THE FREE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM: IT AIN'T UTOPIAN,BUT IT SURE WORKS BETTER THAN ANYTHING ELSE!

WORK? “More than three decades of research shows that a focus on effort—not on intelligence or ability—is key to success in school and in life.” Hey, I’ve got an idea — why don’t we organize society so that it rewards hard work! We could even see that people who work harder and do better make more money! And then their efforts would pay off in more general societal prosperity, making life better for everyone! And we could . . . Naaaah.

Posted at 4:39 pm by Glenn Reynolds

THE FREE MARKET IS ALSO THE BEST WAY TO CREATE AND DISTRIBUTE WEALTH FAIRLY.

THOSE WHO CREATE IT, GET IT.

AN AWARD PRESENTED TO ISLAMISTS WITHOUT TELLING WHAT IT'S FOR

The AP Wire has this brief clip about what the pro-palestinian crowd in Sweden is up to:

STOCKHOLM (AP) - The Swedish Arts Council says it has named a Palestinian organization that promotes children's reading as the 2009 winner of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for Literature.

The annual award is the world's largest children's book award and includes a cash prize of 5 million kronor ($620,000). It is named after late Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren.

The Palestinian Tamer Institute For Community Education was awarded for its work to promote reading on the West Bank and in Gaza. Tuesday's citation honored its "unusual breadth and versatility."

Each year it organizes a national reading campaign, including discussions about literature, drama and writing activities.

The prize will be handed out by Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria in a ceremony on June 2.

They don't even say what they published! Okay, I'm sure there's something, but then one can only wonder what it really is that they're giving a prize for. Lies are certainly one of those things. Politicized storytelling is another.

And I'm guessing that Israeli groups for promotion of children's reading would never win the award, right?

THIS WEEK ON BLOG TALK RADIO'S THE GATHERING STORM

Listen to The Gathering Storm Radio Show, which WC and I cohost. The show broadcasts live every Friday beginning at noon, Pacific Time.

The call-in number is (646) 915-9870.

Callers welcome!

Our guests this week are two authors: I.Q. Al Rassoli and Steven Clark Bradley.

I.Q. Al Rassoli, our guest for the first half hour, is the author of Lifting the Veil: The True Faces of Muhammad and Islam. He also has two web sites: In The Name Of Allah and the YouTube site Idiot's Guide To Islam. Sample from the latter:



Our guest for the second half hour is Steven Clark Bradley, author of the novel Patriot Acts. From the novel's description at Amazon:

America finds itself under covert nuclear attack from the Islamic Republic of Iran which has linked up with radical American Militia groups. They have set aside their political and religious differences to carry out the widest attack to America in the nation 's history. Colonel Fisher Harrison, the best trained Special Ops killer the military has, is the only one person who can effectively retaliate against their aggression. The only problem is that Colonel Fisher is in a federal prison, framed for a murder he did not commit by his former boss who is now the President of the United States of America....

Listen to the March 27, 2009 edition of The Gathering Storm Radio Show, live or later, by CLICKING HERE.

UPCOMING SHOWS:
April 3: Mohammed Abdul and Sabir debate aspects of the Koran
April 10: Raymond Ibrahim

OBAMA'S TALIBAN FRIENDS

Hat Tip: Bare Naked Islam

Another demonstration of B. Hussein Obama's "moderate" Taliban buddies, carrying out the legal code of the "Religion of Peace" !!!

ISRAELI AIR FORCE ATTACKS CONVOY IN SUDAN

From Haaretz:

Two senior Sudanese politicians confirmed Thursday that unidentified aircraft attacked a convoy of suspected arms smugglers as it drove through Sudan toward Egypt in January, killing almost everyone in the convoy. An American news network said that the attack was carried out by the Israel Air Force. 

CBS reported that the IAF carried out the attack on a convoy of trucks in Sudan carrying arms for Hamas in the Gaza Strip. 

According to the report, 39 people riding in the 17-truck convoy were killed, while a number of civilians in the area were injured. 

Israeli officials declined to confirm or deny whether Israel had been involved in an air strike in Sudan.

If America won't take care of the problems, Israel will. And, thank God for that.

My own Manifesto: Time to Put up or Shut Up

It’s not only EMP attacks or rogue terrorists that can bring down our grid and put us in a world of hurt. Check out this from New Scientist: It has happened before…

The cover story in this week's Popular Mechanics had another lovely scenario …

These items do not even begin to delineate the existential threats to our country, from Islamist zealots who would behead not only us, but their own women and children; from rogue states, from former enemies and long-time enemies. And from ourselves--most of all the danger to our way of life comes from our own complacency.

But wait, have not we finally found The One who has filled the entire nation with abundant and overflowing Hope? Is this now the "change" so many of you voted for?

For instance--the evil specter of "climate change" (they used to call it Global Warming, but the thought police have sort of nixed that one because, well, we all seem to be freezing our asses off..) But never fear, The One has now "assured" us that this is the time when the seas will begin to recede (right?).

Now what He didn't say was that we might not be able to afford gas or electricity to heat our home or to drive our car to work anymore--but at we now have the satisfaction now of knowing that the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building won’t be underwater in about 1000 years...Right?

Of course, WE will all be broke in our lifetimes (except for those lucky non-taxpaying elected bastards who we bought this bill of goods from...); yes, there will be more death, disease, malaria, etc., a shorter life span in general; but at least we’ll have the satisfaction of knowing our great great great grandchildren and all those spotted owls and salamanders will still have a place to hang out. And we will all finally be equal--equally mediocre. Welcome to the brain-dead philosophy of the fixed pie and a Least Common Denominator, regardless of intelligence, skill, talent, ambition, persistence, ethics, and vision--they will all be "equal" with the slovenly, lazy, blood-sucking leeches who would rather wallow in their collective victimhood than to better their situations from their own initiative (some recent Southeast Asian immigrants to the contrary). There can be no more winners and losers. Only the maintenance of our collective self-esteem.

