Four days ago, the Iranian Navy [sic] seized 15 British sailors on the open waters of the Persian Gulf, claiming the Royal Navy had violated Iranian waters, there is even reports the Iranians will put the Brits on trial. Can one imagine US Navy personnel allowing themselves to be kidnapped on the high seas, but sadly such is the depths to which the Royal Navy has sunk…gone is the former glory of the once prestigious Royal Navy.

One cannot be surprised by the actions of Iran, a regime founded on the taking of hostages. With a long history of hostage taking, be it the US embassy or the sanctioning of hostage taking in Lebanon and now this…Iran has further demonstrated its status as a rogue state.

Even if (and that’s a big “if”) the Royal Navy had violated Iranian waters was it truly necessary to seize them at gun point? How many times have boundaries been accidentally crossed…civil nations would be to simply ask them to withdraw, instead the Iranian government has taken this opportunity to create a media show, parading these hostages on television and broadcasting these phony coerced apologies…demonstrates the danger posed by Iran.

The Iranians have tried to portray this as rooted in the war in Iraq or Anglo-American policy there, in realty, Iraq has nothing to do this. In realty Iraq saw weakness on the part of the UK and has taken this opportunity to make a political point. Britain must now make a position, either they stand for something or they stand for nothing. This fact is demonstrated by the fact that the patrol boat’s escort, the HMS Cornwall was prepared to fire on the Iranians, but was ordered to stand down by the Ministry of Defense…what madness is that. Verily, Churchill must be rolling over in his grave at this very moment.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/03/30/iran.uk.sailors/index.html

As anyone who is knowledgeable of current events can attest, a rash of foreclosures is currently sweeping the country and who’s to blame for this unfortunate occurrence…why Alan Greenspan of course. Greenspan and the Federal Reserve are to blame for not aggressively regulating risky lending practices, note that just as criminals aren’t to blame for their actions and just as the so-called “working poor” aren’t to blame for their station in life, so too are those who have been irresponsible in managing their money.

It’s the Fed who is responsible becomes Mr. and Mrs. John Q. Public purchased a home they couldn’t really afford or choose to finance that home with a high risk option only mortgage. Only a few years ago when credit was tight, the left was critical because he mortgage industry wasn’t making loans available for high risk borrowers, now it seems the inverse is equally detestable to them.

Once again the left demonstrates their long held belief that individual citizens should not be held accountable for the choices they make, instead it is the duty of the state, in this case the Fed, to hold their hands and make certain the decisions they make are the correct ones, surprisingly none of the Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee have yet called on the government to actually pay the mortgages on these homes but can that be too far off, give the current march of socialism in America.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/22/AR2007032201973.html

Perhaps Mexico's latests protests could have been an episode of Seinfeld as it is certainly about nothing.

Perhaps if Seinfeld were writing this post, perhaps he would begin by asking the question: What’s the deal with Mexico? First Mexico went out of its way to protest when a few construction workers, building the wholly inadequate “border fence,” ventured onto the Mexican side of the border and now President Calderon and Company have expressed concern over US personnel who crossed the border while fighting brush fires. Are these Mexican’s to be believed?

Millions of Mexican citizens with the tacit approval of the Mexican government cross the border every year, yet where are the protests, indeed even the Mexican army is guilty of violating US sovereignty, yet where is the protest? Me Thinks Thou Doth Protest Too Much…Before Mexico raises its voice to protest again, perhaps Mexico to take steps to act like a responsible member of the community of nations or allow the US to send troops on to its soil…
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0307BorderIncursion07-ON.html

Yesterday a federal jury convicted former VP Chief of Staff Lewis Libby in his perjury trial surrounding the case of CIA officer Valerie Plame. Apparently Libby was in someway complicit in the outing of the not so covert agent Plame in supposed retaliation for Plame’s husband’s political overtures surrounding the Iraq War.

…and a collective yawn goes up across the country. Perhaps this is sad but a certain Phalanx editor simply can’t get into this story. Be Libby guilty or not it really is of no consequence. Yess Libby probably did lie and if so then he's guilty, then again maybe he forgot or misspoke or whatever he claims he did...does anyone really care.

One thing is clear, the trial was little more than a show trial as the Special Prosecutor went out his way to find juror who harbored anti-Bush sentiment, given this fact the trial has the makings of a farce…nonetheless who cares….

Perhaps Bush will Pardon Libby just to thumb his nose at left and be done with it….
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/06/cia.leak/index.html

As we all know the left has been clamoring for some form of national healthcare for decades. When Clinton came to power in 1993, much was made of a universal healthcare proposal offered up by Hillary Clinton. Fortunately for our republic, Hillary-care was Dead on Arrival, today, however, the game is different…the Democrats are on the verge of a complete takeover of the US government and the only thing that’s stands in their way is the nominally conservative, incompetent Republican party.

The fact is…government controlled healthcare is a farce in practically every scenario one can imagine. If you doubt this fact one need look no further than our neighbor to the north for an indication of the dangers posed by a government controlled healthcare system. Government control, like socialism in its purest forms, is a recipe for disaster.

Across this country, leftists, teachers organizations and others have decried efforts to offer private marketplace alternatives to our government run schools, this argument could be accepted at face value if our schools were the envy of the world and if our children were the best educated, but of course we know that is far from the case…

The exact opposite is true with the nation’s present healthcare system. The healthcare system in the US exceeds that of most in the industrialized world and much of the credit for that goes to the free enterprise system and the spirit of competition which allows us to attract the best and the brightest. This contrast with our government controlled veterans healthcare system. The shameful treatment of our Iraq war veterans at Walter Reed hospital is a prime example of the failings of a government healthcare system where treatment of the sick is secondary to the level of gross incompetence put on display each and everyday. Sadly the situation at Walter Reed is not unique, as any veteran can attest, VA hospitals around the country are healthcare facilities of last resort. Most veterans would gladly pay for private healthcare if they can afford to do so. The father of a certain Phalanx editor was himself a veteran and never set foot in the local VA hospital, if he knew what was good for him…and this is the fate the Dems have in store for us all.
Link to LA Times article

Link to Washington Post article