Libertarian War on the News, 27 January - 12 February, 2008

Lets go straight to the news this week.

Afghan front:
Afghanistan: MPs back death sentence for blasphemy
BBC News [UK]
"The upper house of the Afghan parliament has supported a death sentence issued against a journalist for blasphemy in northern Afghanistan. Pervez Kambaksh, 23, was convicted last week of downloading and distributing an article insulting Islam. He has denied the charge. The UN has criticised the sentence and said the journalist did not have legal representation during the case. The Afghan government has said that the sentence was not final. A government spokesman said recently that the case would be handled 'very carefully.' ... [Kambaksh] was arrested in 2007 after downloading material relating to the role of women in Islamic societies." (01/30/08)

Regime change does no good unless there is a heart change, and that means some religion other than Islam.

Afghan front:
Canada: NATO’s Afghan occupation “in jeopardy”
CNN
“Canadian forces will remain in Afghanistan beyond February 2009 only if another NATO nation sends an additional 1,000 combat troops to Kandahar province — where the troops are based, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Monday. Most of the 2,500 Canadian troops in the country are in Kandahar as part of a NATO-led mission to stabilize Afghanistan. Their presence has sparked controversy in Canada, with some political parties calling for the troops to come home.” (01/29/08)

I expect that someone from NATO will come up with the additional troops, because this is Afghanistan and not Iraq.

Baboons:
Bush pouts at Congress on eavesdropping law
USA Today
“Sternly prodding Congress, President Bush said Thursday that lawmakers are jeopardizing the nation’s safety by failing to lock in a government eavesdropping law. The president signed what Congress has given him so far — a 15-day extension of the law that allows government surveillance of suspected terrorists. But he said Congress should urgently pass a permanent law, on his terms, to safeguard the country.” (01/31/08)

Sounds more like typical bickering than childishness on the part of the President, to me. Hopefully, Congress will continue to fail to do anything “worthwhile” for the rest of the year.

Baboons:
Senate committee passes “stimulus” scampack
CNN
“The Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday passed an economic stimulus package that would inject close to $200 billion into the economy over two years in an attempt to stave off recession. It could go to the Senate floor Wednesday night or Thursday. The Senate version originally included no income ceiling.” (01/30/08)

Not content to steal trillions, Congress pays back a few paltry billion to bribe the people it stole the money from in the first place to ignore their original thefts. Sadly, it seems to work.

Baboons:
MO: Senate committee unveils cyber-bullying bill
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"A bill aimed at preventing cyberbullying that was spurred by the suicide of a 13-year-old Dardenne Prairie girl was unveiled Monday evening at a Senate committee hearing. Sen. Scott Rupp, R-Wentzville, said he filed the bill after Megan Meier killed herself following taunts from someone on the social-networking website Myspace using a fake identity. Rupp said he has received dozens of e-mails from across the nation with similar stories." (01/29/08)

Congress cannot solve the ills of society, but they sadly think that they can.

Mama's Note: Congress (or any legislative body) cannot solve the ills of society, but they surely can and do add to them and make real solutions almost impossible.

Baboons:
Senate Dems push tax rebates for retirees
Arizona Republic
"A top Senate Democrat unveiled a $156 billion economic-stimulus package Monday that awards rebates to seniors living off Social Security and extends unemployment benefits, setting up a clash with the White House. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus scheduled a Wednesday vote on a bill with the stimulus add-ons, which would send rebates even to the wealthiest taxpayers. The move was in defiance of a warning that President Bush reiterated during his State of the Union address to avoid additional spending and changes to the stimulus measure. The Baucus plan would reduce the rebate to $500 for individuals and $1,000 for couples, instead of the $600-to-$1,200 rebate plan agreed to by Bush and House leaders. People would still receive an extra $300 per child." (01/29/08)

Yet another giveaway to bribe the victims of government theft.

Baboons:
Bush's latest executive order: No earmarks?
Fox News
"President Bush was set to act Tuesday on his State of the Union promise to sign an executive order directing federal agencies to ignore any future earmarks not voted on by Congress. Bush warned lawmakers he would flourish his veto pen if Congress does not rein in the number of congressional earmarks -- money set aside for pet projects -- that make it into law without a vote. As many as 95 percent of earmarks are inserted after Congress has voted on appropriations measures, and the pork is never seen by most lawmakers. Bush called on Congress during last year's State of the Union to cut the number of earmarks in half, but Monday night he chided lawmakers for failing to do so." [Editor's note: we'll believe this when we see it actually enforced - SAT] (01/29/08)

If only! But it will take more than an executive order to end the pork-privilege system.

Culture wars:
MA: Boston Mag ad draws fire
Fox News
“An ad for a new upscale Boston fitness center featuring three nuns painting a naked man is getting some flack from religious leaders there, MyFoxBoston reports. ‘These are people that work in hospitals, our homeless shelters and in our food pantries,’ Terry Donilon, a spokesman for the Boston Archdiocese, told the station. ‘It shows a lack of respect for them.’ The two-page ad is the first thing readers see when they open up the latest issue of Boston Magazine. The ad, created by an unnamed Minnesota agency, features three nuns — one wearing a garter — painting the chiseled man while a fourth nun watches from behind a gate.” (01/31/08)

If it were Mohammed (pbuh) in the ad, there would be riots and deaths in a dozen foreign cities, and calls for death to the ad agency. The fitness center would be a target for fire-bombers (no suicide bombers, YET, in the US for this, but that is coming). With attacks on various elements of Christian faiths, anything goes, however, especially in liberal locations like Boston.

Economy:
US employment shrinks for first time since 2003
RTT News
“Employment unexpectedly decreased in the month of January, according to a report released by the Department of Labor on Friday, with the loss of jobs ending a record streak of 52 consecutive months of job growth. The report showed that non-farm payrolls decreased by 17,000 jobs in January following an upwardly revised increase of 82,000 jobs in December. With the decrease, employment shrank for the first time since August of 2003. Economists had expected an increase of about 60,000 jobs compared to the increase of 18,000 originally reported for the previous month.” (02/01/08)

Given the demand for workers in many parts of the West (a friend told me this week that unemployment was less than 2% in Casper, Wyoming, for example), this means that some parts of the country must be hurting very much.

Economy:
Microsoft bids $44.6 billion for Yahoo
CNet News
“Microsoft went public Friday with a $44.6 billion cash-and-stock bid to acquire Yahoo. In its response, Yahoo called the Microsoft bid ‘unsolicited’ but did not reject it. Microsoft’s offer, which was contained in the letter to Yahoo’s board, amounts to $31 a share and represents a 62 percent premium over Yahoo’s closing price on Thursday. Microsoft said it will offer shareholders the option of cash or stock.” (02/01/08)

I don’t know if this is a stupid trick or not. At the same time, it bothers me that the number 2 and number 3 search engines seek to merge to compete with the number 1 (Google) rather than continue to compete. Our mixed economy and governmental controls make size very valuable, and cause this sort of shrinking of the supply pool.

Economy:
Survey: Layoffs coming and in large numbers
Financial Week
“Corporate executives are poised to start making substantial cutbacks in their staffing, according to a new forecast by employment consulting and legal firm Career Protection. In fact, the firm is predicting a 37% increase in layoffs this year over last, based on a survey of more than 1,300 corporate executives and senior level officials that was conducted earlier this month.” (01/28/08)

Coupled with the news about job losses in January, this should give us all pause. Fuel prices and government theft and money-printing are catching up with us, big time.

Economy:
FBI investigating 14 companies for mortgage fraud
CNN
"Complaints about potential mortgage fraud are up during the subprime mortgage crisis, and the FBI has opened criminal investigations of 14 companies related to subprime mortgage loans, the agency said Tuesday. The FBI did not identify the companies. Neil Power, chief of the FBI economic crimes unit, attributed the increase 'to good old-fashioned greed.'" (01/29/08)

Greed and stupidity don’t necessarily translate to fraud, but Congress certainly hopes that they can pin fraud on the lenders that took advantage of the baboons’ stupid laws, and the FBI is perfect for the job.