We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men, women, animals, plants, and sea creatures are ENTITLED to an equal RESULT.

Good luck with that one.

Yesterday I sat and listened to a President of the United States actually argue for the power to nationalize ANY private company (the property and labor of creative, smart, hard working men and women) that Obama THINKS might be about to go broke. This statement was so shocking to me; that I could only draw one of several conclusions (take your pick):

1. He has no CLUE about human nature, and how markets work to create wealth and prosperity to all; or
2. He may have some CLUE but in is inexperience, arrogance, deer-in-the-headlights moment, he is allowing himself to be led around by the nose by the most corrupt, destructive Congress in US history; or
   
3. He does understand all of this--but in the name of consolidating power, or his legacy, or even to become something more akin to a Putin or a Mussolini or a Hitler or like his buddy Chavez--grandiose, all powerful, narcissistic--he actually wants to tear DOWN the wealth of this country to create some sort of Weimar Republic II, out of which he can rise up to seize power, become a supreme leader--and then to crush anyone who gets in his way.
   

I like to think it is more of the first two possibilities combined--but I would be lying if I did not see signs of #3 in this Administration--and some very disturbing ones.

Remember that little "show" in Berlin? Or the "stadium nomination" with the Roman columns. Even the ubiquitous "O" logo which has sort of become the American version of the swastika lately? The "Obama Seal"... when he was just a candidate?

Albert Speer would have been SO proud.

In truth, it doesn't matter which of these factors are the primary drivers here; write it all off to hyperbole if you will. But there ARE parallels, even if inexact: when I see Geithner I see Speer. When I seen Emmanuel I see Himmler. And Axelrod? Goering? Beria? Who knows. I am not saying they ARE exactly like these historical monsters from the past--I am just saying that I see many parallels; the whole vibe of this Administration reminds me of all those books I've read as a history minor about the rise of the Nazis and the Fascists--and the Bolsheviks. Party rallies. Narcissism. Supression of dissent.

And many people seem just as hypnotized by these pretenders as the Germans were by Hitler. Mesmerized is a better word. (no, I am not speaking of anyone who dared watch that atrocious presser last night...). But some of this "swarm" of worker bees seem to have such blinders on that they WANT to believe he is The One, despite any and all evidence to the contrary. So they just ignore all of the obvious incompetence playing out daily before their eyes. And there is much to ignore.

This is mass hypnosis on a Hitlerian scale; although fortunately it is only about half of the country (and dropping rapidly) who seem to have bought into the Big Lie. Swallowing all of that empty, vacant campaign rhetoric that meant absolutely nothing--except whatever the mesmerized cultists listening to it wanted it to mean. They had seen the light: HOPE! CHANGE! Finally a candidate who talks and looks so GOOD, so eloquent with those teleprompter-driven slogans; he will TALK to our enemies (that worked so well for Chamberlain, after all); and he is so completely above politics and petty things--like using a slim 52% plurality to blow up the whole social contract that has been in place between We the People and our government since 1789. To smithereens!

What did those guys know? The One wants Change and Hope! He knows what is right for us! And he is creating Jobs!

OR…. Just maybe--he really does know exactly what he’s doing--but not in the way his zombie followers think. For example there are Obama's friends:have you noticed that they ALL seem to be getting rich? And they are not even having to pay taxes. Where to begin

Al "I'm making out those Carbon Credit checks out to my own Company" Gore

Barney (the "Heterophobe") Frank

Chris "Where did those houses and bonuses come from" Dodd

Tim Geithner the rocket scientist/tax cheat, who is just so indispensable!

And then there is Barack himself (that little book deal 10 days before he took the oath for instance... that sweetheart housing deal... his wife's big earmark and raise...)

And yes, even “the Benefactor” himself. Who knew that the very billionaire architect of this whole Democrat revivalfor the last 10 years (MoveOn, CAP, MediaMatters, ACORN funding, etc) has somehow managed to fix it so that he got filthy rich at the very moment of our country's greatest misery. (But I am sure that is only "coincidence"...)

So am I off base; am I missing something? After all, they tell me. Obama means well, right? I'm just thinking back to Joe the Plumber: 95% of us are going to get a stimulus and tax cuts--all but the "rich".... Right?

And I saw that debate with McCain: we're going to drill for oil AND explore new alternatives...right?

And most importantly, we just want to be loved by all those wonderful people in Pakistan and Syria and Iran and Russia and China...and Europe. Just like the "good old days"... Right? We can all be Sally Fields: "they like us, they really like us..." Right?

Hmm, funny thing happened to the coronation of Obama as the Savior of the World (and the empathy and cooperation of our European allies): today the President of the EU--a Czech who really has lived under State Socialism and knows first hand what happens when that failed theory is tried--stated the following, and I quote (via the Financial Times):

European Union hopes for a new era in relations with the US were thrown into chaos on Wednesday when the holder of the EU presidency condemned American remedies for the global recession as “the road to hell”.

Barely a week before Barack Obama is due to arrive in Europe on his first official visit as US president, Mirek Topolanek, the Czech Republic’s prime minister, put the 27-nation EU on a collision course with Washington.

His attack compounded the confusion that has engulfed EU policy after the Czech leader lost a no-confidence vote in the country’s parliament on Tuesday, forcing him to offer his government’s resignation midway through its six-month EU presidency.

Mr Topolanek said EU leaders had been disturbed at a summit in Brussels last week to hear calls from Tim Geithner, the US Treasury secretary, for more aggressive policies to fight the global downturn.

“The US Treasury secretary talks about permanent action and we, at our spring council, were quite alarmed at that . . . The US is repeating mistakes from the 1930s, such as wide-ranging stimuluses, protectionist tendencies and appeals, the Buy American campaign, and so on,” he told a European parliament session in Strasbourg. “All these steps, their combination and their permanency, are the road to hell.”

