Nadir, Tom, and others claim that Bush premised his Iraq invasion on a lie about WMDs, then when his invasion exposed his own lie, Bush "changed" his rationale to "liberation." I have always asserted that Bush's rationale comprised several planks, of which WMD represented one, and "liberation" represented another. Furthermore, I have stated that it makes no sense to lie about WMD in order to get permission to commit an act that will expose your lie, and that if you're lying about WMD in order to commit such an act, wouldn't you plant some WMD in any case?
I have also contended that nobody prior to Bush's invasion disputed the claims of WMDs, and that the universal agreement about Iraqi WMDs was premised on data collected over the 8 years of Clinton's presidency, not during the few months of Bush II's presidency prior to 911 or between 911 and Bush II making his case. The only debate at the time was: given that Iraq has these weapons, and that Iraq has violated for ten years the conditions of WMD inspections and other stipulations, should the US include in its 911 response an enforcement of the 1992 cease-fire that banned those weapons?
Here's a pretty convincing essay confirming my view:
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Consider this excerpt from a New York Times editorial about a speech Bush gave weeks before the coalition entered Iraq:"President Bush sketched an expansive vision last night of what he expects to accomplish by a war in Iraq. Instead of focusing on eliminating weapons of mass destruction, or reducing the threat of terror to the United States, Mr. Bush talked about establishing a 'free and peaceful Iraq' that would serve as a 'dramatic and inspiring example' to the entire Arab and Muslim world, provide a stabilizing influence in the Middle East and even help end the Arab-Israeli conflict."
==============================
2006-10-31
2006-10-30
Duke Rape Faker Sicko: "Put Marks On Me"
Duke Hoochie Dancer 2, Kim Roberts, now makes another shocking claim about her her dance partner, Crystal Magnum, during the time before Magnum would invent a rape charge to escape arrest and mandatory drug testing:
We already know, according to Roberts' previous statements to police and news media, that when the girls left much earlier than planned, after fighting with the Duke jerks about money and a rude comment about a broomstick, Magmum's ride home hadn't arrived. So Roberts tried to drive Magnum home, but Magnum would not, or could not, provide directions. Roberts got scared by Magnum's behavior (the jerks claimed that Magnum's behavior scared them, and that they locked her out when she tried to get in to retrieve some of her belongings) , which included accusations that Roberts had conspired with the jerks to steal the cash that she left behind, and demands to return to "earn more money." So Roberts pulled into a grocery store and tried to push and pull Magnum out of the car. During this struggle, Roberts now reveals, Magnum started saying really sick things, like: "Put marks on me. That's what I want."
We learn this week also that the DA never interviewed Magnum himself prior to issuing arrest warrants, and in this article we learn that he also never interviewed Roberts.
With people like Nadir remaining numb, or supporting Magnum, due to considerations of race and class, they will have no credibility when they try to speak out in the future when some poor black guy gets falsely accused by a honkey girl of rape, and some incompetent DA ignores facts and proper conduct in pressing charges. The people who now support the Duke victims -- even rich jerks are sometimes victims -- should represent valuable public resources for future poor black guys railroaded like this. More precisely, the Duke victims themselves should represent perhaps the most valuable public assets possible for such a victim. But with "black community activists" like Nadir now representing their biggest enemy -- imagine how the DA would react if Jesse, Rev. Al, NAACP leaders, etc. all stood up for the Duke victims -- when this ever happens in the future to a poor black guy, how can Nadir and Jesse get help from these Duke Victims?
"Excuse me, even though I am certain that you raped that girl (Jesse) / even though I have a policy of not making public judgments when this happens to rich white guys (Nadir), some lying, drugged-out cracker hoochie has made a clearly fake accusation against a poor black guy in order to get out of a public intoxication arrest and a mandatory blood check for illegal drugs. Can you guys help generate public pressure on the DA to spare this innocent soul from an unfair prosecution?"
The Jesses and Nadirs are keeping these situations divided by race: Jesse automatically supports black folks even when they lie, and Nadir just zips his mouth when it's the black folks who are doing wrong to a honkey. Imagine the credibility of these sorts of people if they sought justice in all circumstances, not just when it's white-on-black.
From the article:===============
"In terms of any prosecution, it's troubling when a witness who has been interviewed many times comes up with a completely new statement," Fairstein told ABC News. "At some point in a prosecutorial interview, she would have been asked to give them anything she knew, any scrap of information that she had."
Fairstein told ABC News she was shocked to learn last week that Nifong had yet to interview the accuser. "That is just against the progress that's been made in this very specialized field," she said.
"It belies anything a prosecutor would do before making charges. There was no need to rush to the charging judgment in this case. … This whole train should have been slowed down and everybody interviewed before charging decisions. To have witnesses appear on a media program revealing information that the prosecutor doesn't know is stunningly inappropriate."
2006-10-29
Voting Machine Problems
The feds worry that an electronic voting machine company got purchased by a company in Venezuela; they worry that Hugo Chavez might have some control over the company, and thus control over US elections. However, republicans have said that these machines are so fool-proof that it didn't matter if republican partisans owned such companies.
We really need to get this right. A proper voting system would indeed render meaningless who owns the machine-making company. I have outlined such a system, which would provide redundant and transparent "paper trails", so that various partisan and non-partisan observers would simultaneously know precinct results and certify electronically mastered election outcomes, and each voter would have his/her own evidence of his/her own vote.
We really need to get this right. A proper voting system would indeed render meaningless who owns the machine-making company. I have outlined such a system, which would provide redundant and transparent "paper trails", so that various partisan and non-partisan observers would simultaneously know precinct results and certify electronically mastered election outcomes, and each voter would have his/her own evidence of his/her own vote.
Iraq Fiasco -- George Will
Nadir seems not to realize that a goodly fraction of right winged kooks have opposed this war from the beginning (like George Will, Pat Buchanan, and Tucker Carlson), and others have long since declared their initial support to be mistaken (William F. Buckley). Here Will gives yet another blast against the war... but even Will is aware (contrary to Nadir's profession) that Bush's stated intention was to establish a democracy in Iraq that would inspire an alternative to the Islamic crussaderism that manifested as 911 (unless you believe that Bush caused 911 in order to steal Iraq's oil).
2006-10-28
Twins: On White, One Black, Which Gets Affirmative Action?
In this article, a "mixed" woman -- one parent black African the other British honkey -- makes a baby with a honkey, and they have twins. One comes out looking black, the other white. Will one or both have the lower "affirmative action" SAT standards when applying to the University of Michigan? (Ie, will one have to study harder than the other, or will both need to study less than their honkey and Asian competition?)
Immigrant in US Mutilates Daughter's Vagina
One of several reasons that Bill Mahr rates "western culture" as superior to others. Last night on one of the cable talk shows the interviewer asked him about the popular lefty claim -- recently declared by Rosie O'Donnel on that unwatchable daytime ho show -- that "US extremist christians like Pat Robertson are just as bad as the radical muslims." Mahr gave the obvious sensible response, to wit: That's rediculous. In the US, radical christians try to convince voters to ban abortion and gay adoption. In muslim countries, state officials in the public square bury women accused of adultry up to their necks and crush their skulls with rocks, and decapitate men accused of gay sex.
I would correct Mahr's language "western culture", since many civilized countries are non-western, including South Korea, Tiawan, Japan, South Africa, and the Kurdish third of Iraq.
I would correct Mahr's language "western culture", since many civilized countries are non-western, including South Korea, Tiawan, Japan, South Africa, and the Kurdish third of Iraq.
Victims of Duke Rape Hoax on 60 Minutes
Here's the transcript of the 60 Minutes story with the three Duke Rape Hoax Victims, and Stripper 2 Kim Roberts, all interviewed, all blasting the false allegation by Crystal Gail Magnum... who, naturally, refused to be interviewed. I don't blame her too much for inventing the rape in order to get out of an arrest for public intoxication, and a forced drug test that might have found illegal drugs in violation of her probation for auto theft. But I do blame her for not later backing out with a second lie, about being too traumatized to testify. The biggest shame goes to:
1. The DA, for pushing this case.
2. The "community activists" and other such people who have pressed this even after the facts emerged.
3. The Duke students who instantly believed Magnum's story immediately and created the initial political pressure to prosecute. Most of these people redeemed themselves by dropping support for Magnum when the facts emerged.
4. Those who profess to "fight racism" but have remained silent here merely because the victims are rich white assholes.
1. The DA, for pushing this case.
2. The "community activists" and other such people who have pressed this even after the facts emerged.
3. The Duke students who instantly believed Magnum's story immediately and created the initial political pressure to prosecute. Most of these people redeemed themselves by dropping support for Magnum when the facts emerged.
4. Those who profess to "fight racism" but have remained silent here merely because the victims are rich white assholes.
DA Still Hasn't Interviewed Duke Rape Hoaxer!
The Duke Rape DA, Mike Nifong, who has preposterously pursued his prosecution despite mounting and redundant evidence exonerating the accused, still hasn't bothered to interview the false-accuser, Crystal Gail Magnum. Aside from heaping onto the astounding mountain of evidence demonstrating the DA's incompetence, the revelation confirms that that the DA has no secret surprise evidence that clearly demonstrates how three (or four? or five?) men can violently rape a women orally, vaginally, and anally in a bathroom without condoms and while ejaculating without leaving any DNA on a woman who has DNA from consensual sex with a another male partner days earlier. Granted, such hypothetical "surprise evidence" would have to overcome even more anti-rape evidence (such as Magnum claiming that her strip partner, Kim Roberts, witnessed part of the rape, which Roberts denies, and at least one of the accused has evidence showing he was elsewhere during the only time available for a rape to occur).
Is anybody who supports Nifong prosecution surprised that Nifong has such absolute confidence without even interviewing the accuser? How about his refusal to interview the accused who came calling?
Is anybody who supports Nifong prosecution surprised that Nifong has such absolute confidence without even interviewing the accuser? How about his refusal to interview the accused who came calling?
2006-10-26
Definition of Hero
'This Time writer got his hand blown off in Iraq when he instinctively reached down, grabbed a live grenade (he didn't know what it was), and tossed it out of a traveling military humvee. Does this make him a "hero"? According to the article:
==================
Wain defined heroism as quick response to a changing environment, like a driver who swerves into another lane for the purpose of avoiding an oncoming car and, in the process, saves the life of his passenger. "That wasn't his intent," he said. "But being flexible and shifting is a higher level of intelligence. The people who can't change die."