Free speech:
“Hillary: The Movie” vs. election laws
Christian Science Monitor
“To many supporters of President Bush, Michael Moore’s 2004 documentary ‘Fahrenheit 9/11? was a blatant attempt to use factual distortions, conspiracy theories, and irreverent wit to undermine the reelection of a sitting president. The film’s popularity did not go unnoticed among Republicans. Now, with the 2008 presidential primaries well under way, a Washington-based conservative advocacy group has produced its own political documentary. It’s called ‘Hillary: The Movie.’ There’s just one problem. Without extensive broadcast advertising, few people will see it. ‘I could have the movie in hundreds of theaters. I just can’t let anyone know it is there by advertising it,’ complains executive producer David Bossie. ‘I can’t purchase ad time on television or radio stations.’” (01/31/08)

The reason, of course, is the infamous McCain-Feingold “reform” act which bans free speech for elections and political campaigns. That and the reluctance of the media to allow attacks on Miz Hillary to get too far, lest she get mad at them and punish them later.

Free speech:
MO: Victory at St. Louis Community College
Foundation for Individual Rights in Education
“Under pressure from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) and the ACLU of Eastern Missouri (ACLU-EM), St. Louis Community College at Meramec (STLCC) has fully exonerated student Jun Xiao of hazing and disorderly conduct charges stemming from e-mails he sent inviting his classmates to join him in taking a class at a different college. ‘STLCC has finally corrected the worst of its violations of Jun Xiao’s rights, but only after FIRE and the ACLU-EM took the case public,’ FIRE President Greg Lukianoff said.” (01/29/08)

Students don’t sign a non-compete clause – yet.

Government-ruined, theft-funded schools:
School chiefs get average of $351,730 after perks
Washington Post
“School superintendents in the Washington area will collect salaries ranging from $157,200 to $279,340 in the fiscal year that ends June 30. Factor in benefits and perks, however, and the average annual compensation package swells to $351,730. Compensation for the school chiefs goes well beyond the salaries reported to the public, according to a review of contracts for 12 superintendents in the District and its suburbs. Contracts routinely allow superintendents to collect tens of thousands in deferred compensation and to cash in weeks of unused leave annually.” (01/31/08)

More examples of “for the children” and “theft by government” – the billions siphoned into “public schools” don’t benefit the children, they benefit the fat cat educrats like these people, virtually all union members.

Government-ruined, theft-funded schools:
WI: Deal would save virtual schools
eSchool news
"Virtual schools in Wisconsin would remain open under new regulations forged in a compromise announced by state lawmakers Jan. 24. A court ruling had threatened to close a dozen Wisconsin virtual schools starting as early as next school year. But lawmakers say those schools would be allowed to stay open with few changes and receive the same level of state aid as they do currently under their bipartisan plan." (01/25/08)

I will believe this when it happens. Though a mix of Government-ruined, theft-funded schools- and private schools, the virtual schools are a real threat to the unions, except in states like Colorado where they have made them havens for the unions and educrats even better than the brick-and-mortar schools.

Government-ruined, theft-funded schools:
UK: Teachers ordered to police children’s lunchboxes
Daily Mail [UK]
“School lunchboxes could soon be monitored by dinner ladies to ensure children are eating healthy meals, ministers said. Under the Government’s obesity strategy, all schools will be expected to design a ‘healthy lunchbox policy’ on what makes a nutritional packed lunch over the next year. Some parents may even be asked to sign a form agreeing to ban unhealthy foods from their children’s lunches. If a packed lunch is deemed to contain too much fat and sugar, parents could be sent warning letters or their children’s meals confiscated.” (01/24/08)

The nanny-state grows. Far better a child go hungry than that they eat too much fat and/or sugar. Far better that teachers control more and more about a child’s life than the parents.

Home front:
No delays as new border ID rules begin
USA Today
“Motorists passed easily through border checkpoints Thursday as tougher identification standards for U.S. and Canadian citizens went into effect without the backups and confusion some travelers had feared. People entering the country will no longer be allowed to simply declare to immigration officers at border crossings that they are citizens. Instead, those 19 and older will have to show proof of citizenship — a passport, trusted traveler card or a birth certificate and government-issued ID such as a driver’s license.” (01/31/08)

In other words, all travelers are assumed to be liars unless they can prove otherwise. And they say that Libertarians and gun-rights supporters are cynical about people!

Home front:
Military not ready for attack directly on US?
Seattle Times
January 31, Associated Press – The U.S. military is not ready for a catastrophic attack on the country, and National Guard forces do not have the equipment or training they need for the job, according to a report. Even fewer Army National Guard units are combat-ready today than were nearly a year ago when the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves determined that 88 percent of the units were not prepared for the fight, the panel says in a new report released Thursday. The independent commission is charged by Congress to recommend changes in law and policy concerning the Guard and Reserves. The commission’s 400-page report concludes that the nation “does not have sufficient trained, ready forces available” to respond to a chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons incident, “an appalling gap that places the nation and its citizens at greater risk.” “Right now we don’t have the forces we need, we don’t have them trained, we don’t have the equipment,” said the commission chairman in an interview with the Associated Press. In response, the Air Force general in charge of U.S. Northern command said the Pentagon is putting together a specialized military team that would be designed to respond to such catastrophic events. The capability for the Defense Department to respond to a chemical, biological event exists now,” he told the AP. “It, today, is not as robust as we would like because of the demand on the forces that we’ve placed across the country. ... I can do it today. It would be harder on the (military) services, but I could respond.” Over the next year, he said, specific active duty, Guard and Reserve units will be trained, equipped, and assigned to a three-tiered response force totaling about 4,000 troops. There would be a few hundred first responders, who would be followed by a second wave of about 1,200 troops that would include medical and logistics forces. The third wave, with the remainder of those initial 4,000 troops, would include aircraft units, engineers, and other support forces, depending on the type of incident.

And whose fault is this? Civilian leadership that thinks it is more important to occupy half the world than it is to defend our own shores and borders. All we will have (and don’t have now) is a meager force of 4,000 troops to defend against some trumped-up drug lord pulling a Pancho Villa raid on any of a hundred cities in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, or California? Or a seaborne raid against some major port city to hold it hostage and demand billions in ransom? Or even a similar airborne raid: a charter fleet of four or five jumbo-jets filled with Chinese “tourists” landing and seizing LAX or SFO or even DIA or DFW to tweak the nose of the Colossus and gain a couple billion in ransom money? As for nuke or chemical attacks, Readers Digest, almost 40 years ago, published one scenario: Chinese merchant ships each carrying a single nuclear bomb in a shipping container, and not even entering the port, but simply setting the bomb off a mile or so offshore; but better yet, docked. With winds in the right direction (towards shore), a single small ship, or even a boat, could disperse chemical or biological clouds of death for miles of shore, such as Virginia Beach or San Diego (both military targets), or Miami or Tampa. The scenarios are endless, especially in a world when the US is a falling giant.

Mama's Note: I still can't figure out why the Chinese would want to kill any of their customers. Now, if the US defaults on the debts and the Chinese come to believe that we've stolen all that loot, we might have a problem. But I suspect they'd rather take it out in trade. As far as I can remember, the Chinese have never attacked their neighbors at all.

Home front:
Katrina suit vs. Army Corps of Engineers dismissed
Chambersburg Public Opinion
“A federal judge threw out a key class-action lawsuit Wednesday against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over levee breaches after Hurricane Katrina, saying that the agency failed to protect the city but that his hands were tied by the law. U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval ruled that the Corps should be held immune over failures in drainage canals that caused much of the flooding of New Orleans in August 2005.” (01/30/08)

Haven’t heard much about Katrina lately, but she is still in the news now and then. Glad to see a judge threw this out: all the Corps did was do what Congress told them to, and Congress is the one who uses our stolen money to pay the bills. This wasn’t a case of refusing to do something, or of doing something that they weren’t authorized to do: Congress didn’t authorize spending money to “help” New Orleans until AFTER Katrina.

