Memorial Day Tradition Celebrates Third Year

For the third consecutive year, I’ve chosen the days leading up to Memorial Day as appropriate for honoring all of those who paid the ultimate price in service to their country by publishing war stories written by my father, Ted, who served as a low-ranking enlisted man in the U.S. Army during World War II and returned home wounded, but alive.

The stories first appeared in my father’s self-published 1992 autobiography, “Some Events in One Life: Mine!“ Not published for any commercial gain, he printed up a dozen or so copies of that book as a means to provide his six children — including yours truly — and their heirs a personal look at his participation in one of history’s most-harrowing events, World War II.

Links to each of those installments, 12 in all, can be found here.

THE ISRAELI-ARAB CONFLICT IS FAR FROM THE DEADLIEST ON EARTH - IT SHOULDN'T BE THE WORLD'S CENTRAL FOCUS

S. KING/IRISH EXAMINER, (EXCERPT):

The well-respected International Crisis Group is currently tracking 70 conflicts around the world, from Afghanistan and Algeria to Yemen and Zimbabwe.

Yes, 70: we live in a dangerous world.

Some of these are very familiar to us: Northern Ireland, Iraq, the Basque country, North Korea and, of course, Israel and the Palestinian territories. Others are not nightly news: Kashmir, Burma, Eritrea and so on.

And then there are the conflicts we have forgotten about, or never really heard about too much because they are far away or poor, or both: Armenia versus Azerbaijan, Mindanao in the Philippines, Morocco/western Sahara and Aceh.

Some of the 70 hotspots are especially deadly.

Millions of black Africans have died in Congo in the past decade, well below most people’s radar.

Sri Lanka has had a bit of a focus in recent weeks – though hardly the minute-by-minute wraparound coverage Gaza had in January. How many of us were really aware of the fact that more than 80,000 people have died in a quarter of a century of civil war?

Try this. Google "Tamil Tigers" and you will receive 2.3 million results.

Google "Hamas" and you get 10 times as many – and Hamas hasn’t been around nearly as long.

It’s the same if you Google "Tamils" and "Palestinians".

Is the difference that the Tigers might have killed Rajiv Gandhi but, unlike the Palestinians, have rarely brought their murderous tactics to Europe directly? The Sri Lankan conflict, at least in its military phase, looks as though it is coming to an end. The work of peace-building will last for years to come.

The same could be said about Chechnya. The Russians have just announced the end of their "counter-terrorism" operation. There are no solid figures for the number of civilians killed since the second war began there in late 1999, but estimates range anywhere between 25,000 and 200,000.

Put that in context.

Israel might be geographically small – smaller than Munster – but in population terms Chechnya is absolutely tiny. A region with a little more than one million inhabitants has seen anything up to one-fifth of its civilian population killed in two decades of war. And one school siege aside, we have largely looked the other way.

By comparison, 6,000 Palestinians – armed and civilian together – out of a Palestinian population in the territories three to four times that of Chechnya have died since the second intifada of 2001.

It goes without saying that any civilian death is a tragedy – and, very often, an outrage – but search for Chechnya on the DFA website and you only receive one-tenth of the number of hits that you do for Israel.

No-one believes the DFA is somehow in league with the Russians and supports their quasi-colonial war against Chechnya, but it does go to show some perspective has been lost somewhere along the line.

I SAY THAT PERSPECTIVE HAS BEEN LOST BECAUSE OF ANTISEMITISM:

• WHEN YOU HOLD JEWS TO DIFFERENT STANDARDS THAN NON-JEWS THAT'S THE ONLY EXPLANATION.

• THE UN IS A CESSPOOL OF ANTISEMITISM - AND SO ARE THE FOREIGN MINISTRIES OF MOST OF EUROPE'S NATIONS AND THE EU.

• THE BEST WAY TO DRAIN THESE "SWAMPS" IS TO ABOLISH THE UN AND TOSS THE SOCIALISTS OUT OF POWER IN EUROPE. (YES: THE LEFT IS THE HOME OF ANTISEMITISM.)

RTWT. VIA ROP.

