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Libertarian
War on the News, 02 - 08 December, 2007
One hundred news stories this week, and be sure to celebrate Bill
of Rights Day on 15 DEC – this week. It ain’t perfect, but
it’s the best we’ve got right now, and 99% better than what
most of the world has, as many of these stories imply.
How to
celebrate? Here are a few quirky ideas:
1. I’d suggest making some “goody-guns” (from
JPFO), and getting fancy: use some frosting (the non-fattening kind
of course!) to write a #2 on each of them.
2. Or use the cookie cutters to decorate a cake with some cookies or fudge
topping, and share with your fellow-workers, friends, family, or fellow
church-goers.
3. Write a letter to the editor talking about how we need to start ENFORCING
the Bill of Rights more, and asking local political leaders and governmental
employees if they are judging their work by the right standards. (Visit
L. Neil Smith’s website for more.)
4. Tack up a copy (untitled, of course) on your local courthouse or city
hall door, and see who tears it down first.
5. Hand out untitled copies on the street or at schools and ask people
if these sort of radical ideas should be allowed in this country.
6. Write a letter to the editor with the entire list and ask if people
would support adopting something like this in this country.
7. Mail a copy anonymously to your favorite judge or cop.
8. Ask your local merchants to post a copy (with a title on it) and sign
underneath: “We endorse and support the Bill of Rights.”
9. Read your own state constitution’s Bill of Rights: you might be
surprised to see what else it has in it!
On to
the news:
Afghan
front:
Pentagon chief in Kabul
as violence escalates
MSNBC
“The U.S. military is seeing early signs that al-Qaida may be
stepping up its activities in Afghanistan, a senior defense official revealed
for the first time Monday as Secretary Robert Gates made his third trip
to this country. Gates said he has not yet seen data on any uptick in
al-Qaida activity, but he said increasing levels of violence in the country
are a concern and he plans to talk about it with other defense leaders
from NATO nations operating in Afghanistan.” (12/03/07)
Afghanistan
is running through its typical cycle, tribal and religious violence repeating
itself. The US-led invasion and occupation did NOT break the cycle; but
I frankly see no alternative in today’s world to a continued occupation,
to prevent these monsters from again spreading across the world. The occupation
would be called a “peacekeeping force” if it were not NATO,
as we see in the Darfur story below.
Mama's
Note: That doesn't make any sense to me, Nathan. The US could always help
other countries defend themselves - propery authorized by Congress - if
they asked us to help, but that is absolutely not the same as the continued
occupation of any country, regardless of their potential as aggressors.
African
front:
UN chief urges agreement on Darfur
force
Asheville Citizen-Times
“U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday he is ‘mobilizing
all possible means’ to get the Sudanese government’s agreement
on key issues so a 26,000-strong peacekeeping force can start deploying
in Darfur in January. Ban told reporters that he had ‘firm commitments’
from Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir that the government would facilitate
the deployment of the joint U.N.-African Union force but ’still we
have not yet been able to resolve all these administrative things.’”
(11/29/07)
How to
“cooperate” so that his troops and co-religionists can keep
on killing as long as possible. Not that I expect a UN-AU force to do
anything but keep killing people, looting, raping, enslaving, and destroying
what little is left.
African
front:
Sudan: President
pardons “teddy bear” teacher
Christian Science Monitor
“Gillian Gibbons, the British schoolteacher jailed in Sudan for
allowing her class to name a teddy bear after the prophet ‘Muhammad,’
was pardoned Monday by Sudan’s president and was under the protection
of her country’s embassy in Khartoum. Informed sources said she would
be flown home to England later in the day. The pardon came after a meeting
between two Muslim members of Britain’s House of Lords, Lord Nazir
Ahmed and Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.
British prime minister Gordon Brown welcomed the news, saying in a press
statement that ‘common sense has prevailed.’” (12/03/07)
My compliments
to the Brits, who kept this woman from an evil fate. Now, if we could
just do something about the barbarians that tried to do this to her…
Mama's
Note: I've got an idea... let's leave them alone. If any of them attack
us, we can defend ourselves of course, but we don't have any right to
"do something" otherwise. Those who would rather not face this
sort of problem could simply STAY HOME.
African
front:
US puts sanctions on Mugabe associates
CNN
“The United States will impose travel and financial sanctions
against 38 more people and two companies with ties to Zimbabwean President
Robert Mugabe, a senior State Department official said. Jendayi Frazer,
assistant secretary of state for African affairs, warned in a speech Monday
that the U.S. will expand the sanctions further if violence does not cease,
saying ‘Mugabe’s tyranny needs to end.’” (12/04/07)
I applaud
the US recognition of the evil of Mugabe’s regime, but what is needed
is not sanctions: it is donations of packages of food, weapons, ammo,
and printed materials so that the people of Zimbabwe (Rhodesia, if you
prefer) can liberate themselves from this monster and his followers.
Baboons:
Automakers
Praise Higher Fuel Standard Proposal
CNSNews.com
Representatives of the auto industry are praising a congressional compromise
that would raise fuel-efficiency standards to 35 miles per gallon and
offer government incentives for the development of “biofuels,”
in spite of having lobbied against higher standards earlier this year...
Making
lemonade out of lemons, no doubt. Politically, they can not do much else
but bow to the inevitable, having lost the fight.
Mama's
Note: Expect the price of used vehicles to climb, and the sales of these
new ones to fall unless they can truly manage to satisfy the safety requirements
most folks have along with fuel efficiency. But I don't expect that to
happen because of government mandate. If it was possible, they would already
be doing it.
Baboons:
Senate aide arrested in sex sting
USA Today
“A former aide to Sen. Maria Cantwell is in federal custody after
being arrested on a charge of attempting to sexually exploit a minor.
