RON MARZ AND PATRICK ZIRCHER CARE ABOUT PERSEPOLIS

Here's an interesting little conversation between two leftists about a story involving some parents who didn't want their children to read Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis at a high school library:

Persepolis is an essential story about a woman struggling for her equality in an oppressive regime. Sad somone couldn't see that. @ronmarz
— Patch Zircher (@PatrickZircher) September 18, 2014

Now isn't that something. One of the same leftists with a fairly lenient view of Islam is still willing to come to the defense of an Iranian refugee's illustrated biography of her experiences, and another guy he knows is willing to do the same. This despite at least one instance of apologia for Marvel's publishing taqqiya, and being chummy with at least one other writer who's gone out of his way to promote the book and attack anyone who dares to disagree as a "racist", yet never accusing them of being "anti-religious", the most gaping hole in the left's apologia for these forms of propaganda. Pretty surprising, I must say. Now that I think of it, Persepolis is probably one of the precious few graphic novels critical of an Islamic regime some leftists are willing to say anything positive about and defend, and I wonder why? In this case, is it because, according to the Medford Mail Tribune, some parents in Oregon have objections to stocking it in student libraries? Oregon is mostly a leftist stronghold, and one can only wonder if the opposition is based more on political standings than a true concern about visual violence. If it were, that would make the Marz/Zircher defense pretty odd, even if defense of the book is justified and crucial.

But that doesn't mean all leftists will defend a GN recounting life with the Ayatollah's reign. In fact, what are the chances DC and Marvel would hire somebody like Satrapi to write a mainstream book for them? I think the chances are very slim, and neither Dan Slott nor Tom Brevoort are likely to lobby for the sake of Satrapi either.

To be sure, any leftist willing to defend GNs like Persepolis and Satrapi is a good omen, but they've still got a long way to go before they can fully convince us. Like, maybe they can come to the defense of Frank Miller and his Holy Terror GN for the right reasons too?

Update: oh, I think the time has come I show just what an honor it is Marz talk about me like this:

Crazy Right-Wing Blogger wrote about me again, but I had to share the spotlight with @PatrickZircher. What, I'm not good enough solo?!
— Ron Marz (@ronmarz) September 20, 2014

LOL. He insists on declaring I'm crazy, does he. Well gee, what an honor that is! If he ever calls me sane, that'll be an insult. Marz has only done me proud with his sneering declaration.

ALIBABA WAY UP, BUT NASDAQ DOWN: IS THIS A VERY BAD SIGN?

ALIBABA WENT UP TODAY - BECOMING THE BIGGEST IPO OF ALL-TIME,  BUT THE NASDAQ WENT DOWN.

THIS MAY SIGNAL THAT THERE IS NOT ADDITIONAL MONEY FLOWING INTO THE EQUITY MARKETS, JUST A RESHUFFLING.

I THINK IT'S ANOTHER SIGN WE'RE IN A BUBBLE.

OBAMA ORDERS CIA TO STAND-DOWN IN EUROPE - AIDING PUTIN ONCE AGAIN

I THINK OBAMA WORKS FOR PUTIN:

HOT AIR: ... according to Associated Press sources:

Under the stand-down order, case officers in Europe largely have been forbidden from undertaking “unilateral operations” such as meeting with sources they have recruited within allied governments. Such clandestine meetings are the bedrock of spying.

CIA officers are still allowed to meet with their counterparts in the host country’s intelligence service, conduct joint operations with host country services and conduct operations with the approval of the host government. Recently, unilateral operations targeting third country nationals — Russians in France, for example — were restarted. But most meetings with sources who are host nationals remain on hold, as do new recruitments.

The CIA declined to comment.

James Clapper, the U.S. director of national intelligence, said during a public event Thursday that the U.S. is assuming more risk because it has stopped spying on “specific targets,” though he didn’t spell out details.

Spying stand-downs are common after an operation is compromised, but “never this long or this deep,” said a former CIA official, who, like others interviewed for this story, spoke on condition of anonymity because it’s illegal to discuss classified material or activities. The pause, which has been in effect for about two months, was ordered by senior CIA officials through secret cables.

ALSO HOT AIR: 

Needless to say, this is an odd time to go dark, and not just because of Russia and their own operations in Europe. The US needs to keep a close eye on the impact of ISIS in Europe, both in terms of recruitment to the battlegrounds of Syria and Iraq but also penetration into the governments of our allies.

ME: PUTIN IS GAINING ELSEWHERE:

Just hours after President Barack Obama conducted a joint address on Russian aggression alongside the president of Estonia, Russian forces captured and detained a counterintelligence officer on September 5th from inside that NATO allied nation. The move was seen as an effort to provoke and destabilize the Baltic states, where some believe sizable Russian minorities may lead the Kremlin to conduct operations similar to those being undertaken in Ukraine’s east.The Baltics are deeply concerned over Russia’s territorial expansionism and aggression, and are taking steps to communicate to Moscow that they will resist an incursion. This week, the NATO nations of Poland and Lithuania announced that they would joint Ukraine and form a joint military unit headquartered in Poland designed to bolster their ability to deter Russian aggression.The Polish Defense Ministry said the work on forming the unit began in 2007. It is to be headquartered in the eastern Polish city of Lublin.The ministry said the unit will operate under the auspices of the United Nations, NATO or the European Union.However, the ministry did not provide any more details or say whether the armed conflict in Ukraine would affect its work.Lithuania further aggravated Russia by agreeing to host a NATO Military Committee conference in Vilnius where defense officials from Atlantic alliance nations will discuss regional and global military challenges.In what is surely related news, Russia captured a Lithuanian vessel allegedly in international waters on Friday.