Not exactly diplomatic-niceties from a European leader who suddenly has a new found love for America since The One's coronation. And Putin and Ahmadinejad and Putin seem to be so enamored of The One too, don't they?

Finally, our staunchest allies have been insulted: handing Gordon Brown the DVD's that play in American DVD players only was a real home run. Offering to abandon our allies in Eastern Europe: the Poles, Czechs, Romanians, and Ukrainians. I'm sure they are ready to fall down at The One's feet right about now.

And then we have Israel. I have to say, I am still stunned that ANY Jew in his or her right mind voted for this Farrakhan-loving, Iran and Syria-coddling, guy who is spending American tax dollars giving money to Hamas! I am sure Bibi is feeling the love too right now.

I think that given a choice, most of our traditional allies in Europe and the Middle East would LOVE to have George W. Bush back right now.

So here we are, about 60 days into the Era of Hope, and Change, and the End of the Old Politics. All Americans working together (that is if you follow a Marxist in lockstep off of the cliff...).

Meanwhile we on the right are deemed "lunatics" and "full of hate" who dare to question ANYTHING about this...icon of intellect, panache and experience.

You know, people sure seem to have pretty short memories as to the kinds of vile venom and hate that the Left has been hurling at Bush for over 8 years now (but as I recall that was just "dissent" from your intellectual superiors...right? I believe they even spent several years calling that dissent "patriotism". Welcome to your own nightmare, hypocrites.)

I have some very dear friends who really came into this thinking that Obama was "the answer". Maybe they still do for all I know. I don't know, because I don't even bring it up whenever I can help it (because I am so "obsessed", don't you know...). They can talk about His Holiness when no one is around to dispute their viewpoint. But the really disheartening thing is that these are highly intelligent people who seem to have completely closed themselves off to any other point of view--the very thing they accuse me of. So be it.

But I'll tell you this--if someone brings up Obama or the cabal in Congress around me, I am through just sitting there and biting my tongue while everyone else in the "in crowd" get to run down everything this country has always stood for--as their man appears to be in a frenzied gotta-have-it-now hurry to blow up the whole thing--and quickly, before anybody catches on to the very far-reaching ramifications to just what it is that they are doing.

Fortunately, I think Obama cannot move quickly enough, because the anger and mistrust is rising faster. These Tea Parties. Protests the media refuses to cover, but which we all know are happening. It is tangible; I can FEEL it out there. Frustration like I have never seen. And every bit of that anger is justified.

If we are going to prevail, it is time we stopped being such cowards and find it within ourselves to speak up for what is right. Yes, we conservatives seem to be the ones who are supposed to fill the role of being more "civil and polite" in mixed company. In a sense that is a good example to set in periods where there is not so much at stake.

But the MoveOn Democrat Underground ideologues on the Left--the kinds that throw molotov cocktails at the Governors mansion or at buses of Senior Citizens on their way to the RNC convention--could care less about civility.

If it is possible to have reasonable dialogue? Well thought out discourse? Fine. Where it is possible I am all for it. But in such cases there has to be some agreement or stipulation on SOME shared core principles or else there is no hope that discourse will go anywhere but south. And it seems to me that the principle of principles in this argument comes down to what Lincoln said in 1864. He was talking about slavery, but he was also talking about those men who risked their lives and families "forescore and seven years" prior. He was talking about what they stood for and what all those souls at Gettysburg died for. For those did not catch my post yesterday, here is the quote once again:

"We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing. With some the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labor; while with others, the same word may mean for some men to do as they please with other men, and the product of other men's labor. Here are two, not only different, but incompatible things, called by the same name--liberty. And it follows that each of the things is, by the respective parties, called by two different and incompatible names--liberty and tyranny."

--Abraham Lincoln, 1864

My friends, It is long past time that we got organized, got ACTIVE, and start working NOW to save this thing before it is too late. And if that means a fight--if people can't sit and converse and try to find common ground without getting personal--well I am prepared for that too.

As we have seen for the last 8 years, our "civility" has gotten us precisely nowhere with the partisan Dems in Congress, nor to those who spend their entire lives finding things that are "unfair" and "unequal". But I am beginning to believe that to have reasoned, non-inflammatory discourse with people whose only focus is how much power over your life which they or their central planners want to grab from you; power to confiscate your property (of which YOUR money is certainly part) for their "holier than thou" purposes; the concept that they, not you should have the power over your labor, your sweat, and your moral priorities. In 1864 that was called slavery. But it didn't end there.

• 1Lenin and (later) Stalin. The purges of the 20's-40's
• Hitler, Mussolini, Tojo 13 million dead.
• Mao and the "Cultural Revolution" -- tens of millions killed by the 'Mobs'
• The Iron Curtain: The Berlin Wall--killing anyone who dares to leave "the State". The Stasi and "The Lives of Others".
  
• The KGB. Their funding of Palestinian terrorism, beginning with the PFLP and Red Brigades.
• Ho Chi Minh's purges and Cambodia's Killing fields
• The millions crying from Cuba's graves (many thanks to Che himself)
• Nicaragua. Venezuela. Iran, and yes even China.
  

Wherever the Statist tyrants feel threatened, it always ends the same way. And it is inevitable that they eventually do feel threatened, because Statism: whether you call it Fascism, Communism, Socialism, or National Socialism--all ends this way because IT. DOESN'T. WORK.
It never has, because it runs contrary to human nature. It always leads to corruption, loss of productivity, servitude, totalitarianism, corruption, inefficiency, losing ground to those who are not burdened with this pestilence--and then to the Gulags and Concentration Camps for those who can't or refuse to adjust.

