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ARCHIVES: August
2005 Germans lay blame at Bush and the US August 31, 2005 As we have seen, the Germans are quite used to blaming
others for their problems. During the last German election in 2002,
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, blamed the United States for most of his
problems and the sheep like German electorate fell for it, just as easily as
they flocked to see Goebbles’ propaganda films. Now the German are exporting
their ideas. Now it seems the US is not only responsible for all of the
world’s man made problems but natural ones as well. German media, who have
never shied away from their criticism of the United States, now argue that
the US is to blame for hurricane Katrina and the subsequent devastation that
was wrought on the Gulf States. The Germans argue (unscientifically) that the
recent hurricane was the result of global warming and should serve as a
lesson to the Americans to sign on to the economy crippling, prejudicial Kyoto
Treaty. Never let it be said that socialists and the hate-America crowd ever
let science or facts stand in their way. The hurricane season is normal, it
is a natural phenomenon in the sub-tropical region of the mid-Atlantic.
Hurricane’s have been ravaging that area since the dawn of time. Indeed, the
most devastating hurricane to strike the US hit over 100 years ago at
Galveston, TX killing over 6000 people. Are we to assume that George W. Bush
was responsible for that hurricane as well. Perhaps he also played a hand in
the hurricane that struck in the North Sea, wiping out much of the Spanish
Armada in 1588? Perhaps Bush was responsible for the Lake Okeechobee Florida
hurricane that killed over 1800 people in 1928? The list goes one and on, but
these facts are ignored in the rush to castigate the President and score
political points. Indeed, even, RFK, jr. has gotten in on the act. He argues
that the Mississippi governor’s role in scuttling Kyoto contributed to the
disaster. One would assume that with the exorbitant wealth of the Kennedy’s
they could afford a decent education, perhaps one that emphasized science,
but perhaps that is too much to hope for. http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,372179,00.html Looting highlights underlining depravity of some August 31, 2005 Looting continues to be a problem in Louisiana. Many people
refused to heed the warning of government officials when they urged people to
evacuate the city, choosing to remain stubbornly in a city that is 6 feet
below sea level. Now these people who have remained have taken to
lawlessness. Some, it should be noted have taken food to feed their families.
While such theft can’t be condoned, it can be understood. Most, however,
aren’t stealing food. They are taking clothes, sporting goods, electronics,
etc…Many of these looters make excuses for their actions arguing that there
is nothing wrong with such actions and others noting that if there was a
problem the police would intervene. Indeed, some claim this is retribution
for years of oppression. That is code for “I’m lazy and useless yet I blame
others for my problems and now I will take what doesn’t belong to me because
I can.” What do these looting episodes tell us about society in America? It
tells us that the only thing that keeps some people form doing harm to others
or otherwise committing various criminal acts is the fear of getting caught.
They aren’t governed by a moral code or a sense of right and wrong, just a
fear of jail. Indeed, the police should and must make examples of these
dredges of society as they robe from stores and even neighbors. Society can’t
tolerate those who prey on those who can’t help themselves. http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/08/31/katrina/index.html
More taxes
from the socialist camp… August 30, 2005 French president
Jacques Chirac has, for sometime, been urging developed countries to impose a
tax on air travel, which would be used to subsidize aid to Africa. This air
tax should be mandatory and included in the price of a traditional airline
ticket, or so Chirac would like. Yesterday, Chirac formally announced this
new tax for French airlines. So far, France has been joined by Belgium and
Germany in this new wealth re-distribution effort. Naturally, quite a number
of countries oppose this additional economy crippling tax, but then again
this mentality helps to explain why Belgium, Germany and France have some of
the poorest performing economies in Europe. Nonetheless, Chirac is not
content to impose his Marxist views on the citizens of France alone, he has
announced plans to take his proposal to the United Nations where he will push
for an international levy on air travel to supplement aid programs. The hope
being that developed countries will be cajoled and shamed into supporting an
initiative that they don’t agree with. Naturally the US will oppose such a
measure as would any reasonable country. The US airline industry already has
quite a few problems of its own. This new tax could drive them right over the
edge. In the end this tax will do nothing to alleviate African poverty. Never
in the annals of modern (or ancient) history has any country been lifted from
poverty through handouts. Indeed, Chirac’s air tax, will only harm the
developed world, further crippling their economies and will only serve as yet
another crutch for the developing world. Isn’t it time the 3rd
world got rid of these crutches and learn to walk? All those countries that
have become developed countries; Ireland, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Taiwan,
etc…did so through internal efforts, with a foundation in the rule of law and
a commitment to stamping out corruption. When the nations of Sub-Saharan
African make those commitments then they won’t need aid. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4194386.stm Guess
who’s to blame for the hurricane? August 30,
2005 If you said
Mother Nature or almighty God then you are 100% wrong, the real culprit is
none other than the President of the United States, George W. Bush. A
logical, and right minded person would realize that this is “hurricane
season” and thus hurricanes invariably strike the US coast during that time
period, but no that supposition is in error. The left in this country have
taken to the Internet to castigate President Bush, after all, who else should
bare responsibility for acts of God when you are an atheist? Bush is actually
culpable on two accounts. In the first place, the president has contributed
to “Global Warming” which spawned the storm and in the second place, the Iraq
war has deprived Louisiana and other Gulf States of their national guard
troops (troops that would be disbanded under a leftist government), meaning
they can’t assist in the recovery. The simple fact that someone could take
the time to foment such an argument in their minds demonstrates a complete
lack of reasoning and common sense. This year’s hurricane season is normal
(as reported by leading scientist) and has been such for as long as we have
kept records on such events. Even if “global warming” was to blame for this
hurricane, why is it that Bush bares the blame for global warming? Bush took
office in 2001, did we just discover fossil fuels in that year? What were we
using to power the internal combustion engine before President Bush took
office in January 2001? Was it Orange Juice? Hurricanes have existed since
the dawn of time, they were around to wipe out the Spanish Armada in 1588,
they were around to devastate the Caribbean long before Europe was ever
contemplated. Perhaps the President has a time machine and has been going
back in time creating natural disasters over the centuries, just to aggravate
liberals. http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/8/29/104828.shtml So-called church, exemplifies message of Christ
(Anti-Christ that is) August 29, 2005 Members of the Westboro Baptist “Church” in Kansas took
time out of their busy schedule to spread the message of hate and damnation
at a military funeral in Tennessee. The Westboro church members converged on
a site near the Smyrna
United Methodist Church in Tennessee with such rousing messages like: “God
hates fags” and “God hates you.” Reverend Fred Phelps, who founded the hate
mongers church of Westboro argued that US soldiers were dieing in Iraq
because of God’s vengeance for a country that “harbors” gays. Exactly, what
would Mr. Phelps have us do? Should we offer up all the gays in America as a
sacrifice? Perhaps we should offer up these phony Christians as a sacrifice
as well. For any supposed man of faith and supposed Christian to hold up a
placard claiming that God hates you, clearly demonstrates that this man has
no connection with Christ, God or anything remotely spiritual in nature. What
God hates is evil acts committed under the guise of spreading one’s faith,
whether it’s piloting a plane into a building or calling for the murder of
people because of a lifestyle you disapprove of. If God can forgive
prostitutes and murderers, who are these people to pass judgment on anyone
for anything? At the very least, they should be out on the street beginning
forgiveness for their many, many sins. We have seen these purveyors of hate
before as they travel around the country spreading their message of
intolerance and non-scriptural proselytizing. Imagine a church that devotes
its very existence to telling people how much God hates them, one doesn’t
need to go to seminary to know that this was not the message of Jesus when he
died on the cross. http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050828/D8C8JGIG0.html As we suspected… August 29, 2005 Pat Robertson’s foolish assassination remarks had just the
effect we thought it would. The Rev. Pat Robertson of TV’s 700 club, called
for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, arguing it would
be cheaper than a war. Chavez, is an avowed socialist and a frequently harsh
critic of the US. Indeed, Chavez, often takes time out of his schedule to
blame the US for almost anything negative in his country, regardless of
merit. In spite of Chavez’s rhetoric, he is largely harmless, he needs the
oil revenues from sales to the US to maintain his country’s economic prowess.
