just go on forever.

Home Front
Milwaukee man questioned in bogus stadium threat
Fox News
"The FBI was interviewing a Milwaukee resident Thursday believed to be responsible for posting what officials think are phony threats on a Web site about radiological dirty bomb attacks on NFL football stadiums this weekend. The person, described only as a young adult, did not appear to have any ties to terrorist groups, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing. The threats, which were posted on the Internet site a week ago, were not seen as credible and were not backed up by intelligence indicating such an attack might be imminent, according to the FBI and the Homeland Security Department." [Editor's note: But for a while, we had the Fear Index back up to critical levels, so there were few protests when Bush suspended habeus corpus! - SAT] (10/19/06)

Apparently a case of stupidity, possibly coupled with raging hormones (he supposedly was trying to impress a girl).

Home Front
Terror suspect says CIA recruited him
Lebanon Reporter
"A former university professor charged with plotting to bankroll Hamas terrorists was once asked by the CIA whether he wanted a job as a spy, his attorney told a jury Thursday. Abdelhaleem Ashqar, 48, apparently never pursued the idea. But his defense attorneys say the offer shows federal agents were eager to recruit him to spy on fellow Palestinians before doing an about-face and indicting him." (10/19/06)

This is, of course, a standard part of the “craft” – offering to turn an opponent into an asset in return for a decision not to seize and prosecute (or put up against a wall and shoot). So

Iraqi Front
Coalition death toll in Iraq reaches 3,000
CNN
"The death toll for coalition military forces in Iraq hit 3,000 Monday, according to a CNN tally. The combined death toll includes 2,759 U.S. troops and seven American civilian contractors of the military. Other coalition deaths include 119 British, 32 Italians, 18 Ukrainians, 17 Poles, 13 Bulgarians, and 11 Spaniards, as well as service members from Australia, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Holland, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Romania, Salvador, Slovakia, and Thailand." (10/16/06)

How much is freedom worth? How much is Iraqi freedom worth?

The utter tragedy and outrage is that not a single one of those deaths had anything at all to do with preserving liberty or justice for anyone, anywhere. I'm sure they thought they died for "freedom," and many of their families still think so, but the invasion of Iraq is one of the blackest deeds of the new century, far as I can see.

Iraqi Front
US October death toll in Iraq hits 70
Cadillac News
"Eleven more U.S. Troops were slain in combat, the military said Wednesday, putting October on track to be the deadliest month for U.S. forces since the siege of Fallujah nearly two years ago. The military says the sharp increase in U.S. casualties -- 70 so far this month -- is tied to Ramadan and a security crackdown that has left American forces more vulnerable to attack in Baghdad and its suburbs. Muslim tenets hold that fighting a foreign occupation force during Islam's holy month puts a believer especially close to God." (10/18/06)

Well! A newspaper actually states the truth about Islamic tenets for once! The rise in casualties has been expected, but it still hurts (or hurts more than ever) to see so many comrades die (and do not, please, forget the many, many more wounded) in defense of a people and governments that are possibly not worth defending, while trashing the principles for which American troops should be willing to fight and die.

Iraqi Front
Troops to face courts martial on charges
Odessa American
"Eight soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division were ordered Wednesday to be court-martialed on murder charges stemming from their service in Iraq, and two could get the death penalty for allegedly raping a 14-year-old and killing her and her family. The Fort Campbell soldiers facing the death penalty are Sgt. Paul E. Cortez and Pfc. Jesse V. Spielman. Both are accused of raping Abeer Qassim al-Janabi in her family's home in Mahmoudiya, about 20 miles south of Baghdad, then killing the girl, her parents and younger sister." (10/18/06)

As always, I will wait for the court martial board to determine guilt, but if guilty, these (even the informant) should dance the Danny Deever. However, these slimeballs have confessed to the rape and murders and are claiming that they were pressured into it – this kind of thing is an abomination, and even worse for soldiers than for civilians.

Iraqi Front
Iraq: Mahdi Army seizes city
Casper Star-Tribune
"The Shiite militia run by anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr seized total control of the southern Iraqi city of Amarah on Friday in one of the boldest acts of defiance yet by one of the country's powerful, unofficial armies, witnesses and police said. ... The Mahdi Army fighters stormed three main police stations Friday morning, planting explosives that flattened the buildings, residents said. About 800 black-clad militiamen with Kalashnikov rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers were patrolling city streets in commandeered police vehicles, eyewitnesses said. Other fighters had set up roadblocks on routes into the city and sound trucks circulated telling residents to stay indoors." (10/20/06)

I’ve been chided for refusing to call the violence in Iraq a war (instead of an occupation) or a “civil war” instead of murderous unrest. This, however, is clearly a revolt or a rebellion – which like the murderous unrest, can lead to a civil war, if it spreads or if it becomes very hard to control. What this rebellion turns into is still unknown because al-Sadr’s objectives are as yet unknown: is it to make Amarah sovereign – to de facto secede from Iraq? Is it to use this as the first of many cities taken over to make Iraq a Shi’a state? Is it to reestablish the caliphate? We must see.