James Michael McHaney was fired Friday from his job as a scheduler for
Cantwell, D-Wash., hours after he was arrested by FBI agents. The FBI
said in a charging document that McHaney allegedly tried to set up a meeting
with an undercover witness posing online as a teenage boy.” (12/03/07)
Former
by a few hours, at least. Cantwell should publicly fall on her sword for
having a scumbag like this working for her, based on her claims of family-friendliness.
Canaanite
front:
West
Ignoring ‘Systematic Persecution’ of Palestinian Christians
CNSNews.com
Jerusalem – If Western governments do not address the Muslim persecution
and economic plight of Palestinian Arab Christians, there will not be
much of a Christian community left in the Holy Land within 15 years, an
Israeli scholar said here...
The problem
is that these Arab Christians are getting beat on by both Israeli AND
Muslim groups and “governments.”
Chinese
front:
For
China, Even A Beauty Pageant Must Toe the Party Line
CNSNews.com
China's well-known determination to deny Tibet and Taiwan international
legitimacy has spoiled a young woman's personal dream. The 22-year-old
Tibetan withdrew from a beauty pageant in Malaysia after organizers bowed
to Chinese pressure and gave her a choice of acknowledging China's sovereignty
over her homeland -- or leaving...
I admit
that giving up a beauty pageant isn’t much of a sacrifice, so she
is no martyr to freedom, but I still admire her decision to stand up for
freedom.
Culture
wars and free speech:
Court
ruling favor funeral picketers
Military.Com
“A federal appeals court Dec. 6 temporarily blocked Kansas laws
restricting pickets at funerals as their constitutionality is reviewed.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit ruled in favor of Shirley
Phelps-Roper, who sought to temporarily block enforcement of statutes
restricting where members of Topeka, Kan.-based Westboro Baptist Church
can picket at funerals is reviewed, the Topeka Capital-Journal reported.”
[editor’s note: Noxious as the “god hates fags” idiots
are, it’s everyone’s freedom or nobody’s … not to
mention the fact that tolerating their protests really just amounts to
letting them out themselves as the whackjobs they are - TLK] (12/07/07)
As with
Newdow and the Folsom Street Fest, you have to wonder just what side these
Westboro types are on. Their tactics are so distasteful that they should
almost be considered to be sting operations for legislators being hit
with BORE (Bill of Rights Enforcement) actions.
Culture
wars:
Pelosi
Urged to Condemn Open-Air SF Sex Fair
CNSNews.com
Leaders from three pro-family groups Wednesday called on House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to denounce the Folsom Street Fair – which
is called “the world’s largest leather event” and is held
each September in San Francisco – as a “grotesque affair”
that violates laws prohibiting public nudity and child abuse...
Of course,
she won’t do it, because it threatens very key political support
in Gomorrah-by-the=Bay. But the Folsom Street Fair is incredibly, even
unbelievably debauched and does feature all the extremes of homosexuality
and other-sexuality life-styles. It is so gross and tasteless, so in-your-face,
that it makes me suspect that there is NO “moderate” homosexual
community out there, which would decry its impact on the population. If
there were not photos and other documentation to prove that it is held
and so bad, I would be tempted to think it had been invented by anti-homosexual
activists as a provocation.
Culture
wars:
UK: Angel
wings a fire hazard
Ananova [UK]
‘Primary school have been banned kids from wearing angel wings
in their nativity because of health and safety worries. They fear pupils
at Sacred Heart, RC Primary in Paignton, Devon carrying candles in the
play could set the festive costumes on fire.” (12/02/07)
For how
many decades have these kids been doing things like this? This is not
about fire safety, but about control and culture.
Culture
wars:
Pro-Life
Activist Won’t Face ‘Obscenity’ Charges Over Abortion Pictures
CNSNews.com
A pro-life activist arrested over Thanksgiving weekend will not face
charges for displaying graphic images of aborted babies, the Gwinnett
County Solicitor in Georgia announced Monday...
Uncensored
images of dead babies may be stomach-wrenching and sickening, but the
only people to whom I expect they are “obscene” are those who
facilitate those deaths and don’t want to be reminded of them. Ironic
that all too often the “progressives” that want to keep on killing
babies (excuse me, aborting fetuses) are usually also very much in favor
of ending obscenity laws, but obviously don’t hesitate to use such
laws in cases like this.
Culture
wars:
TX: Curriculum director canned for
mentioning evolution
Wired Blog
“A Texas science education official forced to resign in October
wasn’t — as her bosses insisted [sic] — fairly punished
for insubordination. Her real crime: daring to tell people about a lecture
critical of intelligent design. The Austin-American Statesman reported
last week that science curriculum director Chris Comer’s ouster followed
her circulation of an email announcing an upcoming speech by Barbara Forrest,
co-author of Creationism’s Trojan Horse: The Wedge of Intelligent
Design and an expert witness in Kitzmiller v. Dover.” (12/03/07)
Bad as
this is, it is one case as compared to dozens if not hundreds of cases
of teachers and other officials fired for daring to teach something OTHER
than evolution, so I find it hard to be very sympathetic to Ms. Comer.
If she had been fired for urging people to attend lectures about creation
science or intelligent design theories, she wouldn’t have even made
the news.
Culture
wars: Evolutionists:
Astronomer
Loses Job over Intelligent Design Views, Advocates Charge
CNSNews.com
An Iowa State University professor was denied tenure last April because
he is a well-known advocate of intelligent design, the Discovery Institute,
a conservative organization based in Seattle, Wash., claims in its defense
of the professor. He also apparently was the target of a secret, organized
effort to oust him concocted by fellow faculty members...
This is
the opposite of the story of the Texas edu-crat (last story); and just
as wrong, but just as expected when politics trumps everything else in
government-run schools.
Economic
news:
Oil falls below $88 on US inventories
data
MarketWatch
“Crude-oil futures erased earlier gains and closed below $88 a
barrel after a government report showed U.S. crude inventories slumped
8 million barrels to the lowest in nearly three years, but heating oil
and gasoline inventories increased unexpectedly. Oil prices were also
under pressure after crude stockpiles at Cushing, Okla., the delivery
point for crude traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange, rose for a
third straight week.” (12/05/07)
Whew. No
panic right now? Of course, the next one is just a matter of time.
