According to a recent poll conducted in Iraq, 61% of Iraqis approve of attacks against Americans. This poll, was not just a survey of Sunnis but Shia and Kurdish Iraqis as well. The same poll also revealed that the vast majority support the withdrawal of US troops.

The government of Iraq, however, is opposed to the withdrawal of our troops. Perhaps the Iraqi leadership realizes that without US military support, the armed hugs would quickly topple the democratic government and replace it with an Iran like state within weeks. Thus begging the inevitable question. Why are Americans fighting a dieing each and every day in defense of such vermin? Would it not be more fitting to leave these savages to their own devices allowing them to slaughter each other wholesale, without our unappreciated attempts to bring representative government to the hell that is today’s Iraq?

It is high time for our troops to turn over the job of defending Iraq to the Iraqis, Iraqification must begin in earnest whether or not the job on establishing a fertile democracy in the middle east is complete.
Link to LA Times article

Thanks to a leaked national Intelligence Report we now the cause of the growing terrorist threat. Our presence in Iraq and Afghanistan is encouraging the recruitment of more terrorists and increasing our risk of being a victim of terrorism.

Before that we were told that it was our military bases in Saudi Arabia that caused increased terrorist activity around the world, before that we were told it was our involvement in the Somalia famine relief mission, before that we were told it was our support for Israel, before that? The reality is, this and other excuses are nothing more than that: excuses.

These Islamists have been attacking us for decades and any action by the US is used as justification for these attacks. The fact is radical Islamic terrorists are active around the world and they aren’t just attacking US targets. They are attacking school children in Russia and Indonesia. They are attacking teachers and monks in Thailand. They are attacking men, women and children in the Philippines. They are attacking film makers and authors in the Netherlands. They are attacking shop owners and commuters in France. They are attacking tourists in Egypt. They are attacking Christians in Sudan and Kenya and Nigeria. They are attacking travelers in India. They are planning attacks in Canada (the most benign of all western nations). They are attacking infidels everywhere.

Iraq cannot explain or justify these attacks, nor does Iraq explain September 11th, the attack on the USS Cole, multiple attacks on Americans Saudi Arabia, the slaughter in Somalia when we attempted to feed the starving, the first WTC attack, countless hijackings and bombings during the 1980s and numerous other terror attacks.

It so very fortunate for our enemies that we Americans have such short memories, as an attack today will be forgotten tomorrow, all in the name of politics.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5384366.stm

Related Links:
http://www.thephalanx.com/2006/04/islamic-terrorisma-reality-check.html
http://www.thephalanx.com/2006/09/five-years-on-and-world-still-slumbers.html
http://www.thephalanx.com/2006/03/bush-hits-nail-on-head.html
http://www.thephalanx.com/2005/10/finally-president-points-on-truth-on.html

The Pope’s Vacillation?
Pope Benedict XVI continued his apology tour, meeting ambassadors from Islamic nations today at his summer residence (exactly why the Pope needs a summer residence is another story for another day). In any case, the Pope has shown the same vacillating weakness that all western leaders have shown when confronting the realities of true Islam. The lesson is not likely to be lost on Muslim radicals around the globe: through violence and savagery success can be gained.

Clinton’s rampage?
The media, particularly the conservative talk shows have been awash with reports of President Clinton’s rampage on Fox News Sunday. Having heard and seen the incident, it is difficult to see how the president’s admittedly emotional response was anything approaching the levels described by his critics. While it would come as no surprise that Clinton would be upset at the suggestion that he dropped the ball when it came to Ben Laden (after all, he did), but why do we continue to obsess over this one man: Osama Ben laden. Perhaps no one is more quick to remind us that the war on terror isn’t about one man than President Bush, yet we continue to hear these meaningless blame games played by both parties. The reality is: Islamic terror pre-dates Ben laden and will exist long after his death. Ben laden is little more than a symptom of the disease that is radical Islam.

More troops to Iraq?
Instead of taking the necessary steps to withdraw our troops from a bloody Iraq situation by instilling in the Iraqi forces the necessary wherewithal to shoulder the burden for that country’s defense, our military is making plans to increase the US troop presence in that country. Iraq is becoming a bottomless pit for the US military, as long as the Iraqis come to expect the US to provide their security (such as it is) they will never gel as a fighting force and never attain an independent defensive capability. Do we really want to remain in Iraq defending people who don’t want and shouldn’t need our help, as we are still doing in South Korea, Japan, Germany, Italy, Britain, and so on and so forth?