We've been here before, and there are well over 100 million souls who have died to date because they called this lie for what it was, and because the Statists could not allow the TRUTH about human freedom to shine through. But eventually it always did.

Now it is in danger of happening here. It IS happening here. And we must expose the lie. Here. Now. Wake up for God's sake!

To defeat this enemy we must be educated in our core beliefs.

Read Shcharansky and Solzhenitsyn, writing from the Labor Camps; read Ayn Rand; read current authors like Mark Levin; read Bill Whittle and Mark Steyn...

But don't stop there--do your homework. Go back even further: to the products of the Enlightenment who gave us this great gift. READ Adam Smith, and Edmund Burke, and Jefferson, Lincoln, and Reagan, and. READ the Federalist Papers and Thomas Sowell's Basic Economics and former Communists David Horowitz tall of their journey from Radical Communist to patriot. READ the magnificant, brilliant Opinions and Dissents of Scalia and Clarence Thomas; Read De Toqueville, read of his sheer wonder --this product of the French Revolution and their own mob "terror"--of how amazed he was at our experiment. Other great minds like Milton Friedman. Freidrich Hayek. Ludwig von Mises. Broaden and deepen your mind. Cleanse your mind from the drivel that your Leftist/Unionist teachers have been trying to force feed you and your children since you were very young. Open your minds. The truth WILL set you free.

This is not just our history--this is inspiring, thought provoking, mind expanding. These are some of the greatest thinkers and communicators who ever lived. Some of them are still living.

The key is that we must prepare ourselves and our mettle and to know the rightness of our cause. Levin's new book is a great place to start.

But here is the thing: we have to FIGHT this time, we have to WORK this time, and we have to be able to articulate the rightness of our defense of Liberty just as those men did so long ago in that Philadelphia hall. Because if we cannot articulate it (with as much civility as our angry opponents will allow) and if we are not willing to fight for it-if we merely are content to sit by and watch it play out like some movie plot without getting ACTIVE, we WILL lose our country to these Statist, totalitarian, tyrants. I know my history, I minored in history--and I have seen all I need to see to know what this is.

If you are feeling me on this; if you are hearing me. Let's email. Let's get orgainized. Let's do everything in our power to stop the rape of the United States and all it stands for.

We have not chosen to be painted into a corner by greedy, corrupt, overzealous power-hungry politicians. We didn't choose this fate, but it is the hand we have been dealt.

It is time to take our country back.

THE OBAMA PRESSER: OBAMA REITERATES THAT HE WANTS GOVERNMENT TO TAKE OVER THE THREE BEST SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY

OBAMA LAST NIGHT / LATIMES:

The budget I submitted to Congress will build our economic recovery on a stronger foundation so that we don't face another crisis like this 10 or 20 years from now. We invest in the renewable sources of energy that will lead to new jobs, new businesses, and less dependence on foreign oil. We invest in our schools and our teachers, so that our children have the skills they need to compete with any workers in the world.

We invest in reform that will bring down the cost of healthcare for families, businesses and our government.the best way to bring our deficit down in the long run is not with a budget that continues the very same policies that have led us to a narrow prosperity and massive debt. It's with a budget that leads to broad economic growth by moving from an era of borrow and spend to one where we save and invest.

... And that's why clean energy jobs and businesses will do all across America. That's what a highly skilled workforce can do all across America. That's what an efficient healthcare system that controls costs and entitlements like Medicare and Medicaid will do.

THIS HAS BECOME AN OBAMA MANTRA, OF LATE: "TO REALLY HELP THE ECONOMY, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO TAKE OVER ENERGY, HEALTHCARE AND EDUCATION SECTORS."

THIS IS A STINKING LOAD OF LEFTIST CRAP.

• OUT OF ALL THE SECTORS OF OUR ECONOMY, THESE THREE ARE THE ONES WHICH ARE FUNCTIONING BEST. THEY NEED THE LEAST "HELP" OR INTERFERENCE.
  

• AND OBAMA IS BEING DISINGENUOUS AT BEST WHEN HE ARGUES THAT A FEDERAL TAKEOVER OF THESE SECTORS WILL HELP THE BUDGET OR THE ECONOMY.

• AS A MATTER OF FACT, HE ADVOCATED A FEDERAL TAKEOVER OF THESE SECTORS BEFORE THE BUBBLE BURST AND THE STOCK MARKETS CRASHED.

• HE AND HIS LEFTIST COMRADES HAVE LONG FAVORED A FEDERAL TAKEOVER OF THESE SECTORS.

DON'T BE A DUPE; DON'T BE FOOLED; DON'T FALL FOR IT.

Holbrooke Lied, Karadzic was Tried

It looks like psychiatrist Radovan Karadzic was telling the truth:

Mr Holbrooke, who is now playing a key role in negotiating President Barack Obama's exit strategy from Afghanistan, has been dogged by claims that he gave the former Bosnian Serb leader an immunity deal during Clinton-era talks to bring peace to the former Yugoslavia.

He strenuously denies that any alleged agreement with Mr Karadzic.

Well I'll be! Not only does he deny any agreement, he strenuously denies it!

But the allegation and a demand that Mr Holbrooke be called as a witness will be rehearsed once again as part of Mr Karadzic's defence against genocide and war crimes charges at UN tribunal hearings in The Hague next week.

Retired senior US state department officials confirmed that in July 1996 Mr Holbrooke, who served as President Bill Clinton's Balkans envoy, promised Mr Karadzic that he would not be prosecuted as part of wider peace deal requiring him to give up power.

Well that sounds good, but did they strenuously confirm it?

Emir OTUS Obama has appointed Holbrooke to fix the war in Pakistan and Afghanistan . . . good luck with that . . . how eager will leaders there be to give commitments to a man who has a proven track record of going back on his promises?