Mama's
Note: The price was still $3.049 in Newcastle the last time I went to
town. I have to travel next weekend, so maybe it will drop before I refill
my tank... but it ususally does that just AFTER. 
Economic
news:
AZ: Secret Santa hands out $20,000
in Phoenix
Arizona Republic
“Paul Schernberg has been homeless for the past year, flopping
in cheap motels or walking the streets at night to save money. Each week,
from his job as a waiter, he squirreled away as much as he could —
usually about $3 — to someday get an apartment. Schernberg was $103
from that goal when he walked into a Phoenix thrift store on Tuesday to
buy his sister a Christmas present. He left with $200, thanks to a Secret
Santa he had never met before and would never see again. ‘Oh, my
God, I’m going to be in a home,’ Schernberg said. ‘This
means Christmas again. I hadn’t thought of Christmas for a long time.’”
(12/05/07)
It doesn’t
take government to help people. Merry Christmas!
Euro-front:
Sarkozy
condemns colonialism, pushes Mediterranean Union
Christian Science Monitor
“Since ancient Rome sacked Carthage, North Africa has kept a wary
eye on its neighbors across the Mediterranean Sea. Today, that unease
influences how many North Africans view French President Nicolas Sarkozy,
who is in Algeria for a three-day state visit along with 150 business
leaders and eight ministers. Mr. Sarkozy arrived Monday in an effort to
cool decades of tense relations and ink new business contracts with France’s
ex-colony, which gained independence in 1962, as well as pitch his idea
for a Mediterranean Union, a regional community that would unite the 21
countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.” (12/05/07)
Oh for
crying out loud! Why aren’t journalists required to take more than
some Hollywood version of history? Despite Roman imperialism of the era,
the destruction of Carthage was the logical response of the Republic to
the threat that the Carthaginians posed in a repeated series of aggressive
wars against Rome. Like today’s Arab inhabitants of North Africa
(the descendents of murdering, butchering invaders), the Carthaginians
were the descendents of invaders and colonists from what is today Lebanon
(Canaan) who brought a culture and religion (second in evil only to the
Aztec of North America) to North Africa – worse even than modern
Islam. Any kind of alliance by Europe with the Islamic regimes and societies
of Algeria and other North African countries is dangerous to the future
of Europe, and another step on the way to total dhimmitude of that continent.
Evil neighbors:
MO: Prosecutor won’t bring charges
in MySpace suicide case
Arizona Republic
“There will be no criminal charges in the case of a 13-year-old
girl who killed herself last year after receiving cruel messages on the
Internet. There have, however, been consequences. People online have expressed
outrage against those involved in sending mean messages to Megan Meiers,
identifying some of them. The family authorities say was behind the fake
MySpace profile where the messages originated has reported its home being
hit by paintballs and getting a brick thrown through a window. St. Charles
County prosecutor Jack Banas said it’s his understanding that a former
friend of Megan’s whose family was behind the fake profile is now
being home-schooled.” [editor’s note: The “mother”
who did this should burn for Eternity, slowly and painfully, along with
her despicable daughter - SAT] (12/04/07)
Not all
evil can be punished, at least here on Earth, and definitely not by government
action. It is no more right to attack these people physically than their
actions were. Self-defense, and defense of the weak and helpless is one
thing, but the evil is done.
Govt-ruined,
theft-funded schools:
FL: Lawsuits may decide future of
charter schools
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“Who has the right to approve the creation of charter schools,
make sure their students learn and their bills get paid? And how much
taxpayer money should go to the privately run schools? Until recently,
the answers were clear: Local school boards authorized and then monitored
charter schools, which receive state dollars based on the number of students
in attendance. That has changed, prompting two potentially significant
legal challenges.” (11/30/07)
I don’t
understand the reason this crisis has arisen, but it points out that “charter
schools” are a poor substitute for truly private, non-governmentally-affiliated
schools.
Govt-ruined,
theft-funded schools:
MO: Taxpayers
defeat billion-dollar school lawsuit
School Reform News
“Three members of the board of directors of the Show-Me Institute,
a free-market think tank, helped make Missouri the latest state to strike
down a lawsuit claiming inadequate funding for education. The Committee
for Educational Equity (CEE) — a group of 236 public school districts
— had claimed in a lawsuit filed in January 2004 that the state’s
funding levels failed to meet the constitutional requirement for all students
to receive an adequate education. The group’s experts testified the
state would need to spend an additional $1 billion annually to fulfill
their interpretation of its constitutional spending requirements.”
(12/01/07)
As the
story points out, this has been a favorite tactic of the statists and
the profiteers: force more and more money to be spent by a more and more
centralized bureaucracy to “fix” problems – the very problems
caused by the loss of parental and local control of schools. The solution:
separate school and state: also known as the free market in education.
Govt-ruined,
theft-funded schools:
CA: Alleged leader of grade-changing
scandal surrenders
San Francisco Chronicle
“An alleged ringleader of the Diablo Valley College grade-changing
scandal surrendered this morning, authorities said. Liberato ‘Rocky’
Servo, 28, who worked in the admissions office at the Pleasant Hill community
college, was taken into custody and referred to the public defender’s
office for legal representation, said Contra Costa County prosecutor Dodie
Katague. Servo did not enter a plea to 19 felony charges, Katague said.
At a hearing in Martinez, Superior Court Judge Charles Burch set bail
at $75,000. Servo is to return to court Dec. 13. Servo was among 15 people
charged Thursday in the second round of prosecutions connected to the
Diablo Valley College scheme, in which he and several other former student
employees allegedly changed grades on the college’s computer for
money.” (12/04/07)
In talking
to people about ending Grtf, I have more than once been told that governments
make sure that schools are run honestly and have adequate supervision
by the voters and state (and federal) government. If government control
is so important to ensure that people are not scammed and that things
are up-front and above-board, what does this say about government-run
schools?