Home front:
On Thursday, documents needed to enter US
Arizona Republic
“Starting Thursday, telling a customs agent you’re a citizen will no longer be enough to enter the United States. For years, customs agents have accepted verbal declarations at border crossings, but a new rule taking effect this week requires documents to prove identity and citizenship. The simplest way to comply is to carry a passport or a driver’s license and birth certificate, but U.S. Customs and Border Protection will accept combinations of about two dozen valid documents. Nothing changes for Mexican nationals and people living in the United States under permanent resident-alien status, who must already show documentation. The new rules requiring proof of citizenship apply to U.S. And Canadian citizens.” (01/30/08)

Notice, not just one but TWO documents. As usual, much of this doesn't make sense. Travel orders, for example, don't have a photo, but if you don't have them, you have to have a drivers license to go with your military ID. And apparently, a drivers license is no good for under age 18. For more information, click here.

Mama's Note: We've almost got the wall, at least on one side, and now "your papers please" (permission to travel) is a reality. How much longer until we see the guard towers and concertina wire... and get shot if we try to leave?

Home front:
Privacy or convenience?
ComputerWorld
"Would you give up your privacy, submit to a background check, get fingerprinted or iris scanned and pay $100 per year just to get fast- tracked to the head of the airport security line whenever you fly? If so, a company called Clear will make it happen. The service is offered at San Francisco, San Jose, Albany, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, LaGuardia, Little Rock, New York JFK, Newark, Orlando and Westchester airports." (01/26/08)

You can answer that for yourself. For many of us, it is still “papers please” – just not as in-your-face.

Islamic imperialists:
Turkey: Parliament to consider lifting headscarf ban
Jurist
"A bill to lift a ban on women wearing headscarves in universities and public offices was submitted Tuesday to the Turkish Grand National Assembly amidst protests by secular groups. Last week, an agreement between Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party and key opponent Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) propelled the bill forward after decades of strict enforcement of the ban. The proposal, made in response to recent calls from Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the government to lift the ban immediately, would alter the constitution and the Higher Education Law No. 2547 to allow scarves tied at the chin." (01/29/08)

Normally, this would be a good thing – government-enforced dress codes being what they are. But this means that a key requirement of shari’a and a powerful tool to enforce conformity would again be available to Islamic enforcers.

Mama's Note: You can't heal a broken leg by breaking the other one.

Local tyranny:
AZ: Pro-life slogan okayed on state license plates
Reuters
"An Arizona agency wrongly denied an antiabortion group permission to print their message 'Choose Life' on license plates, a federal appeals court ruled on Monday. The Arizona License Plate Commission allows nonprofit groups to highlight their cause on license plates, but the commission in 2002 and 2003 denied the Arizona Life Coalition permission for a specialty plate with the 'Choose Life' slogan. The Arizona Life Coalition alleged that the denial violated their First Amendment rights to free speech and a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed." (01/29/08)

We fight over the silliest things: why would the ALPC care about this slogan?

Local tyranny:
IL: Resident in hot water over windows
Daily Herald
“A Geneva man is appealing a court ruling that said he was wrong for replacing windows on his house in a historic district. And so far, the City of Geneva has spent more than $21,000 on legal bills defending its right to preserve the historic character of buildings, and expects to spend $4,000 to $7,000 more fighting the appeal.” (01/27/08)

Who owns the building, anyway? And how much has the man spent in fighting for his liberty to own his property?

Massa wannabes:
CA: Schwarzenegger endorses McCain
Los Angeles Times
“As Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger endorsed Republican presidential hopeful John McCain on Thursday — and praised his ability to work with Democrats — Mitt Romney criticized the Arizona senator for showing ‘leadership for liberal causes.’ At a solar roofing company in downtown Los Angeles, Schwarzenegger formally backed McCain, praising his record of reaching across the aisle to ‘get things done’ and noting their shared commitment to halt global warming.” (02/01/08)

You would think, given Arnold’s track record, that this would be the kiss of death to a would-be “conservative” candidate, as McCain claims to be. Equally scary is Arnold’s pointing to McCain’s religious beliefs about global warming.

Mama's Note: I keep wondering which sick, has-been actor will run for office next. There are some really scary possibilities! Madonna for SF Mayor, anyone?

Massa wannabes:
With victory comes momentum into Super Tuesday
Boston Globe
“John McCain’s second consecutive victory in a closely fought primary puts him in the best position of any candidate to take control of his party’s presidential campaign next week, when states containing half the country’s population go to the polls. McCain’s victory represented a step forward because registered independents, who had favored him in previous states, were not allowed to vote in Florida’s Republican primary. But with only 36 percent of the vote, it was a modest enough victory to suggest that GOPers haven’t fully accepted McCain as their standard-bearer. But they seem to be getting closer.” (01/30/08)

Gag.

Massa wannabes:
FL: McCain, Clinton win party primaries
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
"John McCain edged Mitt Romney Tuesday in Florida's Republican primary, while Hillary Clinton won a convincing but largely symbolic victory in the Democratic vote. In the GOP race, with 98 percent of the expected vote counted, Arizona Sen. McCain had 36 percent and former Massachusetts Gov. Romney had nearly 31 percent. ... With 98 percent of the expected vote tallied, Clinton had 50 percent to Barack Obama's 33 percent, and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards was a distant third with 14 percent. The Democratic outcome amounted to little more than a beauty contest because the national Democratic Party stripped Florida of its convention delegates because the primary was moved to an earlier date." [Editor's note: Ron Paul polled about 3% - TLK] (01/30/08)

Frankly, I am amazed that Paul had such a pitifully small percentage, expecting him to reach double-digits based on what I’d been told by people from Florida and earlier reports. This means that Huckabee and Giuliani split the remaining 30%? Apparently, that is what is being claimed, but the numbers really don’t make sense when you look closely at them, especially as compared to polls just a week ago.

Mama's Note: It isn't the votes that count, it's who counts the votes. We are seeing only the faintest glimmers of all the fraud and cheating going on in these votes.

Massa wannabes:
Edwards, Giuliani: Toast
Saskatoon StarPhoenix (SK)
“Two men considered to be strong contenders in the U.S. presidential races before the primaries began both conceded defeat on Wednesday. Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani left the Republican field clear for John McCain and Mitt Romney. John Edwards left the Democrats in an unprecedented position: No matter which of the two remaining front-runners the party chooses to run for president, Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton, it will be the first time a major U.S. political party will choose a woman or a black man to lead its presidential ticket.” (01/31/08)

Good riddance to bad rubbish. Now if they could just get rid of the other two Democratic candidates… and three of the four remaining GOP… Will no one rid us of these meddlesome wannabes?

Massa wannabes:
SC: Obama in Dem primary landslide v. Clinton
CTV [Canada]
"Barack Obama won the South Carolina Democratic primary by a landslide. Hillary Clinton placed a distant second, with John Edwards coming in third. With nearly all of the precincts reporting late Saturday night, Obama had 55 per cent of the vote, Clinton had 27 per cent, and Edwards was in third with 18 per cent of the vote." (01/27/08)

Everything is up in the air, thanks to this and some conditions in the Super Tuesday states.

Mesopotamian front:
Iraq [sic]: Bombers kill 64 in pet markets
Agence France-Presse
“Powerful blasts, both triggered by female suicide bombers, killed at least 64 people and wounded more than 100 as they ripped through two Baghdad pet markets on Friday, officials and witnesses said. The apparently coordinated attacks 20 minutes apart ended a relative lull in violence in the Iraqi capital and were the most lethal blasts since August 1, when three car bombs killed more than 80 people.” (02/01/08)

The story is wrong: these were not suicide bombers, but rather, women with Down’s Syndrome; that is, developmentally disabled; used as living bomb-delivery systems with the bombs set off by cellphones to murder people. The death toll climbed quickly to near 100; 100 people given a death sentence for the evil act of considering the purchase of a pet. All thanks to believers in Islam, the religion of peace.

Mesopotamian front:
Pentagon deals new rules to Iraq security contractors
USA Today
“Under pressure to exercise greater control over private security contractors in Iraq, Bush administration officials outlined stricter rules for these armed guards during a three-hour meeting Wednesday at the Pentagon with 20 companies. The top executives from the largest security firms working in Iraq attended the meeting, which was hosted by Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England and Deputy Secretary State John Negroponte.” (01/30/08)

The problem is that this “solution” is imposed from the outside: Mercenaries (the proper name for “private security contractors”) are nothing more than thugs if they do not have both external controls AND internal controls and discipline: a moral code of conduct that they enforce first and foremost on themselves. I don’t think this is going to work.