=================
This is the dumbest definition of a hero I've ever come accross. It incorrect, and the Time writer does not qualify as a "hero." There can only be one logical definition of a hero: Somebody who commits an act that he believes will greatly increase the danger to his own life, in order to lesson the danger to somebody else.
==================
Wain defined heroism as quick response to a changing environment, like a driver who swerves into another lane for the purpose of avoiding an oncoming car and, in the process, saves the life of his passenger. "That wasn't his intent," he said. "But being flexible and shifting is a higher level of intelligence. The people who can't change die."
=================
This is the dumbest definition of a hero I've ever come accross. It incorrect, and the Time writer does not qualify as a "hero." There can only be one logical definition of a hero: Somebody who commits an act that he believes will greatly increase the danger to his own life, in order to lesson the danger to somebody else.
Rent Prices, Profits Soar
Those bastard, evil rental property owners. They're dialing up their prices, people are paying, and profits are soaring. During the times when real estate sales soard, so many people tried to buy that the rental market collapsed precisely as the purchasing market exploded. Prices fell so much for renting that in many markets it made more sense financially to rent rather than to buy. Do you suppose, Nadir, that during the time of rental price depression, that many investors bothered to create new rental properties? No, they didn't; investors put all their money into not only building new for-sale space, but converting rental property into condos.
Nadir, you probably cheered as rental owners endured low profits. But now consumers have changed their mind: they want to rent instead of buying, waiting to see how low the for-sale prices are going to fall. But these consumers now find a SHORTAGE of rental space. Consequently rental prices have soared. Those evil landloards are making more profits! One certain new consequence: investers are going to start building more rental space.
Ah, capitalism: free people trading freely, standardizing the social value of their labors with a monetary system, solving their own problems. Should we be any more angry at petro company officials than landlords? Or should we simply be glad that the profit system ensures ready, reliable supplies of petro and real estate?
Nadir, you probably cheered as rental owners endured low profits. But now consumers have changed their mind: they want to rent instead of buying, waiting to see how low the for-sale prices are going to fall. But these consumers now find a SHORTAGE of rental space. Consequently rental prices have soared. Those evil landloards are making more profits! One certain new consequence: investers are going to start building more rental space.
Ah, capitalism: free people trading freely, standardizing the social value of their labors with a monetary system, solving their own problems. Should we be any more angry at petro company officials than landlords? Or should we simply be glad that the profit system ensures ready, reliable supplies of petro and real estate?
Old Europe Is Dying - Eurabia Is Becoming A Reality
The Rape of Europe:
"Many Germans and Dutch, apparently, did not wait for Broder’s advice. The number of emigrants leaving the Netherlands and Germany has already surpassed the number of immigrants moving in. One does not have to be prophetic to predict, like Henryk Broder, that Europe is becoming Islamic. Just consider the demographics. The number of Muslims in contemporary Europe is estimated to be 50 million. It is expected to double in twenty years. By 2025, one third of all European children will be born to Muslim families. Today Mohammed is already the most popular name for new-born boys in Brussels, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and other major European cities."
"In a recent op-ed piece in the Brussels newspaper De Standaard (23 October) the Dutch (gay and self-declared “humanist”) author Oscar Van den Boogaard refers to Broder’s interview. Van den Boogaard says that to him coping with the islamization of Europe is like “a process of mourning.” He is overwhelmed by a “feeling of sadness.” “I am not a warrior,” he says, “but who is? I have never learned to fight for my freedom. I was only good at enjoying it".”
End College Sports Programs Now
Georges Will is moving in the correct direction here. What is the justification for universities maintaining sports entertainment franchises? More precisely, what is the justification for these franchises enjoying tax-free status?
Comparing Duke Rape Hoax with Scottsboro Boys
The Scottsboro Boys lacked any money, and existed in a truly racist society. So they rotted in prison for many years for an obvious non-rape. The Dukeboro Boys of course have a very high likelihood of purchasing justice, and face a much better prospect of a fair jury. I assume that black folks in 2006 North Carolina are much less blindly racist than were honkies in early 1900s Alabama. In addition to drawing the obvious Scottsboro Boys analogy, this writer also correctly points out that were the "races" of all participants in the Dukesboro drama reversed (except for the DA; we'll leave him "white"), angry and effective protests by all of the hoochie's current supporters would switch to the falsely accused. But the writer fails to recognize these certain implications of such a fantasy "race" switch:
1. The DA probably would not have proceded.
2. All the honkies who currently support the Dukesboro Boys would also support them if they were black and their false accuser white. Remember, the hoochie initially had not only many honkey supporters, nearly all of her initiall supporters were white. Remember those daily student protests, banging pans outside the homes of the Dukesboro Boys and the Duke president? Nearly all of these prottesters were honkies, and their efforts vaulted this into the national media. During this time -- before any facts emerged -- not a peep came from the hoochie's crosstown black classmates. This proves the capability of honkies to support poor blacks against cracker culprits. But when the facts emerged, those protests ended, proving that honkies in 2006 have the capacity to sensibly, factually, and ratinoally assess race-charged situations. Do black folks? We'll see.
1. The DA probably would not have proceded.
2. All the honkies who currently support the Dukesboro Boys would also support them if they were black and their false accuser white. Remember, the hoochie initially had not only many honkey supporters, nearly all of her initiall supporters were white. Remember those daily student protests, banging pans outside the homes of the Dukesboro Boys and the Duke president? Nearly all of these prottesters were honkies, and their efforts vaulted this into the national media. During this time -- before any facts emerged -- not a peep came from the hoochie's crosstown black classmates. This proves the capability of honkies to support poor blacks against cracker culprits. But when the facts emerged, those protests ended, proving that honkies in 2006 have the capacity to sensibly, factually, and ratinoally assess race-charged situations. Do black folks? We'll see.
Feminist Defends Duke Rich Jerks Against Poor Hoochie
They're jerks, but not rapists (at least not in this case). She's poor, and a hoochie, but even such people sometimes commit deplorable acts... sometimes even against rich jerks. What if, instead of falsely accusing these rich jerks of rape, she had stolen one of their cars, or robbed them? In such a case would anybody support her, or detest them? When rich jerks get robbed by a poor thug, nobody protests that because they're jerks and the thug is poor, that the thug should go free and keep what he's stolen. In order to have a sane and safe society, we all agree that even rich jerks need freedom from poor thugs robbing them. So what about freedom from false rape charges?
Save US Jobs? At What Cost?
The genius of Walter Williams in digesting economic issues in the news, isolating the essential and fundimental elements, and and reasoning them into a clear position never ceases to astound me.
If we prevent US companies from "outsourcing" in order to "protect" a US job that earns the US worker, say $70k/year, how much do US consumers have to spend in higher product cost in order to preserve that job? Nothing? $50/yr per job "saved"? $1million/year per job saved? This question never gets asked in the popular media, or by protectionists like Pat Buchanon and Nadir. Williams here asks and answers this question.
He also describes a scenario that illustrates a crucial flaw with protectionist logic: rather than only consider preserving current US jobs that at risk for "out sourcing", let's consider jobs that for 100 years have always existed only outside the US. For example, the people who produce the coffee, chocolate, and spices that US consumers purchase. Why not ban those imports, and force USAers to purchase only USA-grown coffee, chocolate, and spices? Currently nobody in the US grows such food. Why? Because the costto artificially create in the US the conditions required for cultivating these foods is too high in comparassion to what nature provides for free in other nations. But with no alternative, evil US corporations could create those conditions here, and USAers who want these products would have to pay higher prices for them. Why don't Pat Buchannon and Nadir demand this? Why stop at "preserving" current US jobs. Why not also demand creating new US jobs?
And why does protectionist, anti-outsourcing Nadir oppose the US govt sugar subsidies that "protect" domestic sugar-growing and -processing jobs? Does Nadir favor "outsourcing" these jobs to poor nations where currently poor people could get extra money for growing, processing, and selling sugar?
If we prevent US companies from "outsourcing" in order to "protect" a US job that earns the US worker, say $70k/year, how much do US consumers have to spend in higher product cost in order to preserve that job? Nothing? $50/yr per job "saved"? $1million/year per job saved? This question never gets asked in the popular media, or by protectionists like Pat Buchanon and Nadir. Williams here asks and answers this question.
He also describes a scenario that illustrates a crucial flaw with protectionist logic: rather than only consider preserving current US jobs that at risk for "out sourcing", let's consider jobs that for 100 years have always existed only outside the US. For example, the people who produce the coffee, chocolate, and spices that US consumers purchase. Why not ban those imports, and force USAers to purchase only USA-grown coffee, chocolate, and spices? Currently nobody in the US grows such food. Why? Because the costto artificially create in the US the conditions required for cultivating these foods is too high in comparassion to what nature provides for free in other nations. But with no alternative, evil US corporations could create those conditions here, and USAers who want these products would have to pay higher prices for them. Why don't Pat Buchannon and Nadir demand this? Why stop at "preserving" current US jobs. Why not also demand creating new US jobs?
And why does protectionist, anti-outsourcing Nadir oppose the US govt sugar subsidies that "protect" domestic sugar-growing and -processing jobs? Does Nadir favor "outsourcing" these jobs to poor nations where currently poor people could get extra money for growing, processing, and selling sugar?
2006-10-25
Chicago Defender Op-Ed Supports Duke Players
Plaudits to the nation's oldest and largest (I think) black newspaper, The Chicago Defender, for publishing an op-ed that asserts the obvious.
Anti-Arab Racist Attack in Detroit Metro
Here's a real case of racism: Some young guys in suburban Detroit regularly vandalize an Arab-owned business. On this day the owner challenges them. The respond by calling him a racist name, telling him to "go back where he came from", punching him in the face, and then attacking Arabs from the next-door business... with an American flag pole!
Interesting: the culprits are black. And attending a job-training program for bad-acting teens who get kicked out of regular school. There's more lessons here than we can enumerate. The non-honkey Arabs belong to group that out-performs honkeys in various measures of success, such as income, wealth, and education, even when getting constantly harassed by ignorant bullies (which these do not use as an excuse to stop behaving productively). Nadir ignores these statistics of non-white success when labeling the US "racist" against blacks.