REMEMBER ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS OBAMA AND HILLARY DID WAS THE RUSSIAN RESET, APPEASEMENT OF PUTIN PLAIN AND SIMPLE - AND CANCELING DEPLOYMENT IN EASTERN EUROPE OF NMD.

IF OBAMA ISN'T A DOUBLE AGENT WORKING FOR PUTIN, THEN HE MIGHT AS WELL BE!

BBC: SCOTLAND STAYS IN UNION

"NO" WINS. 12:14AM.

More here.

He's Getting Warmer: Kerry Says, ISIS Is Not Islamic, They Are ‘the Order of Satan’

Kerry: ISIS Is ‘the Order of Satan’


John Kerry has been going around saying ISIS is not Islamic.

That's totally wrong, of course.

"ISIS" stands for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. They use the Koran to justify their behavior. And they are supported by huge swarths of the Muslim world, including 92% of Saudi Arabians.

So yes, they are Islamic. It is asinine to say they are not.

But Kerry got it absolutely right when he said they are "the order of Satan.

Islam likes to use children as martyrs. Islam says all Jews must be killed at the Last Judgement. And Islam glories in the blood of those it has murdered.

If you believe Satan exists, you must admit that such behavior is, indeed, of "the order of Satan."

ISIS is clearly Satanic.

They are the Islamic Order of Satan.

SHMULEY BOTEACH IS RIGHT: WE NEED MORE CONVERTS

Boteach recently said Israel and Jewish society could benefit from seeking more converts to Judaism:

The world Jewish community has recently been shaken to its core by the tsunami of anti-Semitism that has broken out in the wake of Israel’s third Gaza war. We have been horror-stricken as the world media has condemned the Middle East’s only democracy for the simple act of defending itself against terror rockets and tunnels.

We have watched with mouths agape at the tens of thousands of people marching in the streets of London and Berlin chanting “Hitler should have finished off the Jews” and “Ham-As rhymes with poison gas.” We have been gob-smacked with scenes of pogroms against Jews hiding in synagogues in Paris. Most of all, we have wondered how could a civilized world with liberal humanistic values choose the women-honor-killing, gay-murdering, free-speech-suppressing Hamas terrorist death cult over democratic Israel.

Why isn’t this being effectively combated? Simply stated, there aren’t enough Jews in the world.

The greatest challenge facing the world Jewish community is its puny size. The number of Jews in the world has fallen below a critical mass and our scarcity raises the specter of unpleasant consequences.

Foremost among them is our inability to defend the State of Israel properly.

The point is easily demonstrated. In the United State where nearly 6 million Jews represent about 2 percent of the population, our large size and well-organized numbers enable us to create an effective political lobby that has yielded concrete positive results in the form of American support for Israel. Compare that to the 230,000 Jews of Britain who live in a population of 64 million, a minuscule percentage of the population. Such a paltry number has condemned the supporters of Israel to being virtually overwhelmed by the growing Muslim community of Britain, with support for Israel falling precipitously as a result.

Even in France, where there are 500,000 Jews, they are outnumbered by a Muslim population of 5 to 6 million representing about 10% of the population.

But security issues aside, we Jews, whose biblical mandate is to be a light unto the nations, are meant to leave a mark on the world. Real influence, to be sure, depends more on quality than quantity, but even as the smallest of nations, Jews have arguably been the most influential over the long term.

Yet numbers still matter greatly. Just look at the United Nations as an example of how Israel is treated with contempt mostly because we are too small to influence a world body.

Kicking up Jewish numbers isn’t going to be easy, and vastly increasing the Jewish birthrate, as well as reversing assimilation, is vital. With intermarriage in the United States at 50%, millions of offspring in the world who have a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother are not considered halachically Jewish. But even with one Jewish parent, the connection is strong.

Should we not be approaching these people and inspiring them to connect with their Jewish roots? The same applies to hundreds of thousands, and perhaps millions, of Europeans who stem from Jewish ancestry, like the growing community in Spain and Portugal of former Marranos. These people feel themselves to be partially ‘Jewish.’ but we allow them to founder and never connect them with the Jewish people, even though they have Jewish antecedents.

But it is high time we considered actively proselytizing non-Jews to Judaism. The number of people without any religion at all is a group to which we ought to offer Judaism as a monotheistic alternative and actively promote the Torah as the word of God.

My thoughts exactly. Proselytization for non-Jews could benefit Jewish society very well, and help give hope to those who need a form of religion through which to look up to God. In France, there's people who've grown distant from Christianity who could probably use Judaism instead if cards are played right, and the right kind of people introduce it to them. The same in some south American and Asian countries. Maybe Scotland could be a good place. And maybe this is why the Chief Rabbinate in Israel is becoming outmoded, because what are they doing to draw more converts? All the Haredis running it now have done is make things harder, and that's why it has to change and they can't be allowed to monopolize Judaism and dictate how people must run their lives. The time has come to deal with this, and it has to be now.

UK METRO WRITER DEFENDS SEXINESS AND STRENGTH FOR HEROINES, THEN PROCEEDS TO WRECK ARGUMENT

A writer for the UK Metro paper told why she's okay with heroines like Spider-Woman being sexy so long as they're not helpless:

I like a little controversy in art and comics are very much an art form. I’d be angrier if the actual content of the comics I read featured helpless, sexualised females and flimsy plot lines but, as a reader, I feel I’m living in a time where strong female characters are in abundance.

That's an argument I can get behind - while nobody expects the female casts to be invincible, it would certainly be bad if they were throughly helpless. But, as Identity Crisis proved back in 2004, and New Avengers in 2007 with the story where Tigra was attacked by The Hood, it's not entirely true women in modern comic book fiction are depicted strongly. Now that I think of it, the former example gave sex a bad name too.