Kangaroo Court
The Kangarooiest Court in the land did not disappoint again as Saddam Hussein and the trial judge got in to the umpteenth tift we’ve seen since these war crimes trials began. Once again we see the disgraceful miscarriage of justice that is the Hussein trial. One has to give Hussein credit, he certainly has made a mockery of the process. In what other legitimate court are defendants allowed to go on tirades? In what other legitimate trials are judges and defense attorneys replaced at will? In what other legitimate court does the government regularly interfere in the legal process? Saddam Hussein could rightly claim his trial to be a circus, after all it is the Kangarooiest Kangaroo Court ever…

Hottest in thousands of years…indeed
Another unsubstantiated, unprovable, nonsensical report on the earth’s temperature has been released. This time the claim has been made that the earth is the hottest it has been in thousands of years. The mere supposition is laughable, and therefore will be fully embraced by many leftists. While at least this study does not use a reference renaissance paintings the scientists have made use of the study of icebergs. One still has to ask those who support such research, why the incontrovertible proof of increased solar activity is consistently ignored in study global climate change, is it scientific to ignore causations that do not support one’s hypothesis?


Important Links:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/80766b90-4cbb-11db-b03c-0000779e2340.html
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060925/D8KC62R00.html
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1055196
http://www.guardian.co.uk/pope/story/0,,1881056,00.html
http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1420422006

Earlier this week, Hugo Chavez took his anti-American roadshow to the United Nations, there he lambasted Bush and US foreign policy and promoted the writings of linguist and political activist, Noam Chomsky.

Like Chavez, Chomsky is highly critical of US foreign policy, especially the war on terror. The views of Chavez as the Mussolini of Latin America have been well documented on this site. His anti-American diatribes are therefore nothing new. Chavez has risen to prolific heights by painting himself as a champion of the common man, in so doing he has deprived the common man of representative government, clamped down on freedom of the press and expression and done little to strengthen the economic livelihood of his countrymen.

All is forgiven, however, as Chavez has successfully mastered the art of pulling a Mussolini. He uses distraction to draw attention away from his tyrannical tendencies and focuses attention on a perceived threat, where none actually exist. For years Chavez warned his people that a US invasion of Venezuela was imminent, in so doing, the people of Venezuela ignored Chavez’s power grabs as he was regarded as the man who could save the country.

For years Chavez talked of the devil to the north all the while he maneuvered to solidify his hold on power an achievement which was epitomized by his supporters winning every seat in the Venezuelan National Assembly, hardly a sign of a true democracy, as Chavez claims to champion.

Chavez, like most demagogues, understands better than most what makes people tick. The Mussolini of Latin America understands that people are often motivated by petty jealousies and rivalries. Chavez understands that when people who are less fortunate see a nation like the US they are naturally jealous. Like the left in this country, it is difficult for them to accept that those who are successful are so because of their diligence and hard work. If this is true, one must presume that many who aren’t successful have failed because of lack of effort (an inherent reality in a capitalist system like that of the US). In Venezuela it hasn’t helped that the nation has been ruled by crony capitalists who were as dangerous for the country has Chavez is today. Given this reality, it is no great feat to convince the Venezuelan people that the US has achieved its success by trampling on others and thus they are the enemy. This is classic demagoguery 101 and is no different than if espoused by Huey Long, George Wallace, Howard Dean, Hugo Chavez or Joseph Goebbles.

In promoting the works of Noam Chomsky, Chavez is simply advocating the spread of socialism. Chomsky calls himself a libertarian socialist, an oxymoron to be true, as libertarian socialists call for the abolition of private property, with the working class in control of the “means of production.” Such nonsensical theories have long proven unworkable, undemocratic, and ultimately tyrannical. Nonetheless such theories remain popular with the slothful, the indolent, the unproductive and the failures of our society as it represents their only means of achieving anything in life.
Link to LA Times article

Anyone who drives on a regular basis has noticed the significant decline in gasoline prices in the recent weeks. There has been a noticeable decline of more than 50 cents per gallon since August. This decline can be attributed to a number of factors. For one, there is a growing realization that a conflict with Iran appears less likely in the short term (given the unwillingness of Iran’s opponents to impose sanctions or any other punitive actions), demand for petroleum has decreased as the summer travel season comes to an end and production has increased as more facilities come on line in the wake of last year’s hurricane damage in the Gulf.