Meanwhile these black punks are constantly screwing around, lowering the value of their surroundings, and of their own selves, owing to their own life choices. (Perhaps Nadir will trace their negative conduct to the effects of slavery? But how to explain how the Arabs can overcome their own excuses?) The sad results of these black jackasses, Nadir will average in with the statistics that supposedly demonstrate that the US is "racist" against whites because the black average success statistics lag those of whites.
Interesting: the culprits are black. And attending a job-training program for bad-acting teens who get kicked out of regular school. There's more lessons here than we can enumerate. The non-honkey Arabs belong to group that out-performs honkeys in various measures of success, such as income, wealth, and education, even when getting constantly harassed by ignorant bullies (which these do not use as an excuse to stop behaving productively). Nadir ignores these statistics of non-white success when labeling the US "racist" against blacks.
Meanwhile these black punks are constantly screwing around, lowering the value of their surroundings, and of their own selves, owing to their own life choices. (Perhaps Nadir will trace their negative conduct to the effects of slavery? But how to explain how the Arabs can overcome their own excuses?) The sad results of these black jackasses, Nadir will average in with the statistics that supposedly demonstrate that the US is "racist" against whites because the black average success statistics lag those of whites.
2006-10-24
Racist Nigerans Expel Illegal Chad Immigrants
Nadir claims that the US Minute Men are racists because they want to limit immigration into the US to people who immigrate legally. The MM also complain about crimes committed by illegal Mexican immigrants. Here's another example from around the world where citizens seek to secure their borders. In this case we have Niger, and its problems with people from Chad coming over illegally. We see here that the Nigerans complain about the Chadians committing crimes. Are these Nigerans racists? If they are not racist, then maybe neither are the MM, and maintaining secure borders might just be a rather natural, universal concept that is independant of race.
Mich Laws Stiffle Beer Business
Nadir will agree with me in opposing stupid Michigan laws which stiffle small businesses from producing and distributing craft beer, in the name of protecting the big producers of stupid commercial beer. Specifically:
1. One law limits the number of brew pubs one company can own.
2. Another law requires a brewer to hire another company to distribute its beer.
The big stupid commercial brewers do not operate any "brew pubs", which are restaurants that brew their own beer. The more people eating and drinking at brew pubs, the fewer people drinking crappy big beer (Bud, Corona, Heniken, etc.). If Nadir and I operate a brew pub, we can only open two more, for a total of three. Why would a law limit us? The people most likely to open a brew pub in my area are people who already operate one somewhere else. How does Nadir and my opening a fourth brew pub harm other people in Michigan?
And if Nadir and I want to get our beer into bottles and into stores, we can't deliver it ourselves, in our own SUVs and vans. We have to contract with a certified distributer. But those distributers will not contract with us, because in the begining we will not do enough volume to matter to them, busy as they are distributing horrible commercial beer. So how can we get a start? How will it harm other Michiganers if Nadir and I deliver our own beer to area stores?
1. One law limits the number of brew pubs one company can own.
2. Another law requires a brewer to hire another company to distribute its beer.
The big stupid commercial brewers do not operate any "brew pubs", which are restaurants that brew their own beer. The more people eating and drinking at brew pubs, the fewer people drinking crappy big beer (Bud, Corona, Heniken, etc.). If Nadir and I operate a brew pub, we can only open two more, for a total of three. Why would a law limit us? The people most likely to open a brew pub in my area are people who already operate one somewhere else. How does Nadir and my opening a fourth brew pub harm other people in Michigan?
And if Nadir and I want to get our beer into bottles and into stores, we can't deliver it ourselves, in our own SUVs and vans. We have to contract with a certified distributer. But those distributers will not contract with us, because in the begining we will not do enough volume to matter to them, busy as they are distributing horrible commercial beer. So how can we get a start? How will it harm other Michiganers if Nadir and I deliver our own beer to area stores?
US Trade Deficit? Applaud, Don't Fret!
Walter Williams shows his genius again, in discussing the "trade deficit" that he's running with his grocer. It turns out that every week he gives his grocer $100, but his grocer never purchases anything from poor Williams. By the end of the year, Williams has a "trade deficit" with his grocer of $4,800! Williams has become "dependant" on his grocer for providing him with food!
But wait: Every week that same grocer gives Williams $100 worth of groceries. By the end of the year, that grocer has given $4,800 worth of groceries to Williams, and the grocer has become "dependant" on Williams for cash!
Horrors! It seems like just a few years ago that same grocer was starving on the streets, bothering Williams, begging for money. Now the bastard's taking $4,800 a year from Williams? And all Williams gets in return is a bunch of lousy groceries that he values at $4,800! What if that grocer now decides to cut Williams off, to starve Williams to death? Afterall, Williams has since sold off his bread-baking oven and beer-making equipment, so dependant has he become on that damned grocer for his bread and beer.
Question: Why should Williams now have less -- much less -- to fear from that grocer now that the grocer has become Williams food supplier rather than a hungry unemployed guy on the street? Answer: The grocery is now dependant on a prosperous, happy, safe Williams to give him (the grocer) cash for food. And with that grocer now having money to spend (and no more begging), Williams now has an opportunity to develop his own good or service to sell to that grocer.
But wait: Every week that same grocer gives Williams $100 worth of groceries. By the end of the year, that grocer has given $4,800 worth of groceries to Williams, and the grocer has become "dependant" on Williams for cash!
Horrors! It seems like just a few years ago that same grocer was starving on the streets, bothering Williams, begging for money. Now the bastard's taking $4,800 a year from Williams? And all Williams gets in return is a bunch of lousy groceries that he values at $4,800! What if that grocer now decides to cut Williams off, to starve Williams to death? Afterall, Williams has since sold off his bread-baking oven and beer-making equipment, so dependant has he become on that damned grocer for his bread and beer.
Question: Why should Williams now have less -- much less -- to fear from that grocer now that the grocer has become Williams food supplier rather than a hungry unemployed guy on the street? Answer: The grocery is now dependant on a prosperous, happy, safe Williams to give him (the grocer) cash for food. And with that grocer now having money to spend (and no more begging), Williams now has an opportunity to develop his own good or service to sell to that grocer.
Sudan Region Rescued by Capitalism / Civilization
Portions of the Sudanese govt have embraced civilization; in regions of Sudan people have embraced civilization. The result: an end to starvation, subsistent living, and depravation. And, of course, without foriegn hand-outs or socialism. And, what's this we see? Those grubby-handed western petro companies, "exploiting" the people. Exploiting, indeed. Prosperous Sudanese provide more benefit to greedy, evil international corporations paying market value for petro than does stolen oil ripped from under the feet of starving, waring people.
=========From the Article==================
A small cadre of Western-educated technocrats had followed the I.M.F.’s reform programs to the letter — cutting spending, privatizing state-owned businesses, lowering inflation and pushing infrastructure. “It was classic, conservative economic policies,” said Safwat Fanous, chairman of the political science department at the University of Khartoum. “And it worked.”...
“We even have Pringles,” said Mohammed Abdelwahab Salih, a 26-year-old entrepreneur who recently started a business in Khartoum designing Web sites. Mr. Salih remembers the days, not so long ago, when he used to have to wait in line for hours for a single loaf of bread. “And it wasn’t even good bread,” he said. “When we got home, we had to pick out the flies.”
=========From the Article==================
A small cadre of Western-educated technocrats had followed the I.M.F.’s reform programs to the letter — cutting spending, privatizing state-owned businesses, lowering inflation and pushing infrastructure. “It was classic, conservative economic policies,” said Safwat Fanous, chairman of the political science department at the University of Khartoum. “And it worked.”...
“We even have Pringles,” said Mohammed Abdelwahab Salih, a 26-year-old entrepreneur who recently started a business in Khartoum designing Web sites. Mr. Salih remembers the days, not so long ago, when he used to have to wait in line for hours for a single loaf of bread. “And it wasn’t even good bread,” he said. “When we got home, we had to pick out the flies.”
For years, the Sudanese economy was a disaster, with triple-digit inflation, moribund industries and war. Ever since Sudan’s independence in 1956, Christian and animist tribes in the south have rebelled against Muslim rulers in the north... While one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises continues some 600 miles away in Darfur, across Khartoum bridges are being built, office towers are popping up, supermarkets are opening and flatbed trucks hauling plasma TV’s fight their way through thickening traffic.
Despite the image of Sudan as a land of cracked earth and starving people, the economy is booming, with little help from the West. Oil has turned it into one of the fastest growing economies in Africa — if not the world...
American sanctions have kept many companies from Europe and the United States out of Sudan, but firms from China, Malaysia, India, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates are racing in. Direct foreign investment has shot up to $2.3 billion this year, from $128 million in 2000, all while the American government has tried to tighten the screws...
“The government knows it doesn’t need America,” said Abda Yahia el-Mahdi, a former finance minister, now in private consulting. “The only people who are being hurt by the sanctions are the Americans, who are missing out on this huge boom.”
MSNBC's Anti-Bush 100% Critic
Fox News' talk show commentators feature not a single Bush supporter who boosts Bush as much as MSNBC's Keith Olberman lambastes him. No Fox commentator supports Bush 100% of the time. Fox has two evening commentary shows: O'Reilly, and Hannity/Colmes.
O'Reilly qualifies as a rightist, but he:
1. Has opposed the Iraq war from before it began.
2. Thinks that Bush manipulates oil prices.
3. Supports anti-gouging laws against petro suppliers.
4. Excoriates Bush for spending worse the Democrats.
5. Opposes the Free Trade that Bush promotes.
6. Excoriated Bush for his Katrina response.
7. Excoriates Bush for failing to control the borders.
8. Supports increasing the minimum wage.
Hannity is a rightist who supports Bush's Iraq war, though he shares his time with lefist Colmes and supports O'Reilly against Bush on the above points 3, 6, and 7.
Olberman, on the other hand, over at MSNBC, opposes Bush 100% of the time, and in the harshest possible language. Last night when he delivered this commentary, I thought a few times that he was going to cry. His show is really All Bad Bush, All The Time. I don't oppose this, I just wonder where Fox gets its "biased" and "faux" labels from liberals.