But then, the writer ruins everything by bringing up the Muslim Ms. Marvel series for the umpteenth time in a mainstream press piece:

In the interest of fairness though, great strides have been made to move away from this image too, with Kamala Khan as a young Muslim Ms. Marvel and Marvel re-launching Thor as a woman.

Yes, that's all we need to hear. It would be a lot better if they'd cite the current Captain Marvel series starring the real Ms. Marvel, Carol Danvers, but I guess that was just too easy for them. The premise of a new teen protagonist doesn't have to be sexy, but if they're going to inject religion (and taqqiya), then they've scuttled it nevertheless.

And here's somebody who doesn't question whether it's ridiculous to arbitrarily replace Thor with a woman bearing a man's name.

I feel the world of the superhero should be fun, where creators can play with sexuality and imagery. There are some brilliant writers and artists producing fantastic, inclusive stories that appeal to all readers, whatever your background.

I also feel they should be fun, but if you set up a dishonest picture of Islam, that's not fun at all. "Fun" visions can't be approved selectively.

TWO MORE CHINA EXEC'S OF WESTERN FIRM SPLIT AND ABSCOND WITH THE CASH

A Germany-listed shoemaker became the latest Chinese company to report the disappearance of top executives, underscoring the danger of doing business in the Asian powerhouse at a time of heightened scrutiny of its firms’ corporate governance. 

Ultrasonic AG said chief executive Qingyong Wu and chief operating officer Minghong Wu had been missing since the weekend, and most of its cash reserves in China and Hong Kong had disappeared.... 

...The disappearances will bring further unwanted attention to mainland Chinese firms and their executives at a time when they are also being targeted by short-sellers. 

“These events are a constant reminder that China is still a developing market with a weak grip of law, high level of corruption and high level of fraud, and investors need to discount the risk of that into the price that they need to pay for the stock because what they see in the account is not always the truth,” shareholder activist David Webb said.

CHINA IS ESSENTIALLY A FASCIST THIRD WORLD NATION WITH A POTEMKIN ECONOMY.

AND IT MIGHT BE COLLAPSING:

MACAU'S CASINO BIZ IS PREDICATED ON INFLOWS FROM WEALTHY CHINESE, AND MACAU'S CASINO BIZ HAS COLLAPSED - PERHAPS SIGNALLING THE END OF THE CHINESE BUBBLE.

STAY TUNED.

BWAHAHA!: MOST LIBERAL BORO' IN ONE OF THE USA'S MOST LIBERAL CITIES HAS THE WORST INCOME INEQUALITY

NYTIMES: Gap Between Manhattan’s Rich and Poor Is Greatest in U.S., Census Finds 

Manhattan is becoming an island of extremes. 

The mean income of the top 5 percent of households in Manhattan soared 9 percent in 2013 over 2012, giving Manhattan the biggest dollar income gap of any county in the country, according to data from the Census Bureau. 

The top 5 percent of households earned $864,394, or 88 times as much as the poorest 20 percent, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, which is being released Thursday and covers the final year of the Bloomberg administration. 

IT'S FUNNY HOW ALL THE WORST EFFIN' CITIES IN THE USA ARE LIBERAL, AND DEMOCRAT PARTY STRONGHOLDS.

DETROIT, CHICAGO.... THEY'RE ALSO EXAMPLES.

LIBERAL POLICES SUCK; THEY FAIL TO ACHIEVE THEIR STATED GOALS.

THEY MAKE THINGS WORSE!

WE SPENT $22 TRILLION ON THE "WAR ON POVERTY" AND THE POVERTY RATE IS WORSE NOW THAN WHEN THE "WAR" STARTED.

$22 TRILLION IS 3x MORE THAN WE SPENT ON ALL THE WARS SINCE THE REVOLUTION!

IT'S LIBERAL POLICIES, STUPID!

DOCTOR MICHAEL MANN'S HASHTAG - #AskDrMann - BACKFIRES, HILARITY ENSUES

http://twitchy.com/2014/09/17/hashtag-backfire-mock-a-lanche-triggered-after-global-warming-alarmist-suing-mark-steyn-solicits-questions/

A COUPLE OF MY FAV'S:

Michael Haugen @HaugenTRA
Earth hasn't warmed in almost two decades. Possible all that "missing" heat was on Lois Lerner's hard drive when it "crashed"? #AskDrMann
1:30 PM - 17 Sep 2014

Michael Haugen @HaugenTRA
Earth hasn't warmed in almost two decades. Possible all that "missing" heat was on Lois Lerner's hard drive when it "crashed"? #AskDrMann
1:30 PM - 17 Sep 2014

Shoebart @theshoebart
Should you be walking around in public with such a brittle ego? #askdrmann
2:26 PM - 17 Sep 2014

CONGRESS TAKING RISK OF ARMING WRONG PEOPLE IN SYRIA

US Congress is warily on the verge of approving arming and training for "rebels" in Syria to fight against Muslim jihadists, except that both sides of this conflict appear to be Muslims:

Wary House lawmakers prepared to give President Barack Obama authority to arm and train Syrian rebels in the fight against Islamic State militants Wednesday as Iraq's new prime minister dismissed the notion that the struggle could lead to U.S. forces again fighting on the ground in his country.

"Not only is it not necessary, we don't want them. We won't allow them," Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Congress appears inclined to give Obama the authority he wants — the first vote was likely in the House on Wednesday — but lawmakers are sharply divided over whether the U.S. should be doing more or less. Some Republicans contend that Islamic State militants occupying large portions of Iraq and Syria cannot be defeated without U.S. ground troops backing up airstrikes in Iraq. Many Democrats oppose resuming a war in Iraq that the U.S. exited three years ago.