The sad fact is…President Bush is receiving credit for this decline in energy costs, leading to a boost in his overall approval ratings, or so the media would have us believe. If this is indeed true, it serves only to demonstrate the overwhelming stupidity of the American electorate. The president no more deserves the credit for declining gas prices than he deserved the blame for their increase. The factors that influence the price of oil are largely beyond the control of our nation’s chief executive, only in a highly centralized planned economy like the Soviet Union, could the nation’s leaders share any responsibility for such costs.

The factors that drove up costs in the first place, factors such as limited refining capacity and increased global demand (particularly in China and India) where beyond the ability of the White House to influence.

The perception among the overall population that the president has influence over such factors is a testament to leftist demagoguery (and public education in America). When gas prices were on the rise, the left tirelessly painted Bush as the culprit and an ignorant population, easily manipulated and susceptible to suggestion, embraced the notion. Now, by same stroke of happenstance for the president, prices are on the decline and thanks to the left, the president can claim credit.

Vox populi, vox humbug!
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-09-20-bush-gas-prices_x.htm

According to Iran’s president “the time for world empires has ended,” unless of course its an Islamic empire. President Ahmadinejad used the occasion of his UN address (and a subsequent interview with NBC) to deride the US and its president as a nation stuck in a cold war mentality determined to bully other nations.

Ahmadinejad even went so far as to accuse the US of encouraging instability in Iraq as a pretext to maintain its military presence in that nation, for what end it is unclear, but Ahmadinejad is shrewd enough to know how to play to a friendly audience (ie, the UN General Assembly). Iran’s President like so many Mussolini-esque tyrants (including Hugo Chavez) uses the US as a convenient target to castigate in order to distract from the true threat, the threat of radical Islamists and their unrelenting desire to dominate the globe. By Ahmadinejad’s own admission he seeks to establish an Islamic empire yet such threats are ignored, while the US is painted as a villain.

Meanwhile the US continues to play into the hands of such tyrants be it in Iraq or with regard to the Iranian nuclear issue. There can be no doubt that nothing will come of the sanctions debate. The EU3, China and Russia haven’t the resolve to follow through with a sanctions regime and even if they did, sanctions have never succeeded in the annals of human history. As long as the debate over punishing Iran continues the more popular and emboldened Ahmadinejad becomes.

While there is no question Iran is developing nuclear weapons, an argument can be made that a country has the inherent right as a sovereign nation to develop an indigenous weapons capability. Perhaps Iran isn’t a threat to the US, and then again perhaps it is. What the Iranians must understand, beyond any realm of doubt, is the inescapable fact that any attack, or any radicals found in possession of nuclear weapons or even the hint of nuclear proliferation will be met with a full retaliatory response. The Iranians must know and believe that a war with the US cannot result in the creation of an Islamic empire. Indeed a war with the US will result in the complete and total annihilation of all that which they hold dear (perhaps even Islam itself) and this is the fundamental principle of deterrence.

According to Ahmadinejad the US is stuck in a cold war mentality. If only this were true, then perhaps America’s enemies would not doubt our resolve. Today that resolve is in doubt as factional internal politics and flawed foreign policy dominate the US mindset.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14911603/
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/09/19/D8K88IC00.html

The International Monetary Fund, which works to ensure fiscal stability around the globe has adopted systemic reforms, which grant increased influence and voting shares to emergency economies and poorer nations.

The IMF (along with the World Bank Group) was formed in the aftermath of WWII as a means of forestalling a global economic collapse, like that which preceded the last world war.

Since its inception the US has had twice the voting strength of any other nation. Considering the IMF was largely funded by the US taxpayer this voting structure was entirely appropriate. Now the IMF has kowtowed to nations like China and other 3rd world members who call for a more equitable voting structure.

While the US will remain the most influential member that influence has been diluted by these IMF reforms. Proponents argue the changes were necessary in order to maintain the future viability of the IMF as well as ensure the IMF’s continued legitimacy. In reality the reforms were instituted solely to undermine US influence on the global stage.

As the largest contributor to the IMF it is perfectly within reason to expect the US to maintain a sizeable voting share. In fact the US contributes 3x more than the next largest donor Germany, accounting for 18% of the IMF’s total funding. With this subsequent dilution of US influence at the IMF can we expect that the US will reduce its contributions to the organization?