O'Reilly qualifies as a rightist, but he:
1. Has opposed the Iraq war from before it began.
2. Thinks that Bush manipulates oil prices.
3. Supports anti-gouging laws against petro suppliers.
4. Excoriates Bush for spending worse the Democrats.
5. Opposes the Free Trade that Bush promotes.
6. Excoriated Bush for his Katrina response.
7. Excoriates Bush for failing to control the borders.
8. Supports increasing the minimum wage.
Hannity is a rightist who supports Bush's Iraq war, though he shares his time with lefist Colmes and supports O'Reilly against Bush on the above points 3, 6, and 7.
Olberman, on the other hand, over at MSNBC, opposes Bush 100% of the time, and in the harshest possible language. Last night when he delivered this commentary, I thought a few times that he was going to cry. His show is really All Bad Bush, All The Time. I don't oppose this, I just wonder where Fox gets its "biased" and "faux" labels from liberals.
2006-10-23
Fake Rape - Another One
Here's a new case of a woman lying about being raped. The guy she lied to went out and killed the innocent guy she says raped her. Maybe the revenge killer believed the myth that "women never lie about being raped."
User Fee for a Beach? How About Detroit's Belle Isle?
Some beaches get so many visitors that they can't all squeeze in: the resource gets "rationed" by geometry. Here a Cafe Hayeker proposes rationing such a public beach via a usage fee, which he claims would serve as the only possible source for reducing traffic congestion.
I wonder: would a usage fee help Detroit's blighted Belle Isle? In a sense, our beloved Belle Isle suffers from the opposite problem: not enough people use it, so it has fallen into disrepair. But why do so few people use it? Because the people who *do* use it have created a very negative impression, an impression that repulses the larger population in the metro area. For those who don't know, Detroit's Belle Isle is one of the nation's -- perhaps the world's -- greatest city parks. Designed by the guy who designed NYC's Central Park, this urban gem comprises an entire island sitting on the Detroit River, which seperates Detroit from Windsor, Canada, and which links Lake Huron with Lake Erie (two of the Great Lakes). Ocean liners move down this amazing river, past the amazing Belle Isle, which connects to main land via a single bridge, to Detroit.
If people pay for the city to pickup their trash and other services, why not pay to enjoy this international treasure? A $5 or $10 per car usage fee might increase the fraction of respectful people enjoying this facility. I say it's worth a try; any policy could hardly do worse than the current one, which has led to a procession of sad developments and a rendering of it to irrelevency.
I wonder: would a usage fee help Detroit's blighted Belle Isle? In a sense, our beloved Belle Isle suffers from the opposite problem: not enough people use it, so it has fallen into disrepair. But why do so few people use it? Because the people who *do* use it have created a very negative impression, an impression that repulses the larger population in the metro area. For those who don't know, Detroit's Belle Isle is one of the nation's -- perhaps the world's -- greatest city parks. Designed by the guy who designed NYC's Central Park, this urban gem comprises an entire island sitting on the Detroit River, which seperates Detroit from Windsor, Canada, and which links Lake Huron with Lake Erie (two of the Great Lakes). Ocean liners move down this amazing river, past the amazing Belle Isle, which connects to main land via a single bridge, to Detroit.
If people pay for the city to pickup their trash and other services, why not pay to enjoy this international treasure? A $5 or $10 per car usage fee might increase the fraction of respectful people enjoying this facility. I say it's worth a try; any policy could hardly do worse than the current one, which has led to a procession of sad developments and a rendering of it to irrelevency.
Detroit: The Home of Eminem & Kid Rock
I can't think of a more repulsive description of Detroit. And where are the motown stars singing the Star Spangled Banner? Twenty years from now, will anybody care about Eminem or Kid Rock? I suppose this description helps whiten Detroit, which certainly needs some white folks. But I'd much prefer white folks flocking to Detroit because the black folks who run it are doing a mervelous job, rather than because it associates itself with two honkey subburbanites who make forgettable pop music.
2006-10-22
Bush: "We've Never Been 'Stay the Course'?"
"We've never been 'stay the course'????" All Bush has said for the last three years is "Stay the Course"! According to Bob Woodward, Bush also said, "I Will Not Withdraw Even If Laura And Barney Are The Only Ones Supporting Me."During an interview today on ABC’s This Week, President Bush tried to distance himself from what has been his core strategy in Iraq for the last three years. George Stephanopoulos asked about James Baker’s plan to develop a strategy for Iraq that is “between ’stay the course’ and cut and run.’”
Bush responded, ‘We’ve never been stay the course, George!’STEPHANOPOULOS: James Baker says that he’s looking for something between “cut and run” and “stay the course.”
BUSH: Well, hey, listen, we’ve never been “stay the course,” George. We have been — we will complete the mission, we will do our job, and help achieve the goal, but we’re constantly adjusting to tactics. Constantly.
Is this what you right-wingers value in leadership?? Talk about a flip-flop.
How can you guys continue to support this bozo and his program? He is a liar, a hypocrite and an incompetent idiot! I can't believe you are among the 30% of Americans who approve of him!
What About Oprah?
If passed, the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative or Proposal 2 will ban affirmative action in state funded programs in the state of Michigan.
A lot of people believe that affirmative action is no longer necessary because a few Blacks have made great accomplishments in the US.
HERE is a recent essay in which Anti-racism activist Tim Wise discusses "The Oprah Effect" - the notion that the examples of a few individuals who have achieved superstardom in a racist America are an indication that racism isn't a problem in the US.It's the one that goes roughly like this:"If racism is really so bad, and blacks face so much discrimination, how come Oprah is one of the most loved people in America? How come she's been so successful, and has become so wealthy, and so powerful?"
As James Baldwin so presciently put it, some forty-five years ago, responding even then to the same "anyone can make it if they try" mantra commonly heard today:
"...the inequalities suffered by the many are in no way justified by the rise of a few. A few have always risen – in every country, every era, and in the teeth of regimes which can by no stretch of the imagination be thought of as free."
Black Actors, Charactors Banned from Clint's War Pic
Fox News recorded the first objection to Clint Eastwood's banning of black actors and charactors from his new WWII film, "Flags of Our Fathers." Banning actors means bannning black actors from playing any charactors, including those who were actually white; banning black charactors means omitting from the screen depiction of charctors who were black. Eastwood's film has no black actors, which means that he committed both outrages.
About 1,000 blacks served at Iwa Jima out of 30,00 troops. That is not a large fraction, and far below the national average of 1 black person in 8 Americans. And the military then limitted most blacks to playing support role, such as moving ammunition; about 90% of the men moving ammo during this fight were black.
Aside from the 1 in 30 black troops at Iwa Jima, why not have more than 1 in 30 of the actors be black? Why not? WHY NOT? I don't understand why not. Holliwood has proven that it doesn't care about making racially accurate historical demonstrations; witness the Jesus films by Mel Gibson and Martin Scorsese. So why not discard racial accuracy in a way that opens opportunities for black actors?
I am boycotting this film. I'm disgusted by this. Eastwood's classic "Unforgiven" marvelously included a black actor, Morgan Freeman, in a juicy western role, geniusly ignoring Freeman's "race" in a genre -- the western -- that has always banned black actors and black charactors. In this case, the charactor wasn't black, but the actor was. It was wonderful. Why has Eastwood gone backwards?
http://reformedleftist.blogspot.com/2006/10/racism-no-black-marines-in-clint.html
About 1,000 blacks served at Iwa Jima out of 30,00 troops. That is not a large fraction, and far below the national average of 1 black person in 8 Americans. And the military then limitted most blacks to playing support role, such as moving ammunition; about 90% of the men moving ammo during this fight were black.
Aside from the 1 in 30 black troops at Iwa Jima, why not have more than 1 in 30 of the actors be black? Why not? WHY NOT? I don't understand why not. Holliwood has proven that it doesn't care about making racially accurate historical demonstrations; witness the Jesus films by Mel Gibson and Martin Scorsese. So why not discard racial accuracy in a way that opens opportunities for black actors?
I am boycotting this film. I'm disgusted by this. Eastwood's classic "Unforgiven" marvelously included a black actor, Morgan Freeman, in a juicy western role, geniusly ignoring Freeman's "race" in a genre -- the western -- that has always banned black actors and black charactors. In this case, the charactor wasn't black, but the actor was. It was wonderful. Why has Eastwood gone backwards?
http://reformedleftist.blogspot.com/2006/10/racism-no-black-marines-in-clint.html
2006-10-20
"Plain Vanilla" Indicates Food Ignorance
This guy, an executive at Sara Lee (of all places!), diegns to advise us about healthier eating for family outings at league sports events. I suppose we should expect the following food ignorance from an exectutive at the food abortionist Sara Lee corporation:
1. The term "plain vanilla" (he uses this to describe a yogurt he recommend) is an oxymoron, identical in absurdity to the terms that even he would recognize as preposterous: "plain chocolate" or "plain strawberry." Vanilla is one of the most powerful, profound, and prized flavors granted to us by nature. And it ain't even white! It's freakin' light brown.
2. He thinks that junk food that's "low fat" is any better than non-"low fat" garbage. For one thing, charactorizing a food as "high fat" is meaningless in terms of ascertaining its healthfulness, since many of the most nurishing of all molecules qualify as "fats." "High fat" is only bad if the fat is a bad fat, such as hydrogenated oils. So full fat yogurt made from the milk of healthy, free range cows fed only organic grasses contains more nurishment than yogurt from the same milk that had those nurishing milk fats removed. Also, "low fat" foods often obtain this meaningless moniker by trading a large quantity of wonderful fat for a smaller quantity of health-destroying artificial fat, such as hydrogenated oils. "High fat" patries made with real butter, whole grain wheat, and unrefined sugars will nourish a soul, unlike his "low fat" recommendations, with their hydrogenated oils, refined sugars, denatured flour, and food colorings.
3. He actually recommends adding food colorings to "low fat" "plain vanilla", and in recommending this yogurt, he makes no suggestion regarding the quality of sugar and milk used. Parents will nurish their children with full fat "Brown Cow" brand yogurts, which contain no refined or fake sugar and no food colorings, while parents will underming their children with "low fat" Dannon yogurt, with its many culinary abortions.