But if they go along with it, my guess is the MSM will refrain from negativity, because this is a Dem who's in charge now, unlike the time when a Republican led the campaign.

And this article is pretty slippery on the real picture: some of these "rebels" it speaks of are Muslims too, and anything but Christian or Buddhist. Arming them would do nothing to improve the situation, and sooner or later war would start anew between more Muslim factions, with Christians endangered further. If Congress approves this, they'll be making an awful mistake.

WHY THE SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE CAMPAIGN NOW GIVES A FEELING OF DREAD

Several years ago, I said I supported Scotland's independence, because I realized how a lot of Scots must be angry at the English government for enabling Islam's encroach, among other bad things. But the problem is, Alex Salmond is still in power, and he's taking the opportunity for anti-semitic rhetoric on the way to the ballot box (via Truth Revolt). It began on the BBC this time while discussing the beheading of British aid worker David Haines:

The Muslim community of Scotland isn't responsible in any shape or form for atrocities or extremism, just like a few weeks ago the Jewish community of Scotland wasn't responsible for the policies of the state of Israel. Thankfully we have strong communities and therefore we haven't had difficulty in that, but it's something we must have total vigilance [over]."

In other words, he's comparing Israel to ISIS, and that's disgusting. With Salmond in power, that's why Scottish independence from England is now looking more discouraging. Vivian Wineman of the local Board of British Jews said in response:

Any attempt to equate the actions of the democratically-elected Israeli government in defending its citizens from attack with the despicable cold-blooded murder of a British aid worker by terrorists would be self-evidently absurd and vile and we cannot conceive that this was the First Minister’s intention.

There has been a sharp rise in Antisemitism in Scotland following the Israeli military operation in Gaza in July.

That's another galling problem. Not just because there's Muslims in Scotland, but also because there's domestic anti-semites there too. Scottish Jews are worried this'll be the start of more Jew-hating nightmares:

Scotland’s politics, like its close Celtic cousin Ireland, are overwhelmingly left-leaning. Europe’s Left is the home of an anti-Israel bigotry and hysteria, which since “Protective Edge” has very often morphed into 1930’s anti-Semitism. Scotland’s government, the Scottish National Party, is left of center. In the entire country there is only one Conservative MP. The major levers of power, and an independent voice in international affairs, together with a seat at the table of international forums, are at present denied to Scotland’s anti-Israel politicians –a situation that may change irrevocably with a yes vote.

What's stupefying is why anyone in favor of shunning an alliance with the English would embrace the same beliefs and policies they do. One of the commentors at TR says:

I just lost all respect for my Celtic cousins . I can't believe they are even further left than the English . I thought they wanted to get out of the Union to save their culture not turn it over to the moooslim invaders. I guess Europe truly is through.

See, that was my assumption too. I thought the Scots were more realist than the English, and wanted nothing to do with their own nasty dhimmitude. Now I have to wonder if I was wrong.

To make matters worse, there's a concern the independence campaign could encourage palestinian pseudo-nationalism, even though, unlike the Celts of the Isle who have a real claim to it, there's no such thing as an Arabic/Islamic "palestianian people" and never was a palestianian land:

If the Scottish get their own state, the Welsh, Catalonians, the Basques, the Quebecois and many other nationalist movements across the globe will feel emboldened to push for independence as well, a spirit which could also impact not only the Palestinians, but also, some in Jerusalem fear, Israeli Arabs. There is no such mass movement yet, but Israeli authorities have long feared that the country’s approximately 22% non-Jewish minority, especially in the Galilee, will one day demand independence, especially in the wake of the establishment of a Palestinian state east of the Green Line.

Scotland splitting from the United Kingdom cannot be compared to Czechoslovakia being dissolved into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993, as both parties agreed to part in peace. But in this case the rest of the UK wants to prevent the split, meaning that a possible victory for Scottish nationalism could be seen as a proof that unilateral breakaways are possible. “Suddenly everybody will come and demand independence,” the Israeli official said.

I can understand this worry. I don't think the Scots are inherently bad, but if this is how they're going to break away from the English, then they're making a mockery of themselves. And it makes me feel very sad.

BRITISH STORE GUARD BARS JEWS FROM ENTERING

A modern day case of apartheid in the UK (via Joshuapundit):

Leading retailer Sports Direct has apologised to customers after a security guard allegedly barred “Jews” from entering its store.

The security guard was removed from the store after he told Jewish students - Nathan Rosen and Daniel Levitan - they could not enter the branch in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, on Friday afternoon.

The guard, who was sacked from the security company supplying Sports Direct with staff, reportedly told two Year 7 students wearing Yavneh College school uniform: “No Jews, no Jews”.

Curious the JC makes no mention who the guard was - a Muslim, maybe? I'm glad justice prevailed here and he got kicked out. But the paper's done a serious wrong by failing to tell what the man's background was.

FUNNEST CORRECTION OF THE DECADE - Ace, quel surprise

Update: A love of science compels me to correct this and note that January through August is eight months, rather than "six" as I wrote, at least according the traditional, orthodox manner of counting typically favored by The Establishment. 

By the non-traditional, freethinking Eastern-inflected folkways I prefer, it could be any range of numbers from three to seventeen. I chose "six" as both a poetical, numinous number filled with mythic resonances and whispered truths, as well as being a good compromise figure between 3 and 17 calculated to not upset the more hidebound, numerically-orthodox minds out there in my readership. 

But I see now that even this minor gesture in the direction of open-mindedness and aesthetic daring is now being challenged and mocked. 

So, thus harassed by vicious critics, I have changed the number to the Establishment-preferred "eight." 