And Holbrooke is also plagued by claims that he corruptly profited from some of the companies responsible for the economic crisis:

According to Richard Holbrooke, Richard Holbrooke is essentially this country's top diplomat -- Hillary Clinton is merely his "pupil. This despite the fact that Holbrooke has hit the trifecta of shady business dealings over the last few years: a member of AIG's board with more than $800,000 in compensation, a managing director at Lehman Brothers, and the recipient of a "Friends of Angelo" loan from Countrywide (that alone was enough to get Jim Johnson thrown under the Obama campaign bus).

And what was the quid?

Shouldn't someone (like a senator) ask what Holbrooke did for AIG in exchange for $800k? Hank Greenberg, the former chairman of AIG, went to great lengths to cozy up to China, providing lavish funding to the Council on Foreign Relations and other think tanks (and apparently Holbrooke) to promote a pro-China policy in the United States so as to curry favor with the ChiCom leadership. Is there anything we should know about Holbrooke's dealings with the Chinese in those years?

Interesting that Holbrooke is a deracinated Jew who was brought up to despise and reject the 4,000 year old traditions and histories with which Abraham's descendants blessed mankind:

Holbrooke was born on April 24, 1941, in New York City, to Dan Holbrooke and Trudi Moos (née Kearl).^[30][31] Holbrooke's mother, whose Jewish family fled Hamburg in 1933 for Buenos Aires before coming to New York, took him to Quaker meetings on Sundays. "I was an atheist, his father was an atheist," says his mother, a potter now married to a sculptor. "We never thought of giving Richard a Jewish upbringing. The Quaker meetings seemed interesting."

Holbrooke's father, a brilliant doctor born of Russian Jewish parents in Warsaw, died of cancer. There is a faded black-and-white photograph of the gangly teen-ager holding his father's hand in the Scarsdale woods that seems to capture a closeness abruptly shattered. His father changed his name to Holbrooke when he arrived in the United States in the 1930's. Such, however, is the family's loss of contact with its roots that his original name is unknown.

What's with the Democrat Party, that it attracts so many deracinated and crypto-Jews? Madeline Albright . . . John Kerry . . . Wesley Clark . . . Richard Holbrooke . . . in fairness, though, I guess you'd have to mention a few men of partial Jewish descent on the other side . . . Cap Weinberger . . . Barry Goldwater . . . George Allen . . .

FORMER SPANISH PM SUGGESTS MUSLIMS SHOULD APOLOGIZE FOR CONQUERING SPAIN

The International Herald Tribune (via Kishkushim and Chazarah) has criticized Muslims for demanding an apology from the Pope for his own remarks about Islam:

MADRID, Spain Former prime minister Jose Maria Aznar has criticized Muslim demands for the pope to apologize for his remarks about Islam, suggesting it is unfair when the Islamic world has not asked forgiveness for such grievances as the 800-year Moorish occupation of Spain.

Aznar, speaking Friday night at the Hudson Institute, a thinktank in Washington, D.C., also said a United Nations program to encourage dialogue between Muslim and Western countries made no sense because some Muslim countries like Iran are too radical to deal with.

[...]

Aznar said he found it surprising that Muslims have demanded an apology from Pope Benedict XVI over his Sept. 12 remarks quoting a Byzantine emperor who characterized some of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as "evil and inhuman," particularly "his command to spread by the sword the faith."

The pope said Sunday that he was "deeply sorry" about the reactions to his remarks and that they did not reflect his own opinions. But did not issue the direct apology still demanded by some Muslim leaders who were offended by his remarks.

Aznar noted the nearly 800-year Moorish occupation of Spain, which began in the year 711 with an invasion from North Africa. He said in English: "I never (heard) any Muslim apologize (to) me (for) conquer(ing) Spain and to maintain a presence in Spain during eight centuries."

"What is the reason ... we, the West, always should be apologiz(ing) and they never should ... apologize? It's absurd."

He also criticized an initiative launched by his Socialist successor, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, to encourage dialogue between the West and Muslim countries. It is called the Alliance of Civilizations and has been formally adopted by the United Nations.

Aznar said some Muslim countries such as Iran are too radical to engage in dialogue with.

And if only Barack Obama would start considering this too. Aznar most definitely has what Zapatero doesn't.

JUST WHAT IS THIS WHITEWASH?

The Jerusalem Post has a clip about a movie in the works that seems to be a whitewash of a member of the family of a nazi collaborator, Haj-Amin el-Husseini, and doubtlessly of the main monster himself:

Freida Pinto, the Indian actress who starred in the Oscar-winning movie, "Slumdog Millionaire," arrived in Israel last week ahead of shooting for a new film by critically acclaimed writer-director Julian Schnabel.

Schnabel, whose recent film, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" won awards and praise, will begin shooting his next project, "Miral," a joint French-Israeli production in April.

The movie is set in Jerusalem, and it chronicles Hind Husseini's effort to establish an orphanage in the city following the creation of the state in 1948. It is scheduled to be released in 2010.

Although the filming does not start for another month, Pinto arrived early in order to get into character, the production team said.

I may have once seen a movie directed by Schnabel years ago. If he's pulling a whitewash of one of the most horrific creatures to walk the face of the earth, I will never waste my time on his crap ever again.

LABOR AGREES TO JOIN LIKUD-LED GOVERNMENT. WILL THIS HELP THEM OR NOT?

The Labor party in Israel decided yesterday to join the Likud-led government. Not without opposition, of course, and there's good questions to be asked. For example, will it help or hinder the Labor party? On the one hand, if they go in, they might alienate their voters even more, but on the other hand, if they stayed in the opposition, they'd be overshadowed by Kadima, as Tzipi Livni would get more attention than they.

Then, will this lead to a split in Labor's ranks? That too is another question still to be answered. I honestly don't care if it does. Though Kadima is surprisingly worse, Labor has been asking for it.

Ehud Barak will have to be watched closely and kept in check if he tries to do anything in bad taste, as is likely. No, I'm not forgetting that he too caused a lot of problems himself.