ALGERIAN MILITARY KILLS 5 AL QAEDA JIHADISTS

IOL: Algerian military kills five militants

May 18 2009 at 07:47PM

By Alfred de Montesquiou

Algiers, Algeria - The Algerian military killed five militants with suspected al-Qaida links in a fierce gunbattle east of the capital Algiers, authorities said Monday.

The shootout came after a recent spate of bomb attacks that killed a civilian and injured a half-dozen people.

• AL QAEDA IS NOT IN ALGERIA BECAUSE OF ZIONISM OR THE GOP OR CHENEY OR BUSH OR HALLIBURTON OR AGW OR NCLB.

• GLOBAL JIHAD IS NOT A REACTION TO THE WEST, OR THE USA, OR ISRAEL - OR TP CAPITALISM OR GLOBALISM OR POVERTY.

• GLOBAL JIHADISTS IN ALGERIA - LIKE THOSE IN THE PHILIPPINES, THAILAND, PAKISTAN, AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ, JORDAN, EGYPT, THE SUDAN, SOMALIA, KENYA, NIGERIA, MOROCCO, AND ALGERIA - ARE IDEOLOGICALLY DRIVEN AND PROACTIVE.

• PRESSURING ISRAEL TO STOP SETTLEMENTS WON'T STOP GLOBAL JIHAD. NOR WILL A PREMATURE WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ.

• THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO STOP THEM: ERADICATE THEM - ANNIHILATE THEM, ERASE AND THEIR HIDEOUS IDEOLOGY FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH.
  
  
  
  

ANY WAY WE CAN.

MORE PROOF SOCIALIZED HEALTHCARE SUCKS: IN IRELAND, 1500 WAIT FOR SURGERY FOR OVER A YEAR

IRISH TIMES:

More than 1,500 patients across the State were waiting over 12 months for surgery at the end of last year, according to a newly published report.

The latest annual report from the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) points out that while this is a reduction on the numbers who were waiting at the end of 2007 it is "unacceptable" that patients are still waiting over a year for treatment at a small number of hospitals.

Pat O'Byrne, chief executive of the NTPF, named three hospitals in particular with the longest waiters as Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, Dublin; Temple Street Children's Hospital in Dublin and Limerick Regional Hospital. These hospitals accounted for 42 per cent of the patients waiting over 12 months for treatment, he said.

Meanwhile he pointed out that the NTPF, which was set up in 2002 to arrange private care for public patients waiting more than three months for treatment, has now arranged treatment for more than 150,000 patients.

PUBLIC CARE SUCKS - AND THE SOLUTION IS MORE PRIVATE CARE.

YET OBAMA WANTS TO EMULATE THE NATIONALIZED SYSTEMS OVER THERE.

DON'T BE DUPED.

DISSENT ACCORDINGLY.

IN TEN YEARS, UNDER PRO-NHS LABOUR RULE, NHS DEATHS DUE TO BAD DRUGS HAVE DOUBLED

DM:

The number of patients killed by drugs handed out by the Health Service has more than doubled during Labour's time in power, official figures show.

There were 1,299 deaths caused by adverse reactions last year - up from 520 in 1998, and up by more than a quarter on the figure of 1,030 recorded the year before.

The figures show that in 2008 a total of 25,424 reports of adverse reactions were made - up by 17 per cent in one year and by 41 per cent in a decade.

Of these patients, 4,487 had to stay in hospital for several days due to side effects from medication - around the same as last year but up by more than 50 per cent on 1998.

The figures, received by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, mainly relate to prescription drugs but also cover adverse reactions to over-the-counter and herbal medicines.

Experts blamed failures in the training of hospital doctors and Labour's decision to hand greater prescribing powers to nurses.

THIS IS WHAT OBAMA WANTS TO DO TO YOUR HEALTHCARE.

DON'T BE A DUPE.

DISSENT ACORDINGLY.

UH-OH: PANETTA: "WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THE PAK NUKES ARE"

OY VAY:

CIA Director Leon Panetta said Monday the United States does not know the location of all of Pakistan's nuclear weapons but is confident the country has them secure.

Panetta spoke days after the top U.S. military officer told Congress there is evidence Pakistan is adding to its nuclear weapons systems and warheads. Pakistan, however, denies it.

The CIA director was asked about Pakistan's nuclear program at a forum organized by the Pacific Council on International Policy.