Critics charge that nations like China had a smaller voting share than nations like Belgium, though its economy far outpaces that of tiny Belgium, and thus reforms were imperative. Such a comparison is like comparing Apples and Oranges, it is of no consequence the size of a member country, what matters is a nation’s financial contribution to the organization. In the business world decisions made by a firm are determined by its shareholders, and the number of votes a shareholder has is determined by the number of shares he or she has. Voting power is not based on shareholder’s net worth. This is the structure that should be maintained by the IMF and the World bank, rather than allowing other nations to exert disproportionate influence over someone else’s money.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5358520.stm

As anyone who has researched the topic knows., the US doesn’t come close to measuring up when it comes to academic comparisons between American school children and children in other countries (even poorer countries).

The US spends far more on education that most every other country in the world but we have little to show for it. Nowhere is this gulf between US and foreign students more apparent than in the fields of math and science. This is increasingly apparent in the growing difficulty many high tech US-based firms have in recruiting skilled American workers. More and more these firms in Silicon Valley, Research Triangle and elsewhere have turned to highly trained foreign workers.

Our universities are filled with foreigners who learn valuable skills in math and science, only to return to their home countries, while homegrown students struggle with such rudimentary tasks as college Algebra.

As the New York Times noted in a recent editorial, the American public education system has a great many problems, principle among them is the poor quality education children receive in math and science, with teachers who aren’t trained in such fields and school systems lacking quality curriculum. Curriculum in American schools is a mile wide and an inch deep, with students lacking even a basic understanding of mathematical principles or scientific foundations.

This, however, should come as no surprise in a country where education is not valued. This should come as no surprise in a country where schools embrace principles as social promotion or refuse to give students failing grades because it harms their self-esteem or where school systems lower graduation requirements so as to accommodate the lowest common denominator. In a country were football scores and music videos take precedent, it shouldn’t surprise us in the least that we as a nation are falling behind. Or should we say: fell behind?
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/18/opinion/18mon2.html

Since last week, when the Pope denounced religious violence, especially in the name of Islam, Muslims around the world have gone to great lengths to prove that Islam is indeed equated with violence. Or so it would appear.

The Pope has been burned in effigy, Christians have been killed, churches attacked, threats have been made against the west in general and now Al Qaeda has threatened the Pope himself. Why, why so much violence from the peaceful Muslim world. Perhaps someone in the Netherlands made another cartoon? Perhaps a British author exercised is God given freedom of expression and wrote a book? Perhaps a Lebanese pop star named her dog a sacred Islamic name? Perhaps it’s the continued existence of Israel or perhaps the Muslims are still reeling over the expulsion of the Moors from Spain? No this time it is because the pope had the audacity to denounce religious violence.

So what exactly are these Muslims upset about? Clearly they condone and endorse religious violence as evident by their reactions, perhaps they are angered because the great ruse that Islam is a religion of peace has been permanently discredited, no longer can the mad mullahs speaking in the name of Allah work clandestinely to undermine the western world…henceforth there intentions are known.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/09/18/pope.islam.ap/index.html

Earlier this week the Pope sparked outrage in the Islamic world when characterizing jihad as reprehensible in the eyes of God. The pope also quoted a Byzantine emperor who noted that the Prophet Muhammad called for the expansion of Islam through armed violence if need be. For this the Pope has been vilified from Tehran to Turkey. Not a single utterance during the Pope’s speech this week, however, was absent of fact.

Exactly what did the pope say that was false? The Islamists have called for everything from an apology to threatening the pope. Such reaction’s highlight the fundamental intolerance and hatred that is clearly evident amongst radical Islam. Lest we forget, in the Islamic world, the free exchange of ideas, especially critical ones, are met with gunfire, not discourse.

This hypocritical outrage also showcases the double standard with which Muslims hold for the west. Where is the outrage for radical Islamic terror, responsible for the deaths of thousands around the globe? Where was the outrage for September 11th or hundreds of other terror attacks committed from Rome to Riyadh?

Perhaps these Islamists are most outraged because their efforts to spotlight Islam as a peaceful religion have gone awry, largely due to over 1900 years of almost continuous savagery in the name of Allah, all of which was and is fully condoned by their prophet and his holy book, the Koran. While the Vatican has assured the Islamic world that the pope meant no offense, the reality is, a true characterization of Islam, such as that given by Pope Benedict XVI is inherently offensive to all freedom loving people everywhere.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5349578.stm

This week Pope Benedict XVI has come under fire in the Islamic world for speaking the truth about Islam and what the Western world is now facing. Quoting a 14th Century Byzantine emperor, Benedict noted “Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.”

