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ARCHIVES: May
2005 Pessimism as EU proponents admit treaty is lost May 26, 2005 The French leadership is dismayed as they come to the
inexorable reality that the EU treaty, set to be voted on this Sunday, is all
but lost. The leadership had pulled out all the stops to sway public opinion.
The leadership called in tired old socialists, like Gerhard Schroeder, from
other countries to drum up support. The French leaders said a vote for the
treaty would be a way to thumb the nose at the US, claiming the US wanted a
no vote, as the leaders attempted to capitalize of 230 years of French
anti-Americanism. If the EU treaty is defeated in France and Holland, as is
expected, little will actually change. The EU will still exist and so too
will its common market. Many French, however, and indeed many Europeans in
the west, saw the treaty as a threat to their wonderful socialist model and
ultimately a threat to the European welfare state. In reality the real threat
to the economy is not the EU treaty but the welfare state itself.
Unfortunately, the European populace seems to lack any semblance of logic.
Their welfare state has crippled their economy for years, has led to
extremely high levels of unemployment, economic stagnation, and little
innovation. It is no secret that unemployment in countries like France and
Germany has been in double digits for years, yet nothing has been done, and
as long as they cling to the socialist model, very little can be done. In
reality the EU treaty is a good first step for Europe, but only a first step.
Because it is logical it will fail, but then again perhaps that is for the
better as the EU with their deep seeded long simmering Anti-Americanism, will
pose no serious threat to the US.
Make no mistake about it, European Anti-Americanism is extremely
dangerous for the US and furthermore, it is not a product of the Iraq war or
George Bush, it has existed for decades, anyone with a basic knowledge of
history can attest to this. This resentment will only grow as they come to
the realization that even with their combined strength, knowledge and
population, they still pose no challenge to the US. Jealousy and envy breed
far more enemies than unilateralism ever could… http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-1628272,00.html Iraqis preparing to lower the boom May 26, 2005 Amid reports that terror leader Al-Zarqawi, has been
seriously wounded in Iraq, the Iraqi government has announced plans for a
major anti-terror operation against the insurgents operating in and about
Baghdad. Reports indicate the government will deploy some 40,000 troops and
practically lock down the Iraqi capital. As one Iraqi official noted:
"We will also impose a concrete blockade around Baghdad, like a bracelet
around an arm, God willing, and God be with us in our crackdown on the
terrorists' infrastructure. No one will be able to penetrate this blockade."
This is great news for the champions of peace and democracy in Iraq. At last
the government is getting serious against these murderers who are doing
nothing but killing their fellow Muslims and fellow countrymen. The Iraqi
people must demonstrate that they are serious about clamping down on these
murderers. Only then will they be able to win the peace. They can’t expect
the US to shoulder this responsibility, especially given the Iraqi climate.
Many oppose the terrorists, but also want foreign troops out. This major
operation by Iraqi forces comes as the US launches a sweep in western Iraq.
The spike in terror and the US response is the clearest sign that the
insurgency may be loosing its steam. This is the death struggle of a defeated
enemy. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/26/AR2005052600315.html Carrot and stick diplomacy continues with Iran May 26, 2005 Iran recently made a pledge vowing not to pursue the
development of nuclear weapons. The European Union has been negotiating on
and off with the Iranians for some time, each time the Europeans have given a
little more to the Iranians in the form of concessions and yet the Iranians
have not done a thing in response. All the Iranians have done with any degree
of consistency is rattle their sabers. Now the Iranians have been rewarded by
the United States with acceptance of Iran’s WTO application, which means
their entry into the World Trade Organization is all but assured and for
what? Because of a pledge? The Iranians have violated one pledge after
another, just as the North Koreans have done, yet we are expected to believe
that this time it is for real. The Europeans can’t be trusted to extract any
concessions from Iran, indeed the Europeans are negotiating from a position
of weakness and the Iranians know it. The Europeans have never demonstrated
any strength or wherewithal to match their word with might, not since the 19th
century. The United States, by not negotiating directly with the Iranians and
allowing the Europeans to take the lead, are placing their future in the
hands of an unreliable ally. The US should have direct contact with Iran.
These people only respect strength, which the Europeans lack. The US must
become proactive, then and only then can such incidents be avoided in the
future. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/5/26/latest/20050526205204&sec=Latest Amnesty International attacks US on Human Rights May 25, 2005 Amnesty International has launched into a full-scale
diatribe against the US for its human rights record. According to the report
the US is now considered a “hyper-power,” a derogatory term first penned by
French President Jacques Chirac. The report also noted that: “When the most powerful country in the world
thumbs its nose at the rule of law and human rights, it grants a license to
others to commit abuse with impunity." The details aren’t very specific,
citing “claims” of abuse. Naturally a person being held in detention isn’t
likely to have kind words for his captors, but the anti-US group is inclined
to print anything negative as gospel. The amnesty report sited the fact that
some 40 people died after being struck by a taser, in spite of the fact that
there is no corroborating evidence demonstrating a link. Perhaps Amnesty
could publish a report of how many people were struck by taser (no less than
thousands), but 40 died, and Amnesty in their infinite wisdom decided that
was incontrovertible proof. Amnesty refers to the unfortunate humiliation of
prisoners at Abu Ghraib as torture. If only Saddam Hussein “tortured” his
victims in this manner. The report also derided the arrest of Staff Sergeant
Camilo Mejia Castillo and Sergeant Abdullah William Webster because they were
conscientious objectors. What nonsense is this? What do you think you are
expected to do when you join a VOLUNTEER army, make girl scout cookies? This
is an example of a one-sided anti-american report with little basis in fact
only rhetoric. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4578627.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/25_05_05_amnesty.pdf Bush has met his match on Social Security May 25, 2005 The president for some time has been push for private
accounts as an addendum to his social security reform plan. USA Today reports
that the opposition to his social security privatization plan is quite vocal
and mobile, plaguing the president wherever he visits. President Bush, must
now come to the inevitable reality that Social Security privatization is
dead. Never mind that benefits were never in danger. That is not the real
issue. The real issue is personal responsibility. People who have failed to
plan and prepare for the future realize that they couldn’t possible bare the
responsibility of managing even a portion of the retirement savings, rather
to let the government do it, even if the benefits are dramatically smaller.