''We don't have, frankly, the intelligence to know where they all are located,'' Panetta said, adding the U.S. is confident the Pakistani government has a ''pretty secure approach to try to protect these weapons.''

"PRETTY SECURE"!?!?!?!?!?

THIS SUCKS BIGTIME.

I THINK INDIA OUGHT TO DO THE WORLD A FAVOR AND TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM FOR US.

SANFORD DEFENDS LIBERTY AND LIBERTARIANISM

BACKGROUNDER ON THE GIV. MARK SANFORD VERSUS SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM HERE.

MORE ON LIBERTY AND HOW IT CREATES PROSPERITY HERE.




AND WHERE PEOPLE ARE ECONOMICALLY AND AND HAVE A FREE PRESS (ABOVE), THEY ARE ALSO FREE TO CREATE PROSPERITY (BELOW).



BOTTOM-LINE: GOVERNMENT POLICIES WHICH LIMIT INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM ARE NOT ONLY IMMORAL, THEY LIMIT PROSPERITY.

AS WE HAVE SAID ON OUR SIDEBAR FOR FIVE YEARS: "PROSPERITY IS A BY-PRODUCT OF LIBERTY".

RECESSION HIT WHITE MEN THE HARDEST: WHAT WILL THE LIBS SAY:

FACTS HERE.

THIS RUNS COUNTER TO THE LIB ORTHODOXY.

MAYBE WHITE MEN SHOLUD BE GETTING SOME OF THAT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION CRAP!?

UPDATE: WE POSTED THIS 2 HOURS BEFORE INSTAPUNDIT.

PHOTOS OF A REST-STOP ON THE ROAD TO SERFDOM: BINGE DRINKERS IN BRITAIN

WHAT A FEW DECADES OF SOCIALISM AND POSTMODERN NIHILISM GETS YOU.

WELL... THAT PLUS ISLAMIZATION...

SPEEDING DOWN THE ROAD TO SERFDOM: OBAMA TO MODEL NATIONAL EMISSIONS & MPG RULES AFTER CALIFORNIA

NYTIMES: The Obama administration will issue a new national standard for cars and light trucks that incorporates California’s tough auto-emission rules, industry officials said Monday.

President Obama will announce as early as Tuesday that he will combine that state’s emissions rules with the existing corporate average fuel economy standard overseen by the Transportation Department, the officials said. As a result, cars and light trucks sold in the United States will be roughly 30 percent cleaner and more fuel-efficient by 2016.

The White House would not divulge details, but environmental advocates and industry officials briefed on the program said that the president would grant California’s longstanding request to implement its tailpipe standards. Thirteen other states and the District of Columbia have said they intend to apply the same rules. That request had been denied by the Bush administration but has been under review by top Obama administration officials since January.

Yet Mr. Obama is planning to go further, effectively issuing a single rule for both fuel economy and emissions that matches California’s strictest-in-the-nation standard.

USING CALIFORNIA AS A MODEL FOR ANYTHING BESIDES LEFT-WING OVER-REGULATION AND BANKRUPTCY IS INSANE.

BUT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT OBAMA HAS IN MIND.

DISSENT ACCORDINGLY.

TURKISH COURT RULES ISLAMIST PRESIDENT MUST STAND TRIAL FOR FRAUD

REUTERS/NYTIMES:

A Turkish court ruled on Monday that President Abdullah Gul should stand trial for a fraud case a decade ago, a move that could fuel further animosity between the Islamist-rooted government and the secularist establishment.

As president, Gul enjoys immunity. But the pursuance of an old case involving millions of dollars of missing party funds could heighten tension in the European Union candidate country.

Turkey's ruling AK Party has long been at loggerheads with the secularist establishment, including army generals, judges and academics.

The decision by an Ankara heavy penalty court, that ran counter to a no-trial recommendation by a prosecutor, came as a surprise and traders said the news briefly reversed a buying trend in the Turkish market, fuelling sales in Turkish bonds.

"It is the rule in the Turkish Republic's constitution and laws that everyone should stand trial," the court ruled.

Gul's office rejected the court's ruling, saying that the constitution allowed the president to be put on trial only for treason.

A court of appeals now will have the final say.