Govt-ruined,
theft-funded schools:
CA:
Teacher accused in meth plot
Bakersfield Californian
“A 32-year-old chemistry teacher at Shafter High School accused
of trying to make methamphetamine in his school lab was arrested over
the weekend. Jeff Scheidemantel of Bakersfield was arrested on suspicion
of possession of precursor chemicals necessary for the production of methamphetamine,
manufacturing methamphetamine and manufacturing methamphetamine endangering
children, according to a news release by the Bakersfield Police Department.
Students are not suspected to have been involved in the alleged drug operation,
according to police and the Kern High School District.” (12/04/07)
Can you
believe the stupidity of this guy?
Mama's
Note: I've heard before that high school chem labs are the greatest depositories
of toxic waste in the country. But I question the whole thing without
further proof he was actually doing anything wrong. The "precursor
chemicals" for meth can be found in many homes and businesses - not
to mention probably in a chemistry lab, all there for other purposes.
I wonder what an inventory of other chem labs across the country would
turn up...
According
to the story, he's not even been charged yet. Let's not jump to conclusions.
Home front
and local tyranny:
MO: Sign pits city vs. land theft
critic
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“Supporters say it’s a political statement, maybe even art.
The city says it’s too big, a nuisance that needs to be removed.
Either way, a two-story mural decrying eminent domain is testing the boundaries
of the First Amendment, sparking a federal lawsuit that challenges the
city’s intricate zoning code. … Painted on the side of a brick
apartment building near Soulard, the mural faces drivers heading downtown
on Gravois Avenue. It advocates an end to ‘eminent domain abuse,’
the mantra of veteran activist Jim Roos.” (12/02/07)
Of course
the city would consider this an eyesore – it is a threat to their
power. Go for it, Jim!
Mama's
note: Too bad other property owners don't do the same thing. As long as
they can pick on a lone wolf, they'll probably prevail. If they were faced
with dozens of these murals, and put more just as fast as the city got
them removed, folks in that city just might start to get the message.
Home front
economics:
US: National
debt grows $1 million a minute
Miami Herald
“Like a ticking time bomb, the national debt is an explosion waiting
to happen. It’s expanding by about $1.4 billion a day — or nearly
$1 million a minute. What’s that mean to you? It means almost $30,000
in debt for each man, woman, child and infant in the United States.”
(12/03/07)
News about
the debt comes and goes, but the debt just grows. How much more before
it becomes impossible to reduce or pay off?
Mama's
Note: I suspect it has long passed that point already. And I don't expect
it to ever be paid at all. I didn't promise to pay for it. I didn't spend
it and I didn't authorize anyone who did... so I'm sure not going to pay
for it. Those who have been defrauded have the right to seek restitution
from those who perpetrated the fraud, but not from anyone else. When
the economy of this country collapses, those who hold these "notes"
will simply lose. They were fools to believe they'd get paid in the first
place.
Home front
–North American union:
Canada: Passport applicant finds massive
privacy breach
Globe and Mail [UK]
“A security flaw in Passport Canada’s website has allowed
easy access to the personal information — including social insurance
numbers, dates of birth and driver’s license numbers — of people
applying for new passports. The breach was discovered last week by an
Ontario man completing his own passport application. He found he could
easily view the applications of others by altering one character in the
Internet address displayed by his Web browser.” (12/04/07)
Gee, isn’t
it great that PassportCanada and other government agencies protect their
clients and citizens so well!
Home front:
CA: Bowen casts doubt on future of
electronic voting
San Francisco Chronicle
“Electronic voting systems used throughout California still aren’t
good enough to be trusted with the state’s elections, Secretary of
State Debra Bowen said Saturday. While Bowen has been putting tough restrictions
and new security requirements on the use of the touch screen machines,
she admitted having doubts as to whether the electronic voting systems
will ever meet the standards she believes are needed in California. ‘It’s
a real challenge,’ she said at a San Francisco airport conference
on voting and elections. ‘I don’t rule out the ingenuity of
some computer science student now in the eighth grade,’ but what’s
available now isn’t as transparent or auditable as the paper ballot
systems they replaced.” (12/02/07)
Wow, a
surprising statement for a California government official to make, but
one I hope is echoed by many Secretaries of State across the nation.
Home front:
NY: Cornell Students protest Ashcroft
Ithaca Journal
“In the face of shouting dissenters and shrouded protesters, former
U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft stood firmly behind his conviction
Thursday that the 2001 USA Patriot Act strengthened America’s freedom
and continues to protect the country from terrorist attacks. … About
13 minutes into the attorney general’s speech, more than 100 students
and Ithaca community members stood up from their seats, turned their backs
to Ashcroft and placed black shrouds over their heads. The protesters
stood in silence for another 14 minutes before walking out of his speech
together. … ‘We felt that a silent protest was particularly
appropriate because of the people who’ve been silenced by John Ashcroft,
including the librarians of America who, when they tried to challenge
the order to turn over patron records, weren’t even allowed to talk
to the (American Civil Liberties Union) about it,’ said Ginger McCall,
also a second-year law student at Cornell.” (11/30/07)
A good
protest, and a well-organized and thoughtful approach.
Home Front:
‘Government
Overreacted’ in Border Agents Case, Judge Says
CNSNews.com
A federal judge said Monday that prosecutors overreacted in pursuing
a case against two ex-Border Patrol agents who shot a suspected Mexican
drug smuggler in the buttocks and tried to cover it up...
Perhaps
it is really more the case that cops aren’t held to an adequate standard
of conduct in so many circumstances, like the Utah patrolman who loves
to taser people for fun.
Home front:
Lawsuit challenges profiling at airports
Aiken Standard
“The top official in charge of fighting racial profiling for the
American Civil Liberties Union says he was the victim of profiling at
the Boston airport, and he has gone to federal court to challenge a screening
technique that relies on suspicious behavior to identify potential terrorists.