His criticisms of the US are timed to deflect criticism from himself, after
all, his socialist agenda has seen no significant improvement in the lives of
his people. Chavez is certainly no friend of the US, but calls for his
assassination only serve Chavez, and lend credence to his half-baked
arguments that the US is trying to engineer his ouster, a claim he has
frequently made. Now, another so-called reverend, Jesse Jackson, has used
this as an opportunity to get his name in the spotlight yet again. He has
publicly denounced Robertson and voiced his support for Chavez. Jackson is in
Venezuela to meet with that country’s assembly and leadership. There is no
doubt that had their not been an invention called the camera, Jackson would
have faded into obscurity years ago. But so long as the media spotlight
exists, so too will Jackson, as he constantly seeks to insert his two sense,
while dictating policy to the government. No doubt, Chavez, is the real
winner. Once again, the spotlight is taken off of his record and his policies
and placed on his wild rhetoric. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12505036.htm Nobody does it better… August 26, 2005 No we aren’t talking about Carly Simon, we’re talking
about the Italians. It is well known that the Italians are among Europe’s
chief appeasers. We doubt even the French would provide aid and comfort to
the enemy in order to win release of hostages. Russia on the other hand would
likely launch a full-scale attack that would result in the deaths of the
hostages as well as the terrorists, but Italy lives by a different credo. The
credo is simple: pay any price to avoid bloodshed. Not too long ago, Italy
paid a king’s ransom to secure the release of an Italian hostage in Iraq. Now
it appears that this spirit of appeasement is so well entrenched in the
Italian psyche that it has become second nature. Members of the Italian Red
Cross apparently treated members of the insurgency in Iraq and hid them from
US and Iraqi forces (even whisking them quietly through checkpoints) in exchange
for the safe return of Italians being held captive in Iraq. For the likes of
Cindy Sheehan and all the other war protestors out there it is Italy who
deserves your wrath, as it is Italy and other like-minded countries that keep
the insurgency going. Every time these spineless politicians pay money to
murderers they only provide additional incentives for these murderers to
continue doing what they do best, which is kill every and anyone that gets in
their way. The Italians now worry that they may soon suffer the fate of
Britain as terrorists seek to export terror abroad. One thing is for certain
any terror attacks on Italy are the direct result of Italian complicity, as
the terrorists know they can exact significant financial gain by targeting
Italian civilians, unlike American, British or Australian targets. Tails from the Axis August 26, 2005 Two of WWII’s former Axis powers (Germany and Japan) are
in the midst of difficult economic times. Germany has double-digit
unemployment and practically zero economic growth. Its leader, Chancellor
Gerhard Schroeder has called early elections for September. Schroeder and his
leftist allies are expected to go done in defeat in these elections.
Schroeder was forced to call the elections because his legislative agenda was
stalled. Schroeder has made it a point of criticizing the US at every turn,
in the spirit of Hugo Chavez, but for all the good it has done him. Schroeder
is expected to loose to his conservative challenger next month. But don’t put
anything past the German left. They made the last election a referendum on
the popularity of the US, playing on Germany’s petty jealousies, while
ignoring the real economic problems at home. They may attempt to do the same.
In Japan, by contrast, the Japanese Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, is staunchly pro-American and has even
sent troops to Iraq. Koizumi’s Japan has had its troubles as well, including
a largely stagnant economy, though unemployment remains low, in the typical
Japanese fashion. Koizumi’s reforms have also been stalled in the Japanese
parliament, but unlike Schroeder in Germany, the Japanese Prime Minister has
a fairly good chance of winning this fall’s elections. He is far more popular
in Japan and the Japanese economic situation is a far cry from the economic
train wreck that is Germany. Japan, also is facing growing threats from China
and North Korea and can hardly afford to turn the US into an enemy by blaming
America for its many problems, as the Germans have attempted to do. Perhaps
the greatest contrast between the two leaders lies in public perception,
Koizumi is fairly popular and has a reputation for seeking change, while
Schroeder has done little and continues to blame others for his many
failures, we won’t be sad to see him go. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Japan/GH27Dh02.html China a
launching pad for hackers August 25, 2005 With increasing
regularity authorities in the United States have noticed that a growing
number of hacker attacks on US computer systems are being launched from
China. For the most part these hacking attempts have been unsuccessful,
according to officials with the Department of Defense, but nevertheless, the
growing frequency is cause for alarm and may pose a national security risk.
So far, officials have yet to devise a satisfactory explanation for the
growing number of hack jobs originated in China. But there is one obvious
explanation. The People’s Republic of China is testing our strengths and
weaknesses in an orchestrated and government sanctioned attack in order to
prepare for the next modern war. Some argue that such an explanation
exaggerates the problem but the facts speak for themselves. Internet usage in
China is very different from that in the United States. Access and control of
the Internet rests in the hands of the Chinese government. Access points are
regulated and so too is content. This contrasts greatly with the United
States. Here, Internet access is not centralized or controlled by a single
authority, as in China. While the US has the ability to eavesdrop on
messages, data and information transmitted across the internet, their ability
to control that data is far more limited. In China, however, the government
does have the ability to control content. Nothing originates from China
without the tacit authority of the Chinese technical bureaucracy. Given such
realities, it is inconceivable that these hacker attacks are the work of
rogue programmers. Most likely these attacks are coordinated efforts by the
Chinese military or intelligence establishments. To ignore such facts is to
ignore tomorrow’s greatest threat. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/24/AR2005082402318_pf.html More
proof…. August 25,
2005 We at The
Phalanx have frequently recounted the numerous examples of America’s
continued economic success. We have recounted the continued steady growth of
the US economy. We have recounted the continued decline in the US
unemployment rate and we have recounted many examples of America’s economic
prowess, especially given the fact that some of our harshest critics just
happen to be those that frequently fall behind the US in head to head
comparisons. This is not a coincidence. In those countries that have been
successful and continue to prosper, such brash Anti-Americanism is less
recognizable. In countries with ongoing hardships, petty jealousies and envy
lead to deep seeded hatreds, such as in France and Germany. Now those rivals
will have yet another reason to harbor resentment toward the United States.
The US Labor Department has just announced that jobless claims in the US are
at their lowest level in 4 years. Currently the US unemployment rate is at 5%
and many economists now expect that rate to decline in the coming months. At the same time the US economy is
continuing to grow. The economy grew at a rate of 3.4% in the spring and is
on pace to grow at a rate of over 4% for the summer quarter. This is
excellent news for the US economy and further proof that when governments
ease restrictions on businesses and individuals to innovate the entire nation
succeeds, a lesson that many in the left and western Europe have failed to
learn. Indeed, many in the Democratic Party, continue to portray the US
economy as being in a shambles. They do this not because they believe it to
be the case, but because if they acknowledge realty, they musty also
acknowledge that their economic plans would have been rife with failure. http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/employment/2005-08-25-jobless_x.htm Hawaii
takes steps to cripple their economy… August 25,
2005 No one has
been a bigger critic of US energy policy than the Phalanx. We have noted
repeatedly that our continued dependence on oil as the primary engine of our
economy is a significant threat to our national interests. This is especially
dangerous considering the fact that so much of our oil needs come from
dangerous and volatile regions of the world, controlled by hostile
governments in the Middle East and Latin America, for example. The US has
known for years how dangerous this threat can be. The oil shocks of the 1970s
certainly taught that lesson, yet we have continued to do nothing and
American industry fails to innovate in this sector. It is not the role of
government to dictate to American industry, but it is the role of government
to facilitate innovation and make business endeavors more feasible. This is
done by providing incentives for business to invest in new research and
technology, enabling the kinds of innovation that free us from the clutches
of foreign oil. US energy policy must be varied and revolutionary. We
shouldn’t be dependent upon oil alone, but alternative energy sources such as
synthetic liquid fuels, hydrogen and ethanol to name a few. We should also
make use of advances in the latest technology, such as fuel cells, hybrid
vehicles and more fuel-efficient internal combustion engines. We know it can
be done, right know GM builds Minivans in China that get 43 miles to the
gallon. All this using existing technology. Why are such innovations slow to
take hold in the US? Because government limits and restricts innovation,
rather than providing the necessary incentives that spur growth. Indeed, some
governments are taking steps to cripple their economies even further. Hawaii
is one such example. The Hawaiian government has adopted a new restriction
that places a cap on the wholesale price of oil. That cap is $2.15, what this
will inevitably do is lead to shortages in Hawaii’s gasoline supply. The oil
companies can absorb some price increases in their profits, but once those
profits disappear entirely one cannot expect that they will continue to
supply oil to the islands at a loss. Assuming the price of oil continues to
increase, do to supply shortages and increases in demand, meeting the gas gap
could prove impossible. State leaders argue that these caps put gas prices in
line with the mainland, but this is a ridiculous argument. The mainland is
connected by rail, road and pipeline, none of which serve Hawaii. Gas cannot
be transported by air, meaning the only option is by sea, which inevitably
leads to greater prices for Hawaiian consumers. Perhaps if Hawaii’s schools
did a better job of teaching economics and conveying an understanding of
supply and demand, then perhaps its leaders wouldn’t be working overtime to
cripple the Hawaiian economy. http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2005-08-24-hawaii-gas_x.htm Authoritarianism alive and well in
former Soviet Union August 24, 2005 The tyranny of Russian President
Vladimir Putin is well known. Putin has gone to great lengths to stamp out
opposition and destroy every last vestige of freedom of the press. Putin’s totalitarianism even shines
through in his dealings with foreign leaders and his unwillingness to be
questioned by reporters during press conferences, but Putin isn’t the only
old Soviet warhorse with totalitarian tendencies. Turkmenistan’s President Saparmurat Niyazov
(who is “president for life”) has got Putin beat by a mile. Niyazov so
detests the concept of freedom and freedom of expression that he has sought
to ban any vestige of so-called foreign influence from his country. Most recently
he has issued a decree, which bans the playing of recorded music on
television, at public events and even at private weddings (that’s right this
“president” rules by decree, no need to burden himself with the legislative
process). President Niyazov calls this latest decree an effort to restrict
the outside “negative influences” of various foreign groups. Isn’t it
interesting how God gives us free will, but mortal men choose to take it
away. Perhaps they think they know better than God, or perhaps people like
Niyazov and Putin think they are God. This isn’t the only Turkmen decree that
has taken a swipe at individual liberty. Niyazov as already banned opera and
ballet. He has outlawed young men from having beards (no word about young
women), banned car radios, and even taken steps to close hospitals
(apparently good health is a negative influence as well). The Turkmen
president has even made a book of his personal philosophy, which is required
reading in schools, places of worship and even to get a driver’ s license.