• ANY WAY THE SECULARIST CAN GET RID OF THE AKP IS ALRIGHT WITH ME.
• ANY WAY.
• I HOPE THIS MOVE HELPS.

BIBI CHALLENGES OBAMA: "PULL MY FINGER!"

OBAMA BREAKS GOLDEN RULE: OBAMA ASKS OF OTHERS WHAT HE FAILED TO OFFER HIMSELF

OBAMA :

The question, then -- the question then is how do we work through these conflicts? Is it possible for us to join hands in common effort?

As citizens of a vibrant and varied democracy, how do we engage in vigorous debate? How does each of us remain firm in our principles, and fight for what we consider right, without, as Father John said, demonizing those with just as strongly held convictions on the other side?

And of course, nowhere do these questions come up more powerfully than on the issue of abortion.

As I considered the controversy surrounding my visit here, I was reminded of an encounter I had during my Senate campaign, one that I describe in a book I wrote called "The Audacity of Hope." A few days after I won the Democratic nomination, I received an e-mail from a doctor who told me that while he voted for me in the Illinois primary, he had a serious concern that might prevent him from voting for me in the general election. He described himself as a Christian who was strongly pro-life -- but that was not what was preventing him potentially from voting for me.

What bothered the doctor was an entry that my campaign staff had posted on my Web site -- an entry that said I would fight "right-wing ideologues who want to take away a woman's right to choose." The doctor said he had assumed I was a reasonable person, he supported my policy initiatives to help the poor and to lift up our educational system, but that if I truly believed that every pro-life individual was simply an ideologue who wanted to inflict suffering on women, then I was not very reasonable. He wrote, "I do not ask at this point that you oppose abortion, only that you speak about this issue in fair-minded words." Fair-minded words.

After I read the doctor's letter, I wrote back to him and I thanked him. And I didn't change my underlying position, but I did tell my staff to change the words on my Web site. And I said a prayer that night that I might extend the same presumption of good faith to others that the doctor had extended to me. Because when we do that -- when we open up our hearts and our minds to those who may not think precisely like we do or believe precisely what we believe -- that's when we discover at least the possibility of common ground.

That's when we begin to say, "Maybe we won't agree on abortion, but we can still agree that this heart-wrenching decision for any woman is not made casually, it has both moral and spiritual dimensions."

So let us work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions, let's reduce unintended pregnancies. Let's make adoption more available. Let's provide care and support for women who do carry their children to term. Let's honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion, and draft a sensible conscience clause, and make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded not only in sound science, but also in clear ethics, as well as respect for the equality of women." Those are things we can do.

Now, understand -- understand, Class of 2009, I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away. Because no matter how much we may want to fudge it -- indeed, while we know that the views of most Americans on the subject are complex and even contradictory -- the fact is that at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable. Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction. But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature.

Open hearts. Open minds. Fair-minded words. It's a way of life that has always been the Notre Dame tradition.

... Remember, too, that the ultimate irony of faith is that it necessarily admits doubt. It's the belief in things not seen. It's beyond our capacity as human beings to know with certainty what God has planned for us or what He asks of us. And those of us who believe must trust that His wisdom is greater than our own.

And this doubt should not push us away our faith. But it should humble us. It should temper our passions, cause us to be wary of too much self-righteousness. It should compel us to remain open and curious and eager to continue the spiritual and moral debate that began for so many of you within the walls of Notre Dame. And within our vast democracy, this doubt should remind us even as we cling to our faith to persuade through reason, through an appeal whenever we can to universal rather than parochial principles, and most of all through an abiding example of good works and charity and kindness and service that moves hearts and minds.

For if there is one law that we can be most certain of, it is the law that binds people of all faiths and no faith together. It's no coincidence that it exists in Christianity and Judaism; in Islam and Hinduism; in Buddhism and humanism. It is, of course, the Golden Rule — the call to treat one another as we wish to be treated. The call to love. The call to serve. To do what we can to make a difference in the lives of those with whom we share the same brief moment on this Earth.

THAT'S SOME REAL FINE SOUNDING WORDS, BUT THEY REEK OF MENDACITY.