YnetNews is declaring Netanyahu the winner in this.

OBAMA MEETS WITH GORBACHAV

While wandering around the White House President Obama joined a meeting between VP Biden and Gorby. Do you think the President asked for some pointers on how he could dismantle the United States?

DON'T BE FOOLED BY THE BUDGET KABUKI DANCE OF OBAMA AND THE DEMOCRATS OF CONGRESS

OBAMA GAVE THE PELOSI-CRATS AND THE REID-O-CRATS EVERY FUCKING THING THEY WANTED IN THE PORKULUS PACKAGE.

AND 8000 - AS IN THOUSAND - EARMARKS.

NOW, THE DEMS ARE ACTING - AS IN PRETENDING - HIS BUDGET NEEDS TO BE CUT.

• THIS IS A KABUKI DANCE. A SHOW. TO MAKE THE DEMOCRATS OF CONGRESS LOOK LIKE THEY ARE WATCHING OVER OUR TAX DOLLARS.

• IT'S TOO FUCKING LITTLE TOO FUCKING LATE.

• WE NEED TO TOSS ALL THE DEMOCRAT BUMS OUT.

• THE RANGELS AND THE FRANKS, THE DODDS AND THE STARKS AND THE MURTHAS.

• EVERY LAST FUCKING ONE OF THESE PHONY SELF-SERVING LEFT-WING SCUMBAGS.

• WHEN OBAMA SAYS THERE'S NO ALTERNATIVE HE IS FUCKING LYING.

• OBAMA 'S BUDGET SUCKS.

• IT MUST BE DEFEATED.

WE DEFEATED AMNESTY. WE CAN DEFEAT THE OBAMA BUDGET.

YES, WE CAN!

The Star Spangled Banner Was Originally About Subduing Muslims In Battle

Well, what do you know. The original Star Spangled Banner was about victory in the War against the Barbary Pirates (read Muslims).

From Her Royal Whyness:

Earlier today, I viewed a video lecture

(also forwarded link to you - subject: Arabs and Zionists' tug-og-war over America since 1776 - Professor Michael Oren video)

given by historian and author Dr. Michael Oren, here .


Quote from the end of the lecture (he's a real tease, that one) :

"Why the original lyrics of the 'Star Spangled Banner' talked about Muslims bowing down to the victorious flag of the United States."

Well, it turns out the Star Spangled Banner was originally written for Bainbridge and Stephen Decatur in 1805.

In it, the lyrics included phrases:

"turbaned heads bowed"

"for the brow of the brave"

"In vain frowned the desert,"

"To a far distant shore, to the battle's wild roar, "
"And pale beamed the crescent, its splendor obscured "
"By the light of the star-spangled flag of our nation."

The lyrics changed in the War of 1812.

Notes from Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East 1776 to the Present by Michael B. Oren

Chapter III - A Crucible of American Identity

William Bainbridge, who was the first American sailor to the Ottoman capital September 1800, sailed to Algiers on "George Washington."

Hassan Dey made him transport goods to Turkey - a humiliating experience. He was treated well in Istanbul by Ottomans. Bainbridge was discouraged by the treatment of Americans and because Americans were still paying tributes to pirates. "I am sure they would not long be tributary to so pitifull a race of Infidels."

Thomas Jefferson decided to order ships to fire on pirates. The war with Tripoli began on May 14, 1851. (Tripoli declared war.) This was the First Barbary War.

The Star Spangled Banner, which was originally written for Bainbridge and Stephen Decatur in 1805, said "turbaned heads bowed" to the "brow of the brave" and "the star-spangled flag of our nation."

When America was involved in the War of 1812, no resources were available to fight the pirates. Finally, after the war, on May 15, 1815, Madison authorized conflict, and this began the Second Barbary War. They first engaged Algiers on the sea. Algiers lost and paid the US a large tribute. The US also received compensation from Tunis and Tripoli, which was a source of national pride for Americans.


Francis Scott Key

(1779-1843)




The Star-Spangled Banner
"This Song was written by Francis Scott Key. After burning Washington, the British advance towards Baltimore, and were met by a smaller number of Americans, most of whom were captured and taken to the large fleet, then preparing to attack Fort McHenry. Among the prisoners was a Dr. Beames, an intimate friend of Mr. Key. Hoping to intercede for the doctor's release, Mr. Key, with a flag of truce, started in a sail-boat for the admiral's vessel. Here he was detained in his boat, moored from the stern of the flag-ship, during the terrible bombardment of twenty-five hours, and at last, seeing the "Star-spangled Banner" still waving, he seized an old letter from his pocket, and on a barrel-head, wrote the following stanzas:

I.
Oh! say, can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming;
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh! say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!


II.
On the shore dimly seen thro' the mist of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
Where is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half disclose?
Now it catches, the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner, Oh! long may it wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!"

[Source: S.B. McCracken (ed.), Michigan and the Centennial; Being a Memorial Record Appropriate to the Centennia Year 48 (Detroit, 1876)]

Song

When the warrior returns from the battle afar,
To the home and the country he nobly defended,
Oh! warm be the welcome to gladden his ear,
And loud be the joy that his perils are ended.
In the full tide o. song let his name roll along,
To the feast flowing board let us gratefully throng,
Where mixed with the olive the laurel shall wave,
And form a bright wreath for the brows of the brave.
Columbians! a band of thy brothers behold,
Who claim the reward of thy hearts' warm emotion,
When thy cause, when thine honor urged onward the bold,
In vain frowned the desert, in vain raged the ocean.
To a far distant shore, to the battle's wild roar,
They rushed, thy fair fame and thy rights to secure;
Then mixed with the olive the laurel shall wave,
And form a bright wreath for the brows of the brave.
In the conflict resistless each toil they endured,
'Till their foes fled dismayed from the war's desolation;
And pale beamed the crescent, its splendor obscured
By the light of the star-spangled flag of our nation.
Where each radiant star gleamed a meteor of war,
And the turbaned heads bowed to its terrible glare,
Now mixed with the olive the laurel shall wave,
And form a bright wreath for the brow of the brave.