Second, let me ask, is al-Sadr’s “army” really an “army” or a “militia”? The terms are used interchangeable by the CST, and most people, and the definitions are argued over. I would say that they are NOT a militia, any more than the Soviet-era police force in the USSR was “militia” although that translation was used. A militia, in historic Anglo-American parlance, is (1) voluntary, (2) defensive, and (3) on-call, that is, part-time. I suspect strongly that the Mahdi Army is neither defensive (although it may claim to be, this seizure of a city is NOT defensive in nature) nor part-time. It MAY be voluntary. Army is even more vague, but again, in Anglo-American terms, is a force raised by a government or a group or person claiming to be a government – to have sovereignty. The Mahdi Army may be a government, assuming that al-Sadr is claiming sovereignty in the name of Allah on behalf of the Shi’a he leads. Either way, there is a new escalation, which may lead to another major Fallujah-type operation.

Iraqi Front
Iraqi snipers pose deadly threat to US troops
MSNBC
"For the U.S. military -- with all its high-tech weapons and armor -- snipers, armed only with a rifle, have rapidly become one of the deadliest threats from an enemy so brazen they constantly update videos of their attacks on the Internet. In Baghdad, where every street is potentially a sniper's alley, soldiers anxiously scan windows anticipating the next shot. 'We're next to high-rises and stuff like that,' says one soldier." [Editor's note: If the "snipers" in question were actually trained snipers, US casualty rates would be a LOT higher ... but even as it is, the US forces should bring back as a "lesson learned" the fact that a determined enemy can inflict considerable damage despite lack of means. A rifle, a bullet and determination are all it takes - TLK] (10/19/06)

Tom’s comments are right on the mark, and the “lesson learned” should be remembered by all lovers of liberty, in all situations. Even a rifle is not necessary – a pistol can work well in the right conditions. And sometimes even a bullet isn’t needed. Remember that Judith did it with a hammer and stake.

Korean Front
Kim: You realithe, of courth, that thith meanth war
Orange Times and Democrat
"North Korea on Tuesday blasted U.N. sanctions aimed at punishing the country for its nuclear test, saying the measures amount to a declaration of war and that the nation wouldn't cave in to such pressure now that it's a nuclear weapons power. The bellicose remarks -- the central government's first response to the U.N. measures imposed last weekend -- came as China warned the North against stoking tensions and the American nuclear envoy arrived in South Korea for talks." (10/17/06)

I am a bit puzzled by the lisping headline on this story – Who is Elmer Fudd supposed to be?

Mama's Note: It's pretty clear to me it's supposed to be Kim... but the whole thing is kind of silly. It sure gives my spell check fits!

Korean Front
Nations discuss second nuke test reports
Florence Times Daily
"South Korea and Japan warily monitored unconfirmed reports Tuesday of possible preparations by North Korea for a second nuclear test. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso said his government has 'information' concerning media reports that North Korea could be laying the groundwork for another blast. 'We have information but I cannot speak about its contents,' Aso told reporters, without elaborating." (10/16/06)

I detect the smell of panic. Which means, of course, that Kim is getting closer to getting whatever he wants as far as money and supplies and bennies.

Mama's Note: Hmmmm, and is there any clear scientific proof that NK ever actually tested a real nuclear device? What I read seemed to indicate that they couldn't tell for sure. Much ado about nothing, most likely. Sort of like a bank robber pretending a piece of whittled stick is a gun. If he can get away with it, he'll look for a bigger bank next time!

Korean Front
Bush: US will stop North Korea nuke moves
Port Clinton News Herald
"President Bush said Wednesday the United States would stop North Korea from transferring nuclear weapons to Iran or al-Qaida and that the communist regime would then face 'a grave consequence.' Bush refused to spell out how the United States would retaliate. 'They'd be held to account,' the president said in an ABC News interview. In light of North Korea's Oct. 9 test detonation of a nuclear bomb, Bush warned that any transfer of nuclear material elsewhere in the world by the North would be considered a grave threat to the security of the United States." (10/18/06)

Of course, it is still an insult to call that thing a “nuclear weapon” and even though radiation has been detected, I am still not fully convinced it wasn’t a “Potemkin bomb” – a fake, seeking yet another way to steal money indirectly from the world’s taxpayers.