King Downing said he was stopped and questioned by state police in October
2003 after arriving on a flight to attend a meeting on racial profiling.”
(12/03/07)
Hey, if
it were up to me, ALL attorneys would be profiled as highly-potential
enemies of liberty and justice. Yeah, it might unfairly treat the 1% that
aren’t, but I think they’d understand. And no, I don’t
have trouble with using phony ambulances as bait for them, as long as
humans aren’t endangered by the trap.
Home front:
AZ: Border wall foe to quit post as
mayor
Arizona Republic
“Ray Borane, Douglas’ outspoken mayor and ardent opponent
of the federal buildup on the border, has announced that he will step
down after 12 years as the border city’s leader and step away from
public life. The 69-year-old has argued often against the border walls
and a military-style development, suggesting that most lawmakers don’t
understand border cities and their culture. Borane has repeatedly told
lawmakers and federal officials that militarized zones will cost the region
in revenue and hurt families. The outcry to secure the border has made
Borane a frequent guest on national television news shows. But Borane,
who will leave office in June, has also had the ear of Arizona governors
and Mexican presidents as he’s touted free commerce. Now, Borane
says he’s had enough.” (12/03/07)
I admit
that most politicians don’t understand border cultures, but THIS
politician apparently does not understand that government is not the solution
to border problems, even while protesting their “solutions.”
Nor does he understand what “rule of law” rather than “rule
of people” means.
Home front:
Katrina aid fraud nears
$500 million
MSNBC
“The Bush administration now acknowledges it is trying to recover
nearly $500 million from people who improperly received federal aid money
intended to help victims of two deadly hurricanes, Katrina and Rita, along
the Gulf Coast two years ago. It said the amount may increase further.”
(12/04/07)
One of
the strongest pragmatic arguments against government welfare is this kind
of fraud; charity by private groups (religious or otherwise) is still
plagued by fraud but it is more easily controlled because the recipients
are far more likely to be known personally by the givers and the administrators,
and because in a open market, givers are going to be more likely to donate
to groups that do NOT allow themselves to be defrauded by bogus claimants.
Home front:
Poll: Americans believe in God, hell,
UFOs, witches, astrology
Raw Story
“An overwhelming majority of Americans believe in God and signicant
numbers also think that UFOs, the devil and ghosts exist, a poll showed
Tuesday. The survey by Harris Online showed that 82 percent of adult Americans
believe in God and a slightly smaller percentage — 79 percent —
believe in miracles. More than 70 percent of the 2,455 adults surveyed
between November 7 and 13 said they believe in heaven and angels, while
more than six in 10 said they believed in hell and the devil. Almost equal
numbers said they believe in Darwin’s theory of evolution (42 percent)
— the belief that populations evolve over time through natural selection
— and creationism (39 percent) — the theory that God created
mankind. Seventy percent of Americans said they were very (21 percent)
or somewhat (49 percent) religious, while around one-third of those polled
also said they believe in UFOs, witches and astrology.” (12/04/07)
Too many
of these poll questions depend on very subjective definitions, of course.
So, also, the very words used are hard to define. For example, if I say
I “believe in witches,” does that mean I believe that witches
can use “magic” to do things that appear to be supernormal in
nature, or do I believe that there are people who call themselves and
believe themselves to be witches? Or, if I “believe in UFOs”
does that mean that I think some flying objects are unidentified, or do
I believe that little green men swoop down to earth and kidnap people
for Elvis to talk to when he's lonely? And of course, the poll tries to
compare apples and oranges. Even so, it is very interesting, no?
Mama's
Note: True, but I didn't look at it because I don't believe in polls!
Home front:
Quaids sue heparin manufacturer on
overdose labeling
Los Angeles Times
“Actor Dennis Quaid and his wife, Kimberly, filed suit today against
a manufacturer of the blood thinner heparin, saying the product’s
labeling and design contributed to an overdose of the drug given to their
newborn twins last month. The Quaids’ babies, Thomas Boone and Zoe
Grace, received 1,000 times the intended dosage of the blood thinner Nov.
18 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Nurses mistakenly administered a dose
with a concentration of 10,000 units per milliliter instead of 10 units
per milliliter, the hospital has acknowledged. Heparin is used as a flush
to prevent blood clots in intravenous lines. In their suit, filed in the
Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill., the Quaids contend that Baxter Healthcare
Corp. failed to recall the 10,000-unit vials of heparin even though the
firm knew that other infants had died as a result of similar medication
errors. Three babies in Indiana died last year after nearly identical
mistakes.” (12/04/07)
Frankly,
my engineer’s opinion is that they are suing the wrong people: the
errors were made by the hospital’s personnel, who did not follow
the hospital’s own protocols or the manufacturer’s instructions.
The manufacturer had already taken action to change the labeling and design,
based on prior problems, but the hospital apparently didn’t think
it was enough of a problem to warrant adequate training or emphasis.
Mama's
Note: It's a complicated problem and no one thing is to blame. I seriously
doubt the hospital just didn't care enough, and I can guarantee that they
tried to provide adequate training! Nurses have been required, both by
law and by the rules of good nursing practice, to read any medication
label at least three times during the preparation of that product. Many
situations require the nurse to involve a second nurse or pharmacist to
check the label and verify both the order and the prepared dose. This
obviously isn't happening much these days. Since
the concentrated heparin should not even have been PRESENT in the neonatal
area, it is very hard for me to believe that any of these nurses bothered
to read the label at all. What is or is not written on the label is irrelevant
if nobody reads it.
The
basic difficulty affects every level of our society: far too many people
have lost the integrity and acceptance of responsibility needed to provide
safe care. Too many hospitals are under insane "minimum staffing"
madates so they simply cannot afford to terminate nurses (or doctors)
who violate the protocol, even repeatedly. The public insists on having
it both ways, without taking any personal responsibility for themselves
or their demands, so it's a total lose/lose for everyone.