While the Catholic Church has been on the wrong side of history of many fundamental issues, truer words have never been spoken by the Bishop of Rome since the days of the Apostle Peter. Benedict contrasted Islamic violence as being abhorrent to God’s will. Critics could rightly contend that zealots in the name of Christianity (and other faiths) have evoked the name of God in carrying out decidedly evil deeds, of this there is no doubt, but there is one principle difference. Those who use violence in the name of Christianity or Buddhism or Hinduism, etc… are acting contrary to the teachings of their own faith. Christ, for example deplored violence, and urged his followers to turn the other cheek. Those Muslims who implore violence to achieve their aims are not acting outside their faith as Islam clearly calls for the destruction of infidels and the spreading of their faith through armed struggle.

For this reason any genuine Muslim can contend that the murder of the innocent is within reason in order to advance the Islamic cause. Therefore it should come as no surprise when radical clerics in the Mosques of London or the Mad Mullahs of Tehran call for the destruction of the Western world. We should take them at their word when they contend that Islam will conquer the world. We should take heed when they contend that Americans and others must submit, convert or die.

Naturally, the leaders of the Islamic world, who are quick to condemn the West, while ignoring the violence of their brethren, have called on the Pope to apologize or clarify his remarks. No clarification, however, is necessary as radical Islamists have made it clear of their intention to enforce the very letter of the Koran in dealing with non-Muslims. There [in the Koran] the Muslim world’s plans for our future are clearly outlined. The question is will we ignore this warning from history as the Europeans did with Mein Kampf or will we prepare for the inevitable struggle or freedom versus slavery?
Link to New York Times article

Yesterday, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a new statewide minimum wage bill in to law. This bill raise the state’s minimum to $8 an hour, further eroding any competitive advantage California may have had to attract new business. Passage of this bill should come as no surprise, given the political climate in the nation’s most populous state.

The people of California have long embraced the premise that it is the responsibility and duty of government to hold the hands of its citizens from cradle to grave and thus such entitlement minded legislation is understandable. Any politician who hopes to remain in office, as all politicians do, would be wasting his or her breath to appeal to common sense in noting the inescapable fact that increases in minimum wage have a detrimental impact on the economy and actually cost jobs. Likewise, any politician who dare suggest that individuals earning minimum wage should forgo raising a family until they can afford to do so would be soundly repudiated.

The case of Governor Schwarzenegger is a perfect example of the spineless pandering nature of today’s politicians. Schwarzenegger is seeking a second term as governor, as such he will do anything to appeal to the uneducated masses, which account for a large proportion of the California electorate.

The example of California will soon be followed by other states as the lust for government handouts and the utter rejection of individual responsibility is far to great for the inept and unproductive amongst us who are growing exponentially.
Link to LA Times article

The head of the United Auto Workers is upset. He’s upset because the president has not addressed the concerns plaguing the domestic automobile industry. Apparently, it is the responsibility of the executive branch of government to bail out firms who are the victims of mismanagement or irresponsible business decisions.

The president was recently in Michigan for campaign stop and also met with former American Idol Clay Aiken to have him serve on the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, for which Bush was also criticized. This criticism highlights the intellectual disabilities plaguing the UAW leadership. The problems facing the Big Three are of their own creation, the president should be under no obligation to meet with these executives, or the leadership of any firm for that matter.

What exactly would the UAW have the president do? The failings of the nation’s domestic automakers stem solely from a series of poor decisions. It should not come as a surprise that the UAW president expects the government to intervene and prop up the faltering auto industry; after all there certainly is precedent for such government handouts, why should the Big Three miss out on the government gravy train?

If GM, Chrysler and Ford are to return to profitability they must develop marketable products that appeal to the American consumer. Honda and Toyota certainly aren’t in need of government handouts to remain competitive. On the contrary, these companies have thrived by staying on the cusp of innovation, by reducing costs and by marketing products that have consumer appeal. These are the keys to market success and if the Big Three leadership needs a visit from the President of the United States to learn this reality then perhaps their demise is inevitable.
Link to Reuters article

With the anniversary of 9/11 much as been made of the mistakes of the past. There has been a great deal of focus on the fact that President Clinton, missed several opportunities to kill or capture Osama Bin Laden, of this there can be no doubt. This fixation with Osama clouds the fact that with or without the terror mastermind there would still be a war on terror.