The average American has embraced an entitlement mentality, perpetuated by
Democrats, socialists and a general sedentary attitude popular with today’s
youth. As such, personal responsibility is out and paternalism is in. If the
person hopes to institute any meaningful reform he will abandon private
accounts for another solution. Make social security funds, untouchable, so
the government can’t borrow against them and have the funds invested in US
Securities, while not as advantageous as private accounts it at least offers
a guaranteed return far better than the existing social security structure. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-05-24-bush-social-security_x.htm Mexico: Do as we say, not as we do May 25, 2005 Vincente Fox, the race-bating president of Mexico has
railed against a new proposal to station National Guard troops along the US
border. A Mexican official responding to the proposal noted: “We absolutely and emphatically reject this
suggestion," Gutierrez said, "because they way to handle border
security concerns today in the 21st century is through cooperation,
confidence and technology." Mexicans have been streaming across the
border in large numbers for decades, naturally this is a source of contention
between our two countries. Its only natural that the US would want to secure
its border as a sovereign country. Furthermore, Congress has proposed
restricting states from issuing licenses to illegal aliens. This proposal has
also drawn the ire of the esteemed Vincente Fox. In opposing the
militarization of the border and restricting licenses to legal residents,
President Fox reveals his inherent hypocrisy. Mexico has long militarized its
southern border and heaven forbid an illegal alien attempt to get a Mexican
license, because they certainly won’t get one. That is apparently ok, but if
America attempts to do the same and uphold its sovereignty then the US is a
villain. How ridiculous! Fox, must oppose such restrictions however, because
he benefits from the flood of illegals streaming across our border. Once in
the US Mexicans send billions home every year. Secondly the flood of illegals
represents those discontented with life in Mexico, if they leave they relieve
the pressure on Fox to actually deliver on his many failed promises. http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=3385297 Centrist Senators move to compromise… May 24, 2005 In the spirit of Daniel Webster and Henry Clay, 14
moderate Senators (7 Democrats and 7 Republicans) have negotiated a
compromise that will end the filibuster showdown for now. The Senators agreed
to allow 5 of the president’s 7 nominees to the US Court of Appeals to be
approved, thus avoiding a showdown over the use of the filibuster for
judicial nominations. This has been a volatile issue for the Senate. The
Democrats were attempting to usurp over 200 years of precedence with the use
of a filibuster to block judicial appointments simply over ideological
differences. According to the Democratic premise, judicial appointments must
be ideologically in sync with the opposition, which flies in the face of
political logic. The republican moderates realized that eliminating the
filibuster, however, could be danger in the inevitable event that they fall
from power in the Senate. This showdown compromise is both a win and a loss
for both sides, but its also reveals the incredible lengths democrats will go
to get what they want. Democrats and their operatives like, Moveon.org
demonstrated their ability to use propaganda to distort the reality of this
situation. Leftists argued that the Republicans were attempting to eliminate
the independency of the courts and that this was tantamount to blowing up the
capital. Because so many Americans are ignorant of politics and government,
they would inevitably have won this fight, because Democrats have an uncanny
ability to manipulate and Shepard the ignorant. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7962734/ German Chancellor takes cue from US election contests May 24, 2005 Chancellor
Gerhard Schroeder, recently announced his attention to call for new
elections, 1 year early, which is a rarity in German politics. Schroeder has indicated that he wants this
election, tentatively set for late summer (no later than September), to
center on personality of the rival liberal and conservative parties. While
Schroeder’s Social Democrats have suffered several political setbacks
recently, September is a long way away in political terms and the German
leader has already demonstrated his skill at drawing attention away from the
real issue (like the economy) in order to win elections. With Schroeder’s
plan to focus on personality, he will once again use the German knack for propaganda
to sway the sheep like German electorate to vote for his failing policies
once again. If the Christian Democrats (the conservative opposition), they
will borrow a page from Bill Clinton and focus like a laser on the faltering
German economy and the overwhelming incompetence of Schroeder, who’s special
skill seems to be denigrated the United States rather than providing
substance to his own population. Even Mussolini couldn’t ignore the domestic
situation forever and we know what his people did to him. http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/05/24/germany/ Another election test for the world socialist agenda… May 23, 2005 After another political setback for German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, the leftist leader of the
German State has decided to call for new elections this, which is one year
earlier than expected. Schroeder’s Social Democrats suffered an electoral
setback in state elections, which was widely seen as a referendum on the
ruling collation. Germany has one of the highest unemployment rates in
Europe, an honor that Socialist France frequently vies for. The Social
Democrats faces an uphill battle. Unemployment is high, economic growth is
stagnant and Schroeder bares much of the blame. Germany is yet another
example of how the leftist agenda constantly and persistently fails to
produce results, but because of the overwhelming sloth and inertia that is
dominant in Europe today, many European states still cling to it. Christian
Democrat leader, Angela Merkel, is ecstatic as she is set to oppose Schroeder
in the next election and is poised to become the country’s first woman
chancellor. The Social Democrats, however, aren’t fools and they know how to
run an election, just a few years ago they defeated their conservative
counterparts by making the lection a referendum on the United States and the
German voter who’s been easily swayed since the 1930s, fell for it. Never
mind the fact that unemployment was extremely high during the last election,
but Schroeder took cue from such notable German’s as Hitler to draw attention
away from the real cause of their problems and focused blame on the US. Now
it looks as if a new election is in the cue and lets see how long it is
before these socialists tie the Christian Democrats to George Bush. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4571465.stm Sex offenders getting Viagra May 23, 2005 New York State has an interesting strategy for deal with
rapists and other convicted sex offenders. The state has been provided these
sex offenders with Viagra, almost as if they were selling firearms to
murderers. Since 2000, some 200 convicted sex offenders have received
Medicaid reimbursement for Viagra. Its bad enough that Medicaid would pay for
anyone’s Viagra, much less a rapist. Medicaid should be providing funds for
essential medical procedures. Sexual prowess is not essential, and it
certainly isn’t essential for a rapist. These sex offenders shouldn’t even be
free to prowl the streets. How many time shave we seen these sex offenders
highlighted in the news as they struck again. Any victim of sexual assault,
whose assailant was a repeat offender, should be compensated by the state.
This is yet another example of government out of control. Under what
justification is Viagra provided by state health services. Medicaid is not
meant to enhance sexuality. If a person is having problems, perhaps they
should stock up on avocados rather than bilking the state and thus bilking
the overburdened taxpayers. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-05-22-sex-offenders-viagra_x.htm Sex offender strikes again in Florida May 23, 2005 Florida has been plagued by a number of very public
murders of young children each of these murders have been committed by
convicted sex offenders. Now it seems that it has happened again. An 8-year-old girl who had been raped and buried in a trash
bin was found alive Sunday. Milagro Cunningham, a 17 year old,
who had been living at the girl's godmother’s house, has been charged with
the crime. Rightly so, the teenager has been charged as an adult.
Fortunately, the girl was found only a few hours after she was reported
missing. Sadly, she will live with this trauma for the rest of her life. The
teenage rapist was questioned before the girl’s discovery and he came up with
some ridiculous story about some men in a station wagon. Keep in mind he never
reported this, but only indicated it after being questioned. After the girl
was found the boy was questioned again and this time the child pervert
confessed to the heinous rape and attempted murder. Florida now has a chance
to teach a lesson to this and all future child rapists. This goon should
never again see the light of day. And unlike New York, he should be given a
medicine that has the opposite affect of Viagra. As we noted earlier, until
Florida and other states get tough with these people, such tragedies will
inevitably continue. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-05-22-girl-found_x.htm Islamic
double standard… May 20,
2005 The
International Red Cross apparently warned the US that there were reports that
interrogators were desecrating the Koran at the US detention center in Cuba.
These reports, though not corroborated, surfaced as early as 2002.