So The Establishment wins again. Quel surprise.

HONOR MURDER OF 14-YEAR-OLD IN GALILEE

On the day of the 9-11 Memorial, there was an honor murder committed in the Galilee:

Four men, including the victim’s brother, were indicted Thursday for murdering 14-year-old Fatma Hayb, allegedly because she had angered them by leaving her house without a chaperone.

Along with the brother, Mustafa Hayb, 24, the defendants are her cousins Majed Hayb, 20; Issa Hayb, 20; and Bashar Hayb, 19. All are residents of the village of Tuba Zangaria in the Upper Galilee.

Fatma was murdered on the night of June 12. According to the indictment filed in the Nazareth District Court, Mustafa and Majed had both threatened to hurt or even kill her several times before, saying she was leaving the house without their permission and wandering around without a chaperone. At some point, they decided to carry out their threat and enlisted Bashar and Issa to help.

At 10:20 P.M. on June 12, the indictment stated, Bashar and Issa came to Fatma’s house with a 9mm pistol by prearrangement with Mustafa and Majed. Fatma was sitting outside in the courtyard. Bashar and Issa shot her at least eight times, hitting her in both the upper and lower body, then fled the scene. Fatma was severely wounded and died soon after arriving at the hospital.

Mustafa is also charged with trying to harm another of his sisters just 11 days before Fatma’s murder. That sister, who is 20, enraged him by staying out one night until 9:30 P.M., the indictment said. When she returned, he grabbed her by the hair, but she managed to escape. He then chased after her with a knife.

All four men are charged with murder, conspiracy to commit a crime and weapons offenses. Mustafa and Majed are also charged with menacing. The prosecution asked that all four be remanded until the end of the trial.

Attorney Said Haddad, the public defender who is representing Mustafa Hayb, said his client denies “that he had any connection to the murder or desired his sister’s death.”

Mustafa did know there was a plan afoot to injure his sister, as a warning to her to mend her behavior, but nothing beyond that, Haddad added.

Moreover, any cooperation between Mustafa and the murderers stemmed from concrete threats that failure to cooperate would lead to him and other members of his family being killed, Haddad said. These threats precluded any possibility of complaining to the police or otherwise acting to prevent the attack on his sister, since “any attempt to change things would have brought his life to an end.”

All I can say about the lawyer is that he's clearly abetting his client's taqqiya, and is just as bad as he is. The four men who committed this repulsive crime should be locked away in isolation and the key thrown away.

AXEL ALONSO CLAIMS THE MUSLIM MS. MARVEL SERIES IS GREAT FOR CHILDREN

The UK Telegraph spoke with Marvel's EIC Alonso, who's proven himself as bad as his predecessor Joe Quesada, about the scrutiny they came under for the Spider-Woman cover by Milo Manara they're publishing, and the way their female take on Thor is drawn. Not surprisingly, he and the paper remain superficial about religion as seen in the Muslim Ms. Marvel series, which we'll get to in a moment. First:

The comic book world has long been dominated by male superheroes, from Superman and Spiderman to Captain Marvel and Iron Man. It’s only recently that mainstream companies like Marvel have started to create strong female characters, too. Think Ms Marvel, a young Muslim heroine, Black Widow, and the latest, a female Thor to replace the current male superhero.

Anyone who adheres to bad religions and belief systems can't be very strong as a thinker, that's for sure. Again, if they'd just emphasized her being Pakistani without focusing on religion, it could've worked better. But this is the new PC Marvel, and they'd rather focus on what they think is logical.

Marvel’s decision to allow a female superhero to wield Thor’s famous hammer has gone down well with fan girls all over the world. The fact that they're doing it without giving her an overtly feminine name (‘She-Thor’ or ‘Thorita’ were just two suggestions) is even more promising.

All of them from A to Z? I think that's a bit farfetched. How do they know several million women in the world solely demand a female replacement for Thor, and not a heroine who can stand on her own without being based so absurdly on the role of a guy whose name is quite masculine? It's silly to say keeping the masculine name hasn't gone by without criticism from any fangirl.

Axel Alonso, Marvel’s editor-in-chief, explains the idea came from the writer. But he says the Marvel team was equally enthused: “It wasn’t lost on us, of course, the power of a female Thor. The American comic book market has for decades been very much dominated by male writers and characters".

And it still is. Otherwise, they'd ask somebody like Louise Simonson to take up the task her great husband Walter worked on back in the mid-80s. But she'd probably want to work it all out with a path more faithful to past writing efforts that aren't so PC, and that's why today, they wouldn't hire her.

Alonso also explains that, although Marvel has no official policy, the company has been making an unspoken move towards diversity.

“Slowly we have made progress on that front," he adds. "We believe there’s an audience of women out there who are hungry for this and we want to make sure they get it. This is affirmative action. This is capitalism.”

Seriously, he, a leftist, supports capitalism? And I thought it was becoming a dirty word among some leftists, who prefer the term "free enterprise"! But is this really affirmative action? Not if they go out of their way to replace the male Thor in such a silly way, instead of taking the challenge of spotlighting Sif, his childhood sweetheart among the goddesses of Asgard.

Will The Real Islamophobes Please Stand Up?

There is much debate about the word "Islamophobe."

CAIR, and their enablers on the Left, are busy throwing the word around at every person who dares to criticize Islam, even when this criticism is directed at the most draconian of Sharia punishments such as death to gays and apostates.

Meanwhile, people on the Right get irritated by the word "Islamophobe", and make attempts to defend themselves against the use of the word, replying in some form of the following,

1) I don't dislike Muslims. I dislike the ideology of Orthodox Islam.

or

2) Islam is a Warrior ideology. It is reasonable to fear such a dangerous set of ideas.

or

3) I only dislike Extremist Muslims. I have no problem with "Moderate Muslims".