Was Clinton derelict in his responsibilities as commander in chief? Most certainly, but we mustn’t forget that the rise of Islamic terror pre-dates Osama Bin Laden and even today, may radicals are operating around the globe independent of the Al Qaeda leader.

The war on terror is more than one man, even if Bin Laden were captured tomorrow it would serve as little more than a psychological victory, not unlike the capture of Saddam Hussein or Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The war with radical Islam will continue for the foreseeable future no matter how many individual henchmen are captured or eliminated and it will continue until either America capitulates or they do.

Five years ago terrorists murdered thousands of Americans in the name of Islam. Since that time critics have attempted to explain the rationale for the terror, just as they have done with the daily terror attacks in Iraq.

Today we hear that terrorism is largely caused by the US war in Iraq but prior to that apologists argued that the attack on the World Trade Center was the result on US policies toward Muslims and in the Mid-East in general. This too is nonsense. The US government has done more for Muslim nations in need than all the nations of the Mid-East combined, be it tsunami ravaged Indonesia, war-torn Bosnia or famine starved Somalia, for our efforts the US is and has always be constantly vilified in the Islamic world. The US is a target, regardless of its policies by virtue of its existence. If not the US it would have been Britain or Russia or China. America’s size, wealth, influence and success have made it the target of those unsuccessful, flawed, corrupt, tyrannical and failed societies, who, like all failures, blame others for their mistakes and short-comings.

Long before George Bush, long before the war in Iraq, long before the fist Gulf War, there has been Islamic terror

Indeed, many of the world’s on-going conflicts involve elements of radical Islam. In spite of criticism that US policies are to blame for reciprocal terror attacks, hundreds, if not thousands die every year at the hand of radical Islam, despite the fact that they have no connection to the US or its policies. In India, Thailand, Indonesia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Russia, Spain, Britain, the Netherlands, France, Canada, the Philippines and countless corners of the globe.

The fact remains that Islamic terror is the inevitable by-product of radical elements who make no secret of their desire to dominant the globe. From London to Tehran to Beirut, radical Mullahs have made it clear that their objective is to impose an Islamic society in every corner of the globe. The justifications for these assaults are nothing more than a pretense. In reality Islamic terror pre-dates George Bush, the Palestinian Intifada, Israel or even the Oil Boom, indeed radical Islamic terror pre-dates even the formation of the United States.

Since 622, Islamic radical have embraced a doctrine of conquest by the sword, beginning with the Arab world, followed Europe and Asia and finally the entire globe. This fact is well documented by the realities of history, unfortunately, the lessons of history are usually forgotten, especially in America. Very soon, however, perhaps once these radicals acquire atomic weaponry, America and the world will be awaken, most likely this will only take place after hundreds of thousands of our countrymen have been atomized.

For the umpteenth time in its illustrious career, the Space Shuttle launch has been postponed because of one technical hang-up after another. The Space Shuttle has been a colossal failure. Since work began on the program in the 1970s, it has failed to live up to its lofty promises. With cost overruns, frequent groundings and other setbacks, the US space program has been unduly harmed by the Shuttle.

Even NASA’s leaders have recognized the shuttle program to be a failure a fact which is further demonstrated by the fact that NASA has abandoned the shuttle concept in its entirety for its future space development, opting for one-time use capsule project used in the 1960s.

With today’s once again failed launch attempt we see the consequences of a government program. A privately managed space program would be far more cost effective, such as the SpaceShipOne program. Perhaps Paul Allen should pay a visit to Houston with some helpful ideas to get the NASA program back on track, or better still perhaps he can take over the faltering program
http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/09/08/shuttle.launch/index.html
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/4171432.html


Related Links:
http://www.thephalanx.com/2005/10/nasa-chief-backtracksthanks-to.html

http://www.thephalanx.com/2006/01/nasa-reduced-to-hitching-rides-on.html

Perhaps the folks at General Motors have finally started to waken from their slumber or perhaps they have simply been reading the Phalanx, whatever the cause, GM is finally beginning to take steps that will move the firm back to profitability. Yesterday the world’s largest automaker announced the introduction of a new expansive warranty program. The warranty for 2007 vehicles has been expanded from 36,000 miles to 100,000 miles.