Nonetheless, the furor over the purported Koran desecration continues. A
story in Newsweek last April contended that US troops were desecrating the
Koran to intimidate prisoners. This story led to violence and death in
several Muslim countries. The question one must ask is where was the outcry
in the Muslim world every time they desecrated the religious artifacts of
other faiths. Remember the Taliban and the destruction of Buddhist religious
artifacts, not a peep. And what of Saudi Arabia, if a Bible is so much as
brought into the country it is immediately placed in a shredder, where’s the
outcry. If a Christian were imprisoned, do you think they would even provide
a Chaplain, much less develop a protocol for handling the bible or set aside
time for pray? Of course not, the humiliation is constant and incessant. So
why the double standard in the media? Well the western media certainly
doesn’t want to advance the cause of Islam, but they do want to undermine
faith in the West, particularly Christianity. Thus the ends justify the means
and the news reports will invariably be skewed in that direction. http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?id=11323 More
trouble for EU constitution May 20,
2005 It has been
well documented how the people in France have been rallying against the new
EU constitution and are poised to vote against it in a national referendum
set for later this month. Imagine if this country posed every important
decision to a national referendum. There would never have been independence
from Britain, slavery might never have been abolished and segregation would
still be the order of the day. Government by plebiscite is a recipe for
disaster, but then again that’s why French politicians prefer it, it absolves
their leaders of any semblance of responsibility. In any case there is more
trouble for the EU constitution. A recent poll in the Netherlands reveals
that that country’s electorate is set to vote against the constitution in a
non-binding consultative referendum. According to the rules set in motion the
EU constitution must be ratified by all EU countries before it can come into
effect. This policy of unanimity, makes decision making all but impossible.
You may remember that the original 13 states were once governed by a
constitution requiring unanimous consent for any and all structural changes.
The founding fathers in their infinite wisdom realize the err of such a rigid
system, ultimately creating the constitution that we use nearly 220 years later.
Why so much opposition in western Europe to the constitution, because the
populations in the established nations in the west realize they can’t compete
with the more efficient nations in the east and don’t want to loose jobs, or
face an influx of immigrants. The western populations have grown dependent
upon their economy crippling welfare states and will stop at nothing to save
it, after all, they can be held responsible for their own decisions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4565811.stm Sikh sues
for lack of freedoms…in jail May 20,
2005 A Sikh, who
is jailed in a California prison, is suing the penal system for violating his
religious rights. Sikhism, a mixture of Hinduism and Islam, requires men to
cover their heads at all times, which is why they are frequently seen wearing
turbans. Prison officials sight security concerns for the decision. In any
case the ACLU has taken up his cause, arguing the decision is a violation of
his religious rights. The American Civil Liberties
Union, says Harpal Singh Cheema feels "debased and defiled".
Initially I would argue that criminals should be debased and defiled, after
all it is a prison, freedom and prison do not go hand in hand, but then
looking more closely we see that Mr. Cheema has been held in a California
jail for 8 years and has not been convicted of a crime. No it isn’t often
that ThePhalanx.com and the ACLU will find themselves on the same side but
this is clearly a travesty of justice. Mr. Cheema came to the United States
seeking asylum and what did he get? An indefinite prison sentence. It is
unclear what country Cheema is from, but chances are he is from India, given
that the vast majority of Sikhs are from India. If this man’s asylum claim
was denied why wasn’t he allowed to return home, why confine him in jail
forever. This, while we allow child molesters, rapists and murders to go free
after only a few years, only to surface in places like Florida where they
strike again. This is truly a travesty of justice and shames the US justice
system. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4565281.stm Uh oh, Clinton says the Middle East is better off… May 19, 2005 Former President Bill Clinton, apparently missed the memo
where all Democrats were instructed to deride and condemn all of the
accomplishments of the present administration. Clinton has been traveling in
Europe and on a stop over in Denmark he lauded the accomplishments made in Iraq.
Clinton contended that Middle East will be a safer and more stable
environment with the establishment of democracy in Iraq. "Look at where
we are now. Everyone, all freedom-loving people would be better off with a
genuinely representative, effective, free government in Iraq whatever your
feelings are about what went on before," Clinton told reporters after
meeting Danish leaders. Clinton noted that this new democracy will offer an
excellent opportunity for the various ethnic and religious groups can finally
work together. Regardless of this revelation, you can rest assured that it
will be ignored as the opposition looks to exploit any weakness and diminish
any accomplishment in a never ending struggle to bring down the president and
his administration. It can be noted that those who call for the immediate
withdrawal of our troops are no fans of democracy. Indeed they are the
enemies of freedom and content to condemn others to a fate of dictatorship
and tyranny. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=768606 Trade war looms with China May 19, 2005 A textile spat between the People’s Republic of China and
the United States holds the possibility of developing into a genuine trade
war. The president has announced that the US will impose limitations on
Chinese textile imports. Why? Because the US textile industry has complained
loudly that Chinese textile imports
have significantly disrupted US markets. In other words, US textile manufacturers
are inefficient and unable to compete to Chinese competitors. Naturally, the
Chinese government has complained about the proposed quotas, which the US as
well as the European Union plan to impose. China as simply become the new
whipping boy, as Japan was in the 1980s. It is a target for those inefficient
industries and unskilled workers who failed to evolve and prepare for the
future. There is no reason a US textile industry should even exist. Such and
industry requires rudimentary skills and is essentially a waste of resources.
Those who work in the textile industry are those who slacked off in school or
probably never even graduated. China has a competitive advantage for low
skilled repetitive labor, that’s their niche, so it only stands to reason
that China should specialize in the production of products that make use of
this advantage. The US has a competitive (comparative) advantage for high
skilled labor and advanced technology, not unlike Japan. Rather than imposing
economy crippling trade sanctions, the administration should be encouraging
free and open trade and nations can trade in the products and services for
which they have a comparative advantage in producing, rather than clinging to
outdated industries and rewarding those amongst who chose the path of least
resistance, choosing to go work in the local textile mill rather than taking
out a loan, working hard, going to a community college and learning a
valuable skill that would make them competitive and an asset to their
employers. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/GE20Ad03.html Sharpton
complains that Dean excludes Blacks…duh, what else is new May 18, 2005 The leadership
of the Democratic Part, the party of paternalism and closet racism is
excluding blacks, exactly why this comes as a surprise to Al Sharpton is
beyond me. Sharpton criticized Dean, who once declared he wanted the support
of the Confederate Flag crowd, for excluded Blacks in the upper echelons of
the Democratic Party. This isn’t new. The Democrats have been excluding
Blacks from leadership or any position of REAL influence since the founding
of the party in the 1820s. The Democrats have a reputation as a champion of
civil and equal rights, but this is undeserved on so many levels. Not only
was it the Democrats who were some of the most virulent proponents of slavery
but well into the era of Civil Rights, Democrats were the most vocal
opponents of Civil Rights legislation in the 1960s, indeed while most
Republicans voted in favor of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, less than half of
Democrats can make the same claim. Indeed, even today Democrats have embraced
Civil Rights in theory, in reality they seek to make Blacks and other
minorities subservient to the state and dependent upon the state for their
very welfare. All the while claiming they are acting in the best interest of
these groups. That’s funny, such claims sound eerily familiar to those made
by slave owners and proponents of the slave labor system in the 1800s. “We
know best, just let us make decisions for you, after all you don’t have the
mental capacity to make decisions for your self,” that’s the democratic
mantra. Now today Sharpton expressed shock at the fact that Blacks are
excluded from Democratic leadership, oh please… Remember Maynard Jackson, the
esteemed former Mayor of Atlanta in the 1970s and again the late 1980s to
early 1990s? He vied for the position of chairman of the Democratic party and
he soon found out exactly how much clout he had. Jackson might has well have
been on some plantation for all the influence he had. One can also look at
the example cast by other prominent Democratic politicians, John Kerry for
example, who may not have even what a black person looked light for all the
paternalism he holds dear. Indeed, George Bush has done more to advance
Blacks in leadership positions than other president, yet Democrats still
maintain an image of openness and equality..hogwash! http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/5/18/01408.shtml Star Wars hoopla in full swing May 18, 2005 We tried to avoid it. With all the advertisements and product
endorsements and countless news stories we held our cool. We stuck to other
issues which we felt were more important but given the fact that Star Wars
mania seems to have taken the world by storm, it certainly bears mentioning.