HERE'S SOME TRUTH:

• AS SOON AS OBAMA GOT IN OFFICE HE SIGNED EXECUTIVE ORDERS MAKING ABORTIONS EASIER TO GET, FUNDING MORE OVERSEAS ABORTIONS OF IMPOVERISHED BLACKS, AND MAKING IT TOUGHER FOR DOCTORS HERE TO OPT OUT OF ABORTIONS FOR REASONS OF CONSCIENCE.

• HE DID ALL THIS WITHOUT ANY DIALOGUE OR ANY ATTEMPT AT COMPROMISE.

• NONE.

• PROVING HE'S A PHONY LYING SACK OF SHINOLA.

• FURTHERMORE, BY ASKING HIS OPPONENTS TO "DIALOGUE" AND BY OFFERING NONE HIMSELF, OBAMA HAS CLEARLY BROKEN THE GOLDEN RULE - HE HAS CLEARLY FAILED TO TREAT OTHERS AS HE IS IMPLORING OTHERS SHOULD TREAT HIM AND EACH OTHER.

THE HYPOCRISY IS POSITIVELY BREATH-TAKING.

IT'S AT LEAST ORWELLIAN, IF NOT . . . SATANIC.

I MEAN, HE'S TELLING A HUGE LIE ABOUT HOW HE'S HANDLED THE ABORTION ISSUE AS PRESIDENT - THE SINGLE MOST CONTROVERSIAL POINT OF THE NOTRE DAME VISIT - AND MOST PEOPLE ARE SO ENRAPTURED BY HIM THEY AREN'T EVEN CATCHING ON TO IT!

IT'S FREAKIN' SCARY!

BOTTOM-LINE: OBAMA IS A MENDACIOUS SVENGALI-LIKE MEGALOMANIAC WHO SHOULD HAVE EVER BEEN ENTRUSTED WITH THE HIGH OFFICE HE NOW HOLDS.

DISSENT ACCORDINGLY.

UPDATE: READ THIS FASCINATING POST ON THE ISSUE - IT INSPIRED THIS ONE!

SOME OUTRAGEOUS HYPERBOLIC NONSENSE ON AGW FROM OBAMA AT NOTRE DAME

OBAMA:

Your generation must decide how to save God's creation from a changing climate that threatens to destroy it.

WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP.

CLIMATE CHANGE IS NATURAL. ALWAYS HAS BEEN. FOR 4.5 BILLION YEARS.

AND EVEN IF IT WASN'T, IT DOESN'T THREATEN TO DESTROY THE EARTH.

NO SURPRISE HERE: THIS OUTRGAEOUS FEARMONGERING IS PAR FOR THE COURSE FROM THE LEFT.

Tanker Contract Must Be National Security Priority

Under the headline, U.S. Air Force’s tanker fleet showing its age, writer Molly McMillin of the The Wichita (Kan.) Eagle shared a story Sunday about the Air Force’s aging fleet of KC-135 air refueling tankers and the $35 billion contract battle between Boeing and Northrop Grumman that has immense national security implications.

At the same time as her article evoked memories from my days as a young Air Force public affairs officer, it also stirred grave concerns about the future of our nation’s defense capabilities.

I share those memories and concerns here.

ANTI-SEMITISM IN ARGENTINA

This is really sad. On the eve of Israel's 61st statehood anniversary:

BUENOS AIRES (JTA) -- A violent anti-Semitic demonstration erupted in downtown Buenos Aires during a public celebration of Israel's 61st anniversary.

On late Sunday afternoon, shortly after Jewish families and their non-Jewish neighbors began Independence Day celebrations at a “Buenos Aires Celebrates” event, a group of about 20 people came out of a subway depot with anti-Semitic banners and signs and fighting broke out.

According to the organizers, a number of Jews were beaten and required medical attention, the French news agency AFP reported.

“In the middle of the cultural festival, the group attacked with complete impunity," Aldo Donzis, the DAIA Jewish local political umbrella institution president, told JTA. "Five police officers who were standing in a corner took a long time before acting. Two people from the public were hurt as well as a policeman. Many of the aggressors ran away, but five of them were caught by the policemen and others from the public who chased them.”

DAIA officials said the group will take legal action against the five aggressors.

“It was really a very violent act,” said Donzis.