I think all of these statements are actually evading the truth of "Islamophobia."

Here's my perspective:

I am NOT an Islamophobe. I am not afraid of Islam, nor am I afraid of Muslims.

I accept the idea that war is a fact of life, and I accept the idea that Islam is War-like ideology which stipulates that non-Muslims are to be converted, killed, or subjugated under the Jizya.

I also accept that Islam teaches that gays and apostates ought to be killed. And I accept that Islam teaches that those who criticize Islam are to be put to death for "stirring up mischief in the land."

I accept that large swaths of the Islamic world believe in these ideas.

And yet, I am not afraid. I have multiple reasons for not being afraid. The reasons are really not the point of this essay. Some are spiritual. Some have to do with what I see as the mechanical realities of culture. Some are simply personal. But as I say, my lack of fear on this subject is not the point.

The point is, we who speak out against Islam are not the Islamophobes. We speak out because we choose NOT to live in fear of Islam. We are not afraid, and we demonstrate that we are not afraid by the very fact that we are willing to speak out.

So, who are the Islamophobes?

To answer the question, first we need to define Islam. Here's my definition:

• Islam is a religion based upon the life and teachings of Mohammed as put forth in the Koran and the Hadith. 
• Mohammed taught that Infidels are to be killed. 
• Mohammed taught that the People of the Book are to be given the option of living as second-class citizens, and if they do not agree, they are also to be killed. 
• Mohammed taught that gays and apostates are to be killed. 
• And Mohammed taught that all Jews will be murdered on the Day of Judgement, when the stones and trees themselves will say, "There is a Jew behind me. Come and kill him."

So that is Islam. Islam may be more than that, but the weight of the above tenets is so great that no good deed - short of Christ coming back - could make such a weight bearable.

The world is full of Muslims who do not adhere strictly to these tenets. Our society chooses to call such Muslims, "moderate." I choose to call them marginal Muslims. I call them marginal Muslims, because as is true of marginal Christians, or marginal Hindus, they do not adhere to the Orthodoxy of their own religion, whether through choice, or ignorance.

So now, to the question of who are the real Islamophobes.

The real Islamophobes are those who are afraid of real Islam; those who are afraid of what Islam is.

Now, look around you. Who is afraid of what Islam is? Who is afraid to deal with Islam as it manifests itself upon the earth?

ISIS is not afraid to deal with what Islam really is. They come right out and say what they believe, and they lay their lives on the line in the interest of acting according to their beliefs.

The real Islamophobes are those who are afraid to deal with Islam as it is. They are the ones who continually obfuscate and refuse to see what is as plain as the nose on their own faces.

Marginal Muslims who choose to remain Muslim even though they don't believe in the tenets of their own religion; they are afraid of Islam. They are Islamophobes. The reason they do not convert is because they know apostates are to be put to death under Islam. They have good reason to be Islamophobic, don't they?

Leftist apologists for Islam are also Islamophobic. When a Leftist, who has not studied Islam, presumes to lecture the public on Islam, all the while contradicting the primary schools of Islamic Jurisprudence, the teachings of major Imams, the actions of ISIS, and the words of the Koran itself, well, then, those people betray their Islamophobia by refusing to acknowledge Islam for what it is.

They refuse to admit what Islam is because they are afraid of what Islam is.

They are Islamophobes.

And who else is afraid of Islam? Who are the other Islamophobes?

CAIR is afraid of Islam. The last thing CAIR wants you to know is what Islam is really about. The entire purpose of CAIR, and most other Islamic "rights" groups, is to obfuscate about the truth of Islam, so that the Infidels will not catch on.

CAIR is afraid that we Infidels will come to know the truth about Islam before the True Islam has gathered enough power for Islam to do to us what ISIS is currently doing to the Iraqis.

CAIR is afraid of Islam, so CAIR refuses to admit the truth of Islam.

CAIR is Islamophobic.

So we see those who accept things for what they are, and choose to oppose them anyway, those people are not Islamophobes.

The Islamophobes are afraid to admit the reality of the Elephant in the Room. They are afraid to put words to the facts before their very eyes. They believe any word spoken, acknowledging the truth of Islam, only gives Islam more power.

They are the true Islamophobes.

TURKEY WANTS A BACKSTAGE ROLE IN NATO

Turkey, already a facilitator of Islamofascism, is seeking to meddle in NATO affairs:

Turkey is the big Muslim power that sits atop raging conflicts in Iraq and Syria, so it might be expected to take a leading role in the NATO coalition announced this month to take on the Islamic State group.

Instead it has told allies that it will stay quietly behind the scenes, keeping its soldiers out of combat operations and even declining to allow NATO to use its bases or territories to launch air attacks.

The reticence has roots in two dilemmas: the Islamic State group holds dozens of Turkish hostages, including diplomats, and Turkey is wary of boosting its rebellious Kurdish minority in the battle against Islamic State group enemies in Iraq.

Turkey's position is complicated by its eagerness to uproot the Syrian regime of Bashar Assad, which led to tolerance of anti-Assad Islamist fighters taking refuge on its side of the Syrian border — and may have given the Islamic State group some breathing room in Turkey. More recently, it has been forced to confront the threat that the group posed.

Only to its own regime, not Syria's. We shouldn't be surprised if Turkey would want to take over Syria! Indeed, that's a vision doubtlessly shared by opposing Muslim factions, to take over the other's territory.

The only reason why Turkey is getting involved here is obviously because of the hostages taken from their side. It has nothing to do with any British or American hostages who've been taken by ISIS. Regardless of that, Turkey shouldn't be trusted to be of any help to NATO, and their involvement here could be very dangerous.