Now we have to admit, we are as much fans of Star Wars as any, we enjoy the
story and the thrilling action, but for us that’s where it ends. For others
that’s only the beginning. The past few weeks have demonstrated just how
obsessed some people are over this film. To capitalize on this obsession,
several theaters across the country will begin screening Star Wars at
midnight tonight. Now how many people will stay up all night to be among the
first to see this film is beyond me, but one really has to question what kind
of life a person has when a movie dictates their very life. Certainly, there
are things in life worth obsessing over: your family, your faith maybe even
your education or career, but a movie? Come on America. In the grand scheme
of things does it really matter what happens to Darth Vader and the gang.
Will our lives be changed even one iota? I think not. To read some accounts
of this movie in the press and on television, you would come to a very
different conclusion. Perhaps some people she take some time to live life
rather than fantasy, before they wake up to realize life is over. http://www.boston.com/movies/display?display=movie&id=6889 Foul mouthed Brit denies involvement May 18, 2005 George
Galloway, a British MP, who flew to Washington to testify before a Senate
Committee investigating the oil-for-food scandal, used the committee meeting
as an opportunity to lambast the United States. Galloway called the
investigation a smokescreen, he noted that the investigation was designed to
avert attention away from America’s Iraq policy. Galloway has been a vocal
critic of the war in Iraq and the sanctions that preceded it, It stands to
reason however, that Galloway would oppose the war, given the fact that he
was profiting under the Saddam Hussein regime. Galloway was perfectly willing
to allow Saddam to murder thousands of his countrymen and bury them in mass
graves, perfectly willing to watch Saddam siphon off oil-for-food money to
build grander and larger and more immaculate palaces, while his people died
from malnutrition. He was perfectly willing to allow Saddam to threaten his
neighbors, attempt to murder a US president, pay suicide bombers and stock
piles dangerous weapons. This is a policy, which Galloway agrees with. What
he opposes is free and democratic elections, free press, freedom of religion
and an opportunity for a fresh start because that’s what the people of Iraq
have today. Such an attitude should naturally compel a person to ask why and
question one’s motivation. When Galloway was confronted with the fact that he
was implicated by Iraq’s former Vice President and Foreign Minister, he
questioned their validity. While we can give Galloway credit for having the
guts to testify in Washington when he couldn’t be compelled to do so, one
must also realize that it was Galloway involved in the smokescreen, indeed he
may do more to boost his popularity among his leftist constituents by saying
he went to America to stick it to them directly. http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/nation/11673143.htm Furor over Newsweek article continues… May 17, 2005 As we noted yesterday, the furor over the Newsweek Koran
story continues. Now Newsweek has fully backtracked from its April 23rd
story, charging the US officials flushed a copy of the Koran down the toilet.
As we further noted and as a Pentagon spokesman also indicated, the damage
has already been down. To many in the Islamic world, who are eager to believe
any negative press, the retraction is irrelevant. If it’s a negative story
vis-à-vis the United States then it is believable and if it is a positive
story then it might has well have been written by Disney. Clerics and
officials across the Muslim world have soundly rejected the Newsweek apology,
arguing that its simply a face saving measure on the part of Newsweek. If
these people knew anything about the news media, then they would certainly
realize that the administration has no control over our press and Newsweek
doesn’t have the best interest of our country at heart. Their best interest
is in the economic bottom line, no matter how many lives does it costs. The
people at Newsweek should be firmly held accountable for the loss of life and
property that resulted from their yellow journalism. Indeed, Newsweek may be
happy to discover that so many in the Arab world read their rag. http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=8515527 Italy get your check book out again…the Taliban has one of
your citizens May 17, 2005 The word is out in the world of Radical Islam. An Italian
aid worker in Afghanistan has been kidnapped. Clementina
Cantoni is an aid worker with CARE International, she was abducted by armed
men in Kabul on Monday. The Italian media and the Italian public at large
have reacted with shock and anger at the apparent abduction. There are two
obvious results that are inevitable as a result of this kidnapping. The
Italians will try and find some way to blame this kidnapping on the United
States and secondly, the Italians will almost certainly experience more
kidnappings. Why? Because the Italians have demonstrated that they are easy
targets. Had Italy held the line in Iraq, rather than appease the terrorists
then they would experience such tragedies today. Why do you suppose that
kidnappings of Americans have all but stopped? Because Americans don’t pay
ransoms. The Italians have demonstrated that they are will to appease murders
and make concessions to anyone who threatens their fragile sense of security.
How many times does this have to happen before people recognize the dangers
of appeasement? As you sow, so shall ye reap. Researchers
claim to have developed anti-smoking vaccine May 17, 2005 According to a report in the
EarthTimes, a vaccine against smoking is in the works. Now I know you are thinking
this, how does one vaccine someone against behavior? The Times noted: “A vaccine against nicotine, undergoing clinical trials,
has shown encouraging results in helping smokers kick the habit. While
elaborate tests are required to prove its efficacy, the vaccine, tested on
heavy smokers, showed that 40 per cent were able to quit smoking for nearly
six months after receiving it, researchers at the Zurich-based Cytos
Biotechnology AG said.”
After viewing the preliminary results one has to ask how a 40% positive
result can be considered an effective vaccine. Shouldn’t a vaccine be able to
treat at least a majority of cases. Its highly questionable if this so-called
vaccine is any more effective than simply quitting cold turkey. According to
the study, the vaccine
manipulates the immune system’s response to nicotine. As a result, those who
receive the vaccine develop antibodies, which neutralize nicotine. As the
nicotine is no longer able to interact and stimulate the body, the body loses
its nicotine dependence. There is no telling how long this vaccine will be in
the trail stages or when (if ever) it will be released on the market, but
then again there has been a highly effective anti-smoking vaccine on the
market for years. The vaccine is called common sense. Anyone with a brain
does not smoke. Anyone who is ignorant or highly dependent upon the attention
of others who more apt to be a smoker. So if you want to avoid smoking and
the negative health consequences, then get educated and trying reading a book
for a change. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/2811.html Newsweek [sic] admits fault in Koran story May16, 2005 When it comes to the Koran, the Muslim world is very sensitive.