Are these parchance worshipers of Hugo Chavez? Nah, probably not; even today, this kind of monstrous demonstration of satan-worship is still tragically prevalent in South America. And I fear that authorities may have been at least half-ignorant here too.

WHAT IF REAGAN WAS POPE?

HERE'S HOW HE'D HANDLE OBAMA AT NOTRE DAME:




IN A WAY, OBAMA WILL BE SPEAKING THROUGH A MICROPHONE THAT THE POPE PAID FOR.

THE POPE HAS A DUTY TO SPEAK OUT.

THE POPE IS BEING DERELICT IN HIS DUTY.

THE LEFT'S INVERTED MORALITY - or the bass-ackwardness of the left

NEARLY EVERY SINGLE CLOSELY HELD BELIEF OF THE LEFT IS WRONG AND UPSIDE DOWN:

• GLOBAL THREATS: AGW = GRAVE THREAT; GLOBAL JIHAD = "NO THREAT"

• WARFARE: WAR ON DRUGS AND JIHADISTS = BAD; WAR ON CORPORATIONS = GOOD!

• TAXES:BILLIONS IN TAX CUTS FOR SOLAR AND WIND AND ACORN AND SOON MAYBE NEWSPAPERS = GOOD; BILLIONS IN TAX CUTS FOR TAX-PAYERS = BAD!

• FOREIGN POLICY ACCOMMODATIONS: CUBA, IRAN, HAMAS = SURE, WHY NOT! ISRAEL, COLOMBIA - NAH, THAT WOULD BE UNFAIR!

• JUSTICE: JUDGES WHO DECIDE CASES BASED ON EMPATHY & HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THE PARTIES IN THE CASES = GOOD! JUDGES WHO DECIDE CASES BASED ON LAW = BAD!

Another great compare & contrast - one which inspired this post - here at Gateway.

THE LEFT - AND OBAMA - ARE WRONG, FACTUALLY AND MORALLY, ON EVERY SINGLE POLICY ISSUE OF IMPORT.

THIS IS WHY WE MUST DEFEAT THE LEFT!

Arab Analysis of Nasrallah Election Speech

Nasrallah: The 2 Camps Address

17/05/2009

By Tariq Alhomayed

The speech delivered by the Hezbollah chief is very similar to a speech given by Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden [following the 9/11 attacks] in which he divided the world into two camps [the faithful and the infidels].

Bin Nasrallah similarly divided Lebanon into two camps; one camp comprised of his own party, and the other comprised of everybody else who stands against his [political] schemes.

[In his speech] Bin Nasrallah recalled what he described as the "stupidity" of 5th of May [when the Lebanese government attempted to dismantle the Hezbollah communicated network].

Bin Nasrallah threatened them [the second camp] with a day similar to 7 May when Beirut was occupied [by Hezbollah in response to the government's actions].

Nasrallah described this day as a "glorious day of the resistance" however this is the same day that the Sunni population of Beirut were badly mistreated [by Hezbollah]. Indeed Nasrallah did not stop at this, but attempted to justify the 7 May coup by saying that the [governmental] Ministers were planning a sectarian war in Beirut, and that on 5 May there was increased communication [between the government] and Saudi Arabia and Egypt to implement this; however this plan was prevented by Hezbollah mobilizing and moving on Beirut.

The meaning behind Bin Nasrallah's words is that Sunni states, specifically Saudi Arabia and Egypt, have designs against the Shiite population of Lebanon, and therefore Bin Nasrallah is acting as their protector, despite his attempts in this crude speech to appear non-sectarian. Indeed it is enough that he described 7 May as a glorious day.

Bin Nasrallah's speech – in which he announced the forthcoming proclamation of a Lebanese Hezbollah state – is also very similar to a speech given last Tuesday in Iran by [Grand Ayatollah] Ali Khamenei; however Bin Nasrallah's speech was given in his own format and direction.

It seems that Khamenei's speech will be the watchword of the coming period in our region. In the city of Sanandaj – the capital of the Iranian province of Kurdistan – Khamenei said that the Salafists and Wahabis are mercenaries, possessors of an errant ideology, and agent's of the enemies of the Muslim Ummah [international community], seeking to divide it.