Mesopotamian front:
Permanent US bases in Iraq unlikely
Christian Science Monitor
“The US and Iraq are beginning to hammer out a security accord that will define their relationship for years to come, but it probably won’t resemble the postwar agreements that have left thousands of American troops in places like Japan, Germany, or South Korea. Just how different the US-Iraq relationship will be remains far from clear. But neither the Bush administration nor military analysts believe it’s in the US interest to have permanent bases in Iraq and look like the occupying country many in the Muslim world suspect it to be. Nevertheless, it’s likely that the next administration, be it Democrat or Republican, will agree to having a substantial number of US forces there for at least some years.” (01/30/08)

This would be good but I don’t believe it: I think we will see some kind of base there for a very, very long time.

Mesopotamian front:
US troop reductions in Iraq may slow
MSNBC
"The Bush administration is sending strong signals that U.S. troop reductions in Iraq will slow or stop altogether this summer, a move that would jeopardize hopes of relieving strain on the Army and Marine Corps and revive debate over an open-ended U.S. commitment in Iraq. The indications of a likely slowdown reflect concern by U.S. commanders that the improvement in security in Iraq since June -- to a degree few had predicted when President Bush ordered five more Army brigades to Iraq a year ago -- is tenuous and could be reversed if the extra troops come out too soon." (01/29/08)

It is called hedging their bets, even while Republicans in Congress and running for president will put more pressure to bring more troops home in hope of influencing the elections.

Mesopotamian front:
Study: More than 1 million Iraqis [sic] killed since invasion
Agence France-Presse
“More than one million Iraqis have died because of the war in Iraq since the US-led invasion of the country in 2003, according to a study published Wednesday. A fifth of Iraqi households lost at least one family member between March 2003 and August 2007 due to the conflict, said data compiled by London-based Opinion Research Business (ORB) and its research partner in Iraq, the Independent Institute for Administration and Civil Society Studies (IIACSS). The study based its findings on survey work involving the face-to-face questioning of 2,414 Iraqi adults aged 18 or above, and the last complete census in Iraq in 1997, which indicated a total of 4.05 million households.” (01/30/08)

It isn’t criminal, because the thing was and is “legal” – but it is immoral and evil and should not have been done. The payback will be frightful, ultimately. At the same time, this study, like any of this sort, is filled with bias and cannot be taken as accurate. And also, the US cannot be held accountable for a very large number of these deaths: the mass murder of “Iraqis” by other “Iraqis” was extremely common under Saddam’s rule and would have exploded when he faltered, regardless of who pulled him down.

Nazgul:
Alleged Nazi guard loses bid to stay in US
MSNBC
“A federal appeals court on Wednesday rejected an alleged Nazi death camp guard’s challenge to a final deportation order by the nation’s chief immigration judge. A panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled there was no basis to John Demjanjuk’s challenge of a December 2005 ruling that he could be deported to his native Ukraine or to Germany or Poland.” [Editor’s note: I’m in favor of hunting down Nazi war criminals and punishing them, but this guy has already had his conviction overturned by Israel’s Supreme Court — no softies, the Israelis — and the whole thing keeps looking more and more like a case of “the US State Department got embarrassed so we’re going to get you” - TLK] (01/30/08)

The courts aren’t going to want to change, obviously.

Nazgul:
NY: Bloomberg's gun sting not illegal, says Judge
New York Daily News
"A federal judge said Friday that Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration did not commit a crime when it sent undercover investigators into gun shops to attempt illegal weapons purchases. The city, which is suing the gun dealers, said the ruling was good news for its case, but the gun dealers believe it may also help their argument that they didn't do anything wrong either. ... Gun rights advocates and organizations ... also have complained that Bloomberg's gun sting was a criminal stunt. And the Justice Department even did its own inquiry as to whether the city was out of bounds. But U.S. Magistrate Judge Cheryl Pollak said Friday the court had found 'that the city's actions do not constitute a crime or fraud.'" (01/26/08)

This will open as many cans of worms as the Kelo v. New London case. If it isn’t fraud, what is?

New religions: climate change:
Scientists see looming water crisis in western US
Reuters
“A water supply crisis is looming in the western United States thanks to human-caused climate change that already has altered the region’s river flows, snow pack and air temperatures, scientists said. Trends over the past half century foreshadow a worsening decline in water, perhaps the region’s most valuable natural resource, even as population and demand expands in western states, researchers led by a scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography wrote in the journal Science on Thursday.” (01/31/08)

Once more, we see a pack of fanatics that can’t seem to get over their hubris AND can’t seem to read their instruments right. What is amazing is that this comes during the first real winter the Central Rockies has had in eight years: a strong indicator that another drought cycle may be ending. As the Smithsonian and other observers have noted, the trend in the last decade is a slight cooling trend, NOT warming, and the water situation in the West, always precarious, is not much different than in the 1300s or the 1600s or the 1930s. This emphasis on “human-caused climate change” makes it easier to ignore human-caused water consumption (like green lawns and introduction of species like salt-cedar) that create the real water shortage problems.

Mama's Note: And let's not forget all the water that goes into the sea unused because the poor little fishies somehow need it worse than humans. It is also not as if each drop of water that gets used is somehow gone forever. There is just as much water on this planet now as there was on the very first day of creation. It doesn't vanish, it just changes shape and location.

New religions: environism:
States, environmental groups seek controls on nonroad engines
San Jose Mercury News
“A coalition of states and environmental groups is urging the federal government to curb greenhouse gases from tractors, snowmobiles, riding lawn mowers and other off-road vehicles. California, Connecticut, Oregon, New Jersey and Pennsylvania plan to file a petition Tuesday asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop emission standards for construction and farm machinery, logging equipment, outdoor power equipment, recreational vehicles and lawn and garden equipment. Off-road vehicles were responsible for about 220 million tons of carbon dioxide in 2007, or roughly the same amount of emissions produced by 40 millions cars, according to California Attorney General Jerry Brown.” (01/28/08)

This is completely bogus. The EPA and most states already have strict, and fairly new, standards for off-road engines that are costing businesses (and therefore, their customers) billions to comply with, regulating emissions. The "cause" here is global warming, and this is just one of dozens of points of attack for the environists: this one led by the meadow-muffin man himself, Jerry Brown.

Privacy:
Verizon calls for halt to wireless data mining
CNN
"Nearly four years ago, Verizon Wireless said that a wireless directory would be a 'dumb idea.' Now, as another company leaks its plans to sell the cell phone numbers of private citizens, Verizon Wireless today called on that company to halt the mining and sale of these numbers. 'Stop it. This is a violation of Americans' privacy. People expect their cell phone numbers to remain private,' said Steve Zipperstein, vice president and general counsel of Verizon Wireless. He added that Verizon Wireless intends to take whatever steps might be necessary, including litigation, to protect its customers' numbers and privacy." (01/29/08)

Good (for once in a very long time) for Verizon Wireless. In case their lawsuit doesn’t succeed, here is an unverified way to protect yourself, thanks to Kim: “REMINDER..12 days from today, all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls. ....YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS. To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222 It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to block. You cannot call from a different phone number.

Our right to defend ourselves:
NE: Proposal would ban gun seizures after catastrophes
Insurance Journal
“Should disaster strike and chaos ensue, Nebraskans could be forced to give up their guns, under current law. That’s what happened in New Orleans, when police seized guns after Hurricane Katrina walloped the city in 2005. But a state lawmaker wants to change the rules so that cities and other political subdivisions in Nebraska couldn’t do the same. Under a bill LB 1076 from Sen. Kent Rogert of Tekamah, neither the state nor political subdivisions could enact special restrictions on guns during emergency or disasters. The law would apply to gun possession, storage and use, among other things. The National Rifle Association filed a lawsuit against New Orleans city officials over the city’s seizure of firearms after the hurricane.” (01/30/08)

It would be nice to think that this would pass in Nebraska, which is the most hoploclastic state in the Great Plains by far.

Mama's Note: And we all know how well the states obey the "law" if it doesn't suit them. As far as I know, the people of New Orleans STILL have not had their guns returned to them, in spite of lawsuits and court orders. The only way to prevent gun confiscation is not to let anyone take them in the first place.