1. The term "plain vanilla" (he uses this to describe a yogurt he recommend) is an oxymoron, identical in absurdity to the terms that even he would recognize as preposterous: "plain chocolate" or "plain strawberry." Vanilla is one of the most powerful, profound, and prized flavors granted to us by nature. And it ain't even white! It's freakin' light brown.
2. He thinks that junk food that's "low fat" is any better than non-"low fat" garbage. For one thing, charactorizing a food as "high fat" is meaningless in terms of ascertaining its healthfulness, since many of the most nurishing of all molecules qualify as "fats." "High fat" is only bad if the fat is a bad fat, such as hydrogenated oils. So full fat yogurt made from the milk of healthy, free range cows fed only organic grasses contains more nurishment than yogurt from the same milk that had those nurishing milk fats removed. Also, "low fat" foods often obtain this meaningless moniker by trading a large quantity of wonderful fat for a smaller quantity of health-destroying artificial fat, such as hydrogenated oils. "High fat" patries made with real butter, whole grain wheat, and unrefined sugars will nourish a soul, unlike his "low fat" recommendations, with their hydrogenated oils, refined sugars, denatured flour, and food colorings.
3. He actually recommends adding food colorings to "low fat" "plain vanilla", and in recommending this yogurt, he makes no suggestion regarding the quality of sugar and milk used. Parents will nurish their children with full fat "Brown Cow" brand yogurts, which contain no refined or fake sugar and no food colorings, while parents will underming their children with "low fat" Dannon yogurt, with its many culinary abortions.
The Bad Guys Are Winning
It sure looks like the Bad Guys are winning in Iraq. This is very sad news for anybody there who wants to live in the civilized world, where people own their own bodies, minds, the fruits of their labors, and contracts they freely engage with their fellows, where race and gender and confession have no official regard, where people live under rule by officials elected by the people, where every soul answers equally to the same laws, where those laws must honor the consequences of "self-ownership" sometimes described as "inalienable rights", where all laws and government officials ultimately trace back to what the governed themselves have expressed at the ballot box.
This an ideal, of course, which no nation 100% succeeds in obtaining, but only some precious few at least attempt to obtain. I approximate the US as achieving this ideal somewhere around 90%. But I am certain that whichever anti-US forces win in the non-Kurdish Iraqi areas, the people will settle into a situation close to 0%, with no official attempt at ever achiving the free socieity I have described. Where the US would have its way, as it has in Iraq's Kurdistan, I am convinced that the people would enjoy something close to the USA's success in achieving a modern civilization.
I do fault Bush with not more perfectly implimenting his invasion and rebuilding of Iraq. But the success in Kurdistan proves to me that he did a good enough job that the hope of civilization rested with the Iraqi people themselves: the people of the Kurdish third of the nation collectively wanted civilization to overcome the tyrants in their midst, but apparently not the collective populations of the Sunni and Shia two-thirds. We now see what would have happened back in '92 had Bush I honored his committment with Shia leaders to invade then and extract the Hussein Baathist autocracy: an equally retarded Shia autocracy.
This an ideal, of course, which no nation 100% succeeds in obtaining, but only some precious few at least attempt to obtain. I approximate the US as achieving this ideal somewhere around 90%. But I am certain that whichever anti-US forces win in the non-Kurdish Iraqi areas, the people will settle into a situation close to 0%, with no official attempt at ever achiving the free socieity I have described. Where the US would have its way, as it has in Iraq's Kurdistan, I am convinced that the people would enjoy something close to the USA's success in achieving a modern civilization.
I do fault Bush with not more perfectly implimenting his invasion and rebuilding of Iraq. But the success in Kurdistan proves to me that he did a good enough job that the hope of civilization rested with the Iraqi people themselves: the people of the Kurdish third of the nation collectively wanted civilization to overcome the tyrants in their midst, but apparently not the collective populations of the Sunni and Shia two-thirds. We now see what would have happened back in '92 had Bush I honored his committment with Shia leaders to invade then and extract the Hussein Baathist autocracy: an equally retarded Shia autocracy.
2006-10-19
Healthcare as a Right is Wrong
In a magic world, "we the people" could make healthcare a "right". But why stop there? Why not make DVD players, color TVs, and Nike sneakers "rights" also? But nearly everybody already has DVD players, color TVs, and Nike sneakers, so making these "rights" seems pointless. And hey, wait a minute: how did nearly everybody get these things, and at such high quality, without our beloved government "ensuring universal access"? By getting out of the way of free citizens exchanging goods and services amoungst themselves.
So what about healthcare? Can the same process which has so successfully universalized other consumer goods do the same for healthcare?
So what about healthcare? Can the same process which has so successfully universalized other consumer goods do the same for healthcare?
2006-10-18
Libs Don't Preach, Madona's Keeping Her African Baby
And why not? The boy's dad is happy: he's a widow with two children already dead from abject poverty, and his sole surviving child he "surrendered" to the orhpanage because he says he doesn't have enough money to do as good a job as the inadequate job of the orphanage. Who are the rest of us to ascertain how best this father and Madona can best provide for this child?
Well, I'm going to ascertain: Not enough affluent Americans are adopting, especially non-white babies. Nothing is more deplorably self-obsessed and narcassistic than creating your own baby and then becoming a doting parent. And nothing is more selfless -- in my opinion -- than taking some baby in a difficult circumstance and adopting him her her into your life as your own child. Most of my affluent married negro friends are deliberately having children, but zero of them are adopting any of the thousands of black kids who annually enter into the USA's foster care program, most of whom never join a family.
Well, I'm going to ascertain: Not enough affluent Americans are adopting, especially non-white babies. Nothing is more deplorably self-obsessed and narcassistic than creating your own baby and then becoming a doting parent. And nothing is more selfless -- in my opinion -- than taking some baby in a difficult circumstance and adopting him her her into your life as your own child. Most of my affluent married negro friends are deliberately having children, but zero of them are adopting any of the thousands of black kids who annually enter into the USA's foster care program, most of whom never join a family.
UMiami - FIU Football Fight's Obvious Implication
Seperate interscholastic sports from academics! Why are the top officials at U-Miami concerning themselves with anything other than improving the academic performance, population, and climate of their school? Why are they spending any time discussing a fight on a football field? Where does U-Miami's charter state that its mission includes fielding sports teams that compete for entertainment dollars with Major League Baseball, the National Football League, Disneyworld, and Hollywood? End the madness. Let the NFL create its own minor league. Who cares if the fans or alumni don't want this? They want something that is preposterous and illogical, and that undermines the premise -- or what ought to be -- of universities.
2006-10-17
Bono Provides Tax Lesson
Nadir: Which would you rather have:
A) 10% of none of Bono's annual royalties.
B) 5% of all of Bono's annual royalties.
Even Bono understand this much math, so I assume that you do as well:
A) 10% of nothing = nothing
B) 5% of millions = a lot of money.
With (A) above, the Irish government gets 10% of nothing, and the Netherlands (B) get 5% of Bono's millions. The government leaders in the homeland of your Irish ancestors must feel really good about not implimenting a "tax cut for the rich." That's what most liberal policies do: make the lawmakers feel good about themselves. Those bastard government officials in the Netherlands have implimented one of those immoral "tax cuts for the rich". But who's getting more money from those evil rich U2ers?
A) 10% of none of Bono's annual royalties.
B) 5% of all of Bono's annual royalties.
Even Bono understand this much math, so I assume that you do as well:
A) 10% of nothing = nothing
B) 5% of millions = a lot of money.
With (A) above, the Irish government gets 10% of nothing, and the Netherlands (B) get 5% of Bono's millions. The government leaders in the homeland of your Irish ancestors must feel really good about not implimenting a "tax cut for the rich." That's what most liberal policies do: make the lawmakers feel good about themselves. Those bastard government officials in the Netherlands have implimented one of those immoral "tax cuts for the rich". But who's getting more money from those evil rich U2ers?
2006-10-16
Racist Dominicans Block Illegal Hatian Immigrants
And what about those Racist black South Africans, trying to block Zimbabweans from illegally jumping the border? In both cases these racist governments deny citizenship to children born to these illegal immigrants, and try to deny them access to government services. South Africans and Dominicans who oppose these immigrations are surely no better than the USA Minute Men: thugs, seeking to terrorize and frighten these immigrants, and perhaps even murder them, right, Nadir?
Who should decide a nation's immigration policy? Obviously: people on the other side of the border? How many Hatians should entier DR? Answer: However many Hatians want to cross. And they should get all DR services, and instantaneous citizenship. Any differing view certainly indicates racism. Tonight my daughters and I are going to move into Nadir's house, or at least camp on his front porch. We expect that since he's not a racist he will feed us and provide us with medical attention, should we need it. Who in the hell is Nadir to decide that we can't enter his property and stay as long as we want?
Who should decide a nation's immigration policy? Obviously: people on the other side of the border? How many Hatians should entier DR? Answer: However many Hatians want to cross. And they should get all DR services, and instantaneous citizenship. Any differing view certainly indicates racism. Tonight my daughters and I are going to move into Nadir's house, or at least camp on his front porch. We expect that since he's not a racist he will feed us and provide us with medical attention, should we need it. Who in the hell is Nadir to decide that we can't enter his property and stay as long as we want?
NAACP To Monitor Elections
This is good news. The NAACP help spread hysterical claims about "voter intimidation". Now they can -- and should -- take direct action to ensure against it, and document any problems. I hope they monitor honkey polling places as well, to ensure againt ballot stuffing. But without my proposals to have duplicate paper ballots checked by independant observers -- such as NAACP -- in full view of everyone, I don't see how to guarantee against many possible forms of cheating. For example, if the NAACP sees no voter intimidation, how do they know that poll workers won't stuff ballots? Or that electronic polls aren't rigged, or changed? Will the NAACP check IDs, to ensure that people voting are who they say they are? And what about all those illegal honkie immigrants that Nadir claims exist, shouldn't we worry about them voting?
One worry: If other election observers are checking for IDs ("voter challange"), will the NAACP declare this to be "intimidation"? If so, why not send NAACP officials to honkie polls and challange voters there?