Home front:
TX: Neighbors
chase down intruder
KRIS News
“A drunken man was arrested Friday night after going on a crime
spree while riding his bike near Oso Bay. Police said the man first held
up a group of kids at a Flour Bluff apartment complex with a knife. Then,
one of the kid’s relatives followed the man to a Paul Jones neighborhood
and tried to chase him out of two homes. The romp ended with a gunshot.”
(12/01/07)
People
who care for each other and help each other will do things like this:
do what they can to get rid of thugs. And remember, not all thugs carry
knives or guns. Some wear red ties and suits.
Islamic
imperialists:
Bangladesh: Professors jailed for
role in protests
Jurist
“A Bangladesh court sentenced four university professors Tuesday
for participating in anti-government student protests that took place
in August. Police inspector Mahbub Siddiqui told AFP that the academics
were found guilty of breaking emergency laws banning protests and all
gatherings. Each received a two-year jail sentence.” (12/04/07)
Martyrs
to liberty, no matter what they were protesting.
Korean
front:
Bush sends
“personal letter” to North Korea’s Kim
Fox News
“President Bush sent a ‘personal letter’ to North Korean
leader Kim Jong Il, the Communist country’s official news agency
said Thursday, although it did not reveal its contents. Japan’s Kyodo
news agency said U.S. nuclear envoy Christopher Hill delivered the letter
to North Korea during his recent visit to the country earlier this week.
… The North’s Korean Central News Agency said Hill gave the
letter to North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun. Bush once called
North Korea part of an ‘axis of evil’ along with Iran and prewar
Iraq, and halted direct U.S. talks with the Communist country after he
came into office, before later allowing negotiations to resume.”
[editor’s note: From one tintype dictator to another; what’s
so surprising? - SAT] (12/06/07)
Gee, I
guess they are downgraded from “axis” to “periphery?”
Massa-wannabes
DNC
Members Want Iraq Pullout Sooner Than Clinton Does
CNSNews.com
Members of the Democratic National Committee, meeting in suburban Washington
on Friday, said they supported withdrawing troops from Iraq as soon as
possible, a position that could hurt Sen. Hillary Clinton in the presidential
primaries...
In the
primaries or in the general election? Clearly the Democrats have no coherent
policy on Mesopotamia.
Massa-wannabes:
Fiscal
Conservative ‘Suspicious’ of Booming Huckabee
CNSNews.com
As former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee surges in polls against other
Republicans seeking the 2008 presidential nomination, fiscal conservatives
are taking a closer look at his record and expressing concerns about his
approach to taxes and other economic issues...
Concerns?
The man is a conservative only as defined by George W Bush: nanny-statist
who knows how to spend your money better than you do and apparently encourages
illegal immigrants.
Massa-wannabes:
Thompson warns against Democrats,
welfare
Tennessean
“GOP presidential candidate Fred Thompson said Saturday that election
of a Democrat to the White House in 2008 would open the way for a welfare
state where bigger government, higher taxes and defense cutbacks sap the
country’s economic and military strength. ‘Our country is at
a crossroads,’ Thompson told several hundred people at a rally at
a community clubhouse. ‘We know that the most liberal element of
the Democratic Party has taken control of the Democratic Party, and if
they win this next election we’re going to go down the road of a
welfare state,’ he said. After warning of a government that gets
‘bigger and bigger,’ he said ‘I don’t think the American
people are going to turn the keys to this country over to the most left-wing
part of a left-wing party next year.’” [editor’s note:
And as long as this bonehead and his ilk keep missing the real point,
those “left-wing” Dems (who are actually almost as neocon as
Freddie is?) will continue to “fool (almost) all of the people some
of the time” - SAT] (12/02/07)
Hard to
imagine that the Democrats could outdo the Bush administration and the
Republican-led baboons of the first six years of the Bush administration,
but he is probably right: for one thing, they almost HAVE to do more spending
and more growth to keep any semblance of legitimacy. And frankly, we're
already in a welfare state with a government that is many times too big
at ALL levels; something that Thompson does not want to admit. Nor do
I expect him or any other GOP candidate (with one possible exception)
to do anything other than slow the increase in growth and delay some parts
of the welfare state.
Massa-wannabes:
Obama
Accused of ‘Rewriting History’ on Presidential Aspirations
CNSNews.com
Sen. Hillary Clinton took aim at fellow Democratic Sen. Barack Obama
on Sunday, claiming that Obama is “rewriting history” when he
says he has not had long-held aspirations for the White House...
The ad
hominem attacks are growing in strength, to no surprise. Miz Hillary is
one lady that knows how to dish it out and has LOTS of practice.
Mama's
Note: The fun part is that she can't "take it," however, and
always whines about being attacked because she's a woman. She's a fraud
and a cheat in every department.
Massa-wannabes:
Paul defends abortion stand on “The
View”
USA Today
“Republican Rep. Ron Paul today became the first 2008 Republican
presidential candidate to make an appearance on The View. According to
ABC News’ Z. Byron Wolf, much of Paul’s 10-minute appearance
was spent discussing abortion — and the anti-abortion Paul ‘held
his own’ with the hosts, Wolf writes. The Raw Story adds that ‘Paul
was visibly agitated when co-host Joy Behar told him, ‘you probably
are not going to win and you know that,’ then asked who among the
Republicans he would be willing to vote for.’” (12/04/07)
Paul does
have the most consistent track record AND most explicit position on abortion
of any of the candidates in any of the parties, so it is not a surprise
to see the media attack him on this.
Massa-wannabes:
Romney’s
Mormonism Not a Big Problem, Christian Leaders Say
CNSNews.com
Christian conservatives considering the presidential candidacy of Mitt
Romney in early primary states will arrive at a defining moment this Thursday
when the candidate discusses his Mormon faith in a major speech...
If it really
were a choice between a man of principles, even if his principles were
those espoused by the LDS, and a bunch of thieving, lying, arrogant, and
uncaring politicians, I’d vote for the man of principle in a heartbeat.