Our right to defend ourselves:
SD: House panel OKs bill protecting gun rights on campus
Rapid City Journal
“Law-abiding people should be allowed [sic] to carry and possess guns on the campuses of South Dakota’s public universities, a state House committee recommended Wednesday. The State Affairs Committee voted unanimously to pass HB1261, which would guarantee people the right to carry or possess firearms on college campuses. The schools also would be prevented from expelling students or firing employees for having a gun on campus. The panel later voted unanimously to kill a competing measure … which sought to ban guns on campus.” (01/30/08)

This has a good chance of passing, and is needed to protect staff, students, and visitors from overzealous hoploclasts who would seek total disarmament, ala Virginia Tech.

Our right to defend ourselves:
TX: Clerk turns tables on robber
CBS 11 News
“Dallas police say a store clerk came face to face with a would-be robber, but this time it’s the suspect that ended up in the hospital. … On Wednesday police say a man came into the store at 4 a.m. and found that clerk Benny Brown was more than a match for him. … Police say what Brown did was defend himself when he saw the suspect with a semi-automatic handgun. Brown took a gun, that’s left at the store, and fired it three times. … The suspect staggered away from the store empty handed and hours later a man, matching the suspect’s description, showed up at Parkland Hospital with a gunshot wound to the head.” (01/30/08)

Good for Brown, but he does need more practice.

Our right to defend ourselves:
TX: Clerk shoots at would-be robber
Waco Tribune-Herald
“A Bosque County store clerk refused to be a crime victim for a second time in less than a year by shooting at a masked man who tried to rob him Tuesday morning. No customers were in the Lake Stop Store at 340 State Highway 22 in Laguna Park at 10:16 a.m. when a man wearing a mask entered, said owner Balbar Deo, who wasn’t at the store at the time of the attempted robbery. The masked man was carrying an unknown weapon under his jacket, according to a Bosque County Sheriff’s Department press release. When the clerk saw this, he reached under the counter and pulled out a .22-caliber gun and shot twice at the would-be robber. … Deo said the clerk had been robbed and badly beaten at the store last summer. But Tuesday, the would-be robber fled the store after the clerk fired.” (01/30/08)

A .22-cal? After being attacked once? The man was lucky despite his foolishness. People - don’t go for less than a .38-cal, please, for self-defense.

Mama's Note: Seems Texas is having another rash of really dumb criminals. Didn't we go through this just last year?

Our right to defend ourselves:
GA: Homeowner shoots suspected burglar in leg
WRDW News
"The Thurman family says after two people stole from them they got a security system and a gun. Now, they say, they've both come in handy. 'As soon as [the motion sensor] went off, we were able to look out the window and see that he had opened the door to the truck,' said Michael Thurman. He says he thought it was a burglar. So he grabbed his gun, ran downstairs and went outside. 'When I saw him right here I said hey what are you doing?' Thurman said. An incident report shows the suspect, Jeffery Whitt, started to run to a dark part of the yard. Thurman says he couldn't see him and was afraid he might be going to get a gun. 'Anything could've been in [the] area, so I did what I thought I needed to protect myself and my family. I fired a few shots.' One of those shots into the dark hit the suspect in the leg." (01/28/08)

Frankly, the homeowner is an idiot. The guy “might” have been running to get a gun? Please. And firing blindly into the dark is a good way to kill a family member, a friend, or a neighbor. Glad I don’t live by the Thurmans.

Mama's Note: Me too!! These are the people who give honest gun owners a very bad name. I hope, however, that he has a friend or neighbor who will help him learn the rules and be a safer self defender in the future.

Our right to defend ourselves:
OH: Woman shot, boyfriend shoots attacker
WHIO TV
"Moments after a woman in Miami Township called 911, fearing for her boyfriend's life, she was shot in the head and is now fighting for her life. Deidre Webster, 33, called 911 and shortly thereafter she was shot in the head. ... Police said minutes later, Webster's boyfriend, 49-year-old Charles Weidle, also called police. According to police, Weidle shot 38-year-old Richard Coyle, who later died. Police said that Coyle shot Webster, which then prompted Weidle to shoot Coyle." 01/28/08)

It sounds like the boyfriend waited too long to shoot, to me.

Our right to defend ourselves:
MA: Citizens group recommits to stopping violence
Boston Globe
"Seventeen years ago, they banded together to combat violence. Former gang members, lawyers, school officials, and business owners, they sought to form truces between warring gangs and stem Boston's skyrocketing homicide rate. Today, Citizens for Safety will announce its rebirth and its new members, an eclectic group that includes mothers of homicide victims, religious leaders, a former policeman, and a suburban mom. They will also announce their new mission: to track sources of illegal guns and learn how they end up in the hands of teenagers and criminals. Eight men have been killed since the year began. Nearly all of them were shot, and police said they believe several were victims of gang violence." (01/29/08)

Sadly, if they devoted the same amount of effort to arming and training homeowners and businessowners and employees in how to defend themselves, they would see a much greater result in their efforts.

Our right to defend ourselves:
AZ: Proposed bill OKs guns in schools
Arizona Republic
“Individuals with a concealed-weapons permit would be allowed to bring their guns onto school grounds under a measure introduced Friday at the Arizona Legislature. The proposal, Senate Bill 1214, would exempt concealed-carry permit holders from a state law that bars individuals from knowingly carrying deadly weapons onto school property. If it becomes law, the measure would allow teachers and anyone else with a valid permit to carry their weapon onto the grounds of any public or private K-12 school, college or university in the state. Supporters say the measure would provide an additional ring of security on campuses hit with a string of shootings in recent years.” (01/26/08)

Given Arizona’s recent record, I don’t give this much hope of passing, but it would be wise and nice if it did.

Our right to defend ourselves:
DE: Teen bandits flee after store clerk takes gun
News Journal
“Two teens walked into the Little Grocer convenience store on East Division Street about 9 p.m. Sunday and demanded money, Lt. James Hosfelt said. When one of the bandits brandished a sawed-off shotgun in the direction of the clerk behind the counter, the gunman and clerk got into a physical confrontation, Hosfelt said. The clerk refused to hand over any money from the register and then grabbed the shotgun out of the hand of the would-be robber. After the clerk established control of the situation, the two bandits went running from the store.” (01/28/08)

A brave act, but far better to have been armed and made it clear that the clerk was armed.

Our right to defend ourselves:
VA: Pol's "Deliverance" comment riles gun rights supporters
Bristol Herald Courier
"A Virginia man sparked a statewide political reaction after he said he heard the state Senate's majority leader insult rural gun owners while standing in a public elevator. 'He turns to his companion and says, 'You can tell we're debating a gun bill today. Half the cast of 'Deliverance' is in town,' said John Pierce, a local gun-rights activist who was in Richmond to lobby the General Assembly against a bill to close the so-called gun-show loophole.' I was absolutely floored. ... I think what you're seeing is bigotry aimed at rural voters and the issues that they tend to support,' Pierce said." (01/25/08)

This is more a stupid politician trick, I guess. But then, in a formerly free Commonwealth in which the liberal yahoos of Northern Virginia now dominate virtually everything, in a coalition with liberal black leaders, the SML knows that he can insult real Virginians with impunity.

Mama's Note: "Rural voters" my foot! It isn't the rural people who are dying there, it's the fools in the city - especially the schools. The rural folks of Virginia are not apt to be disarmed any time soon, whatever the general assembly thinks. I know some of them quite well. Hear tell some of them still make moonshine too... after various governments have been trying to stop them for about 400 years now.

Our right to defend ourselves:
GA: Wheelchair-bound man shoots attacker
WXIA News
"A homeowner who is confined to a wheelchair shot and wounded a man who confronted him on his door step, Atlanta police told 11Alive News. The homeowner was on his way out of his house on Flat Shoals Avenue Friday morning when he ran into a man at his door. The homeowner asked the man to leave, but the man started to assault the homeowner, authorities said. During a struggle, the homeowner grabbed a gun and shot the attacker in the arm and chest. The suspect was taken to the hospital. His condition was not known. The homeowner was not injured." (01/25/08)

Even the disabled are able to protect themselves, if they are armed.