One worry: If other election observers are checking for IDs ("voter challange"), will the NAACP declare this to be "intimidation"? If so, why not send NAACP officials to honkie polls and challange voters there?
2006-10-15
60 Mins Doubts Duke Rape Occured
"The district attorney, Mike Nifong, took to the airwaves giving dozens of interviews, expressing with absolute certainty that Duke lacrosse players had committed a horrific crime. His comments fueled explosive news coverage and fed public suspicion of the team, before much of the evidence was gathered."
Before, even, DNA tests had returned.
Unlike Nadir, who takes no interest in this case because the falsely accused are rich, a black law professor at Duke investigated the case and concludes that if a DA will commit this injustice on rich innocent people, imagine what he would do to poor innocent people:
======
Coleman found that while many of the players drank alcohol excessively, they had no history of violent or racist behavior. Professor Coleman believes that the three indicted players are victims in this case – victims of an overzealous prosecutor who pandered to the black community in the middle of an election campaign.
"I think that he pandered to the community... what are you to conclude about a prosecutor who says to you, 'I'll do whatever it takes to get this set of defendants?' What does it say about what he's willing to do to get poor black defendants?"
Asked if he thinks the D.A. committed prosecutorial misconduct, Coleman says, "Yes... it appears that this prosecutor has set out to develop whatever evidence he could to convict people he already concluded were guilty."
========================
Nadir, how dare this guy conclude that the players, not the accuser, are victims? He wasn't there! Oh, but wait a minute: the entire legal system is premised on non-witnesses deciding what happened... and on the entire citizenry observing the procedures.
And now this revelation: The accuser we learn admitted to much drinking that night, and administering herself "Flexeril, a powerful prescription muscle relaxant." (Why?) So much for speculation about a date rape mickey. This report confirms early claims by the asshole players (even assholes sometimes get unjustly accused of crimes they didn't commit!) that within minutes of begining their "striptease", the accuser started falling around, as if she was drunk or high; 60 Mins concludes she was both.
And as I surmised early on after it became apparent that no rape occured, the strippers and the guys had a conflict over money.
New revelations: The accuser places Stripper 2 in the room while the rape occured, and Stripper 2 flatly denies ever seeing a rape. And Stripper 2 says that she got called "nigger" once, by a guy responding to her racial insult, which in turn was a resonse to the guy disparaging the accuser's appearance... all traced back to an argument over money when the girls got offended by a comment one of the guys made about a broomstick about 4 minutes into their dance.
Also: "District Attorney Mike Nifong, who had declared that DNA would be the crux of his case, played down the results, speculating that the absence of DNA meant that the attackers may have used condoms, although the accuser had already stated that there were “no condoms used”, and that at least one of her three attackers had ejaculated inside her."
This article contains many revelations, and many contradictions to any claim of rape. The accused rapists are not my kind of guys. But they're certainly not rapists, at least not at the time and place in question.
Before, even, DNA tests had returned.
Unlike Nadir, who takes no interest in this case because the falsely accused are rich, a black law professor at Duke investigated the case and concludes that if a DA will commit this injustice on rich innocent people, imagine what he would do to poor innocent people:
======
Coleman found that while many of the players drank alcohol excessively, they had no history of violent or racist behavior. Professor Coleman believes that the three indicted players are victims in this case – victims of an overzealous prosecutor who pandered to the black community in the middle of an election campaign.
"I think that he pandered to the community... what are you to conclude about a prosecutor who says to you, 'I'll do whatever it takes to get this set of defendants?' What does it say about what he's willing to do to get poor black defendants?"
Asked if he thinks the D.A. committed prosecutorial misconduct, Coleman says, "Yes... it appears that this prosecutor has set out to develop whatever evidence he could to convict people he already concluded were guilty."
========================
Nadir, how dare this guy conclude that the players, not the accuser, are victims? He wasn't there! Oh, but wait a minute: the entire legal system is premised on non-witnesses deciding what happened... and on the entire citizenry observing the procedures.
And now this revelation: The accuser we learn admitted to much drinking that night, and administering herself "Flexeril, a powerful prescription muscle relaxant." (Why?) So much for speculation about a date rape mickey. This report confirms early claims by the asshole players (even assholes sometimes get unjustly accused of crimes they didn't commit!) that within minutes of begining their "striptease", the accuser started falling around, as if she was drunk or high; 60 Mins concludes she was both.
And as I surmised early on after it became apparent that no rape occured, the strippers and the guys had a conflict over money.
New revelations: The accuser places Stripper 2 in the room while the rape occured, and Stripper 2 flatly denies ever seeing a rape. And Stripper 2 says that she got called "nigger" once, by a guy responding to her racial insult, which in turn was a resonse to the guy disparaging the accuser's appearance... all traced back to an argument over money when the girls got offended by a comment one of the guys made about a broomstick about 4 minutes into their dance.
Also: "District Attorney Mike Nifong, who had declared that DNA would be the crux of his case, played down the results, speculating that the absence of DNA meant that the attackers may have used condoms, although the accuser had already stated that there were “no condoms used”, and that at least one of her three attackers had ejaculated inside her."
This article contains many revelations, and many contradictions to any claim of rape. The accused rapists are not my kind of guys. But they're certainly not rapists, at least not at the time and place in question.
2006-10-14
Bush's Ever-Changing Rationales for the Charlie Foxtrot in Iraq
Every few months George Bush changes the reasons we are in war in Iraq. As the AP notes in the article linked above:
Would coming clean make Bush look more imperialistic than he already does? He changes the explanation every few weeks. It's no wonder our troops don't understand what their mission is.
Nobody buys the "creating a democratic state in the Middle East" nonsense except the right-wing pundits at Reformed Leftist. We know those cats are "drinking the neocon Kool-Aid", but no one else is.
But honesty isn't Bush's strong suit, is it?
Initially, the rationale was specific: to stop Saddam Hussein from using what Bush claimed were the Iraqi leader's weapons of mass destruction or from selling them to al-Qaida or other terrorist groups.I don't know why he won't just tell the truth: The US is in Iraq to install a puppet regime, control the nation's oil, to get rich off the revaluing of the Iraqi Dinar and to create several new permanent military bases that will allow the US to keep tabs on the flow of oil throughout the Middle East.But 3 1/2 years later, with no weapons found, still no end in sight and the war a liability for nearly all Republicans on the ballot Nov. 7, the justification has become far broader and now includes the expansive "struggle between good and evil."
Would coming clean make Bush look more imperialistic than he already does? He changes the explanation every few weeks. It's no wonder our troops don't understand what their mission is.
Nobody buys the "creating a democratic state in the Middle East" nonsense except the right-wing pundits at Reformed Leftist. We know those cats are "drinking the neocon Kool-Aid", but no one else is.
But honesty isn't Bush's strong suit, is it?
2006-10-13
Air-head America Radio files for Chapter 11
Can't you just hear "Taps" playing in the background?
Shouldn't it be obvious to everyone now that the success of conservative talk radio and the dismal failure of AAR proves that hardly anyone in this country - even a great many Democrats - buys the anti-American leftist bullsh*t anymore?
The only ways left to further their agenda are through the public educational system, academia and the courts. But that's scary enough in itself.
Oh and let's not forgot that endless fountain of intellectual thought, the entertainment industry (Hollyweird, TV, the music biz). Intellectual giants like that slut Madonna, Eddie Vedder, Nadir, Susan Saran-wrap, Tim Robbins-hood, Rob-in-hood Reiner, and on and on. The leftist agenda will always have them as a conduit, at least for the foreseeable future.
Shouldn't it be obvious to everyone now that the success of conservative talk radio and the dismal failure of AAR proves that hardly anyone in this country - even a great many Democrats - buys the anti-American leftist bullsh*t anymore?
The only ways left to further their agenda are through the public educational system, academia and the courts. But that's scary enough in itself.
Oh and let's not forgot that endless fountain of intellectual thought, the entertainment industry (Hollyweird, TV, the music biz). Intellectual giants like that slut Madonna, Eddie Vedder, Nadir, Susan Saran-wrap, Tim Robbins-hood, Rob-in-hood Reiner, and on and on. The leftist agenda will always have them as a conduit, at least for the foreseeable future.
Dearborn Racism Test
Dearborn, Mi has a well-earned historical reputation for anti-black racism committed by honkies. Dearborn borders Detroit, is one of the world's original "subburbs" and is home to Ford Motor Company. Up to thirty years ago, blacks faced all manner of racism in attempts to eat at restaurants, attend school, or purchase homes. Today blacks compose a huge, noticable fraction of retail customers in Dearborn, and Arab immigrants comprose a majority of residents and students.
Yesterday in a Dearborn fancy grocery store I saw two people seperately obtain a cup of soup, go pay for it, and return to the soup area to consume it. The first person was a woman dressed in typical Ford professional attaire. The second was a man in a shirt and tie. The man got hassled by two different sets of employees, demanding proof that he had paid for his soup. Nobody hassled the woman. Guess the "races" of the two soup eaters.
OK, I'll just tell you. The woman is an Indian, and the man is me, a honkey. Something like this happens to all of us once or twice a year. The difference is that when it happens to a black person in 2006, we very often get a charge of racism.
Yesterday in a Dearborn fancy grocery store I saw two people seperately obtain a cup of soup, go pay for it, and return to the soup area to consume it. The first person was a woman dressed in typical Ford professional attaire. The second was a man in a shirt and tie. The man got hassled by two different sets of employees, demanding proof that he had paid for his soup. Nobody hassled the woman. Guess the "races" of the two soup eaters.
OK, I'll just tell you. The woman is an Indian, and the man is me, a honkey. Something like this happens to all of us once or twice a year. The difference is that when it happens to a black person in 2006, we very often get a charge of racism.
Free Speech, British Educational System-style
The British have some serious problems.
Schoolgirl arrested for refusing to study with non-English pupils who were speaking non-English language that she couldn't understand.
I can't wait to see how you rationalize this one Nadir.
Schoolgirl arrested for refusing to study with non-English pupils who were speaking non-English language that she couldn't understand.
I can't wait to see how you rationalize this one Nadir.
Right-Wing Denial of Experts Continues
Paul and the SORE (So-Called Orafice of Republican pseudo-Economic-hacks) at CafeHayek disagree with (gulp!) 655 economists including Nobel Laureates who believe the federal minimum wage should be raised modestly, stating it won't have the negative effect that economic experts like Paul believe will occur.