UNFREAKIN'BELIEVABLE: "NY Democrats seek citizen rights for illegal immigrants"

NYPOST:

Illegal aliens in New York could score billions in Medicaid and college-tuition money — along with driver’s licenses, voting rights and even the ability to run for office — if Democrats win control of the state Senate in November, the Post has learned. 

A little-known bill, dubbed “New York is Home,” would offer the most sweeping amnesty available anywhere in the country to nearly 3 million noncitizens living in the Empire State. 

It would bar police from releasing any information about them to the feds, unless it involves a criminal warrant unrelated to their immigration status. 

Under the proposed legislation, undocumented immigrants could also apply for professional licenses and serve on juries. 

The plan hinges on Democrats — who now control both the governorship and the state Assembly — wresting control of the Senate from Republicans, who oppose immigration amnesty. 

Bronx Sen. Gustavo Rivera, who is sponsoring the legislation in the upper chamber, said he thinks the bill would be in position to be passed “if we have a stable Democratic majority in the Senate.” 

He also likened his measure to the campaigns to legalize same-sex marriage and medical marijuana. 

“It’s something I believe in,” Rivera said Sunday night. “It’s something the state can do and should do. 

Democratic Brooklyn Assemblyman Karim Camara, the chief Assembly sponsor, agreed that taking the Senate was key, saying “The bill would have a better shot at passing with a Democratic Senate.” 

“I look forward [to] having a robust conversation about how significant this bill is.”But the GOP plans on using the proposal to warn voters how radical New York would become if Democrats take charge. 

Republicans are already referring to it as the “illegal immigrants benefits legislation” and will make the bill their poster child in elections in more conservative upstate and suburban districts. 

“This bill could pass if the Democrats are in charge of the Senate. They’re out of their minds,” said Sen. Marty Golden (R-Brooklyn). 

“This is astounding. This undermines our nation’s immigration laws and procedures.” 

Said state Conservative Party chairman Mike Long: “This is absolutely amnesty. It disregards the laws of the United States. It’s unconscionable,” Long added.

UNCONSCIONABLE.

UN-PATRIOTIC.

ILLEGAL.

THE DEMOCRAT PARTY ISN'T A POLITICAL MACHINE ANYMORE; IT'S A CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE.

THE DEMOCRAT POLICY ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IS AIMED AT ONE THING: PERPETUATING THEIR HOLD ON POWER SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO LOOT THE PUBLIC TREASURY AND HAND-OUT BENEFITS TO THEIR MACHINE.

IF WE HAD AN INDEPENDENT AND FEARLESS DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, THEN THEY WOULD INDICT THE DEMOCRAT PARTY AS A CRIMINAL RACKET AND BUST THEM USING RICO STATUTES.

IF A LAW LIKE THIS PASSES, THEN WE CAN KISS THE USA GOOD-BYE AND SAY HELLO TO ANOTHER USSR.

WE CAN PUT A HALT TO THIS IN NOVEMBER.

IN FACT, IT'S NOVEMBER OR NEVER.

FEDERAL RESERVE SURVEY SHOWS OBAMA'S POLICIES ARE WRECKING THE MIDDLE CLASS AND DESTROYING THE AMERICAN DREAM

NYTIMES:

YOUNG families are better educated than ever before, but they are earning lower real incomes. 

The Federal Reserve Board’s newly released 2013 Survey of Consumer Finances indicates that the median family headed by someone under 35 years of age earned $35,509 in 2013 dollars. Adjusted for inflation, that is 6 percent less than similar families reported in the first such survey, in 1989. 

... The largest declines have come since the 2007 survey — the last one in which participants discussed their income in a year before the Great Recession began. 

The following survey covered income earned during the recession, and it was not easy to know how much of the falloff was a cyclical phenomenon that would disappear when the economy recovered. 

But the newest survey covered income in 2012, three years after the recession ended, and shows that most of the lost ground has not been recovered. 

In fact, the real median income for all of the age groups except those in the 35-to-44 group declined from 2010 to 2013.

REPEAT: MOST OF THE DECLINE HS OCCURRED AFTER THE RECESSION AND ONLY SINCE OBAMA'S POLICIES HAVE TAKEN HOLD.

IN OTHER WORDS: OBAMA'S POLICIES ARE WRECKING THE MIDDLE CLASS AND DESTROYING THE AMERICAN DREAM.

WE CAN STOP THE DECLINE IN NOVEMBER.

IN FACT; IT'S NOVEMBER OR NEVER.

WHAT DESERTION TELLS US ABOUT APOSTASY

DESERTION FROM THE ARMED FORCES HAS LONG BEEN A CRIME PUNISHABLE BY DEATH.

ESPECIALLY IN A TIME OF WAR.

IN ISLAM, APOSTASY IS PUNISHABLE BY DEATH.

APOSTASY MIGHT BE DEFINED AS DESERTING ONE'S FAITH.

ISLAM IS THE ONLY RELIGION THAT HAS THIS AS A BASIC TENET AND COMMON PRACTICE.

SINCE THE HOLOCAUST, SOME JEWS CONSIDER RELATIVES WHO MARRY OUTSIDE THEIR FAITH TO BE "DEAD" - IN A FIGURATIVE SENSE AND THEY SHUN THEM, BUT THEY DO NOT LITERALLY KILL THEM.

IS ISLAM, THESE "DESERTERS" ARE KILLED - OFTEN BY FAMILY MEMBERS WHO DO SO TO REGAIN THEIR "ISLAMIC HONOR".

I THINK THIS REVEALS HOW ISLAM IS MORE LIKE A MARTIAL CREED THAN A RELIGION.