Considering the fact that the Turkmen leader wants to limit foreign influence
it begs the question why he hasn’t gone farther? Why not ban: television, western dress clothes, books, paper,
electricity, telephones, automobiles, firearms, medical vaccines, computers,
the internet, the internal combustion engine, trains, wheel chairs, watches,
photographs, maps, the number zero, calculus, engineering and a million other
things? After all, you can rest assured none of these developments originated
in Turkmenistan, they are all foreign influences. The people of Turkmenistan
should rise up and topple this Mussolini wannabe, before he eradicates any
hope for his country’s future prosperity. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4177622.stm August 24, 2005 You may remember that Russia is
yet another battle ground in the war on terror, Islamic Radicals from Chechnya
have waged an ongoing terror war throughout Russia. These Chechens are aided
by the likes of Al Qaeda and other like-minded organizations. They have
attacked apartment buildings, theaters, subways and even schools. In these
attacks, hundreds upon hundreds of innocent Russian men women and children
have been slaughtered. The Chechens themselves have a different cause, while
they are Muslims, there outward goal (at least initially) has not been global
Islamic domination, their goal has been independence from Russia, this
region, which is vastly different in culture, language and custom from the
rest of Russia has been seeking independence from Russia for years. The
Hardliners in Russia, determined not to see any further disintegration of the
former Soviet Union have resisted bitterly. The conflict, which initially had
the characteristics of a traditional war of separation, has disintegrated
into a war of terror. Chechnya declared independence in 1991, just as many
former Soviet Republics did, Former Russian President Boris Yeltsin sent in
troops in 1994 to restore Russian authority. The Russians were humiliated and
defeated two years later. A democratic government was established and
recognized by Russia. By the late 90s, Islamic Radicals had infiltrated
Chechnya and saw the victory there as an opportunity to spread Islam, these
radicals used Chechnya as a base of operations for a wider move to spark
insurrection in neighboring Russia. Once Chechnya allowed their country to
become a base for terrorists, they forfeited any claims or rights to
independence and the legitimacy of a free people resisting oppression. In one
of their latest acts of terror these Chechen radicals launched an attack on a
Russian school in the city of Belsan, the attack occurred 1 year ago last
month and resulted in the deaths of hundreds of children and school
officials. Russia, however, is one of the few places where the rescuers have
a knack for killing as many hostages as the terrorists do. The Russian
authorities, under Putin’s sanction launched a massive raid, which led to
guns blazing in every direction, resulting in the deaths of hundreds. This
echoes a similar incident involving a terror attack on a theater in Moscow,
in which rescuers used poison gas to incapacitate the terrorists. The gas
also led to the deaths of dozens of theater patrons. A Russian mother (Ella Petrozova),
who lost her child in the school siege, spoke out during the trial of one of
the terrorists. She along with many other Belsan mothers contend that Putin
and other Russian authorities should be held accountable as well, given the
fact that their impulsive actions contributed to the deaths. There is no
doubt that international scrutiny is the only thing that keeps these women
safe. Russian media certainly will not air their grievances and Putin’s
authorities have gone to great lengths to silence criticism. Russia is
another classic example of democracy gone haywire and such totalitarianism
inevitably results in more hardship for the average person, as witnessed by
the ordeal of these Belsan mothers. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4178504.stm Robertson lends credence to Chavez demagoguery August 23, 2005 We have recounted on numerous occasions the fanatical
lunacy that comes from the mouth of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Chavez,
an avowed socialist has blamed America for all of his country’s problems. He
has argued that the US is planning to invade and that the US is the cause all
sorts of difficulties for the Venezuelan leader. All of such claims are
nonsense, but then you have people like Pat Robertson, the so-called
Christian televangelist, who called for the assassination of Chavez. Imagine
the credibility this kind of garbage gives to a man like Chavez. Chavez is no
doubt laughing at the irony. Here he is beating his chest and calling America
a bunch of thugs and then you have supposed American spiritual leaders
calling for the murder of a head of state, this couldn’t have worked out
better for Chavez if he had planned it. Surely, the conniving Chavez will use
this as further proof that his anti-American rhetoric is true. Pat Robertson
is no stranger to controversy. There is no doubt that Hugo Chavez is no
friend of the United States, but the South American tyrant poses no real
threat to the United States. He is not involved in sponsoring terrorism, even
he isn’t that foolish. He’s not involved in the drug trade, though Venezuela
is a passageway used by the Columbians and he has made no attempts to cut off
oil to the US. It is true Chavez has threatened the US oil supply, but he
wouldn’t be so inclined to follow through with such a threat because it would
cause his country more harm, than it would the US. Indeed, such an act could
bring about his ouster. Pat Roberston would be well advised to concern
himself more with WWJD rather WSGBD (What should George Bush do). http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-08-22-robertson-_x.htm Gaza empty and now West Bank…. August 23, 2005 For the past week, Israel has been
engaged in an historic and momentous event. The withdrawal from the Israeli
occupied territories. Since the 1967 War (6-day War), Israel has held the
territories of Gaza, the West Bank and the Golan Heights. This territory
(except for the Golan Heights) has been claimed by the Palestinians as the
sight for a future Palestinian state. It should be noted that the Palestinians
could have had this territory for a state 5 years ago, had they agreed to the
terms offered by then Prime Minister Barak, but that is neither here nor
their. Today Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, has followed through on his plan
for withdrawal, even at the risk of alienating many within his own Likud
Party. Nonetheless the deed has been done. Now the question is what will the
Palestinians do? Will they embrace peace and renounce terror and establish a
peaceful democratic state along side Israel? Or will they demand, as some
have, the complete destruction of Israel? One thing is for certain, Israel
will continue to exist in one form or another. There is no escaping that. The
Palestinians will either have to learn to get along with their neighbor or
continue to live like refugees in perpetuity. With the Israeli withdrawal,
many Islamic Radicals will have to look for another cause as justification
for their global war against the West (especially the US and Israel).
Recently the terrorists have added Iraq to their list of justifications for
waging a murderous campaign of savagery, but with Israel’s occupation coming
to an end, can we expect the terror threat to diminish from these camps.