This adds to the right-wing disagreement with generals who believe our strategy in Iraq is wrong. This in addition to those who disagree with human rights advocates and the British government who accuse the US of torture in Guantanamo. They also disagree with business leaders who say a single-payer healthcare system would help businesses cut healthcare costs and increase profits. Or scientists who believe global warming is a problem.
Right-wingers disagree with any experts who don't trumpet their political views. How can these "true believers", those who believe in their ideology no matter the evidence to the contrary, continue to refute the word of people who have studied these subjects much longer and harder than they?
Remember, Paul's most noted economic decision was to paint his living room pink because by purchasing a color that no one else would possibly want, he saved 10% in costs! Surely he is more qualified than five Nobel Prize winning economists! Not to mention the interior designers who would caution against such a gutsy metrosexual move.
This adds to the right-wing disagreement with generals who believe our strategy in Iraq is wrong. This in addition to those who disagree with human rights advocates and the British government who accuse the US of torture in Guantanamo. They also disagree with business leaders who say a single-payer healthcare system would help businesses cut healthcare costs and increase profits. Or scientists who believe global warming is a problem.
Right-wingers disagree with any experts who don't trumpet their political views. How can these "true believers", those who believe in their ideology no matter the evidence to the contrary, continue to refute the word of people who have studied these subjects much longer and harder than they?
Remember, Paul's most noted economic decision was to paint his living room pink because by purchasing a color that no one else would possibly want, he saved 10% in costs! Surely he is more qualified than five Nobel Prize winning economists! Not to mention the interior designers who would caution against such a gutsy metrosexual move.
Society of Real Economists (SORE)
Tom understands a lot about economics. He even understands a lot more than me. But he somehow manages to overlook or deny some very big, simple rules. That precludes him from membership in SORE.
"You can be a member of SORE and be in favor of the minimum wage because you think the benefits of helping some people get a higher wage outweighs the costs of some people losing their job or having a hard time finding a job because there are fewer opportunities. But if you support the minimum wage because it's important as a symbol of our desire to help people or because the minimum wage doesn't effect employment, you can't be a member of SORE."
"You can be a member of SORE and be in favor of the minimum wage because you think the benefits of helping some people get a higher wage outweighs the costs of some people losing their job or having a hard time finding a job because there are fewer opportunities. But if you support the minimum wage because it's important as a symbol of our desire to help people or because the minimum wage doesn't effect employment, you can't be a member of SORE."
The Sounds of Silencing
"Let us be more pointed. Students, stars, media movers, academics: They are always saying they want debate, but they don't. They want their vision imposed. They want to win. And if the win doesn't come quickly, they'll rush the stage, curse you out, attempt to intimidate."...
...call you racist, homophobic, bigoted, Islamophobic, or a Nazi, a fascist, a warmonger, etc., etc., etc.
And that pretty much renders pointless any further attempt at debate. But that's the goal I suppose: End the debate quickly by assigning labels to your opponent, then high-five yourself, pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself on winning the debate.
Dem Control Might Help Economy, WSJ.com Survey Finds
Democrats wins in November might boost the economy, economist in the latest WSJ.com economists survey found.WHAT IS THE BLASPHEMY??? The leading newspaper of capitalism believes that Democratic Party control of at least one house of Congress could boost a Republican economy that they say is "doing very well"?
“The economy is doing very well,” said Allen Sinai of Decision Economics Inc. However, it “would do better if the geopolitical side wasn’t depressing Americans and injecting caution in business sentiment. The psyche of Americans is surprisingly low. New blood can improve sentiment.”
IDOLATORS!!! If the Republicans are doing such a great job with the economy, why change a good thing?
The comments are even being stacked by THE INFIDELS!
Comment by - October 12, 2006 at 10:35 pmWould do well for the Republicans to win it all once again. They’ve only been in complete power the last 6 years. Who knows, maybe their stated policies of elimination of all social programs may be the best medicine for the persons of this country yet! To show good faith I volunteer that all social security, medicaid, medicare, etc.,etc.,etc., programs be eliminated tomorrow. Of course, since Corporations are considered persons by American law it logically follows that all social programs for them must stop also. Programs such as agricultural subsidies, any and all tariffs. We agreed, remember, no social programs for any persons.
2006-10-12
Budget Deficit Reduces but Trade Deficit Increases
The US trade deficit widened by more than expected during August, raising concerns about the state of the world's largest economy.The deficit was $69.9bn (£37.7bn) in August, up from July's $68bn level, the US Commerce Department said.
The deficit is on course to set a new record, totalling $784.2bn at the end of August, 9.4% higher than a year ago.
So while Paul argues that tax cuts are helping reduce the budget deficit, those funds are being used to fuel the destruction of the US export base.
Racism: No Black Marines in Clint Eastwood's Film
Only racism can explain Clint Eastwood failing to cast black actors in his new depiction of marines fighting Japanese tyrants in the pacific durring WWII. This is just as shocking as Mel Gibson supposedly toiling for absolute accuracy with his depiction of Jesus -- right down to speaking an extinct language -- and then casting all the Cannanite/Isrealite/Palitinian charactors with honkey actors (just as Martin Scorsesee did with Last Temptation). I'm all for disregarding race when casting films, even historical films. Why not Don Cheedle as Bonaparte? But clearly USA filmmakers disregard race when casting only when it means honkies playing non-honkey charactors.
Interestingly, Cleopatra really was a honkey, and the only historical inaccuracies with casting Liz Taylor are: Liz was too old (Cleo was 16 when Ceasar met her) and pretty (Cleo was physically homely, and drew her sex appeal from her personality, just like Nadir's dad).
Interestingly, Cleopatra really was a honkey, and the only historical inaccuracies with casting Liz Taylor are: Liz was too old (Cleo was 16 when Ceasar met her) and pretty (Cleo was physically homely, and drew her sex appeal from her personality, just like Nadir's dad).
FEAR FACTORY on 10/11: Do We Feel Any Safer?
Admit it… Everyone in America had the same thought…When we heard the news that a plane hit a building in New York City, we were all waiting for the second plane or the explosion, or something else to happen because we were afraid that Manhattan was under attack again.
CNN covered the incident as if this was a new terror strike because frankly none of us knew that it wasn’t. Anderson Cooper reported from the scene and Wolf Blitzer stood in front of the blue screen speaking in that ominous tone of voice.
The fifth anniversary of 911 received a lot of fanfare, but the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan came and went a couple of weeks ago with barely a whisper. George Bush has made the world hate the United States even more than we were hated before September 2001, and the government and media FEAR FACTORY has US citizens on pins and needles.
Two Questions: From the security gauntlet at airports to our wars in the Middle East, from North Korean nuclear tests to our worries over a small plane crash on 10/11 -
Is America safer than it was five years ago?
Do you feel safer?
White supremacist Minutemen and the anti-immigrant movement
The bourgeois media has treated these neo-fascist groups as legitimate voices whose opinions against immigration are valid and measured. They have positioned hate groups like the Minuteman Project and Save Our State as normal U.S. citizens who are merely concerned about immigration.
The relationship was highlighted in the capitalist media attacks aimed at Columbia University students who, on Oct. 4, caused Minutemen leader Jim Gilchrist to terminate his speech at the school by chanting and taking the stage where he spoke.Gilchrist, an arch-racist, has characterized undocumented workers as people whose "intentions are to just squat here and plunder whatever social benefits our programs provide them." He has said that "every time a Mexican flag is planted on American soil, it is a declaration of war."
Save Our State, a Los Angeles-based hate group named after the anti-immigrant coalition behind Prop. 187, has been leading protests against undocumented workers all over the city. Members of neo-Nazi groups have appeared at the rallies with swastika flags, chanting "Sieg Heil."SOS leader Joe Turner has said there is nothing he can do to stop Nazis from joining his group. Nor does he want to stop them. Turner, an unrepentant, arrogant racist, shares their white supremacist ideology. "Just because you’re a white separatist doesn’t make you a racist," said Turner.
Six & Paul: Let's see how much you guys believe in free speech. A six-pack of high brow barley wine says both of you will scoff at this article just because of the title on the linked page and the website where it was posted - not because the information isn't well referenced (it is) but because of the ideology of the posters.
I'm betting that you will give the article less credence because the author comes from a different worldview, though he presents adequate evidence to back up his claims.
2006-10-11
"Women Never Lie About Rape"?
That's one false liberal mantra that I used to believe. Here's a case of a woman who got pregnant, and claimed it resulted from a rape. Now she's convicted of the pregnancy having resulted from her sex with a 12-year-old cousin. Evil men have many available weapons against women. One is fists. Another is rape. Evil women also exist, and they have weapons available to them against men. One is a false charge of rape.
George Will vs. George W
George Will always opposed Bush's Iraq invasion, and his arguments have always made sense to me. War is the ultimate Big Government operation, and even the successful such enterprises are full of the very wrong-headed inefficiencies that make people like me despise govt as a mechanism for "improving the lives of its citizens." But here we are, some of us repos, trying to use Big Gov not merely to destroy a hostile foriegn state and its machinery, but also to build a new society. Granted, it worked before (Germany, Japan, Mississippi), and is working in Iraq's Kurdistan.
Bush's Tax Cuts Reduce Fedl Deficit
Nadir: How many pieces of data do you need before you recognize that Bush's tax cuts have had a reductive effect on the federal deficit (as predicted by its proponents)? Since you deplore federal deficit spending, shouldn't you join me and Bush in advocating even more cuts to the various tax rates?
2006-10-10
Free Speech, Nadir-style
Free speech for everyone! Not.
At Columbia, Students Attack Minuteman Founder:
At Columbia, Students Attack Minuteman Founder:
Students stormed the stage at Columbia University’s Roone auditorium yesterday, knocking over chairs and tables and attacking Jim Gilchrist, the founder of the minutemen, a group that patrols the border between America and
Mexico.
Mr. Gilchrist and Marvin Stewart, another member of his group, were in the process of giving a speech at the invitation of the Columbia College Republicans. They were escorted off the stage unharmed and exited the auditorium by a back door.