Our right to defend ourselves:
TX: Attempted robbery ends with shoot-out
Houston Chronicle
"An attempted robbery outside a convenience store in north Houston on Friday afternoon ended in a shoot-out between the robber and his intended victim, police said. ... According to police, the gunman approached the son of the store's owners in the parking lot and tried to rob him at gunpoint about 3:20 p.m. But the intended victim managed to pull out his gun, said Sgt. Robert Odom of HPD's homicide division. Several shots were fired and both men were wounded, Odom said. ... When Mary Rogers drove home Friday afternoon to find police tape cordoning off The Handi Food Mart down the street, she felt tears well in her eyes. ... The little family-owned and operated store has been a neighborhood fixture for years, she said. The store owners have a large brood of grown children, many of whom help out at the store, Rogers said. 'Most of the people here know them,' Rogers said. 'They're just as sweet as they can be. Always give people credit when they need it.'" (01/25/08)

Praying that the store clerk survives, and that the would-be robber pays for his crime.

South Asian front:
Pakistan: Top al-Qaida commander alleged killed
Chattanooga Times Free Press
“A missile from a U.S. Predator drone struck a suspected terrorist safehouse in Pakistan and killed a top al-Qaida commander believed responsible for attacks on U.S. forces and the brazen bomb attack during a visit last year by Vice President Dick Cheney to Afghanistan, a U.S. official said Thursday. The strike that killed Abu Laith al-Libi was conducted Monday night or early Tuesday against a facility in Pakistan’s north Waziristan region, the lawless tribal area bordering Afghanistan. His death was reported by postings on two Islamist Web sites and confirmed by a U.S. Official on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to discuss the strike publicly.” (01/31/08)

Presumably, the US had the blessing of the Paki government to do this, although the border is ill defined in this region. Of course, this Ghazi badmash will be quickly replaced by another like him.

Space:
Spacewalk repair boosts station’s power
Miami Herald
“Two astronauts pulled off a riskier and trickier-than-usual spacewalk Wednesday, replacing a failed electric motor and giving the international space station a much-needed power boost. The station’s power system still has problems; a joint for rotating one set of solar wings is mysteriously clogged with metal shavings and can’t be fixed until later this year.” (01/30/08)

Low-bid contractor?

Mama's Note: Mice in space?

Space:
General: Spy satellite could hit US
Zanesville Times Recorder
"The U.S. Military is developing contingency plans to deal with the possibility that a large spy satellite expected to fall to Earth in late February or early March could hit North America. Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart, who heads of U.S. Northern Command, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the size of the satellite suggests that some number of pieces will not burn up as the orbiting vehicle reenters the Earth's atmosphere and will hit the ground." (01/29/08)

We should come up with a “top ten” list of where we’d like it to hit. DC, of course, is probably #1, but I’m sure that there will be a lot of votes for Sacramento and Lynchburg.

Mama's Note: If I get a vote - and this is one I'd participate in - DC is of course first and Sacramento a good second, but I have no idea why Lynchburg needs to be creamed. What did they do?

Stupid cop tricks:
CA: Cop tasers fleeing bicyclist
Associated Press
“A Glenn County sheriff’s deputy shot a man with a Taser gun for allegedly riding his bike at night without proper lighting. According to a sheriff’s spokesman, the bicyclist ignored warnings from the deputy he would use the stun gun, then fled on foot. One probe struck the bicyclist, Omar Herrada Rivera, 39, but he did not receive a shock. After being checked out at a hospital, Rivera was held in the county jail on suspicion of resisting arrest, riding a bicycle without proper lighting, riding under the influence of alcohol and using false citizenship government documents. The sheriff’s spokesman said the deputy’s decision to use the Taser was proper.” (01/29/08)

Given the problems with Tasers, it appears that California is now authorizing the death penalty for riding a bike with no lights.

Stupid government tricks:
Feds let states delay inspections of bad bridges
MSNBC
“In 1988, the Federal Highway Administration provided a loophole in the National Bridge Inspection Standards, allowing states to seek permission to put certain bridges on inspection schedules as long as 48 months, twice the usual 24-month standard. The idea, according to the federal regulations, was to delay the inspection of low-risk bridges, leaving more time and money for attending to the worst bridges.” [FND Editor’s note: Wow … how GENEROUS of the feds to “allow” the states to “ask permission” to set their own schedules for inspecting their own bridges. Perhaps next they’ll allow the formal bow to be replaced with a reverent nod and forelock-tug - TLK] (01/31/08)

This, of course, lets the states blame the Feds for anything that fails, since the permission is coupled with a lack of money (or so it will be claimed) to be provided by the Feds. Since most state transportation work is dependent on the Federal fuel tax “trust fund” revenues, this works perfectly – for everyone but drivers and passengers.

Stupid government tricks:
Official: Bush’s 2009 budget to be tight
San Francisco Examiner
“President Bush’s 2009 budget will virtually freeze most domestic programs and seek nearly $200 billion in savings from federal health care programs, a senior administration official said Thursday. Overall, the Bush budget will exceed $3 trillion, this official said. The deficit is expected to reach about $400 billion for this year and next.” [FND Editor’s note: How can it be that every year Bush’s budget proposal is larger than the previous year’s, but is still said to be “tight” and to include “cuts?” - TLK] (01/31/08)

Tom’s question is rhetorical, of course. This is the way the public has been deceived ever since the FDR administration: as long as there is not an increase to match inflation (or pretend to), the “belt is tightened” just because it isn’t expanded. Sadly, people believe it.

Stupid government tricks:
Feds faulted in Indian trust accounting
Arizona Republic
“A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that the Interior Department has ‘unreasonably delayed’ its accounting for billions of dollars owed to Indian landholders. The federal agency ‘has not, and cannot, remedy the breach’ of its responsibilities to account for the Indian money, U.S. District Judge James Robertson said in a 165-page decision in a federal lawsuit claiming mismanagement of Indian trust funds. ‘Indeed, it is now clear that completion of the required accounting is an impossible task’ for the department, Robertson said, adding that he would schedule a hearing next month to discuss ways to solve the problem. He added that his conclusion that Interior is unable to perform an adequate accounting does not mean that the task is hopeless.” (01/31/08)

Meanwhile the BIA continues to be hamstrung in dozens of ways as a result of stupid judicial actions (like banning use of the internet and email by BIA offices) and because almost nothing can be done in Indian Country without BIA permission, a lot doesn’t get done in a timely manner. And Congress (who can be blamed for the mess in the first place) sees it as less than important to return the billions stolen from tribes and tribal members.

Stupid government tricks:
UK: Court orders return of new baby
BBC News [UK]
“A teenage mother from Nottingham whose newborn child was taken from her by social services is to seek damages. The boy was born to the 18-year-old, who had just left local authority care, but taken two hours later by social services without a court order. Hours later, Mr. Justice Munby at the High Court said no baby could be removed ‘as the result of a decision taken by officials in some room.’” (01/30/08)

A justice that did something right, but a government that has run amok: there are no real checks LEFT on the power of HM Government to do whatever it wants to.

Stupid government tricks:
NY: Secession plan for NYC?
New York Sun
“Emboldened by Mayor Bloomberg’s testimony in Albany this week that the city’s taxpayers pay the state $11 billion a year more than they get back, a City Council member is offering legislation that would begin the process of having New York City secede from New York State. Peter Vallone Jr., a Democrat who represents Queens, is pushing the idea, and the Council plans to hold a hearing on the possibility of making New York City the 51st state. ‘I think secession’s time has definitely come again,’ Mr. Vallone, who spearheaded a similar push in 2003, told the New York Sun yesterday.” (01/30/08)

Some mayor (Kent Lindsay sticks in my mind) first threatened this in the 1960s, and it fell flat on its face then. ANY urban area is going to pay the state more than they get back, because of highway systems, state government overhead, corruption, waste, fraud, and all the other things. If New York is tired of paying too much tax, I suggest that the City use its political clout to cut spending “in Albany” by 75% or 80% or so. Of course, the secesh cause could be a lot of fun, and give a boost to everyone else’s plans to leave their own states – or even the Union.