AFTER ALL, IF FAITH IS AN ACT OF CONSCIENCE, THEN HOW CAN ANYONE BE COERCED TO BECOME A MEMBER OR REMAIN A MEMBER OF A CERTAIN FAITH OR CERTAIN SECT?

MUSLIMS WHO ARE CONVERTED UNDER THREAT OF VIOLENCE OR DEATH ARE MORE LIKE UNWILLING CONSCRIPTS INTO AN ISLAMIC ARMY THAN CONVERTS TO A "RELIGION OF PEACE".

A "RELIGION OF PEACE" CANNOT BE ONE WHICH THREATENS DEATH TO ANYONE WHO WISHES TO LEAVE THAT RELIGION; NOR CAN A "RELIGION OF PEACE" BE ONE WHICH USES VIOLENCE AND THE THREAT OF VIOLENCE TO GAIN ADHERENTS.

SUCH AN ORGANIZATION IS A MARTIAL ONE, NOT A RELIGIOUS ONE.

IT IS A GANG OR ARMY, NOT A RELIGION.

IT SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH.

WE DON'T DO SO AT OUR PERIL.

WE NEED MACRO-ECONOMIC GROWTH, NOT REDISTRIBUTION

FIRST A CLIP FROM BARTIROMO'S SHOW: WARSH SAYS WE NEED PRIVATE BUSINESS INVESTMENT TO PICK UP SUBSTANTIALLY BEFORE WE CAN GROW.

NOW, MY COMMENTARY:

THE FEDERAL RESERVE IS NOT THE ONLY PLAYER IN TOWN.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND THE EU AND CHINA AND PUTIN AND YES ISIS ALSO  GET THEIR SAY.

IOW: DISPARATE POLITICAL NEEDS AND GOALS ALSO HAVE THEIR SAY.

BECAUSE THE FED GETTING READY TO WITHDRAW SUPPORT, AND THE ECB IS GETTING READY TO START THEIR OWN QE PROGRAM, (BECAUSE THE EU IS SLIPPING INTO RECESSION), THERE WILL BE MASSIVE REDEPLOYMENT OF ASSETS GLOBALLY.

THIS IS COMPLICATED BY THE FACT THAT BECAUSE OF QE1-2-3, THERE IS ALREADY A MASSIVE ASSET BUBBLE.

SO INVESTMENTS ARE GOING TO FIND IT VERY HARD TO REDEPLOY.

PRIVATE BUSINESSES WILL NOT SURGE THEIR INVESTMENTS.

BECAUSE STOCK ARE ALREADY SO HIGH, BIG ASSET MANAGERS WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO MAKE BIG BETS ON TO IPO'S LIKE ALIBABA - FURTHER INFLATING THE BUBBLE.

AS LONG AS CONSUMER'S INCOME AND AND CONSUMER SPENDING REMAINS FLAT AT BEST, THIS BUBBLE GROWS MORE PROBLEMATIC.

I SEE ONE WAY OUT:

A TWO PART PROGRAM THAT WILL INSTANTLY RAISE INCOMES AND REDUCE COSTS/PRICES - THEREBY IMMEDIATELY STIMULATING ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR ALL:

1 - A MORATORIUM ON ENERGY TAXES AND A ROLLBACK OF ENERGY AND EPA REGULATIONS AND AN OPENING UP OF ALL OIL/GAS EXPLORATION ON FEDERAL LANDS. 

2 - A ONE YEAR MORATORIUM ON PAYROLL TAXES - THUS GIVING PEOPLE A 7% RAISE AND BUSINESSES 7% MORE TO INVEST.

THESE TWO MOVES WOULD INSTANTLY INCREASE SPENDING AND GROW THE ECONOMY - AND DIRECTLY STIMULATE THE BUSINESSES WHICH BEST SATISFY CONSUMER NEEDS.

REDISTRIBUTION OF SLICES OF A SHRINKING PIE IS A TEMPORARY FIX AT BEST; IT DOESN'T REALLY HELP ANYONE IN THE LONG RUN.

WE REALLY NEED TO GROW THE PIE.

EVERYONE WINS WHEN WE GROW THE ECONOMY - EVERYONE THAT IS EXCEPT THAT STATISTS AND THEIR CRONIES.

A PLAN AS SIMPLE AND AS RADICAL AS MINE - AND ANY AND ALL OTHER REAL STIMULUS PLANS -  WOULD REQUIRE A WHITE HOUSE AND A CONGRESS UNDER CONTROL OF THE RIGHT.

THIS CAN'T POSSIBLY HAPPEN UNTIL 2017.

I HOPE WE CAN LAST THAT LONG.

THIS NOVEMBER WE CAN TAKE A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

IN FACT, IT'S NOVEMBER OR NEVER.

FWENCH MARATHON: WINE, CHEESE AND MEN IN DRESSES

MORE PROOF THAT FWENCH CULTURE IS IN PERMANENT DECLINE:

BBC: France: Medoc marathon 'offers wine instead of water'

An annual race in France, which calls itself the world's longest marathon, is attempting to ease runners' pain by offering them gourmet food and wine on the way to the finish line. Le Marathon du Medoc - which takes place around Pauillac near Bordeaux on 13 September - sees runners dress up in Carnival-themed outfits to run the 26-mile (42.2km) circuit. Along the way they can tuck into a banquet of French delicacies from oysters to ice cream, washed down with glasses of fine wine. Participants get a rather generous six-and-a-half hours to complete the race, allowing time for pit stops at various chateaux lining the route. The hardest part for the runners, the Zapaday website suggests, may be to stay on a straight path. "Above all, I'm going to take advantage of the festivities," runner 44-year-old Bernard tells regional paper La Depeche du Midi.