Certainly not, because, as we have seen, the root cause of terror isn’t Israel
or Iraq or George Bush or Tony Blair. The root cause is an undying
determination on the part of this Islamic Terrorists to impose their
fanatical rule on the rest of the world, it is this passion of these few to
rule the many that feeds the global terror machine. This is the war we are
waging. This is the war being raged in South Asia, Africa, the Middle East,
SE Asia and everywhere in between. Iraq is just a symptom, not a cause. The
evidence, as we have pointed out, is clear, and far-reaching in historical
consequences. The terrorists are betrayed by their own words, we must submit,
convert or die. Mechanics seal fate of Northwest August 22, 2005 If a family
looses his or her job and income is cut, one would expect that the family
would cut expenses, such as luxury items, vacations, movies, and any other
non-essential expenses in order to avoid financial collapse. This is a common
practice in times of hardship. Families tighten their belts. Northwest is an
example of that family (or should we say Northwest isn’t an example).
Northwest, like many American airlines, has been suffering from high costs,
tough competition and rising fuel prices. These factors have placed a
significant strain on the airline. Given this growing strain, the airline has
been forced to reduce costs wherever possible in order to stave off
bankruptcy. The airline has asked its employees, including its mechanics to
accept these cuts for the good of the company at large, even offering job security
in exchange for the cuts. The mechanics, however, had their own plans and
opted to strike rather than accept the concession proposed by the airline.
This strike highlights the ultimate problem with the airline industry. These
mechanics have refused to accept the terms posed by Northwest, but in
striking they threaten the very jobs that they hold dear. If Northwest is
forced to cancel or limit flights, its image and support among the flying
public will be irrevocably harmed, which could ultimately force the airline
into bankruptcy and then where will the mechanics’ jobs be? The folly of this
strike is even apparent to the other unions, who have refused to join in,
realizing a strike could drive Northwest to an early grave, just as it did
for Eastern Airlines over a decade ago. Perhaps, bankruptcy is a good thing,
Northwest could purge itself of some deadweight, further reducing costs and
enable the airline to compete with more efficient airlines like Southwest and
AirTran. http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2005-08-21-northwest-usat_x.htm Attack on
Parliament thwarted August 22,
2005 Since the two
bombing attacks on the London Underground, the Brits have been on high alert
against future terror strikes. The British people have returned to their
routine, Indeed, to watch the news in Britain, one would never know that
deadly terror attacks had even taken place just a month or so ago, given the
lack of coverage of anything related to the war on terror. What’s even more
surprising is the lack of British coverage following the foiled Sarin gas
attack on the British Parliament. Scotland Yard investigators foiled an Al
Qaeda attempt to release the deadly gas in the House of Commons. Sarin was
the gas released on the Tokyo subway several years ago, with deadly results.
According to reports, the plot was uncovered by decoding various emails from
suspected Al Qaeda members involved in the planning for this attack. Sarin is
a deadly toxin, and even the slightest among can cause death in a matter of
moments. Most security officials have no means to scan for this poison,
especially in public locations like a subway, so the people are Britain are
fortunate that this tragedy was avoiding. But just as in America, complacency
has already set in, vigilance has diminished and the people of Britain have
become increasingly oblivious to the terror threat. But then again, much of
this is the work of the left, who seek to diminish the terror threat to
achieve their own political ends. http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-08-21-voa22.cfm The Case
for WMDs…. August 19, 2005 Two years ago
Secretary of State, Colin Powell went before the United Nations Security
Council to make the case for going to war with Iraq. Powell argued that there
was considerable evidence that Iraq was involved in producing and stockpiling
and researching weapons of mass destruction. Since that time, the US and its
collation partners have toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein and oversaw the
re-establishment of Iraqi self-rule, a republican form of government
gradually taking shape in that country. Some argued, before the war, that
Saddam Hussein was an immediate threat and it was imperative to institute
regime change in that country. Indeed, it was President Clinton who
authorized that very course of action before leaving office, other prominent
Democrats, including Al Gore and John Kerry called Hussein a dangerous
threat, before George Bush was even elected. Since the war’s conclusion, only
slight traces of WMDs have ever been found. The president’s opponents on the
left, forgetting their pre-war and pre-Bush rhetoric, have criticized the
President for hyping intelligence and misleading the American people. But did
he? A former aide to Secretary Powell, called his involvement in Powell’s
presentation to the UN “the lowest point” in his life. Any familiarity with
the facts would give a rational and objective person pause. The fact of the
matter is Iraq did at one time or another possess chemical and biological
weapons and was involved in nuclear weapon research. This is undisputed, even
Iraqi authorities admitted to possessing these weapons. After the conclusion
of the Gulf War, Iraqi authorities vowed to dispose of such weapons and
produce proof of that destruction, after several years of inspections, Iraq
NEVER produced so much as a Polaroid proving that these weapons had been
destroyed. Even in the face a US military buildup, Saddam Hussein refused to
produce the evidence that could have saved his regime. Why? Saddam Hussein
was fearful that admitting he had no such weapons would place his rule in
jeopardy from usurpers and foreign enemies or he had these weapons and was
unwilling to part with them. Perhaps Saddam didn’t want to appear weak before
the United States to his fellow Arabs. Given Saddam’s past and his previous
unwillingness to cooperate with weapons inspectors it is inconceivable that
he would have voluntarily destroyed these weapons and if he had why would he
continue to avoid offering proof in the face of an eminent invasion? There is
no doubt that Hussein possessed such weapons, perhaps they were turned over
to fellow Bathists in Syria or perhaps they were buried somewhere in the
Iraqi desert, but he certainly had these weapons before the war. Further
evidence of such weapons have been found in the form of mobile weapons labs,
anthrax laced artillery shells as well as agents used to produce various chemical
weapons. Regardless of this the left and their willing accomplices in the
media continue to ignore this reality, just image how their tune would and
will change once they are in power again. http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/08/19/powell.un/index.html How many
times do we have to say it… August 19, 2005 With
increasing regularity, the left has argued that the Iraq war is the root cause
of terrorism in the world today. This has been the message of people like
Cindy Sheehan, it is the consistent message of most members of the Democratic
party, it was the message of John Kerry during his failed presidential
campaign. Is the war in Iraq causing more terrorism? Sadly, liberals base
this conclusion solely upon their contempt for George Bush. The conclusion,
however, lacks any basis in fact or historical reality. The implication is that if US troops
weren’t in Iraq, as people like Cindy Sheehan claim, then the war on terror
would not be necessary. The list of innocent civilians around the world who
have died at the hands of Islamic terrorists is extremely long. Contrary to
popular myth, terrorism didn’t begin with the war in Iraq or with September
11th and the terrorist threat isn’t a figment of President Bush’s
and Prime Minister Blair’s mind. Indeed, the world has been grappling with
Islamic radicals for decades. If Iraq is the root cause of Islamic terrorism,
then what accounts for such events as the 1961 sinking of the MV Dara
passenger liner (killing over 200 people), or the Munich Airport attack in
1970 (orchestrated by Palestinians), or the Black September hijackings of 4
passenger jets in 1970, or the murder of athletes at the Munich Olympics in
1972, or the grenade attack on a Pan Am flight in 1973 (killing 30
passengers) or the downing of a TWA flight in 1974 (killing 88 people), or
the seizure of a mosque in Mecca in 1979 (killing over 200 people) or the
murder of peace maker Anwar Sadat in 1981, or the US Embassy bombing in
Beirut in 1983, or the bombing of a Spanish restaurant in 1984, or the
hijacking of a TWA flight in 1985 or the hijacking of the Achille Lauro in
that same year, or the hijacking of an EgyptAir flight also in 1985, or the
attacks on the Rome and Vienna airports (resulting in over 75 deaths) also in
1985 or the bombing of a TWA flight in Greece in 1986, or bombing of a Berlin
disco in 1986, or the bombing of a
USO club in Naples in 1988, or the downing of Pan Am flight 103 (killing over
250 people) in 1988, or the bombing of a UTA flight from Niger in 1989, or
the bombing of the Israeli embassy in Argentina in 1992, or the 1993 World
Trade Center bombing, or the hijacking of an Air France flight in 1994, or
the attack on the Egyptian Embassy in Pakistan in 1995, or the bombing of a
US Barracks in Saudi Arabia, also in 1995, or the killing of a French
Archbishop in 1996, or the kidnapping of missionaries in Sudan in 1996, or
the bomb attack on the Paris subway in 1996, or the killing of over 50
tourists in Egypt in 1997, or the simultaneous embassy bombings in Tanzania
and Kenya in 1998, or the attack on a Shi’a mosque in Pakistan in 1999, or
the attack on a Tajik Church in 2000, or the attack on the USS Cole in that
same year? All these attacks have three things in common they occurred before
the war in Iraq, before George W. Bush took office and they all involve
Islamic terrorists. To say nothing of the ongoing terror attacks involving
groups and people with no connection to the US or the war in Iraq. People
like the Buddhist teachers in Thailand who have been repeatedly attacked, or
the Christians in Sudan who are being slaughtered, or the recent terror
attack on the Indian parliament building. These events have no connection to
Iraq, but the left would have us believe that Iraq is the lynch pin upon
which all the world’s terror depends. Such a conclusion is nonsense. History
shows these terror attacks have gone on for decades and will continue until
the infidels are slaughtered en masse and these terrorists will use any
excuse that is convenient for them, be it Iraq, George Bush or dental floss
if it shall please them. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2005/August/19/edit/stories/01edit.htm Is 10 life
terms enough? August 19,
2005 The infamous,
BTK killer has been sentenced to 10 life terms in Kansas. The 60-year-old
Dennis Rader will spend the rest of his life in prison for several ruthless
murders that occurred throughout Kansas, beginning in the 1970s. Rader
confessed to his heinous crime so, there was no need for a formal trial.