Without a doubt, Bin Nasrallah built upon Khamenei's words when he said that the Lebanese ministers – in communication with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, France and the US – were planning to ignite a sectarian war.

This was an attempt to portray the two largest Arab countries as seeking to destabilize Lebanon by sponsoring and supporting one sect against the other.

In his speech Bin Nasrallah drew the line between two camps; a camp comprised of his own party, and a camp comprised of everybody else, who he has threatened with another day of "glorious resistance."

It is striking that the speech delivered by Bin Nasrallah is similar to an election victory speech, although it is far too early for this, unless Hezbollah is facing an [electoral] deadlock on the ground prior to these elections and is therefore attempting to unmask its sectarian side.

Bin Nasrallah spoke with clear arrogance, especially when he said that he had the ability to govern a hundred countries like Lebanon, referring to the party's unique ability to rule.

Here the question must be asked: Will Bin Nasrallah – who possesses a large ego and disdain for his opponents which is clear from his threatening language – be able to accept defeat in the forthcoming Lebanese elections?

I do not think so! The question then is; with the presence of a man who possesses such egotism, ideology, and principles, what future awaits Lebanon?

• Tariq Alhomayed is the Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat, the youngest person to be appointed that position. Mr. Alhomayed has an acclaimed and distinguished career as a Journalist and has held many key positions in the field including; Assistant Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat, Managing Editor of Asharq Al-Awsat in Saudi Arabia, Head of Asharq Al-Awsat Newspaper's Bureau-Jeddah, Correspondent for Al - Madina Newspaper in Washington D.C. from 1998 to Aug 2000. Mr. Alhomyed has been a guest analyst and commentator on numerous news and current affair programs including: the BBC, German TV, Al Arabiya, Al- Hurra, LBC and the acclaimed Imad Live’s four-part series on terrorism and reformation in Saudi Arabia.
  

• He is also the first Journalist to conduct an interview with Osama Bin Ladin's Mother. Mr. Alhomayed holds a BA degree in Media studies from King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, and has also completed his Introductory courses towards a Master’s degree from George Washington University in Washington D.C. He is based in London.

Iran and their jihadist stooges are a threat to all democracies.

The should not be on any ballots anywhere.

They should be annihilated.

WHY THE GOP MUSTN'T NOMINATE A CENTRIST OR SO-CALLED "MODERATE"

IT NOT JUST ABOUT WHAT'S RIGHT; IT'S ABOUT WINNING.

When the GOP moves to the left, it lets the Democrat party move to the Left. And this moves the APPARENT center to the left, too.

But the electorate is not left-of-center; it is right-of-center.

(Obama won the general election because he hoodwinked many independent voters into thinking he was a centrist - AND HE OUTSPENT MCCAIN 8-TO-1 DURING A RECESSION!).)

If the GOP had nominated a more conservative person - instead of McCain, then the contrast between the two candidates would have been sharper and the choice clearer.

(In the last election, both candidates said they'd close Gitmo, sign carbon tax schemes, be softer on illegal immigration, waste billions on bailouts, and so on.)

This kept a few million conservative GOP voters home.

(Some turned out and voted for McCain - while holding their noses) becausew of Palin.)

The Dems turned out their leftist base and then some (because of the MSM, the recession and the $$$).

BUT REMEMBER THIS: The USA is now a nation whose majority believes in the Right to Life.

Running against that conservative core - and as a "slightly more to the right" version of the Democrat party will not bring the GOP victory.

NOT EVER.

Reagan was to the right of McCain - and he got the GOp its biggest victories ever.

Let than be a lesson for us.

20,000 SECULARISTS PROTEST AKP'S ISMLAMISM IN TURKEY

REUTERS/NYTIMES:

Thousands of anti-government protesters marched in Turkey's capital on Sunday, calling on Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan to resign for what they say are violations of the country's secular principles.

About 20,000 people waving red-and-white Turkish flags and carrying banners reading "Secular Turkey will stay secular" walked from the central square of Tandogan to the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the modern Turkish Republic.

Erdogan's opponents have said he wants to make Turkey more overtly Islamic through incremental steps, like failed attempts to end a ban on the Islamic-style headscarf at universities.

The ruling AK Party narrowly escaped a ban last year on charges it was undermining Turkey's secular constitution.