Our fathers who stand on the summit of fame,
Shall exultantly hear of their sons the proud story,
How their young bosoms glowed with the patriot flame,
How they fought, how they fell, in the blaze of their glory.
How triumphant they rode o'er the wondering flood,
And stained the blue waters with Infidel blood;
How mixed with the olive the laurel did wave,
And, formed a bright wreath for the brows of the brave.

Then welcome the warrior returned from afar
To the home and the country he nobly defended,
Let the thanks due to valor now gladden his car,
And loud be the joys that his perils are ended.
In the full tide of song let his fame roll along,
To the feast flowing board let us gratefully throng,
Where mixed with the olive the laurel shall wave,
And form a bright, wreath for the brows of the bravo.

[Evert A. & George L. Duyckinck, The Cyclopedia of American Literature 692 (Philadelphia: William Rutter & Co., 1880) (vol. 1)]

CHILD ABUSE IN MOSQUES

Front Page Magazine interviews David Gaubatz, who reports about cases of child abuse taking place in US mosques:

My CT researchers and I conducted ‘first-hand’ research at a predominately Somalia based mosque, Al-Farooq Masjid, 1421 4th Ave. S. Nashville, TN. Initially I conducted a pre-assessment of the various Islamic Centers within the area. Although there are other mosques in the area advocating the ideology of Sharia law for the U.S. and advocating the same ideology as Islamic terrorists groups, our research uncovered more frightening and disturbing intelligence. Not only does Al-Farooq provide materials by convicted Islamic terrorists to their worshippers, they practice polygamy (per statements made by Al Farooq worshippers) as allowed under Sharia law, which also advocates children to be taken as ‘child brides’ married to older men. One need only research how often this occurs in Somalia.

In Feb 09, I obtained evidence and there were several indicators the children were being physically and emotionally abused. I immediately provided my analysis and concerns to authorities. Almost immediately First Amendment religious freedom rights came up and their fear of being sued by Islamic organizations. I knew from the beginning when I had to explain the basics of Sharia law and who Islamic scholars such as Ahmad Sakr (U.S. based scholar who lectures to children and informs them to not follow the U.S. Constitution, but instead to follow Sharia law) are, it would be useless to rely on them alone to protect the innocent children of al Farooq, which ultimately means our country is not being protected. The objective of my company is to simultaneously provide the research intelligence to the American public and to Law Enforcement (LE). In our current times it is often necessary for news organizations and the public to become involved before issues are taken seriously.

In Mar 2009, I sent two researchers (male and female) to Al Farooq to obtain further information. On 9 Mar 2009, a female child informed one of our female researchers she and other children are ‘hit’ at the ‘Al Farooq School’ by a teacher and ‘her’ legs hurt. Additional lectures by convicted terrorists and their supporters were provided to my team. Again I notified authorities, but received no encouragement the allegations of child abuse or the evidence pertaining to Al Farooq leadership advocating violence would be responded to.

Authorities wanted ‘hard evidence’ children were being abused and Islamic leaders at Al Farooq were educating the worshippers to commit violence against innocent people, America, and Israel. Respectfully I advised authorities Americans rely on them to take the lead and conduct investigations pertaining to allegations. My organization is limited in manpower and funds. Taxpayers pay our LE and elected officials to protect our country. It is beyond my capability to convince authorities that distributing material by Al Qaeda, Mawdudi (JI), and Ali Al Timimi to children can lead to violence and is dangerous for all concerned. One need only look at the Palestinian schools who are educated by Hamas.

Truly disgusting, and I'm going to have to make clear that I'm quite disappointed at the authorities for doing nothing to convince that they'll take serious action to put a stop to these atrocities. All they're doing is collapsing to PC-stupidity and getting nowhere.

AMERICA UNDER BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA: BROKE, INSANE, A BUMMER...

HE'S QUICKLY MAKING US BROKE...
HIS POLICIES ARE INSANE...
AND THINKING OF HIM BEING POTUS FOR THREE MORE YEARS IS A BUMMER!

HE'S REALLY BAD...

WORSE THAN CARTER.

IN RECORD TIME.


I MEAN... HE'S DOING IT SO FAST YA GOTTA THINK IT'S MAYBE ON PURPOSE!

The Ontario Project

I'm looking for readers in upstate New York: Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, Utica, Erie, Oswego and surrounding areas.

The requirements:

• A camera or camera-phone
• The ability to visit the parking lot of a hospital or urgent-care facility
• Mathematical skills: you must be able to count to ten

I'm looking for the approximate number of Ontario license plates in American health care facilities near the Canadian border.

Given the vaunted, "free" Canadian health care system, my questions are: how many Canadians are visiting American medical facilities? Of every ten license plates you see, how many are from Ontario?

My contention is that quite a few Canadians are trying to escape the queues (waits) for routine tests like MRIs, CAT scans and the like. Or they seek specialized treatment that is unavailable in Canada.

Here's how you can help: Visit the parking lot of an upstate New York medical facility. Estimate the percentage of Ontario license plates. Take a snapshot or two of Ontario plates in the parking lot (I'll obscure the actual plate number). Then email me with sample counts and pictures. You can also post a link or request on message boards you frequent, or just email this request to your friends.

For those who respond, I'll provide credit and thanks by name in a summary post (unless directed to remove the name).

The deadline: one week from today.

Any help you can offer is appreciated.

THE INEVITABLE SLIDE FROM UTOPIANISM TO GENOCIDE: UK GREENIE ADVOCATES CUTTING BRITISH POPULATION IN HALF

NOT JUST ANY GREENIE, BUT THE PM'S CHIEF ADVISOR!