Sop when Newsweek published a story contending that American GIs had
desecrated the Koran at Guantánamo
Bay in Cuba, all hell broke loose in various corners of the globe. As a
result of this story in Newsweek, riots were unleashed in many Muslim
countries, including Afghanistan, with the US and US interests as the
principle targets. In a region of the world that accepts everything
anti-American as Gospel, this was a powder keg and the yellow journalism
practiced by Newsweek won’t be easily repaired. As the US seeks allies in
this part of the world to wage the war on terror, we have fellow Americans
fanning the flames of hatred and violence all in the name of a false story.
As a Pentagon representative noted: "Unfortunately,
they cannot retract the damage they have done to this nation or those that
were viciously attacked by those false allegations." For many in the
Muslim world the apology and Pentagon rejection is of no concern, they are
more than willing to accept anything negative as true but reject the premise
of a false story, because it would portray the US in a positive light and in
countries in the Middle East that is unacceptable. After all, isn’t it easier
to blame others (i.e., the US) for your problems rather than yourself? While
Newsweek did begrudgingly admit the story was false they have attempted to
water down and hide the truth, so as to save face, meanwhile others dies
because of their irresponsibility. The first amendment guarantees freedom of
the press, but it does not guarantee intentional slander or liable. Just as
CBS tried to justify their use of forged documents in a story on the
President, Newsweek is now attempting to justify their story, while knowing
it is false. http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1485122,00.html Iran gives EU an ultimatum… May 16, 2005 Iran has announced that it will give the European Union
one last chance to save a deal on nuclear power use in Iran. The two sides
will hold their next round of talks on May 23rd in a final attempt
to work out a deal. Like North Korea, the Iranians aren’t particularly
interested in nuclear power or even nuclear weapons. They know that it is
highly unlikely that any country would attack them unless provoked. What the
Iranians want is concessions. They know countries like Europe will do almost
anything to avoid war. They will sacrifice themselves, their honor, even
their first born if it means a conflict can be averted. It is under that
premise that Iran hopes to extract numerous concessions from Europe and even
the United States. The EU has already dropped the ball by demonstrating their
willingness to provide economic incentives to Iran. Now the Iranians appetite
for appeasement has only grown and now they demand even more in order to
avoid a nuclear showdown. The question is when is enough enough? When will EU
finally say no, because Iran will certainly continue to make demands? The EU
has threatened to take the Iranians to the UN if a deal isn’t worked out, but
we all know this to be a meaningless gesture. The UN won’t even stand by its
existing resolutions, or stand up to opposes genocide in Africa or the
Balkans, why should we assume that on the case of Iran the UN will suddenly
become affective? We shouldn’t and the Iranians know this, which is why the
Europeans will eventually back down. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=760701 A tale of Russian complicity May 16, 2005 It is well know that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein would
have done anything to maintain his hold on power. He butchered friends and
enemies alike and those he didn’t kill he bribed or gave them cushy positions
of prominence in his regime. Those bribes extended to the capitals of Europe,
including France and Russia. Iraq’s former Vice President (under Saddam),
Taha Yasin Ramadan, has admitted that Iraq provided millions of dollars in Iraqi oil allocations to Russia.
Make no mistake about it, these allocations were compensation for “support.”
In 2003, Russia was one of Iraq’s chief supporters, opposing any resolution
that would permit war. The resulting investigation has been explicit and
detailed. Among the those implicated are Alexander Voloshin, former
chief of staff to President Vladimir Putin, and ultranationalist Russian
lawmaker Vladimir Zhirinovsky. In addition to the bribes, Russia had other
reason to oppose the war (other than moralistic ones). Iraq owed billions to
Russia and Russia also had numerous construction and engineering projects
underway in Iraq. A war would interfere with that gravy train, so while Putin
and Bush may be friends, he’s one of those friends who would be more than
willing to stab you in the back. The failure of the Iraqi Oil-for-Food
program has been one of the UN’s chief embarrassments and further
demonstrates the weakness and culpability of that body. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-05-16-oil-for-food_x.htm Europeans
threaten to take Iran to the UN…woooo May 12, 2005 The European
dream team of Britain, France and Germany has threatened to break off talks with
Iran if that country resumes nuclear activity. The Europeans have made it
clear that they will take the case to the United Nations. Given the fact that
it took 12 years before Saddam Hussein was taken to task for UNI violations,
I’m sure the mullahs in Iran aren’t exactly trembling in their boots. For
their part the Iranians have made it clear that they are unsatisfied with the
talks and hence why they may resume nuclear activity. Like the North Koreans,
the Iranians see the nuclear option as a means to extract numerous
concessions (i.e., Appeasement) from the western powers, particularly Europe.
The Europeans, for their part have demonstrated that they are negotiating
from a position of weakness, having already offered numerous financial and
economic concessions. The Iranians arte no less aware of this and will
continue to keep raising the bar, realizing that the Europeans lack the
wherewithal to follow thru with any threat, while the United States is
pre-occupied with Iraq and Afghanistan. Inevitably, the Iranians will when
this show down as they have conceded nothing, and have already driven the
Europeans to sweeten their previous offers. Ultimately the world looses as
more rogue states head the lessons learned by Iran. http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=8469195 Buchanan
questions value of WWII victory… May 12,
2005 Never one to
shy away from controversy or to keep his foot out of his mouth, Patrick
Buchanan has jumped into the fray yet again. This time, questioning the value
of the allied victory in WWII. To his credit, Buchanan makes some valid
points, noting that if the war was to defend Europe from tyranny and
oppression could we say it was worth the tens of millions of deaths if half
of Europe ended up being oppressed anyway. This is a good question but the
answer remains the same: yes it was worth it. For all the evil that communism
and Stalinism unleashed, the scourge of the Nazis was far worse as Winston
Churchill noted. While communism seeks to repress human desires, Nazism and
Fascism sought to unleash the most reprehensible of human treachery on a
defenseless population. One could argue that it was possible to survive
communism, if you towed the party line. For a Jew or gypsy or other ethnic
group survival simply wasn’t apart of the program. Communism is evil and
flawed to be sure, but the communists, to their credit never sought to
systematically exterminate entire ethnic and racial groups. Not to say that
they didn’t murder their share of innocents. We can also note that FDR and
Churchill’s hands were somewhat tied at the Yalta conference when they
consigned Eastern Europe to Soviet domination. What could they have done?