Korean Front
Rice says US ready to defend Japan
Rochester Post-Bulletin
"The United States is willing to use its full military might to defend Japan in light of North Korea's nuclear test, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday as she sought to assure Asian countries there is no need to jump into a nuclear arms race. At her side, Rice's Japanese counterpart drew a firm line against his nation developing a nuclear bomb. The top U.S. diplomat said she reaffirmed President Bush's pledge ..." (10/18/06)

Fortunately, no surprise here. You don’t suppose that modern US secretaries of state have finally learned from the US mistakes that encouraged the North to invade the South in 1950, and Iraq to invade Kuwait in 1990? Not that I believe that the US has any business being mercenaries for Tokyo, but simply that a bad alliance that DOESN’T have to actually be activated is better than a bad alliance that is essentially dormant.

Mama's Note: The question that comes to my mind is: "defend" them with what? The US is just about tapped out, with troops and supplies spread so thin that a REAL war breaking out anywhere would be a true disaster. Big talk, with little to back it up if you ask me.

Korean Front
Report: Kim regrets nuke test
Whittier Daily News
"North Korean leader Kim Jong Il expressed regret about his country's nuclear test to a Chinese delegation and said Pyongyang would return to international nuclear talks if Washington backs off a campaign to financially isolate the country, a South Korean newspaper reported Friday. 'If the U.S. makes a concession to some degree, we will also make a concession to some degree, whether it be bilateral talks or six-party talks,' Kim was quoted as telling a Chinese envoy, the mass-circulation Chosun Ilbo reported, citing a diplomatic source in China." (10/19/06)

Yeah, right. He plays the Chinese like a fiddle, as he continues to play his games.

Korean Front
Rice woos China over North Korea sanctions
CNN
"The United States suspects a North Korean merchant ship that recently left port may be carrying equipment banned by just-passed United Nations sanctions, two U.S. officials have told CNN Thursday. One U.S. Military official said the ship had been known in the past to carry military equipment, but that the U.S. had no idea of the nature of its current cargo. The ship left a port southwest of the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The disclosure about the North Korean ship came as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Beijing Friday as part of an Asian tour aimed at shoring up regional support for U.N. Sanctions against North Korea." (10/19/06)

What? No submarine enforcement of the UN embargo? Don’t tell me the embargo is nothing but a piece of paper, with no teeth? There should be Austrian and Czech and Bolivian submarines, all painted UN blue, patrolling to prevent this enemy of the UN from shipping nukes to rogue states! Action must be taken! And of course, Rice is doing so – a stiff diplomatic note was no doubt delivered to the Chinese to deliver to the North Koreans, couched in demi-formal, early-late-afternoon, language, with a careful expression of “mild, nuclear-armed, displeasure and unbelief” on her face.

Mama's Note: The humor impaired should simply ignore the above rather than write nasty comments... sigh.

Our Imperial Courts:
Judge orders Cheney visitor logs opened
Cedar Rapids Gazette
"A federal judge has ordered the Bush administration to release information about who visited Vice President Dick Cheney's office and personal residence, an order that could spark a late election-season debate over lobbyists' White House access. While researching the access lobbyists and others had on the White House, The Washington Post asked in June for two years of White House visitor logs. The Secret Service refused to process the request, which government attorneys called 'a fishing expedition into the most sensitive details of the vice presidency.'" (10/19/06)

Clearly politically motivated, this seems to be just what the guvmint shyster says – a fishing expedition. Do they really expect to find such luminaries as Karl Rove, Jack Abramoff, Pope Benedict, Bin Laden, Fidel and Raul, and Elvis to have gaily signed the log as they were ushered in to conspire with Dick Cheney? No doubt, no doubt.

Our Imperial Courts:
Court: Churches must cover contraceptives
USA Today
"Catholic and other religious social service groups must provide contraceptive coverage through their workplace-sponsored medical insurance programs even if they consider contraception a sin, according to Thursday's ruling by New York state's highest court. The 6-0 decision by the state Court of Appeals hinged on defining Catholic Charities and the other nine religious groups suing the state to be social service agencies, rather than only operating as churches. The organizations 'believe contraception to be sinful,' the decision states." (10/19/06)

The evil side of “faith-based” governmental support – the churches have opened themselves to this sort of government control. Long predicted and long expected, this doesn’t make it taste any better. Hopefully, these groups will renounce government funding.

Mama's Note: Unfortunately, most people just don't seem to GET it. Somehow, they insist they can have it both ways: continue to receive stolen goods, and maintain their integrity. It just doesn't work that way in the real world.