Rader, however, was not eligible for the death penalty because Kansas did not
instate the death penalty until after the last murder was committed. During
the sentencing hearing Rader rambled on about his sexual lust for children
and described his need to kill. He went on to ask the families of his victims
for forgiveness. Though most families dismissed his ramblings. Rader
contended that he was a Christian and thus should be forgiven. The
prosecution noted how the BTK killer had boasted of his crimes during
television interviews, and only appeared remorseful when in the courtroom. It
was clear to investigators that Rader used the killings to fulfill his sexual
fantasies, while carefully guarding his true nature from his family and
friends. Given the brutality of the BTK killer, is confinement in a jail cell
truly a sufficient course of action? Can’t a more appropriate form of
punishment be devised? Some would argue that death is a better option, but
this in a way only rewards Rader. What this murdering savage deserves is to
pay his debt to society in full. For the rest of his natural life he should
be made to perform hard labor. Perhaps he could be hitched to a plow and made
the till the soil of the Great Plains. Perhaps he should also be responsible
for harvesting his own food and making his own clothes, without the benefit
of modern machinery. Perhaps he should be responsible for his own medical
care (again without modern tools or equipment). Above all the state shouldn’t
spend so much as a single dime on his incarceration. There is no punishment
harsh enough or a sentence long enough to make up for the savagery committed
by Dennis Rader, but he should be made to serve as an example for other like
minded sycophants determined to commit acts of brutality and savagery against
women and children. http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/08/18/btk.killings/index.html Cindy
Sheehan protest intensifies… August 18, 2005 Last year
Cindy Sheehan’s son Casey was killed in Iraq, shortly thereafter, Ms. Sheehan
met with President Bush, who praised her son and offered his condolences to
the family. After the meeting Ms. Sheehan praised the president as a man of
faith and one who was committed to the cause for which her son died. Fast
forward to 2005, now it appears Cindy Sheehan has come to an epiphany and had
a change of heart. Now she is camped outside the President’s ranch, demanding
another meeting so she can ask Bush why he killed her son. Sheehan’s protest
in Crawford has galvanized the so-called anti-war movement. Her rhetoric has
intensified and become more virulent as media attention has increased. She
now claims Bush is the terrorist and that US troops should be brought home
immediately as the war in Iraq is creating more terrorists and has made us
less safe. She also claims the US is waging a “nuclear” war in Iraq and that
if the war is so noble why doesn’t Bush sign up his daughters to fight. Where
should we begin? The US is fighting a “nuclear” war in Iraq? This statement
is so asinine does it even deserve a response? Sheehan contends that once US
troops are out of Iraq and Israel is out of Palestine, the world will be free
of terror. The fact that such a statement is aired without so much as a
rebuttal highlights the bias in today’s media. We at The Phalanx have noted
on several occasions how pervasive terrorism is. Not to mention the fact that
there were countless terror attacks long before the Iraq war, but Islamic
terrorism continues in many parts of the world that have no connection to the
US, Iraq or Israel. We have recounted Islamic terror attacks on Buddhist
teachers in Thailand, or attacks on Christians in Sudan and Nigeria or
attacks on Indians in the Indian capital, or attacks on Filipinos and the
list goes on and on and on. Yet the left would have us believe that terrorism
began with the Bush administration and if only we would leave Iraq we would
no longer suffer terror attacks. It should be noted that since Sept 11, there
have been no major terror attacks on the US. Contrast this with the Clinton
years. There were terror attacks on the World Trade Center in 1993, in Saudi
Arabia in ’95 and ’96, attacks on two US embassies in 1998 and the USS Cole
in 2000, yet to her people like Cindy Sheehan, none of these events ever
transpired. Ms. Sheehan notes that Bush should sign up his daughters for this
noble cause. Why? Did Ms. Sheehan sign up her son to join the military, an
organization designed to fight in war zones? No Casey signed himself up. The
military is a volunteer organization designed to fight this country’s
battles. It’s not a Boy Scout troop. Indeed, these leftists, as any good
opportunist, have capitalized on the media spotlight garnered by Ms. Sheehan,
but attention doesn’t lend credence to her argument, it only highlights her
obvious deception. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/08/18/SHEEHAN.TMP French
bemoan loss of “holiday” August 18,
2005 It’s a sign
of the times when Frenchman can’t go on “holiday,” or as we Americans call it
“vacation.” Increasingly many French citizens are left unable to take their
traditional summer vacations, considered by many to be as French as wine,
bread (and surrender). What is the reason for this lack of recreation among
the French populace? Is it a renewed work ethic or a desire to boost savings
or plans to start a business or to increase productivity? No it’s a lack of
money, France like several European economies, has been reeling in recent
years. The French economy is in tatters. The growth rate is non-existent and
the unemployment rate is double that of the United States. In France, the
government mandates several weeks of paid vacation. The average French
citizen receives seven weeks of vacation. Indeed, most European countries
mandate 4 or 5 weeks of vacation. As CNN noted, Australia and the US are the
only major western economies that do not mandate vacation pay. This mandate
highlights the inherent difference between nations like the US and Europe. In
Europe, the economies are faltering and unemployment is at an all time high.
Businesses can’t replace unproductive workers and they can’t afford to bring
on new workers because they are busy paying existing workers for no work.
Meanwhile in countries like the US and Australia, the economy continues to
grow and unemployment remains in check. This is not a coincidence but a
direct byproduct of capitalism, rather than the socialist tendencies of
Europeans. In France, there is more concern about lack of vacation than there
is about a lack of jobs, why, because the French social model and welfare
state breed laziness and encourages diminished productivity. The French
economic model does not reward risk taking or innovative thought and as a
result France continues to stagnate http://www.cnn.com/2005/TRAVEL/08/17/france.vacations.ap/index.html?section=cnn_latest Mexicans
want to move to the US August 18,
2005 A recent poll
showed that 40% of Mexican adults wanted to move north to the United States.
According to the poll it’s not just the Mexican poor who want to move, it’s
the well educated as well. They are all seeking the same thing, however,
better opportunities than can be found in their native Mexico. So what’s
wrong with Mexico? Why is a country so rich in history, culture and natural
resources under the yoke of so much poverty? Mexico faces the same problem
that many developing countries face. The country is dominated by corrupt leaders
and irresponsible parents. There is absolutely no reason in the world a
country like Mexico should have such high levels of poverty and unemployment.