Britain was in no position to challenge the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe,
and need we forget about Japan. The US was still fighting a significant war
with that nation, which was far from over. Only America faced two enemies of
comparable strength. The Soviet Union for all its sacrifice had the luxury of
concentrating on one enemy. America had no such option, remember both Germany
and Japan declared war on the United States. We must also think of the
dramatic improvements on the world stage that came about as a result of the
war. Once and for all the major powers of Europe put aside war as a means of
solving their disputes, no more would the world be dragged into their
imperialist designs. The various colonies of Europe in Asia and Africa were
put on the fast track to self-determination, free of imperialistic
interference. Free enterprise and free trade gained an unbreakable footing in
the west. These are significant accomplishments. The victory over Nazism and
the war for racial extermination was worth every penny and every life
sacrificed for its completion. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=44210 Insurgents confuse US for Italy… May 11, 2005 The US is in the process of undertaking a major offensive
against insurgent rebels in Western Iraq along the Syrian border. Tribal
leaders called on the US and Iraqi forces to rid the region of rebels who
were harassing local inhabitants, further demonstrating their lack of solidarity,
even with their own people. Since the launch of the offensive some 100
terrorists have been killed and 100 more have been arrested. The border with
Syria has been seen as a weak spot in Iraqi internal security for some time.
It is suspected that foreign fighters have been entering Iraq from Syria
since the early days of the Iraq war. Raja Nawaf Farhan Mahalawi, the governor of Anbar province in
western Iraq was kidnapped. The kidnappers have pledged to release the
governor if the US halts its offensive. We can thank Italy for such action,
but the terrorists can thank their own ignorance for failing to realize that
the US is not Italy. Neither the American or Iraqi forces are likely to
buckle in the face of ransom demands or extortion. While we may feel for the
governor, giving in to the demands of the terrorist will only put more Iraqis
in danger. By standing firm and bringing the battle to the terrorists, that’s
one less insurgent to deal with later. http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/nation/11617749.htm Dad accused of killing his daughter May 11, 2005 The rash of child killings continues in America as an
Illinois man has now been charged with eth murder of his 8-year-old daughter
and her 9-year-old friend. It was the father, Jerry Hobbs, who claimed to have found the bodies, while out
looking or his daughter. Now police believe Hobbs himself caused their
deaths. According to reports the children had been beaten and stabbed.
Apparently, police are at a loss to provide a motive for the killings, but
the father has a history of run-ins with the law. This incident in Illinois
marks the latest child death in as many weeks, while it is unclear whether
the children had been sexually assaulted. It is clear that something is
fundamentally wrong in America. Sadly, some areas of the country simply
aren’t safe for children, or adults for that matter and until this country
gets serious in dealing with criminals we may have to endure such treachery
for some time to come. We may not be able to find and cure all of these sick
pieces of trash, but if we can instill a fear in ultimate punishment which
can prevent their crimes. Hobbs is an example of a man who should be held
accountable for his actions in the harshest sense the law allows. http://www.sj-r.com/sections/news/stories/55352.asp United dumps pensions May 11, 2005 The latest episode in the ongoing airline industry slump
has hit United Airlines. The company has been granted permission by a
bankruptcy judge to dump its pension plan, handing it off to the Pension
Benefit Guaranty Corp., a branch of the federal government. The prime
justification for this move is to save costs, but effectively it drastically
cuts benefits, for which thousands of employees have paid into with the
expectation of a guaranteed return. This outrage is no less egregious than the
social security debacle plaguing our nation. Essentially, United is being
rewarded for their corporate inefficiency and mismanagement and being allowed
to steal from its employees. It is clear from the example of airlines like
Southwest, Airtran and JetBlue that airlines can be run both efficiently and
profitably. The major carriers have failed to learn that lesson, and as a
result of their bloated bureaucracies and inefficient policies they continue
to reel and now they are granted government permission to steal. Once United
agreed to set-up a pension plan they should be obliged to live up to their
commitments, even if it means the dismantling of the airline and selling off
its assets. Perhaps then such a move would serve as a lesson to other
airlines that have failed to run a taught ship. It is clear however, that the
Airlines alone aren’t exclusively to blame for this predicament. The unions
with their excessive pay demands and unrealistic tactics and only serve to
make the airlines less completive and more susceptible to market pressures,
which, in the end, may serve to eliminate the very jobs that they hold dear. http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2005-05-10-united-pensions_x.htm Georgia is
no Germany (or France) May 10, 2005 President
Bush is wrapping up the last leg of his Eastern European tour with a stop in
the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. The President has praised Georgia as a
“beacon” of democracy, a reference to the non-violent Rose Revolution, which
ushered in sweeping democratic reforms last year. The president was treated
to fireworks and an array of cultural activities during his visit. Bush was
greeted enthusiastically by the people of Georgia, with people wearing Red,
White and Blue in honor of the president’s visit. The occasion contrasted
sharply with the cynical, America hating crowds that greet Bush in places
like France and Germany. Why such a contrast? Why have the people of the
Baltics, Georgia and even Russia been more supportive and respectful to our
nation’s chief executive? They behave this way because, unlike Western Europe
where sloth and socialism thrive, the newly free people of the east have a
greater appreciation for freedom and understand the sacrifices necessary to
make it prosper. They also appreciate what the president has done to preserve
freedom and democracy. While in the west, the president is viewed simply as
an agent of capitalism, who stands in conflict to their socialist agenda. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=743519 New
Democratic leader can’t shake childlike tendencies May 10,
2005 As noted by
the Washington Post, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid has a sharp tongue,
one that would be more at home on an elementary school playground than in the
United States Senate. In recent months and weeks, Reid has lashed out with
insults and demagoguery for anyone who has a view, which differs from his.
The president hasn’t been the only target of Reid’s comments. He has even
targeted Fed Chairman, Alan Greenspan. In a speech last week, Reid referred
to the president as a “loser.” Even Reid recognized that he had gone too far,
calling the White House to apologize. He returned to the Senate yesterday
with vows to be more conciliatory, but we have heard such statements before
and it won’t be long before such juvenile behavior rears its head once again.
Reid’s behavior, however, shouldn’t come as a surprise to political insiders
or any student of psychology. Reid has been acting in this manner for years,
which ahs been exacerbated by the feeling of marginalization that many
Democrats have following last year’s election defeats. It is not unusual for
those who lack substantive arguments to resort to name calling, it only
serves to enlighten us to the inherit weaknesses in their political knowledge
and ability. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/10/AR2005051000111_2.html Blair no
yet safe…calls for resignation continue May 10,
2005 While Blair
and his party may have been successful in last week’s general election, that
hasn’t ensured the fact that Tony Blair will remain as British Prime
Minister. An increasing number of Labour MPs (Members of Parliament) have
called for the Prime Minister to step down. Many have sited their lack of
trust in the Prime Minister or in the fact that Labour’s parliamentary
majority was greatly reduced after the election. Many in Blair’s cabinet have
come to his aid, but it doesn’t appear that has dulled the resolve of many in
the party. The election last week revealed the weakness of the party,
particularly in light of the divide over the Iraq war. There is a growing
fear that Blair may be challenged for the leadership of his party. This could
prove especially alarming for US planners in Iraq. A new Prime Minister may
be inclined to pull British troops out of Iraq prematurely, which could
weaken the already tenuous situation there. Such talk characterizes the
general feeling of many in Europe, who care nothing for democracy or freedom,
but only seek to a.) avoid conflict and b.) harm the United States. Peace for
the European is defined as the absence of conflict, freedom is irrelevant,
how else do you explain the easy capitulation of nations like France in WWII
or the ease with which dictators have been able to seize power in various
European states in the mid to late 20th century: Spain, Portugal,
Germany, France, Greece, etc…These people are willing to endure tyranny
provided there is no personal sacrifice. Only Britain has held a legacy of
staunch support for freedom, but even their the seeds of personal destruction
and complacency have been sown. http://www.thisislondon.com/news/articles/PA_NEWA22968121115503249A0?source=PA%20Feed&ct=5 Australian family offers to donate to charity… May 9, 2005 The family of Douglas Wood, and Australian being held hostage in Iraq, has
offered to donate money to an Iraqi charity if the terrorists will free him.