But Mitt Romney is in the second category, as years in SLC and Mass have
shown. Still, it WAS a good speech.
Medical
front:
FDA:
28 Miscarriages No Reason to Reexamine Gardasil
CNSNews.com
Since June 2006, when the HPV vaccine Gardasil was approved by the
FDA, there have been 28 reported cases in which pregnant women miscarried
after receiving the vaccine. But the FDA remains convinced that the vaccine
is safe and it is not further investigating its effect on pregnant women...
What IS
reasonable? 28? 50? 100? Is this decision politically motivated, since
the FDA and so many other government health agencies have made HPV vaccination
a holy crusade?
Mesopotamian
front:
Iraq:
Bodies unearthed as Sunni parliament boycott ends
Fox News
“A mass grave containing the remains of 12 people, including a
paramedic who disappeared more than a year ago, was unearthed in central
Iraq in an area long controlled by al-Qaida, officials said Monday. …
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte on Sunday pressed leaders
of Iraq’s religious and ethnic factions to take advantage of recent
security gains to push through legislation aimed at cementing national
reconciliation or risk a return to greater violence. … lawmakers
from Iraq’s largest Sunni Arab bloc on Monday ended their boycott
of parliament over the ‘house arrest’ of their leader, Adnan
al-Dulaimi, who also attended the session. … The mutilated bodies
of four guards at an oil facility who were kidnapped at a checkpoint on
their way back from vacation were found north of Baghdad on Monday …”
(12/03/07)
Digging
has got to be very unpleasant, and will be for years to come. What did
the medic do, refuse to stop working on a patient and miss prayers? And
what did the oil company guards do to deserve kidnapping and murder?
Mesopotamian
front:
Turkey attacks Kurds in Iraq
CNN
“The Turkish military said Saturday it attacked 50 to 60 Kurdish
rebels inside Iraqi territory, inflicting ’significant losses.’
It did not say whether Turkish troops had crossed into Iraq to conduct
the operation. The U.S. military said it had no reports of a Turkish incursion
across the Iraqi border.” (12/01/07)
I really
am surprised that the US has not taken stronger action to protest and
stop this sort of thing by Turks, or (for that matter) to take similar
actions to stop the Kurds from egging on the Turks. It has got to be easier
to keep the two sides apart than have to occupy the entire region to end
Turkish control of the Kurdish nation, until other things can be resolved.
Mesopotamian
front:
Iraq:
Pol’s home attacked as US troops fire on car
Reuters
“Gunmen attacked the home of Iraqi Electricity Minister Karim
Waheed, killing one of his bodyguards and wounding another …. A roadside
bomb killed one policeman and wounded three others in Mosul …. A
roadside bomb wounded two civilians in the New Baghdad district ….
U.S. soldiers fired on a car carrying four Iraqi civilians, killing one
and wounding the other three, during operations targeting al Qaeda militants
in Tarmiya …” (12/04/07)
I wouldn’t
normally include this, as it is just a normal day (sadly) in Mesopotamia.
But this is a chance to point out two important items. First, this home
would probably NOT have been attacked if the “Iraqi” government
didn’t try to do things that governments have no business doing,
and let private business provide electricity for the nation (and I betcha
that everyone would have more dependable service if it was private enterprise
doing it). At the least, the US should have brought to the occupied zone
the concept of cooperatives, which do very well in the utility business
and can even be a half-way house for statists. Second, soldiers aren’t
cops, and should not be behaving like cops – because things like
this family getting shot up happen. The car didn’t stop when ordered
to do so – probably panicked – and so someone died.
Mesopotamian
front:
Violence reportedly hampers Iraq forces
Des Moines Register
“Iraqis have not made enough progress toward learning to manage
their security forces because they’ve had to divert too much attention
to continued violence and sectarianism, congressional investigators said
Monday. For example, Iraqi recruits to the Army who were designated for
training as logistics specialists have been diverted to combat roles,
said the report by the Government Accountability Office.” (12/04/07)
Duh. How
much do these guys get paid to make this kind of “analysis”?
Mesopotamian
front:
Iraq:
Car bombs kill 25
Seattle Times
“At least 25 Iraqis were killed in four car bombs across Iraq
on Wednesday, underscoring the persistent danger as U.S. Defense Secretary
Robert Gates visited the country to see the effects of a recent drop in
violence. In the day’s deadliest attack, a car bomb exploded outside
a juice shop in the central Baghdad neighborhood of Karradah, killing
at least 16 people and injuring 33, police said. It was the worst blast
to hit the capital since September …. The U.S. military also announced
the deaths of three soldiers in an attack the previous day involving a
roadside bomb and small-arms fire in Salahuddin province, north of the
capital. Another soldier was injured in the ambush.” (12/06/07)
Yewww.
I didn’t know it was against Islam or the Prophet (pbuh) to drink
juice. Death sentence seems kind of severe, though. Seriously, this is
a lot more a peacekeeping mission than an occupation, these days –
and we all know how SUCCESSFUL peacekeeping missions are, as a rule.
Mama's
Note: Indeed, especially when neither side (nor the "peacekeepers")
have any real interest in peace. War is the health of the state. Why in
the world would they want peace?
Mil-tech:
U.S. Marines’
MV-22 Osprey test: Combat
Christian Science Monitor
“The US Marine Corps’ MV-22 Osprey, the tilt rotor plane
that flies like both a helicopter and a plane, is expected to face one
of its biggest tests ever this month, flying combat missions for the first
time — a major milestone in the Osprey’s long history of ups
and downs. After years of investment, controversy, and tragedy, the Osprey
finally debuted this fall in Iraq, a low-key deployment of 10 planes that
marks the beginning of the Corps’ gradual replacement of aging Vietnam-era
helicopters. Commanders have limited the plane’s operations to simpler
logistical roles. But now it is set to fly combat missions in Anbar Province,
where marines are deployed, that will test the plane’s ability to
maneuver in more sophisticated and dangerous combat missions. … The
Osprey’s deployment to Iraq has already shown that some components
of the complex plane wear out faster than others.” [editor’s
note: So the Fedgov’s now taking a page from Microsoft … “beta
testing” its “unproven products” on its “user base”?