INCREMENTALISM... SOUND FAMILIAR!?

IT SHOULD: THE LEFT WANTS TO MAKE US SOCIALIST THE SAME WAY, ONE STEP AT A TIME.

• WHY DO THE LEFTISTS AND THE JIHADISTS CHOOSE INCREMENTALISM?

• SIMPLE: THE JIHADISTS AND THE LEFTISTS CAN'T RUN AND WIN - OR GOVERN - HONESTLY BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE REJECT THEIR IDEOLOGIES.

• THAT'S WHY BOTH MUST ULTIMATELY AND INEVITABLY RESORT TO COERCION AND VIOLENCE, TOO.

• IN FACT, THE HISTORY OF BOTH JIHADISM AND SOCIALISM IS REPLETE WITH VIOLENCE: THEY ARE THE TWO MOST VIOLENT AND DEADLY IDEOLOGIES IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND.

• ISLAM HAS KILLED TWICE AS MANY AS SOCIALISM - BUT SOCIALISM DID MOST OF ITS GENOCIDE IN JUST ONE CENTURY.

SOCIALISM AND JIHADISM ARE THE TWIN HEADS OF MANKIND'S MOST EVIL INNER DEMONS.

WE MUST FIGHT THEM ACCORDINGLY.

OBAMA AT NOTRE DAME: PALIN SPEAKS OUT; POPE STILL SILENT

“My favorite grandpa, Clem James Sheeran, was Catholic. Irish to the core, his favorite place (other than church) was Notre Dame.

I can’t imagine what he would think as the university recognizes someone who contradicts the core values of the Catholic faith by promoting an anti-life agenda.

As we learned today, our nation is more pro-life than ever before; it is a very important time to strengthen the message that every baby is created for good purpose and has the potential to make this world a better place.”

- GOVERNOR SARAH PALIN

GATEWAY HAS THE PALIN STORY.

SHE'S A BETTER LEADER WITH MORE COURAGE THAN THE POPE.

IF YOU THINK HAVING A PRESIDENT WITH THE RIGHT CORE VALUES IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN HAVING A PRESIDENT WHO IS A POLICY WONK WITH THE INSIDE-THE-BELTWAY JARGON DOWN PAT, THEN SHE'S YOUR MAN!

HER 45 MINUTE ACCEPTANCE SPEECH - THE MOST WIDELY WATCHED OF ALL TIME:



YOU MUST WATCH IT! AT LEAST SKIP AHEAD TO MINUTE 25 AND WATCH 5 MINUTES!

EXCERPT:

The stakes for our nation could not be higher.

... I've noticed a pattern with our opponent.

Maybe you have, too.

We've all heard his dramatic speeches before devoted followers.

And there is much to like and admire about our opponent.

But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform - not even in the state senate.

This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign. But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed ... when the roar of the crowd fades away ... when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet? The answer is to make government bigger ... take more of your money ... give you more orders from Washington ... and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world. America needs more energy ... our opponent is against producing it.

Victory in Iraq is finally in sight ... he wants to forfeit.

Terrorist states are seeking new-clear weapons without delay ... he wants to meet them without preconditions.

Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America ... he's worried that someone won't read them their rights? Government is too big ... he wants to grow it.

Congress spends too much ... he promises more.

Taxes are too high ... he wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan, and let me be specific.

The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes ... raise payroll taxes ... raise investment income taxes ... raise the death tax ... raise business taxes ... and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars.

My sister Heather and her husband have just built a service station that's now opened for business - like millions of others who run small businesses.

How are they going to be any better off if taxes go up? Or maybe you're trying to keep your job at a plant in Michigan or Ohio ... or create jobs with clean coal from Pennsylvania or West Virginia ... or keep a small farm in the family right here in Minnesota.

How are you going to be better off if our opponent adds a massive tax burden to the American economy?

Here's how I look at the choice Americans face in this election.

In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers.

And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change.

They're the ones whose names appear on laws and landmark reforms, not just on buttons and banners, or on self-designed presidential seals.

AWESOME! AND COURAGEOUS.

I WISH THE POPE HAD ONE OUNCE OF WHAT PALIN'S GOT!