Stupid government tricks:
Mukasey won't comment on waterboarding
Roseburg News-Review
"Attorney General Michael Mukasey said Tuesday he will refuse to publicly say whether the interrogation tactic known as waterboarding is illegal, digging in against critics who want the Bush administration to define it as torture. In a letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, Mukasey said he has finished a review of Justice Department memos about the CIA's current methods of interrogating terror suspects and finds them to be lawful. He said waterboarding currently is not used by the spy agency." (01/30/08)

For all Mukasey’s faults, he really is between a rock and a hard place on this, given that he is really a politician and trying to play a political game. Of course, he is still wrong in failing to take action.

Stupid government tricks:
Bush on NCLB: "Strengthen this good law"
eSchool News
"Touting the success of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), President Bush urged Congress to 'strengthen this good law' by increasing accountability, adding flexibility for states and districts, reducing the number of high school dropouts, and providing extra help for struggling schools." (01/29/08)

Delusional.

Stupid government tricks:
Bush backs away from military contractor investigation
Hampton Roads Virginian-Pilot
"President Bush warned on Tuesday that he may disregard several portions of a massive defense policy bill he signed just one day earlier, including provisions creating a commission to investigate the use of civilian contractors such as Blackwater in Iraq and Afghanistan. The action drew an immediate rebuke from Senate Democrats, including Virginia's Jim Webb, a prime force behind creation of the bipartisan panel." (01/30/08)

He is wrong, of course, but Congress is worse: if Webb were serious about this bill, he’d be getting his comrades in the House to introduce a new impeachment bill.

Stupid government tricks:
UK: "Super-prisons" would make crisis worse, says watchdog
Independent [UK]
"Emergency plans to build three 'super-prisons' to hold soaring numbers of inmates could backfire by deepening the crisis facing jails, the prisons watchdog fears. Anne Owers, the chief inspector of prisons, says the penal system, which already holds more than 80,700 people, is struggling to cope with the pressures it faces and she even raises the prospect of financial cutbacks leading to riots." (01/30/08)

Like the US, the UK is unable to see that the drug war and other stupid government acts (such as destroying parental responsibility) are the causes of the prison crisis, and plans like this are Band-aids on a gushing wound.

Stupid government tricks:
Historical revision challenges memorials to South’s heroes
Christian Science Monitor
“From Columbia, S.C., to Frederick, Md., and even in America’s capital, politicians and activists are attempting to make historical symbols express a more nuanced understanding of the past, in efforts that include amending the plaques, statues, and memorials of historical figures to reflect their racist sentiments. Following the raucous Confederate flag debates of the early 2000s, and the more recent attempts to remove Confederate icons from campuses in North Carolina and Texas, the newer practice of footnoting statues, experts say, is an expression of black political power, especially in the South. But historians are divided on whether the practice provides a necessary context to memorials or threatens to turn historical interpretation into a politically driven free-for-all.” (01/29/08)

Once more, the anti-liberty forces have found yet another way to continue to denigrate the cause for which Southerners fought and died: black Southerners as well as white ones. Of course, a century and more of public schooling that teaches that slavery was the only reason for the War between the States has made this possible.

Mama's Note: As far as I can see, the "Civil War" has been cause for a political free-for-all fight since it started! There are not too many other areas of history with so many conflicting accounts portrayed very seriously as historical fact. I doubt anyone will ever know the full truth.

Stupid government tricks:
UK: Only three sustainable homes built so far
Independent [UK]
"Gordon Brown's dream of 'eco-towns' with tens of thousands of homes powered by wind and solar power has failed to grip the public's imagination. Officials have confirmed that only three low-carbon homes are being built in the UK. The Prime Minister made the plan for 100,000 sustainable homes a key element of his pitch for the Labour Party leadership last summer. But individuals have failed to match the Government's enthusiasm for cutting household emissions." (01/27/08)

Gee, Mr. High Chancellor, I guess that your Queen’s subjects don’t want to play your game, do they?

Mama's Note: There were plans to build vast "sustainable" villages as well, fulfilling the deluded dreams of the enviro-whackos to concentrate humans into the smallest space possible... but the European people have so far blocked every attempt to establish building sites for these monstrosities. Good for them.

Stupid people tricks:
CA: Pot vending machines
Ananova [UK]
"Marijuana vending machines have been launched in California. The machines can only be used by people who have been prescribed the drug for health reasons, reports the BBC. Patients will have to provide a prescription, and be fingerprinted and photographed before being allowed to use the facilities." (01/29/08)

This is just bizarre: why vending machines when you have so much other human-mandatory intervention? I suspect it may be a way of “mainstreaming” the sale, but that is almost certain to backfire.

Mama's Note: On a forum I frequent, we were laughing at the "anonymity," one of the claims for this idiocy. Just how can anyone be anonymous if they must go through all that to activate the machine? Typical gov-speak.

Stupid people tricks:
OH: ACLU sues v. paper ballots
Associated Press
“The American Civil Liberties Union asked a federal judge on Monday to block the March 4 presidential primary in Ohio’s biggest county if it switches to a paper ballot system that doesn’t allow voters to correct errors. In a follow-up to a suit it filed Jan. 17, the ACLU of Ohio asked for a preliminary injunction against any election in Cuyahoga County if the switch is made. The lawsuit argued that the proposed paper-ballot system would violate voters’ constitutional rights because it doesn’t allow them to correct errors on ballots before they are cast.” (01/28/08)

Every time I think a nice thought about the ACLU (see story about Clayton County AL’s war on drugs, below), they do something stupid like this. Duh! If you make a mistake on a paper ballot, you go and get a new one! Idiots.

Mama's Note: So, in the end, there IS no way to conduct electoral politics without fraud and violation of rights. BINGO!!! That's what I've been saying for years. So, why do most people continue to act as if it makes sense to put their lives and property up for a vote anyway? Voting is the advance sale of stolen goods and slave labor.

Stupid people tricks:
VT: Brattleboro to vote on arresting Bush, Cheney
Rutland Herald
"Brattleboro residents will vote at town meeting on whether President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney should be indicted and arrested for war crimes, perjury or obstruction of justice if they ever step foot in Vermont. The Brattleboro Select Board voted 3-2 Friday to put the controversial item on the Town Meeting Day warning. According to Town Clerk Annette Cappy, organizers of the Bush-Cheney issue gathered enough signatures, and it was up to the Select Board whether Brattleboro voters would consider the issue in March. Cappy said residents will get to vote on the matter by paper balloting March 4." (01/27/08)

Yeah, right. I suppose they will then invite them to come visit so that they can kill a bunch of Secret Service agents in order to arrest them? This is a classic case of “who will bell the cat.”

Technology:
CA: Firm doubles flying time of jetpack
Fox News
“A California company has updated the trusty old-fashioned jetpack. This futuristic way of getting around, made famous by the ’70s kiddie show Ark II and the 1991 Disney movie The Rocketeer, has actually been around for 50-odd years. A precursor was even developed by the Germans during World War II. But it’s always had one big problem: There’s only so much rocket fuel a man can carry strapped to his back, and that amount tends to run out pretty quickly — in about 30 to 40 seconds. Now Thunderbolt Aerosystems of San Jose has doubled that flying time. By mixing in a little kerosene with the standard hydrogen peroxide fuel, it’s managed to extend air time to a whopping 75 seconds. That may not sound like much, but it’ll get a 160-pound man some 3,500 feet down the road.” (01/30/08)

Don’t worry, the government will protect us from the evil flying men. I am sure OSHA is already investigating. (Seriously: If 75 seconds doesn’t sound like much, as I recall, the Wright Brothers first flight was all of about 13 seconds.)

Mama's Note: Indeed, but it didn't take 65 years for the Wright Brother's invention to progress to jets and space craft. This jetpack thing has languished at least that long. Maybe that's because there was no real market for the idea... and maybe not. Personally, I'm holding out for teleportation.

The African Collapse:
South Africa: Police raid church, nab Zimbabwean refugees
Conway Log Cabin Democrat
“South African police raided a downtown church Wednesday night where hundreds of Zimbabweans had taken refuge, hauling people in pajamas to a police station in scenes reminiscent of apartheid-era raids. Bishop Paul Verryn sheltered about 1,200 people at the Central Methodist Church, which has become a haven for Zimbabweans fleeing their own country’s political and economic meltdown. Verryn said police arrived around 11 p.m. Two hours later, police were still taking people by the van load to the central police station.” (01/30/08)

The “democratic” SA government has made it clear that they support the murderous kleptocratic regime of Mugabe. Unlike the Apartheid roundups, of course, THESE are equal-opportunity.