Yet that’s exactly what the country has. Mexico has vast stockpiles of oil
and natural gas, yet countries like Singapore, with no natural resources
eclipse our neighbor to the south. Over 1/3 of Mexico’s population is under
14 years of age. Mexico has a very high birth rate, though small compared to
some less developed countries. This high birthrate places considerable strain
on the Mexican economy. The country cannot prosper as long as irresponsible
parents continue to have more and more children that they can’t afford. To be
fair, in recent years this birthrate has begun to decline, but it is still much
higher than most industrialized countries. It is selfish of parents to have
children they can’t afford or to raise children in squalor and disease, with
no hope of escape. Mexico, like many developing countries, is also burdened
by high levels of corruption. Until very recently the country was dominated
by one political party and even today, politicians appear more concerned with
political power than with improving Mexican society. Perhaps no organization
is more corrupt in Mexico than the police. Indeed, you are more likely to be
held up in Mexico City by a policeman than an ordinary street thug. This
corruptions strikes at the very heart of the Mexican economy and makes reform
all but impossible. As long as these conditions continue, such opinion polls
will continue to show a strong desire to immigrate north, which, if realized,
would place a significant strain on our economy as well. http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/index.php?page=national&story_id=081705b1_mexicanpoll Chavez threatens US (again) August 17, 2005 We have
recounted on several occasions how Hugo Chavez has become quite skilled at blaming
the US for any and all problems that he faces domestically. His frequent
diversionary tactics are meant to draw attention away from his own failings
as a leader. By convincing his people that the US is the threat, they are
less inclined to notice the many failures of Mr. Chavez himself. No after all
these years of pulling one Mussolini after another Chavez is beginning to
believe his own message. He is threatening the US and this time he is doing
it where it counts…with oil. Chavez is threatening to cut off the US oil
supply from Venezuela (actually he has done this before). Chavez knows that
he is the 4th largest exporter of oil to the United States and as
a result that gives him a great deal of influence. In reality, however,
Venezuela is just as much tied to the US and the US is tied to him. If he cut
off the supply of oil it would have disastrous effects of the Venezuelan
economy, which would have disastrous effects on Hugo Chavez. Chavez, however, makes these threats for
the same reason that China constantly threatens Taiwan. It keeps the enemy on
edge and focuses domestic attention on external rather than internal matters.
Indeed, Chavez has become so skilled at propagandizing to his people, its
conceivable that his population wouldn’t raise an eyebrow if the economy did
indeed plummet down the toilet. George Bush is no Mussolini and even when
foreign threats are real, the domestic opposition and domestic media, choose
to focus on the Administration rather than the real threat posed by foreign powers.
As a result, the US government is in a bind, considering that nothing has
been down in 3 decades to alleviate the energy predicament we find our selves
in, therefore, we can expect that the US will do everything to smooth over
relations with Chavez. In the end, it won’t work, as Chavez can’t survive
with the US as an ally, we must be enemies and thus nothing American can do
will sufficiently placate him. If we aren’t enemies, who would Chavez blame
his problems on? Certainly not himself! http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4153318.stm German election campaign kicks into
high gear August 17, 2005 Next month,
Germany will go to the polls to choose a new leader. Current Chancellor Gerhard
Schroeder has been behind in the polls for some time now. Under Schroeder’s
leadership [sic] the German economy has tanked. The unemployment rate is the
highest since WWII and economic growth is near zero. In reality these
conditions were present when Schroeder was re-elected in 2002, so why was he
re-elected in the first place? Because Schroeder did what any demagogue, does
best, he played on Germany’s fears and petty jealousies. He blamed the US,
the war on terror and the pending war in Iraq. The German electorate was ripe
for the picking. They fell for Schroeder’s message hook, line and sinker and
he was soundly reelected. But after the election was over, the reality
quickly set in that it wasn’t the US that had caused their problems with was
German socialism. It was German high taxes, and German economic restrictions
that had crippled the economy. Soon the German economy reached the point of
double-digit unemployment and zero economic growth. Now the CDU and its
leader Angela Merkel are poised to defeat the
leftist Social Democrats. Or are they? All the polls would indicate that the
CDU leads by a huge margin and most Germans blame the Social Democrat leader,
Chancellor Schroeder, for the economic malaise, but Schroeder has been in
this predicament before. Now the election campaign heats up in earnest. There
is no doubt that Schroeder and his leftist allies in the Green party will do
what they do best, draw attention away from their failings as leaders and
focus on an external foe, (ie, the US). Given that the Germans have
significantly distanced themselves from their former allies can this strategy
work? Certainly it can, all Schroeder has to do is claim the conservatives
will send troops to Iraq and they will anoint him as the new Kaiser. http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050811/ap_on_re_eu/germany_election_1 China and Russia launch war games… August 17, 2005 Under the
auspices of training to fight terrorists, the Chinese and Russian militaries
will soon engage in a major war games operation this week. The war games,
however, are raising eyebrows because of the scale, scope and choice of
weaponry and over 10,000 troops. During this “exercise” the tyrants of the
east will be using ICBMs, strategic bombers, amphibious landing craft and
other assorted weapons. Now unless, Japan or Taiwan have become hotbeds for
terrorism in the last few days, one has to guess what purpose this operation
will serve, as it certainly isn’t truly designed to oppose Al Qaeda. What it
is designed to do is showcase the strength of the Sino-Russian Alliance.
Russia and China, it is feared, are forging the creation of a new Asian
military bloc, which could spell real trouble for the US and its allies.
Among those countries watching closely is Japan, a nation with vast
potential, but do to its history, has shied away from any military buildup,
such action by China and Russia could change that. Indeed, this could be the
very thing that forces Japan to abandon its peacetime constitution in favor
of a militaristic one. Now does anyone really want a militarized Japan?
Taiwan must also be concerned and may drive the nation to pursue a nuclear
option, in defense of an expected Chinese invasion. Though the pacific coast
is not in its domain, India too, is no doubt watching these events. The
increasing bellicose behavior of China has drawn India and the US closer
together. Could we have the making of
another Cold War in Asia, it certainly seems that way?
Japan apologizes
for wartime aggression as Asia celebrates… August 15, 2005 This week
marks the 60th anniversary of Japan’s surrender, ending World War
II. Japan was the last of the 3 major allies to be defeated and perhaps its
most tenacious fighter. Unlike its fascist allies in Europe, many Japanese
vowed to fight to the death and indeed, several in the armed forces,
including the head of the Army, vowed to do just that, even after the US
dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Only the intervention of
the Emperor ensured that Japan would surrender and even that wasn’t certain
as several military officers plotted a coup to prevent Japan’s
surrender. Japan’s brutality during
the war was legendary and would make even some Nazis cringe. The Japanese slaughtered
millions across Asia. Japan’s treatment of British, Australian and American
POWs was horrendous, but at least they lived, many Chinese weren’t allowed to
surrender. Civilians were killed en masse. Women were raped repeatedly, even
young children and infants were used for bayonet practice. All of these
actions were condoned by the Japanese military, who argued that their enemies
weren’t even human. Many Japanese continue to make excuses for this
treatment, others refuse to recognize the fact that events like the “Rape of
Nanking” ever occurred. Nonetheless, they did occur and finally some Japanese
officials have begun to recognize this reality. Japan’s Prime Minister,
Junichiro Koizumi, marked the anniversary by apologizing for Japan’s wartime
aggression and vowed to stay committed to peace. To many Japanese this
statement may have seemed odd. In the first place most Japanese are taught
and believe that their actions were justified during the Pacific war.
Moreover, wartime atrocities not only aren’t taught but are completely
ignored in Japanese schools. While most German children learn about their
brutal past during the holocaust, the mass murder committed by the Japanese
across Asia has been completely white washed. It is because of this fact that
many of Japan’s former enemies, like Korea and China, still harbor resentment
toward their former tormentors. "The majority of our people
believe that Japan was forced into war by the United States. America was
making unreasonable demands upon us. So we were fighting a war of national
self-defense," noted nationalist author Hideaki Kase. Unfortunately this
attitude is not uncommon, and is not historically accurate. There is no
question that Japan began its aggression long before WWII with the colonization
of Taiwan and Korea. Then in 1931, Japan seized territory from China, long
before the US even contemplated a protest. Japan then launched a massive
invasion of China in 1937. In subsequent years, Japan moved into Indo-China
(Vietnam) and the East Indies (Indonesia), all the while raping and murdering
hundreds of thousands of people. Only after these incidents did the US cut
off aide and fuel to Japan, which as a sovereign nation was America’s right.
What foolishness to argue that because a nation won’t sell or send you aide,
that gives you the right to take it from your neighbors. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4145356.stm Proposed
begging ban ruffles feathers August 15,
2005 This fall,
Atlanta officials will unveil one of the world’s largest aquariums. The
Georgia Aquarium, situated in the heart of downtown Atlanta, promises to be a
major tourist attraction, located across the street from CNN Center and the
centennial Olympic park. One-thing aquarium benefactors and business leaders
don’t want, however, is for tourist to be accosted by aggressive panhandlers.