This move is essential if GM hopes to complete its turnaround. What GM and the other Big Three should and must do is convince potential customers that it builds quality vehicles. This warranty should be only the beginning and if GM is to convince its customer base that it is committed to quality, these warranties should be made permanent, not a temporary gimmick to get customers in the door like employee pricing.

In addition to addressing issues of quality, the automaker must take a lesson from its Japanese rivals and market products that consumers are actually interested in purchasing.

GM (and the rest of the Big Three) must also focus on addressing issues that have led to high costs of production, particularly its labor costs, which limit the company’s flexibility in a competitive market.
Link to Boston Globe article

The people of Japan are in high spirits today, Princess Kiko has given birth to an heir to the Japanese imperial thrown.

The baby boy is the first son born into the “royal” family since 1965. This issue has been especially touchy in Japan where the constitution forbids a lowly, undeserving, woman from assuming the imperial thrown.

Prior to the birth, the prime minister had proposed new legislation that would have allowed women to assume the crown, sparking an outcry from conservatives and traditionalists who felt the move was premature and unnecessary. With the birth, such moves have now become a moot point.

Japan would have been well served if Princess Kiko had given birth to a daughter, perhaps it would have spelled the end for such a contemptible institution , allowing Japan to become a republic.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-09-05-japan-heir_x.htm

Related Articles
http://www.thephalanx.com/2006/08/japanese-public-hope-for-heir-to.html

http://www.thephalanx.com/2006/04/monarchy-tyranny.html

Chevron and its partners have struck oil in the Gulf, or so it would appear. In what could be one of the largest oil finds in recent memory, the US oil company has found a promising new well in the gulf. If predictions hold true, this discovery could boost domestic oil production by 50%.

This discovery also presents the US with a excellent opportunity, once the fields become operational, to wean itself off this dictator’s brew that is foreign oil. So much of the oil consumed in the US comes from questionable allies such as Saudi Arabia and avowed foes like Venezuela.

With America’s industrial prowess and technological skill there is no justifiable reason for the US to remain vulnerable and dependent on this crutch that is foreign oil. Unfortunately leadership in this country (left and right) remain stuck in a cloudy haze, refusing to embrace any approach and those that do suggest change only cling to a narrow view, which limits our flexibility.

The US should pursue a multifaceted approached with both short-term and long-term objectives. In the short-term we should strive to significantly boost domestic production, here are where discoveries such as this one in the gulf come in handy. The US and state governments can and should remove impediments to domestic production, thereby easing our dependence on foreign and gradually reducing prices. Domestic and foreign automobile manufacturers should also be encouraged to boost fuel efficiency and the development of new technologies that improve gas mileage, such as hybrid-electric vehicles.

In the long-term, this country should adopt a strategy, which eliminates our dependence on oil entirely, this would involve encouraging the development of oil alternatives such as fuel cells, ethanol, synthetic liquid fuels and so on. Industry should receive tax incentives to produce while consumers receive similar benefits to consume, this multi-faceted approach will ensure that the mullahs and madmen of the middle east and other oil rich tyrants don’t continue to hold us over a the preverbal barrel.
Link Reuters article

By almost every measure the GOP is headed toward certain defeat in one or both houses of Congress. It is a for gone conclusion that the Republicans will lose control of the House of Representatives and the Senate now teeters on the verge of a leftist takeover. The Republicans have only themselves to blame. For years they have squandered one opportunity after another to reign in spending and implement serious reform in Washington, instead they have played the same political game as their Democratic rivals.

They, like the president, have also allowed the Democratic opposition to dominate the agenda in Washington. They have convinced many Americans that the war on terror should be handled by police, they have convinced current and future generations of the importance of government control over social security and in spite of years of uninterrupted economic growth the left has convinced the American people of the impending doom facing the US economy.

And what have the Republicans done to counter this leftist propaganda? They have focused on meaningless issues like flag burning and gay marriage amendments all while continuing to run up huge deficits rather than cutting spending as pledged. Which further demonstrates GOP incompetence. The GOP deserves defeat, given their track record of mediocrity and incompetence. Perhaps the only thing more disturbing than a GOP victory is a Democratic victory.

With a leftist victory in Washington we can be assured that terrorists around the world will be emboldened. Taxes will skyrocket, personal responsibility and individual freedom will be further eroded and increasing government intrusion will become a fact of life.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-08-31-midterm-elections_x.htm