It’s a noble gesture, which couldn’t be constituted as appeasement, but it
will make no difference to these terrorists. These insurgents have attacked
Iraqi school children, hospitals, roadside markets and even mosques. Why
would they care about an Iraqi charity? They are Iraq’s enemies, not its
helpers. There actions clearly demonstrate contempt fro their fellow Iraqis
and fellow Muslims. The only thing that will satisfy their insatiable lust is
more blood (or money, which will allow them to carry out further acts of
terror). On a related fr4ont, Sheik Taj El Din al-Hilali, a high-ranking
Australian cleric is in route to Iraq in an attempt to secure Mr. Wood’s
release. It is debatable what impact he will have. The terrorist may be
compelled to release the hostage to save face among their supporters, or they
may be tempted to kill him to show their “strength” after all attacking
defenseless seniors is the surest sign of strength for cowards that hide in
holes and attack innocent school children. Much to Australia’s credit they
haven’t buckled to pressure and given in to appeasement, as this only invites
further attacks, nor have they agreed to pay any ransoms, which also invites
further attacks. The people to blame, in addition to the terrorists
themselves are the Italians, who prompted another round of kidnapping by
giving in the terrorists. You notice that they haven’t taken American
hostages, because will not stoop to the level of the terrorists nor will we
appease them. Only through strength can we win this battle of wills. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7374-1604911,00.html New York Times seeks to improve readership by building
confidence. May 9, 2005 The New York Times, like most daily newspapers around the
country is suffering from declining readership. There are a number of factors
that can be attributed to this decline: competition, paper quality, costs,
etc…To address this issue of declining readership, the Times committed commissioned
an internal review that week seek to boost confidence in the paper, thereby
strengthening readership. The review resolved that such measures should
include: “reducing errors,
increasing coverage of religion and making reporters and editors more
accessible.” Supposed by making editors more available to the public will
stop the downward trend in newspaper sales. You will notice that the internal
review made no mention of eliminating the leftists propaganda that emanates
from the paper on a daily basis. For decades the Times has argued that they
covere “all the news that’s fit to print,” but all to often the news that is
covered hardly deserves mention, much less anything else. It is doubtful,
that the measures undertaken will increase readership, as they don’t address
the reason alternatives sites on the internet and television are drawing
customers and until that is addressed, the Time’s readership will continue to
slide. http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000912502 Americans
unimpressed with the economy…ignorance abounds May 6, 2005 A recent USA
Today poll reveals that many Americans have become completely divorced
themselves from reality. According to the survey, some 48% of Americans have
a negative view of the economy. This view is perpetuated by the increasing
rise in gas prices and rising interest rates. The data, however, isn’t
consistent with logic or common sense. The American economy is performing
extremely well. The American economy has grown at a consistent rate for
several years, with a relatively stable unemployment rate around 5%, which
far exceeds that of our western allies in Europe. Never before has the
economy had to recover from an incident like September 11th ,
nonetheless the economy has recovered and has shown constant improvement. As
the survey noted, gas prices are one of the primary factors for this negative
view of the economy, regardless of the fact that when adjusted for inflation,
gas prices are far less than their record highs. Many respondents erroneously
blamed Bush for high oil prices, which demonstrates a complete ignorance of
economics, which can be attributed to poor education and left wing
propaganda. Oil prices are high because there is increased demand, as nations
like China continue to industrialize, but this reality is ignored. Indeed the
negative view of the economy is based on ignorance rather than reality. http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/survey/2005-05-05-economic-outlook-poll_x.htm North
Korea preparing for nuclear test May 6,
2005 The rogue
state of North Korea, paralyzed by irrational fear and plagued by oppression
seems determined to become a full-fledged nuclear power. Reports indicate that
the Stalinist regime is preparing to test detonate a nuclear weapon. North
Korea, has been rumored to have developed a nuclear weapons capability and
now seems determined to demonstrate that newly acquired capability. Much of
this new concern comes from satellite imagery, which is open to
interpretation. If the reports are true it puts a number of nations in a very
difficult position, chief among them is South Korea and Japan. China bears
much responsibility has they are the North’s chief benefactor and had the
ability to reign in the wily Kim Jong Il, but now it appears too late. There
isn’t much militarily any nation can do without putting the South in extreme
danger. Indeed, even Japan and the western US could be put at risk of a
nuclear attack. What is left is a diplomatic approach, but that has thus far
failed. Appeasement certainly isn’t the answer as Clinton’s failed overture
demonstrates. Though the North could certainly be persuaded to reason with
the international community in nations like China and South Korea would
attempt to project a consistent message, while not giving credence to the
North’s irrational fears. Blair
takes licking but keeps on ticking… May 6,
2005 Yesterday the
2005 election campaign came to an end and Tony Blair’s Labour Party was
returned to power. Blair is the fourth member of the Coalition of the Willing
to be up for re-election and the 5th overall to face a potential
career ending political experience. Prime Minister Howard of Australia was
soundly re-elected. Socialists trounced Prime Minister Aznar of Spain and
President Bush was soundly re-elected. Now Blair has survived an election as
well, but with a much smaller mandate for is center-left party. Blair was
helped by the fact that the Conservative party offered too little in the way
of change, especially on Iraq and the leftists Liberal Democrats offered too
much change, not to mention the fact that Britain’s economy has consistently
performed well, with relatively low unemployment, unlike continental Europe.
Blair recognized that their has been anger with him for supporting the US on
Iraq, but what is the true reason for the anger? Is it that they feel Iraq
was better off under Saddam? Is it they feel Arabs don’t deserve democracy?
Or perhaps they simply dislike the US and anything the US supports leftists
feel they must oppose. Ah, that sounds about right. After all, who but a dictator
can argue against democracy? Who but a murderer can argue with bringing
genocidal maniacs to justice? What are the motivations for people who oppose
such things? Truth be told their motivations are inexorably sinister in
character. http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0506BritElex06-ON.html State of Illinois says a child’s life is only worth 12
years. May 5, 2005 Irma Pavlis, was an adoptive mother
in 2003, she adopted Alex Pavlis from Russia, but within 6 weeks of the
adoption being finalized 6 year old Alex was dead. What killed him? Was it
his mother’s cooking or his mother’s singing? No! It was his mother’s hands.