The 2006 Campaign:
Are you ready for some 2008?
Center For Individual Freedom
"Just when the 2006 midterm elections were starting to get really good – deep, deep, deep in the mud – John McCain began to put the pedal to the metal for 2008. Speaking in Michigan, McCain said, 'I would remind Senator Clinton and other Democrats critical of the Bush administration's policies that the framework agreement that her husband's administration negotiated was a failure.'" (10/13/06)

I really, really don’t want to think about it. Sick, sick, sick.

The 2006 Campaign:
Can Pelosi and Bush get along?
San Francisco Chronicle
"Mocking Rep. Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco is now a standard part of President Bush's campaign pitch. 'The top Democrat leader in the House made an interesting declaration. She said, 'We love tax cuts.' Given her record, she must be a secret admirer,' Bush told a group of donors last week in Macon, Ga. ... For Pelosi, ripping Bush has long been a part of her repertoire. ... So if Pelosi's party wins control of the House for the final two years of Bush's presidency, can the new Democratic speaker and the Republican chief executive put aside their rhetorical disdain long enough to forge a productive relationship?" (10/16/06)

Sounds like self-defense on the part of Bush – but certainly not tit-for-tat: and if the Dems do win, I smell gridlock.

Mama's Note: Gridlock is good! I hope the entire congress is so tightly wound up over all this that they can't move a muscle for two years! Dreaming is still legal... last time I looked anyway.

The 2006 Campaign:
Republicans accused of ridiculing evangelicals
ABC News Online [Australia]
"Evangelical Christian voters have been a critical support base for US President George W. Bush. But their continuing support is now in question because of allegations today that some of the President's top political advisors routinely ridiculed them. A former official in the President's office of Faith-Based Initiatives says Mr. Bush's advisors cynically exploited the religious right to boost support for the Republican Party while laughing at them out of the public eye. The revelations come at a time when evangelical voters are already threatening to desert the party over the latest congressional sex scandal, as Washington Correspondent Michael Rowland reports." (10/17/06)

This, to me, has a distinct aroma of disinformation.

The 2006 Campaign:
TN: Commission to correct tax referendum wording
Nashville City Paper
"It is a tiny summary sentence at the top of the Nov. 7 referendum to require voter approval for Metro property tax increases. First, the Tennessee Tax Revolt organization fought for it. Then the state elections coordinator ruled against it. Then the state Attorney General counter-ruled the elections coordinator. And now the Metro Election Commission has incorrectly worded it. That's the summary. In September, Tennessee Tax Revolt, led by low-tax activist Ben Cunningham, asked the Metro Election Commission to append a short summary of the proposed Metro Charter amendment to the top of the referendum question, saying it was needed to ensure that voters -- scrolling through the lengthy November ballot -- knew what they were voting on. Cunningham led the petition drive that placed the question on the ballot." (10/16/06)

As in South Dakota, where the politicians and a lot of others are pulling out all the stops on at least four major ballot issues, this is par for the course: using misinformation to try and sway voters who are likely to upset the politico’s apple cart.

The 2006 Campaign:
Networks Distort Good Economy to Hammer Bush, Study Says
CNSNews.com
Network news stories have painted a bleak picture of an economy in decline in an effort to keep President Bush’s approval numbers low, according to a study released Monday by a group dedicated to challenging misconceptions in the media about free enterprise...

Another example (see the article on “sexy news stories” in my “Thugs” section of how the mainstream media is very clearly biased in support of one of the big-government, statist, kakocratic parties. (See note at end of column- page 2.)

The 2006 Campaign:
CA: GOP disowns candidate over threatening letter
San Jose Mercury News
"An Orange County Republican's congressional campaign went into meltdown Thursday after he said a staff member was responsible for sending thousands of letters to new voters with Latino surnames telling them -- wrongly -- that it is illegal for them to vote if they are immigrants. The Orange County Republican Party immediately called for Tan Nguyen, the GOP candidate for California's 47th district, to withdraw from the race after it concluded he approved the mailing. Nguyen, who has scheduled a press conference today to respond, said Thursday that a staff member had sent the letters without his knowledge and has since been fired. Nguyen, himself an immigrant from Vietnam, has focused his campaign on keeping illegal immigrants out of the country, a deeply felt issue in Orange County." (10/20/06)

Apparently, this is a disinformation campaign which is accomplishing its intended objective: getting the GOP panicked and divided and therefore lose to the Democrats. I suspect that the Spanish was probably also intentionally written with poor grammar and spelling, just as the letterhead was intentionally bogus. And it distracts from the fact that while it is LEGAL for naturalized citizens to vote, it IS illegal for non-naturalized immigrants to vote, whether they are legal or illegal. This, of course, is one reason that the idea of ID cards for voting is usually supported along party lines: too many Democratic machines depend on such illegal voting.

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.

Be sure to visit my blog, Liberty's Outpost.

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