These civic and business leaders have supported a proposal that would ban
panhandling in the heart of downtown. Naturally, the proposal has run afoul
of homeless advocates and the homeless themselves. They argue the proposed
ban would be a violation of their rights. Some advocates argue the city
should instead propose boosting the minimum wage and creating affordable housing
for the city’s homeless. Derrick Boazman, a former city councilman and
homeless advocate argues that the poor have a right to ask for money and
people have a right to say no. This is the same argument used by the
telemarketers, when the no call list was proposed. Boazman earlier demanded
that the aquarium hire the homeless, or they would block its opening. Again
these homeless advocates, show there contempt for free enterprise, by
demanding jobs for people with no skills and who are demonstrated failures by
their obvious condition. The reality is, when these people ask for money they
can be and sometimes are threatening. People have no right to intimidate and
threaten others. If you want a favor go to a charity, a mission or a church,
or just hold out your hat, but stay away from people. Perhaps the city should
consider create specially designated areas where these homeless people can
converge and beg all day until their heart’s content. Those who feel like
giving can stroll past one of these areas and give to the homeless, while
others who don’t want to be accosted or threatened can walk the streets of
town without such fears. Some advocates have even pulled the race card,
arguing that the ban is racially motivated, which is ridiculous in a city
where many on the city council and the mayor are black and support the ban.
The reality is people do not have a right to come up to someone and demand
payment for no services rendered. The Supreme Court has long held that we
have a constitutional right to privacy and thus the begging ban is not only
constitutional but also proper. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/15/AR2005081500278.html
What else
makes a liberal? August 12, 2005 We’ve already discussed at length how most “victims” of poverty are truly victims of their own failures as a human being and thus they develop an entitlement attitude, which is fertile ground for liberal sentiment, and not before long they are demanding restitution from the government. But not all liberals are poor and downtrodden. Indeed there exist an entire breed of leftists who are the very upper crust of society. These are the John Kerrys the Ted Kennedys and the George Soroses of the world. Clearly these people aren’t in need of handouts, they don’t need welfare from the government, so what is their agenda? In the liberal world, in contrast with the free world of free thinkers and free markets, there are two halves. There is the slave and the master. The slaves are those demanding handouts, those who are subservient to the state and those dependent upon the state for their existence and then there is the master, those who need dependents. These are the elitists, the political leaders who thrive on the political influence and power that comes from the creation of a subject class of citizens who have no concept of the idea of independent thought. These elite leftists, like the demagogues of years gone by, seek political power and influence. To do that they must have a power base. That power base is composed of people who have a sense of loyalty to the demagogue. In this case the poor liberals have a sense of loyalty to the elite liberals because the elites provide incentives for that support. Such incentives include government handouts like welfare. Witness the ongoing debate over Social Security. Why do you suppose so many leftists oppose attempts to privatize or partially privatize the system? Is it because they fear for their investment? No of course not, after all, how could any investment be more shady than social security where “investors” receive only a fraction of what they put in? What these leftists are afraid of is personal responsibility. They would prefer the government make decisions for them regarding their retirement. Indeed, some activists have made this very argument and what this proves is the sheer power the elites have over their subjects, over 60 years they have destroyed any vestige of hard work and independence among many Americans. They do this by playing to people’s hatreds and jealousies. Such as class warfare, by blaming the so-called rich for their problems. For most people it is far easier to blame someone else for failures than to cast the spotlight inward. The elites have no concern for the downtrodden. How could they, such policies of dependence never succeed in lifting people out of poverty? Once a person’s work ethic is destroyed they are doomed. Take for example the socialist nations of Western Europe. We noted earlier that the French economy grew by 1/10th of 1% last quarter and unemployment is in double digits. Why do you suppose that is? Because productivity and ingenuity have long been absent from socialist France and if these elitists have their way, America will soon follow. Is power and influence worth that? To the liberal it is.
French
growth near zero August 12, 2005 In a story
that should come as a surprise to no one with any understanding of economics
or finance, the French economy, such as it is, has ground to a halt.
According to recently released figures the French economy grew at a rate of
0.1% during the last quarter, this is coupled by the fact that French
unemployment exceeds 10%. The French situation is not unique in Europe.
Overall, the Eurozone economies grew by a paltry rate of 0.3% during the last
quarter. This compared with a growth rate of 4% in the US and unemployment
around 5%. The French prime minister has declared his goal of reducing
unemployment to be a high priority, but there may not be much he can do,
after all, French law makes it extremely difficult to terminate unproductive
employees. The French government also imposes excessively high taxes on
businesses and consumers. As a result there are significant strains on
growth, which harm the economy and the public at large. The socialist model,
championed by President Chirac and most French presidents before him is a
colossal failure. France is also plagued by extremely influential unions,
which reject even the slightest notion of reform, dooming France to ever more
stagnation. France and much of Western Europe is also plagued by another
dangerous problem. Europe’s population is aging. Birth rates are low and soon,
there will be more citizens who are retired than those who are working and
thanks to the French welfare state, the government will have to raise taxes
even more or drastically cut benefits in order to stave off bankruptcy. For
all the criticisms of the US and social security, we should be grateful that
we aren’t in the European boat. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4144680.stm What are
five lives worth? August 12,
2005 Apparently
the lives of five innocent people aren’t worth very much, at least not in
Arkansas. In 1998 a young delinquent,
age 13, opened fire on students and teachers at his school in Jonesboro,
Arkansas. The shooter, Mitchell Johnson, is now 21 and a free man. He served
only 7 years for the brutal killing of four students and a teacher. Arkansas
law only allowed authorities to hold him until his 18th birthday
and federal law added an additional 3 years. To the families and anyone who
yearns for justice, this is an affront. Exactly what brain scientist came up
with the notion that a murderer should be set free at all, much less after 7
years in prison? This man is a murderer pure and simple, now this murdering
savage has his life back, he is free to go to college, start a family, own a
business, etc…though we have our doubts about the ability of this goon to do
any of those things. Nonetheless, the premise that a 13 year old doesn’t
understand the concept that murder is wrong is utterly preposterous. Not only
does he understand, but he was no doubt grinning all the way to prison,
realizing he had pulled off the perfect crime. It’s a pity this savage is
free, as it is a forgone conclusion that this savage will kill again. The
people of Arkansas should be very nervous. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-08-11-school-shooter_x.htm What makes
a liberal? August 11, 2005 This is no easy question. There are number of factors that lead to the formation of the liberal mindset. One of the most obvious factors is Poverty. While this may not be true 100% of the time, we can say with relative certainty that the majority of those that would be considered poor are liberals. Above all liberalism is characterized by failure, a failure of the individual to achieve or a lack of desire to do so. Clearly those living in poverty are failures. The main difference between a success and a failure is one who takes advantage of their surroundings and the resources around them. They make calculated decisions to maximize those resources available and avoid making costly mistakes. Liberals and advocates for the poor argue that the poor simply lacked opportunity or society failed them. This is the poorest excuse one could possibly muster. Every child in America is entitled to a free and public education. Some would argue that schools in poor districts lack resources, such as computers, Internet access, laboratories, and musical instruments. Well so did every school 100 years ago, 50 years ago or even 20 years ago, but those with a work ethic and those who wanted to achieve something in life did the best with the tools they had and overcame these obstacles through hard work. One doesn’t need the Internet to read. One doesn’t need a computer to practice math skills, one doesn’t even need a science lab to understand biology. A failure is one who makes excuses and that’s what these people who blame the schools and society have done. Others complain that impoverished families can’t send their children to college. Nonsense! While it may be true that not every child will get into a major public university like the University of California, Virginia, Georgia Tech or UNC. There are countless two-year junior colleges and vocational schools. Very often these colleges have minimal (if any) academic requirements and tuition is a fraction of that required for major colleges. Some say they can’t afford that. Well try working at McDonalds and use the money to buy books, rather than cell phones or clothes. Then there are student loans, made just for this very purpose, but again if one lacks effort and a drive to succeed, they are doomed before they begin. Then there is the old adage: “minimum wage isn’t enough to support my family.” Well knowing how insufficient minimum wage is for a minimum skill job, why in God’s name would anyone have a child? If you are old enough to have sex, then surely you know the consequences of your actions. Are a few minutes of carnal lust, really worth a lifetime of poverty? Indeed, even in the face of all of these obstacles, people can and do succeed everyday, but what separates them from those who languish in poverty is a drive to succeed and prosper. Others are content to blame others for their failings. Others are content to demand handouts and thus we have the liberal mindset, at least insofar as it relates to the poor. These people see it as the responsibility of the state to provide for them. They have made wrong decisions, squandered opportunities and rested on their laurels (or reproduced on their backs) and now demand payment for their wasted lives. Go to any college campus, no matter how big or small or prestigious it is (or isn’t) and you will see a veritable army of support personnel, some working as custodians, some working in food service, some washing windows. In most cases these minimum wage workers are entitled to a free college education, but how many do you suppose actually take advantage of that. None, yet in the very same breath, they will call on the government to raise their pay for a job which requires almost no skill. They will demand an assortment of government handouts and welfare programs. Why? Because they are unwilling to exert the requisite effort to lift themselves out of poverty, which is where they deserve to be if they are so inclined. Russia and
Poland at odds (again) August 11, 2005 A few weeks
ago the children of some Russian diplomats were mugged in the Polish capital
of Warsaw. The incident wasn’t politically motivated and more likely than
not, the muggers didn’t know who these children were, or their parents for
that matter. Nonetheless, the ever-sensitive Russians had to turn an
unfortunate incident of street crime into a national emergency. President
Vladimir Putin went on national television to voice his opinion and Russian
authorities went so far as to demand a formal public apology from Poland’s
leadership for the incident. Can you imagine if the President and Congress,
had to formally apologize every time a foreigner was the victim of a street
crime. I was robbed in London once and I never heard from Tony Blair, I
suppose I should be upset. The melodrama didn’t stop with the public
recriminations. Russian politicians blamed Poles for stirring up anti-Russian
fervor in Poland. Naturally Poland, caved under the pressure and its leaders
formally apologized to Russia, after all when you sit next door to a
totalitarian behemoth that has invaded twice in the last century and occupied
your country for 60 years, you tend not to tack chances. Why do you suppose
Russia turned this unfortunate case of street crime into a national issue?