Having wreaked havoc onstage, the students unrolled a banner that read, in both Arabic and English, “No one is ever illegal.” As security guards closed the curtains and began escorting people from the auditorium, the students jumped from the stage, pumping their fists, chanting victoriously, “Si se pudo, si se pudo,” Spanish for “Yes we could!”
Veils Suck
Yes, they do. And Nadir and Tom would abhor them as well if Jerry Falwell demanded them of all christian hoes. I didn't realize that muslim phychopaths executed some of Salman Rushdie's international publishers.
Married Muslim Female Seeks Brain
This essay will bouy those depressed by reports from Dubai this week on the Ignorance Olympics, where deprived muslim schoolboys compete in reciting the koran. My favorite: Mohammad's "received" instructions on how to behead infidel male prisoners -- and rape female prisoners -- who refuse to convert. This female writer provides fresh indication that the Dark Age of Islam will eventually end. Ignorance can't last forever, and knowledge -- like entropy -- flows only in one direction. Once knowledge liberates an ignorant brain, that brain can never return to ignorance.
American Prison Camps Are on the Way
The Military Commissions Act of 2006 governing the treatment of detainees is the culmination of relentless fear-mongering by the Bush administration since the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Because the bill was adopted with lightning speed, barely anyone noticed that it empowers Bush to declare not just aliens, but also U.S. citizens, "unlawful enemy combatants."
2006-10-09
Weapons of Math Instruction
NEW YORK, NY - A public school teacher was arrested today at John F. Kennedy International Airport as he attempted to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a set square, a slide rule, and a calculator.
At a morning press conference, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said he believes the man is a
member of the notorious Al-gebra movement. He did not identify the man, who has been charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction.
"Al-gebra is a problem for us," Gonzales said. "They desire solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in a search of absolute value. They use secret code names like 'x' and 'y' and refer to themselves as ' unknowns', but we have determined they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country. As the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, 'There are three sides to every triangle'."
When asked to comment on the arrest, President Bush said, "If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, He would have given us more fingers and toes."
White House aides told reporters they could not recall a more intelligent or profound statement by the president.
At a morning press conference, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said he believes the man is a
member of the notorious Al-gebra movement. He did not identify the man, who has been charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction.
"Al-gebra is a problem for us," Gonzales said. "They desire solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in a search of absolute value. They use secret code names like 'x' and 'y' and refer to themselves as ' unknowns', but we have determined they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country. As the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, 'There are three sides to every triangle'."
When asked to comment on the arrest, President Bush said, "If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, He would have given us more fingers and toes."
White House aides told reporters they could not recall a more intelligent or profound statement by the president.
2006-10-08
Chavez denies being anti-US
Since becoming president he has followed a policy of democratic socialism, Latin American integration and anti-imperialism.
His reforms have created much controversy in Venezuela and abroad. Most Venezuelans are split between those who say he has empowered the poor and stimulated economic growth, and those who say he is autocratic and has badly managed the economy.
Some foreign governments view Chavez as a threat to world oil prices and regional stability, while others welcome his bilateral trade and reciprocal aid agreements.
Just Doing Their Jobs While Their Leaders Are Not
Whether you believe they are following illegal, immoral and unjust orders or not, the men and women of our military are willing to make the supreme sacrifice. They put their lives on the line every day. Why? Because their job is to protect and defend their country. They aren't allowed to debate whether the cause is right or wrong. They do their jobs.
The Washington Post reports that Iraq casualties have soared to their highest level in two years with over 1000 soldiers wounded in the last five weeks.
Yet the war rages on with little or no support from the American people and little or no protest from the Congress of the United States.
For the past week the media has been focused on the electronic exploits of a would-be child molestor in the halls of Congress. They have ignored the men and women who are fighting for their lives in an unwinnable war that they should not be in in the first place.
2006-10-05
It’s Time for the Democrats to Make Their Move
With Republican leadership stumbling, bumbling and ducking for cover on issue after issue, it is difficult to conceive how the Democrats could blow the election on November 7.
Difficult, but unfortunately, not impossible.
Hospitality from the House of Saud
One of the more troubling subplots running through "State of Denial" involves Prince Bandar, the long-time Saudi ambassador to the United States. By Woodward's account, when then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush decided to run for president, his worried father enlisted Bandar, an old family friend, to tutor the son on foreign policy. When Bandar arrived in Austin, the younger Bush blithely observed that while he had lots of ideas about domestic policies he didn't have a clue about foreign affairs. The Saudi took him under his wing, but he proved a trying pupil, who addressed his mentor as "asshole" and "smart aleck." (Perhaps this is how hereditary princelings affectionately address each other?) At one point, the younger Bush peevishly demanded to know why he needed "to care about North Korea." Bandar pointed out that, if he became president, he would have 35,000 American troops sitting on the DMZ.
Oh, right....
And:
During a meeting in the Oval Office, according to Woodward, Bush personally thanked Bandar because the Saudis had flooded the world oil market and kept prices down in the run-up to the 2004 general election.
2006-10-04
The Real Devil: Hugo Chavez's War on Wealth
The problem with socialism is that you can't hurt those evil rich bastards without hurting "the poor" even worse. With capitalism, meanwhile, rich people can only make money selling goods and services to people who have money to buy. Thus people under a free market economy inter-depend on each other for their own prosperity. Why does oil-rich Venezuala have so much rampant, stagnant poverty despite its oil riches? Easy answer: socialist policies. But poor people often find it irresistable to vote (those who enjoy the right to!) for promises of "sharing the wealth." Socialism succeeds only in one thing: making its advocates feel good about themselves.
2006-10-03
GOP Unfit to Govern? Where Have Right-Wingers Been?
Let’s see… The federal deficit is at a record high (or low depending on which way you’re looking at it). Our military is waging an illegal war, congress just legalized torture, FEMA made New Orleans more of a disaster than Hurricane Katrina did, the president spies on US citizens without securing warrants…
But it takes the exposure of a GOP representative’s naughty instant messages to a high school boy (and the Republican cover-up) for conservative pundits like Joseph Farah at WorldNetDaily to face the facts that have been in plain sight for at least the last five years.
Most Guantanamo Detainees Guilty of Being in the Wrong Place at the Wrong Time
Paul likes to argue about semantics when he has no leg to stand on in our debates. Take for instance his assertion that the Guantanamo detainees would be found "not guilty" in a court (if a trial were allowed) but not "innocent". He also said how could they be "not guilty" if they haven't been tried.
Mr. Hue, you're arguing about the terminology because you can't defend the practice of torture, unlawful detainment and war crimes by a Bush administration that you support.
So here is a February Slate.com article that says:
Mr. Hue, you're arguing about the terminology because you can't defend the practice of torture, unlawful detainment and war crimes by a Bush administration that you support.
So here is a February Slate.com article that says:
Two major studies conclude that most of them have done very little wrong. A third says they are being tortured while they wait.
The first report was written by Corine Hegland and published two weeks ago in the National Journal. Hegland scrutinized the court documents of 132 prisoners—approximately one-quarter of the detainees—who have filed habeas corpus petitions, as well as the redacted transcripts of the hearings that 314 prisoners have received in appearing before military Combatant Status Review Tribunals—the preliminary screening process that is supposed to ascertain whether they are "enemy combatants," as the Bush administration claims. Hegland's exhaustive review concludes that most of the detainees are not Afghans and that most were not picked up on the battlefield in Afghanistan. The vast majority were instead captured in Pakistan. Seventy-five of the 132 men are not accused of taking part in hostilities against the United States. The data suggests that maybe 80 percent of these detainees were never al-Qaida members, and many were never even Taliban foot soldiers.Most detainees are being held for the crime of having "associated" with the Taliban or al-Qaida—often in the most attenuated way, including having known or lived with people assumed to be Taliban, or worked for charities with some ties to al-Qaida. Some had "combat" experience that seems to have consisted solely of being hit by U.S. bombs. Most were not picked up by U.S. forces but handed over to our military by Afghan warlords in exchange for enormous bounties and political payback.
But I Thought Those Were the BAD GUYS!!!
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Monday that the Afghan war against Taliban guerrillas can never be won militarily and urged support for efforts to bring "people who call themselves Taliban" and their allies into the government.So the war in Afghanistan wasn't fought to avenge 911 or to catch Bin Laden. Now it appears it wasn't even fought to overthrow the Taliban, or more accurately, it was fought to knock them down a peg or two?The Tennessee Republican said he learned from briefings that Taliban fighters were too numerous and had too much popular support to be defeated on the battlefield.
"You need to bring them into a more transparent type of government," Frist said during a brief visit to a U.S. and Romanian military base in the southern Taliban stronghold of Qalat. "And if that's accomplished, we'll be successful."
These right-wing politicians are going NUTS!!
Bush Violates Republican Ideals w/ Anti-Gambling Laws
This is what we get with a "Republican" president? Legislation banning (or attempting to!) adults from foolishly spending their money on internet gambling? Because some centralized gathering of elected officials have determined that it's "bad" for me? So they commit the resources of my nation to blocking my decision to enter into a contract with a gambling outfit and a credit card company? True Republicans must oppose this!
Prediction: Internet gambling by Americans will continue to increase, but without US credit card companies making any profit.
Recommendation: Legalize, so that US casinos and credit card companies can profit off of idiot Americans using their freedom to make choices that smarter people deem stupid.
Prediction: Internet gambling by Americans will continue to increase, but without US credit card companies making any profit.
Recommendation: Legalize, so that US casinos and credit card companies can profit off of idiot Americans using their freedom to make choices that smarter people deem stupid.
2006-10-02
Weekly News Roundup - Torture, Intell and Sex, Sex, Sex!!
It was a whacky week... Those crazy right-wingers!!!
ZeFrank on The Untimely Demise of Sir Habeas Corpus
If you cats aren't yet hip to "The Show with ZeFrank", you should check him out. His sometimes silly, always intelligent daily show has become my afternoon guilty pleasure, and Ze has become one of my new heroes. Fridays are "Ride the Fire Eagle Danger Day," a kind of news roundup. In last Friday's episode, Ze laments the death of Sir Habeas Corpus who was stabbed in the back 65 times. Normally Ze says he is "Thinking so you don't have to," but for some reason he wasn't this time.
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