- SAT] (12/07/07)
Steve,
the military has ALWAYS “beta tested” its new toys; you just
don’t hear about 99 percent of them. But this lemon was rammed down
the throats of the Pentagon by our wonderful baboons in Congress assembled,
and so it tends to get more press. USMC didn’t want this piece of
junk, but Congress couldn’t resist micromanagement and pork maximization.
Yeah, once in a while a Churchill or someone else comes up with something
that DOES work and rams it through the military bureaucracies, but that
is rare indeed. I just hope too many Leathernecks don’t buy the farm
as a result of it.
Nazgul:
Federal court hears pledge, motto
cases
Associated Press
“An atheist pleaded with a federal appeals court to remove the
words ‘under God’ from the Pledge of Allegiance and ‘In
God We Trust’ from U.S. currency, saying the references disrespect
his religious beliefs. ‘I want to be treated equally,’ said
Michael Newdow, who argued the cases consecutively to a three-judge panel
of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday. He added that supporters
of the phrases ‘want to have their religious views espoused by the
government.’ Newdow, a Sacramento doctor and lawyer, sued his daughter’s
school district in 2000 for forcing public school children to recite the
pledge, saying it was unconstitutional.” (12/06/07)
Newdow
is the new Madelyn Murrey O’Hare, and revels in his role. He is worth
millions to conservative groups as a boogyman, but his arguments make
little sense.
Nazgul:
$perm wail by donor
New York Post
“A sperm donor who sent gifts signed ‘Dad’ to his biological
son has been slapped with a child-support order, 18 years after helping
his [lesbian] friend get pregnant. The Nassau County man donated his sperm
to a work colleague, and included his name on the child’s birth certificate,
saying it would give the boy an identity, courts documents revealed. He
then blurred the lines between donor and full-time father by sending money,
presents and cards signed ‘Dad’ and ‘Daddy,’ and having
phone chats with the now college-bound teen. But the man’s goodwill
backfired: A court ruling says he is now liable for financial support
of the 18-year-old, who lives with his mother in Oregon.” [editor’s
note: Despite the snide treatment of this story by the Post, this IS a
travesty of “justice” - SAT] (12/02/07)
Huh? Once
more, a court proves that it does not understand the concept of “justice.”
Nazgul:
SCOTUS: Justices turn down online
piracy case
Raw Story
“The Supreme Court on Monday refused to consider an appeal by
an online publisher that claims credit-card companies are enabling the
piracy of its pictures of nude models. The case was brought by Perfect
10 Inc., which until recently published an adult magazine and also operates
Perfect10.com. The company said in court papers that its business has
been severely harmed by pirate Web sites, many of them overseas, which
have used images of its nude models without authorization. The company
has responded to the piracy by suing several intermediary companies it
says enable the pirate sites, including Google Inc., Amazon.com Inc.,
Mastercard Inc. and the Visa International Service Association. The lawsuit
against Visa and Mastercard was dismissed by a district court, while the
company’s suit against Google and Amazon remains in litigation.”
(12/03/07)
The company’s
claims are so convoluted that it would have taken more bizarre deliberation
than usual for either the District court or the Supremes to accept this
case.
Nazgul:
Justices to take new look
at Guantanamo dispute
MSNBC
“Are the terrorist suspects held at the Guantanamo Naval Base
more akin to people accused in a criminal case or to German prisoners
of war in 1944? An accused criminal can go to federal court to challenge
his imprisonment; a German POW couldn’t. On Wednesday, the justices
will hear an hour of arguments in the latest Guantanamo case, that of
Lakhdar Boumediene and other detainees.” [editor’s note:
This shouldn’t be too difficult. It’s not about what they’re
“like,” it’s about what they ARE or AREN’T. They are
EITHER POWs or criminal defendants, and since Congress hasn’t declared
war, they aren’t POWs. That kind of narrows it down - TLK] (12/04/07)
Tom’s
logic isn’t bad, but sadly, that is not the argument that ANYONE
is making; and the Congressional authorizations to carry out the “War
on Terrorism” and the invasions and the occupations have pretty much
equated to a declaration of war – and EPWs are able to be taken even
in “police actions” such as the Korean and Southeast Asian Conflicts,
with far less similarity, legally, to a state of war. We have to be consistent
in these things, and can’t pick and choose without getting rid of
the whole system.
Mama's
Note: I'm afraid I have to go along with Tom. The court has to get off
its a** and figure out how to ensure justice, however, whatever they call
them. To drag this out for years and years is to spit on everything America
is supposed to stand for.
Nazgul:
FL: Judge won’t force DNC to
seat delegates
Tallahassee Democrat
“Not wanting to spark ‘a free-for-all’ of states leapfrogging
each other in the presidential campaign, a federal judge Wednesday refused
to make the Democratic National Committee seat Florida’s 210-member
delegation to next summer’s nominating convention. Chief U.S. District
Judge Robert Hinkle ruled that parties may set their schedules and enforce
penalties against states defying them, as Florida did by setting a Jan.
29 date for its presidential primary. … Because of the early primary
date, the DNC has stripped Florida of its delegation to next summer’s
national convention in Denver, and major presidential candidates have
refused to campaign publicly in the state. Republicans have a similar
rule, but the GOP has taken away only half of Florida’s delegation
— 57 votes — to its convention in St. Paul, and Republican candidates
aren’t boycotting Florida.” (12/06/07)
The right
of free association INCLUDES to right to refuse to associate. If Florida
won’t play the games that they signed up to play, then the DNC, scumbags
and baboons that they are, still has the right to tell them, “go
away.” And this judge seems to respect that fact – and that
the Democratic Party is NOT a government!
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