One word: Mussolini. As we have seen time and time again dictators frequently
have to draw attention away from their failures as leaders and their tyrannical
ways by focusing attention on an external enemy as in the case of Mussolini.
The Chinese do it with Taiwan, North Korea does it with the United States.
The French do it with Britain or anyone else for that matter, but in most
every case, the perceived enemy is only imaginary. Nonetheless, Putin is the
epitome of a hard-line dictator, though he was “elected.” Given this fact,
every issue must rise to a presidential matter. Though he is the president of
a country with over 140 million people he has time to concern himself with a
mugging. Right! Now it seems the Russian rhetoric and the state media blitz
has resulted in targeted political attacks on Polish diplomats in Russia. The
hostile environment in Russia has gotten so bad that Polish authorities advise
embassy staff to avoid spending too much time off embassy grounds. The Poles
suspect political motivations and given Putin’s track record this should come
as no surprise. Indeed, with Putin at Russia’s helm, the country has more in
come with the Sicily of Godfather fame than of a civilized nation. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4736075.stm
Unharmed victims want money August 11, 2005 In the wake of the Air France Crash in Canada last week,
several passengers have come forward with demands for the airline to cough up
some cash. The Air France flight skidded off the runway during a violent
storm and later burst into flames, no one was killed and only a few
passengers suffered minor injuries. These crash survivors now claim, however,
that they are entitled to monetary compensation for “trauma.” One passenger
said she had nightmares and couldn’t sleep. And for this she wants
compensation? I suppose she thinks she’s entitled to hundreds of thousands of
dollars for her nightmares. The next thing you know, the movie industry will
be sued because young children can’t sleep after seeing a horror film. The
so-called victims claim that this is not a cash grab, but considering the
fact that there were no real damages, its hard to accept this premise.
Several passengers have signed on to a $325 million class action lawsuit.
That averages out to more than $1.05 million for each passenger. Not to
shabby for a couple of bumps and bruises. Air France has offered to
compensate the victims, but hasn’t made their plans available to the public
as yet. As such we at the Phalanx have a proposal. First of all each
passenger should receive a free 1 way voucher to anywhere Air France flies.
For those with problems sleeping Air France should buy them a bottle of
Nytol. For those with bumps or bruises…two packs of Band-Aids. For those with
nightmares… a good book. Air France
should also contract with Samsonite to give everyone a new travel bag and a
week’s worth of clothes. That should more than cover the costs of their
losses. Any further claims should be dismissed out of hand. We would
recommend that the passengers could sue God, since it was bad weather, but
since Canadians and Frenchmen don’t believe in God they could always sue the
US, after all isn’t the US to blame for all the world’s troubles. http://www.canada.com/national/story.html?id=c9df337a-8ace-462d-8952-3fab941696f4 Atheism on rise in Europe… August 11, 2005 For anyone that has visited Europe recently, this should
come as no surprise, but the non-religious crowd is growing by leaps and
bounds in Western Europe. Even in Western Europe’s most spiritual nation,
Ireland, the number of people who shun religion is on the rise. As USA Today
reports, every major religion except that of Islam is on the decline in
Europe. One such nation spearheading the move toward atheism is France, where
in many places church attendance hovers around 10%. France’s record on
matters of faith goes without question. France recently passed a law banning
any and all personal religious symbols in schools, such as crucifixes and Yarmulkas.
Indeed, France has gone out of its way to purge the society of anything
related matters of faith. Indeed, France is a model for secularism, in
Europe, but France is not alone. Britain and the Netherlands also lead in the
number of people who say they never particpate in religious services. In the
US that figure is only around 16%, who say they have no-religious affiliation
at all, but the left is working to change that. These figures contrast with
that of Eastern Europe, where faith based institutions are flourishing.
Eastern European, now free from the yoke of communist oppresion is now a
bastion for those eager to practice their faith. This stark contrast has lead
to very real challeneges for the European Union as people of faith and morals
in the East strive to make common ground with the atheists in the west. As
this report in USA Today notes, the decline in faith has also seen a decline
in the marriage rate and an increase in the number unwed births. In some
European countries, there is no shame in having children out of wedlock. As
one priset noted many Europeans claim to be “spiritual” but this is a
spirituality which fits with their lifestyle. In otherwords, as long as they
must adhere to no code of ethics or morals, as long as they can pursue any
carnal desire, without consequence and as long as they act according to the
flesh then there is a place for “spirituality” in their lives. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-08-10-europe-religion-cover_x.htm
Chavez
talks trash (again) August 10, 2005 At some point
you have to wonder how gullible and foolish the people of Venezuela actually
are. For years Hugo Chavez, the tyrannical socialist president of Venezuela
has made one outlandish claim after another against the United States. Only a
few days ago, he claimed the DEA was spying in his country and thus Venezuela
would no longer cooperate on drug enforcement operations. And he has
frequently claimed that the US is engineering his ouster. Chavez, brings
paranoia to new heights, but is it really paranoia or is it calculated?
Chavez, a former military officer is quite adept at the art of pulling a
Mussolini. Chavez knows full well that his socialist promises haven’t brought
about the heaven on earth for the Venezuelan people. The poor are still just
as poor and the economy has faired no better. In spite of the fact that they
are one of the world’s top 5 oil exporters. So what does a dictator do when he
has racked up numerous failed promises? Why not blame an imagined external
foe (like Mussolini did with the Ethiopians and the Greeks and Albanians, or
as Hitler did with the Jews and the Slavs or as Arabs do with non-Arabs, or
as the French do with Americans). So Chavez sat around in his palace and came
up with a target, why not the US, after all they are successful and powerful
and influential, it will be easy to play of the petty jealousies that already
exist. Anytime Chavez faces difficulty he plays his trump card, he blames the
US for whatever difficulties he is facing. Now Chavez is at it again.
Apparently he has come up with the notion that the US is planning an
invasion, for what purpose no one knows, but it is real enough in Chavez’s
mind and that’s good enough for him. He vowed that Venezuela would resist an
American invasion and went on to denounce American capitalism and vowed that
socialism was the only path. If this is true we should expect Chavez to give
up his palatial digs soon and take a pauper’s salary so that he may be equal
with his countrymen. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-08-09-venezuela-us_x.htm Demagoguery
alive and well on the left August 10,
2005 The dictionary defines a demagogue as a leader or orator, whose rhe | |||||