The Collapse of Africa:
Kenya: Lawmaker killed; faction leaders to start talks
USA Today
"A gang beheaded a doctor in apparent retaliation for the slaying of an opposition lawmaker Tuesday ahead of fresh talks expected between Kenya's rival leaders aimed at resolving a dispute over the country's presidential election. After days of deadlocked meetings with President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga, former Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced in a statement that the leaders would start a 'dialogue process' Tuesday afternoon." (01/29/08)

It continues in Kenya, and will probably get much worse.

Mama's Note: Indeed, as long as the "choice" of the vote is between one monster or another, nothing will change, even if the monsters decide to cooperate and split the spoils.

The Collapse of Africa:
Kenya: Death toll nears 800 in a month
Visalia Times Delta
"Gangs of youths armed with machetes and clubs fought running battles with police on Sunday and burned tribal rivals alive in their homes in western Kenya, pushing the death toll from a month of escalating ethnic violence to nearly 800. Sunday marked exactly one month since the Dec. 27 disputed president election which sparked the violence that has transformed this once-stable African country, pitting longtime neighbors against each other and turning towns where tourists used to gather for luxury holidays into no-go zones." (01/27/08)

The absence of liberty leads to this situation. And the West has abetted it for a century.

Theft by government:
Lawyer: Snipes’s “kooky” mail not a crime
Yahoo! News
“Rather than file tax returns on an estimated $38 million in income, actor Wesley Snipes flooded the U.S. tax agency with correspondence that his lawyer admitted on Tuesday was sometimes ‘kooky, crazy and loony.’ ‘Kooky, crazy and loony is not a crime,’ the lawyer, Robert Barnes, said in closing arguments at Snipes’ trial on tax fraud charges. … Prosecutors argued the star of the ‘Blade’ movie series hooked up with known tax protesters and then ignored warnings from Internal Revenue Service agents and his longtime tax adviser that he must file returns and pay taxes.” (01/30/08)

So he only got two years instead of fourteen. How kind.

Theft by government:
MO: Jury awards $65k in land theft case
Southeast Missourian
“A jury award of $65,000 is not what Jerel and Belen Lichtenegger expected Wednesday. It’s not what they wanted. ‘I’m not interested in the money. I’m interested in the parking, so we can generate business,’ Jerel Lichtenegger said. The Lichteneggers own Global Trading, the grocery store at 1304 Broadway, which they’ve owned and run for 20 years. It has been closed for a year, Belen Lichtenegger said, the victim of a fight with the city of Cape Girardeau that started in 2004.” (01/31/08)

Just because you pay for it after the fact doesn’t mean it is not theft. “Theft by a majority is no less immoral than theft by a single criminal” is just as true as “Tyranny of the majority is no less immoral than tyranny of despots.” (Blacksun/anonymous, 2007)

Theft by government:
MI: Town pols hear pitch for land theft, corporate welfare
Saginaw News
“Buena Vista Township leaders are weighing a plan to bring a government affairs expert into the Fort Saginaw mall revitalization venture. The township is trying to acquire the dilapidated, 33-acre property at East Holland and South Outer with an eye on developing a downtown business center there. Officials are working on a development blueprint now with the Northville-based McKenna Associates. However, township leaders are weighing entering into a contract with The Ferguson Group, a Washington, D.C.-based company specializing in lobbying Congress, on behalf of city and township governments, for federal funds. … Officials are taking steps to seize the property under eminent domain, a law that gives the government the right [sic] to assume ownership of property for public use as long as landowners receive fair compensation.” (01/29/08)

Another legacy of Kelo vs. New London and the Nazgul’s insane decision.

Theft by government:
TX: Court orders owners to open land for Know-Nothing fence work
Jurist
“US District Judge Andrew Hanen of the US Southern District of Texas Monday released a Friday order directing 10 property owners in Cameron County, Texas to provide the federal government access to their land for 180 days so it can begin surveying for a 670-mile fence along the US-Mexico border. The federal government had asked Hanen to rule on the case without informing the property owners, a permissible move under eminent domain law, but the judge ordered that the owners should be alerted before the hearing held last Friday.” (01/28/08)

The theft progresses along the border. At least they can’t sneak around doing it.

War on some drugs:
AL: Sheriff plans invasion
11 Alive News
“Officials in Clayton County have intensified their efforts in the war on drugs. Sheriff Victor Hill announced he is planning an invasion into drug-infested communities. … Deputies have identified five known drug houses, that they want to investigate. Thursday night, deputies set up a road block, and checked each car coming into or out of the street in question for drugs. … Hill said the conventional method of warrants and arrests are not working, and that military-like occupation of deputies is necessary. But the move doesn’t come without controversy. The director of the ACLU said Hill has no legal grounds, and the occupation and intimidation are not warranted, as a result of lack of evidence to make an arrest. ‘You can get a warrant,’ said Debbie Seagraves of the ACLU. ‘You don’t need to have a military occupation. ‘” (01/24/08)

Is this not a outrageous example of local tyranny the equal of anything that King George III did in the 1770s? Like other Sheriffs featured in this column, Sheriff Hill needs to have a prison cell of his own for treason against liberty and violation of the Bill of Rights. He is nothing but a tyrant, and his deputies worse than Hessians, because they KNOW better.

War on some drugs:
Study: ADHD drugs of minimal value
Los Angeles Times
“Doctors and parents have long been left to guess at which children with a diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, will go on to become adults with significant attention problems, how well they will navigate the challenges of adulthood and whether early recognition of — and medication for — their condition will make any difference in the trajectory of their lives. Now a series of studies following 457 Finnish children from birth to ages 16 to 18 offers a glimpse of how the primary symptoms of ADHD typically evolve. At the same time, the studies raise provocative questions about the long-term effect of treating those symptoms with medication.” (01/28/08)

We’ve known this for years, and yet this has to be front-page news?

Mama's Note: Not to mention the fact that, almost without exception, the shooters in the mass murders across the country have taken these drugs over a long period of time.

World wars:
UK: Child asylum-seekers to be forcibly deported
Independent [UK]
“The Home Office provoked fury after it announced that teenage asylum-seekers who arrive alone in Britain could for the first time be forcibly deported. Refugee groups and children’s charities protested that the threatened removals would endanger and distress vulnerable young people fleeing nations in turmoil. Some 3,000 unaccompanied youngsters claim asylum every year, with the largest numbers coming from Afghanistan, Iran, eastern Africa and China.” (02/01/08)

There is no magic age at which a person is no longer a “child” and like any other person, these cases should be decided, case-by-case, and not by some magical slash of the pen.

World wars:
Soldier suicides reach record level
MSNBC
“Suicides among active-duty soldiers in 2007 reached their highest level since the Army began keeping such records in 1980, according to a draft internal study obtained by The Washington Post. Last year, 121 soldiers took their own lives, nearly 20 percent more than in 2006. At the same time, the number of attempted suicides or self-inflicted injuries in the Army has jumped sixfold since the Iraq war began. Last year, about 2,100 soldiers injured themselves or attempted suicide, compared with about 350 in 2002, according to the U.S. Army Medical Command Suicide Prevention Action Plan.” (01/30/08)

Is it any wonder?

World wars;
Estonia: Man fined for "cyber war"
BBC News [UK]
"A 20-year-old ethnic Russian man is the first person to be convicted for taking part in a 'cyber war' against Estonia. Dmitri Galushkevich was fined 17,500 kroons (£83for an attack which blocked the website of the Reform Party of Prime Minister Andrus Ansip. The assault, between 25 April and 4 May 2007, was one of a series by hackers on Estonian institutions and businesses. ... The attacks took place against a backdrop of riots by ethnic Russian Estonians prompted by the removal of a Soviet war memorial from the centre of Tallinn. ... Prosecutors said Mr. Galushkevich, a student, had claimed the attack was an act of protest against Mr. Ansip, who became a hate figure for Estonia's Russian minority. ... Other websites that were crippled by the denial-of-service attacks, which knock websites offline by swamping servers with requests, included those of the state government, political parties and leading newspapers." (01/27/08)

If is really a war, shouldn’t he be an EPW, not a normal criminal?

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