Irma Pavlis beat her young child to death. In April, Pavlis was convicted of
manslaughter, though she was found not guilty of first-degree murder. Pavlis
argued that she had become frustrated with Alex, as his behavior was
uncontrollable, so she began hitting him. Pavlis blamed Russian authorities
for not revealing that Alex’s birth mother drank heavily during pregnancy.
And the birth mother made Irma kill her child? Right. At one point during the
trial Pavlis and her attorneys suggested that the child’s wounds could have
been self-inflicted. Who ever heard of a 6 year old beating himself to death?
As is common in America today, the criminal is never responsible for his or
her actions. Now we are expected to believe that the admitted murderer was
justified because the child acted out. Unless the child pulled a gun on her
and threatened to kill her she had no justification to use deadly force on a
6 year old. What a fine specimen of garbage she is. It takes a real woman to
kill a 6 year old. What could he have done? Ask for one cookie too many? If
the audacity of this murder er wasn’t bad enough, authorities indicate that
Pavlis won’t likely serve her entire 12 years sentence (well naturally, why
punish criminals when you can release them), she will likely be free within 4
years. That’s right 4 years for murder. Why not give the piece of trash a
medal and the key to the city? http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-pavlis05.html World leaders converge on Moscow for VE Day to remind
Russia they fought too May 5, 2005 For those of you who are completely ignorant of history VE
Day commemorates the allied victory in Europe, whereas VJ Day commemorates
the victory over Japan. This may marks the 60th anniversary of the
world’s victory over fascism and Hitlerism. As a result of that war which
lasted from 1939-45, the world is very different. America arose from its
isolationist cocoon, while Europe shrank to the sidelines, democracy was
firmly entrenched in Germany and Japan and Communism reared its ugly head.
Today the world is still reeling from those events 60 years ago. To
commemorate the victory over Nazi Germany and its allies in Europe, Russia is
hosting a major celebration. In Russia the war is known as the “Great
Patriotic War,” but to hear the Russians tell it, they alone defeated the
Nazi scourge. President Bush will be among the visitors to Moscow for the VE
Day events, but he will face a delicate balancing act. Many Baltic States,
look upon the VE Day celebrations ominously, as it heralded the rise of the
Iron curtain and 50 years of Soviet occupation. Bush must also be careful as
Putin has embarked on a consolidation of power that harkens back to Stalin at
the end of WWII. While we must recognize that the Soviet Union lost nearly 30
million people at the hands of the Nazis, other facts must be recognized as
well. In the first place, Stalin is responsible for nearly as many Soviet
deaths as the Nazis. Indeed, had Stalin not purged most of the military
perhaps the Soviets could have turned back the German invasion much sooner.
We must also be mindful of the fact that Hitler and Stalin were allies for a
time. Bush would be well advised to take a history book with him to Russia,
perhaps then Putin would learn the Fact that Soviet success in WWII were
directly tied to American assistance. Without American oil, food and military
supplies, victory would have been impossible. The US supplied the Soviets
with countless tons of material, including some 500,000 jeeps and trucks.
Furthermore it should be recognized that the US was the only major country
fighting two comparable enemies (Germany and Japan), most other nations like
Britain, China and Russia had the luxury of only one opposing foe. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-05-04-bush-russia-trip_x.htm Emmett Till to
be exhumed… May 5, 2005 Unless you are a student of the
civil rights movement then you probably have never heard his name and given
the historical ignorance and apathy of many Americans many more probably
could care less, but the plight of Emmett Till galvanized millions of people
and sparked the birth of a reform movement in America. Emmett Till was visiting
relatives in Mississippi, Till was a 14 year old black teen from Illinois.
Till, however, was ignorant to protocol in 1950s Mississippi, he made the
mistake of whistling at a White woman. In Mississippi, he might has well had
shot her with a gun, either way, that act sealed Till’s fate. That night (Aug
28, 1955) Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam (the brother and husband of the woman),
forcibly abducted Till and brutalized Till to death. Till’s body was later
found and was barely recognizable to his kin. Bryant and Milam were acquitted
by a jury of their peers, rather surprising it was even brought to trial, but
given the media attention, the DA had to put up a good show. Bryant and Milam
later confessed to the crime, but double jeopardy ensured that they would never
suffer for their crimes, at least not on Earth, we can be assured that they
are now suffering for eternity. In any case, Till’s family has consented to
have his body exhumed. In addition to positively identifying the body, it is
the hope that the exhumation may shed new light on the killing that
galvanized a nation, for and against civil rights. Incidentally, Carolyn
Bryant, the woman who started this incident is still alive and well in
Mississippi today, no doubt enjoying a fruitful life, which Till was denied. http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-till05.html Fight over wages at Wal-Mart May 4, 2005 Wal-Mart, the world’s largest company has tremendous
profits and significant influence in American business do to its success in
the retail environment. It commands such a position because it has remained
extremely competitive in a fiercely competitive environment. Like all success
stories, greed and envy has made Wal-Mart a target. A number of critics,
particularly in the labor unions and among left leaning activist
organizations have charged that Wal-Mart’s wages are too low. According to
activists, Wal-Mart is leading a race to the bottom, driving down wages and
forcing competitors to do the same. Leftists argue that the average employee
earns just under 20,000 a year, which is at the poverty line for a family of
four. Has anyone asked the question why a person earning 20K/year is foolish
enough to start a family? Who is irresponsible the person earning 9.00/hr and
having children or the business that is attempting to stay in business by
being competitive? Wal-Mart should be commended by providing economic
opportunities and low prices for consumer goods, indeed Wal-Mart has served to
drive down consumer prices across the country and it is this consumer
spending that has maintained the growth of the American economy. Wal-Mart is
to be further commended for paying people far more than their labor is worth.
A person running a cashier or stocking shelves requires minimal training and
educational experience should not earn more than minimum wage. Minimum wage =
for minimum skills. If these people want to be successful and earn more, then
go to a trade school, go to a community college, if you can’t afford it take
a student loan, and learn the skills necessary to put yourself in demand and
stop winning about your low wages. Jennifer, Jennifer, Jennifer…. May 4, 2005 It’s been nearly a week now since Jennifer Wilbanks “went
missing” and the story still continues to dominate the headlines. As we now know
Wilbanks staged the entire event, running out on her family and fiancé so she
could go Greyhound and leave the worrying to everyone else. While its
debatable whether Wilbanks actually violated any state law, it is clear that
her actions were selfish and irresponsible. But all this begs the question,
why is a 32-year-old woman from suburban Atlanta figuring so prominently in
the news these days? How many people go missing every year? As far as the
news is concerned only about 5 women have been missing in the last few years,
starting with Laci Peterson. Why is it that some women command so much media
attention? Are these women special or internationally renown? No they aren’t.
Yet to hear the media spins that story, these women and their experience is distinctly
unique. While we certainly feel for anyone that is genuinely missing or
kidnapped, we must certainly consider the objectivity of the press and ask
the question what their motivations truly are. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2005/03/04/BL2005040701442.html Marijuana
linked to mental illness May 4, 2005 In a news story that should come as no surprise to anyone with a brain, the US government has linked marijuana use t | |||||