TOL - VIA HOT AIR:

UK population must fall to 30m, says Porritt

JONATHON PORRITT, one of Gordon Brown’s leading green advisers, is to warn that Britain must drastically reduce its population if it is to build a sustainable society.

Porritt’s call will come at this week’s annual conference of the Optimum Population Trust (OPT), of which he is patron.

The trust will release research suggesting UK population must be cut to 30m if the country wants to feed itself sustainably.

Porritt said: “Population growth, plus economic growth, is putting the world under terrible pressure.

Population growth is one of the most politically sensitive environmental problems. The issues it raises, including religion, culture and immigration policy, have proved too toxic for most green groups.

However, Porritt is winning scientific backing. Professor Chris Rapley, director of the Science Museum, will use the OPT conference, to be held at the Royal Statistical Society, to warn that population growth could help derail attempts to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

• AGW - IT ALWAYS COMES DOWN TO AGW! SOMETHING WHICH DOESN'T EVEN EXIST!
  

• THIS IS WHY I CALL THESE GREENIES ECO-NUTSIES! THEY ARE INSANE!
  

• ECONOMIC GROWTH IS EVIL TO THESE TURDS!

• THEY WANT YOU TO HAVE FEWER KIDS - LIKE THE TYRANTS OF CHINA, THEY WANT TO DECIDE WHO HAS THEM AND HOW MANY.

AND SINCE THESE LEFTISTS WANT TO CONTROL YOUR HEALTHCARE AND YOUR PENSION, THEY WON'T NEED GAS CHAMBERS OR KILLING FIELDS TO EXTERMINATE HALF OF US - ER UM ... I MEAN "LOWER HUMAN POPULATION BY HALF".

THEY'LL BE ABLE TO QUIETLY AND SOFTLY EUTHANIZE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS SIMPLY BY WITHHOLDING/RATIONING HEATHCARE TO THE ELDERLY - AND "LETTING" THEM DIE, PEACEFULLY - LIKE TERRI SCHIAVO.

IS THIS A GOOD THING?

SHOULD GOVERNMENT HAVE THE POWER TO DECIDE WHO HAS BABIES AND HOW MANY THEY HAVE !?

OR HOW LONG IS LONG ENOUGH TO LIVE!?

LEFTISTS DON'T WANT HUMANS LIVING BETTER, LONGER LIVES WITH HIGHER LIVING STANDARDS; THEY WANT HUMANS TO LIVE IN ACCORD WITH THEIR WORLDVIEW.

THIS IS TYRANNY. THIS IS THE GENOCIDAL ROAD TO SERFDOM. IT ALWAYS IS WITH THE LEFT...

• FACT: SINCE THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION, THE HUMAN POPULATION HAS GONE UP MORE THAN A HUNDREDFOLD AND AS POPULATION HAS INCREASED, SO HAVE LIFE-SPANS AND LIVING STANDARDS.

• FACT: THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING THE LONGEST AND RICHEST LIVES ARE THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE MOST INDUSTRIALIZED REGIONS - WITH THE MOST FREE MARKETS AND THE MOST TRADE.

• YET THE LEFT DESIRES TO REDUCE INDUSTRIALISM AND HAMPER FREE MARKETS AND HAMPER TRADE.

• THE LEFT OPPOSES THE VERY THINGS WHICH ACTUALLY IMPROVE LIFE.

THAT'S WHY THE GRAVEST THREAT TO HUMANITY IS NOT FREEDOM OR INDUSTRY; IT'S THE LEFT.

BRIT LAWYERS MAKING A KILLING OFF OF THE NHS

TELEGRAPH: NHS compensations scheme earning lawyers millions of pounds

Lawyers are earning tens of millions of pounds from a government scheme intended to win money for victims of medical blunders, it has emerged.

The compensation lawyers are earning £800 an hour from the National Health Service, claiming costs and "success fees" worth up to £100 million a year.

In some cases, the payouts claimed are 10 times more than the damages won by the patient.

The NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA), which runs the compensation scheme, has highlighted the costs in a submission to Lord Justice Jackson, who is reviewing civil litigation costs.

The document states: "The whole costs structure is indefensibly expensive in relation to the compensation awarded or agreed. It is difficult to believe that it would be sustained were it not for the lack of motivation to change it."

Colum Smith, a partner in McMillan Williams Solicitors who works as a "no-win, no-fee" lawyer, admitted that in about half of his cases his legal costs are greater than the damages paid to the patient.

"The waste of money is absolutely phenomenal," he said.

THIS IS ANOTHER REASON WHY LAWYERS LIKE OBAMA WANT A SIMILAR SYSTEM HERE.

SOCIALIST PAYOUTS TO LAWYERS WILL ALWAYS BE HIGHER BECAUSE THE SOCIALIST IS NOT PAYING WITH HIS OWN MONEY.

MILTON FRIEDMAN:

There are four ways in which you can spend money.

You can spend your own money on yourself.

When you do that, why then you really watch out what you’re doing, and you try to get the most for your money.

Then you can spend your own money on somebody else.

For example, I buy a birthday present for someone. Well, then I’m not so careful about the content of the present, but I’m very careful about the cost.

Then, I can spend somebody else’s money on myself.

And if I spend somebody else’s money on myself, then I’m sure going to have a good lunch!

Finally, I can spend somebody else’s money on somebody else.

And if I spend somebody else’s money on somebody else, I’m not concerned about how much it is, and I’m not concerned about what I get.

And that’s government. And that’s close to 40% of our national income.

POLITICIANS HAVE NO REASON TO SPEND OUR MONEY WISELY; THAT'S WHY WE MUST FIGHT ALL ATTEMPTS TO EXPAND GOVERNMENT.