The voting has started:
SOUTHGATE, Mich. -- Joyful tears and frequent applause marked the start of U.S. voting Friday in Iraq's first independent elections in more than 50 years.
Security was tight at the abandoned store-turned-polling place in this Detroit suburb, with guards checking IDs at the parking lot entrance and using metal detectors at the doors. Inside, an oversized, homemade Iraqi flag hung from the ceiling. One poll worker could be seen weeping.
"We feel happy now. This is like America, this voting," said Zoha Yess, 64. "We want fair, good government."
Saturday, January 29, 2005
Bengals News
First, some draft news:
Lewis has said the Bengals must improve their run defense and develop a more consistent pass rush. His statements make defensive linemen and outside linebackers an area of interest.Some defensive linemen making good impressions in Mobile are California's Lorenzo Alexander, Southern Cal's Shaun Cody and Mike Patterson, LSU's Marcus Spears and Wisconsin's Antaaj Hawthorne. - Mark Curnutte, Enquirer
I like the Cody kid from USC. Now, some TJ news:
From Pete Priso CBSSPORTSLINE.COM: Word out of Cincinnati is that wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh is asking for a contract with a signing bonus of $8 million. While Houshmandzadeh came on late and became a key factor down the stretch for the Bengals, it's doubtful the team will give him that kind of money, which would mean he would become an unrestricted free agent. The one knock on Houzmandzadeh is that he doesn't run that well, and that never helps drive up the price on the free-agent market.
I [Lance McAlister, local sports talk host] am told the following this afternoon by those close to negotiations between the Bengals and TJ: "The report from CBS and Pete Prisco is a complete and utter fabrication! It is safe to say the money being discussed is millions of dollar off what Pete is reporting."
Lewis has said the Bengals must improve their run defense and develop a more consistent pass rush. His statements make defensive linemen and outside linebackers an area of interest.Some defensive linemen making good impressions in Mobile are California's Lorenzo Alexander, Southern Cal's Shaun Cody and Mike Patterson, LSU's Marcus Spears and Wisconsin's Antaaj Hawthorne. - Mark Curnutte, Enquirer
I like the Cody kid from USC. Now, some TJ news:
From Pete Priso CBSSPORTSLINE.COM: Word out of Cincinnati is that wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh is asking for a contract with a signing bonus of $8 million. While Houshmandzadeh came on late and became a key factor down the stretch for the Bengals, it's doubtful the team will give him that kind of money, which would mean he would become an unrestricted free agent. The one knock on Houzmandzadeh is that he doesn't run that well, and that never helps drive up the price on the free-agent market.
I [Lance McAlister, local sports talk host] am told the following this afternoon by those close to negotiations between the Bengals and TJ: "The report from CBS and Pete Prisco is a complete and utter fabrication! It is safe to say the money being discussed is millions of dollar off what Pete is reporting."
Join the Rat Line
My boy John Harper (former VMI cadet) must be very proud:
Virginia Military Institute officials are investigating a 2004 barracks Halloween observance during which cadets dressed as Nazi soldiers, drag queens and a starving African.
Officials at the Lexington college were alerted to the behavior when someone referred them to an Internet message board on which four photographs of the costumed men are posted.
"We've been made aware of the possible involvement of a small number of VMI cadets in various insensitive and inappropriate photographic poses appearing on a Web site unaffiliated with VMI," spokesman Stewart MacInnis said. "VMI does not condone such behavior and this matter is being investigated accordingly. While recognizing cadets have rights as private citizens to express themselves, we are disappointed in their behavior and judgment."
Virginia Military Institute officials are investigating a 2004 barracks Halloween observance during which cadets dressed as Nazi soldiers, drag queens and a starving African.
Officials at the Lexington college were alerted to the behavior when someone referred them to an Internet message board on which four photographs of the costumed men are posted.
"We've been made aware of the possible involvement of a small number of VMI cadets in various insensitive and inappropriate photographic poses appearing on a Web site unaffiliated with VMI," spokesman Stewart MacInnis said. "VMI does not condone such behavior and this matter is being investigated accordingly. While recognizing cadets have rights as private citizens to express themselves, we are disappointed in their behavior and judgment."
Friday, January 28, 2005
Good News
In Iraq:
(CNN) -- As Iraqi expatriates in countries around the globe began voting Friday morning in the first democratic elections in almost 50 years, an Iraqi official said two "important leading members" of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's terrorist group had been arrested.
The arrests were announced by Kasim Daoud, the country's minister of state for national security. Daoud said one of those arrested was in charge of the al-Zarqawi group's Baghdad operations.
And Israel:
JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Thursday night he believes the Palestinians have created conditions for a "historic breakthrough" in relations between the bitter rivals.
(CNN) -- As Iraqi expatriates in countries around the globe began voting Friday morning in the first democratic elections in almost 50 years, an Iraqi official said two "important leading members" of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's terrorist group had been arrested.
The arrests were announced by Kasim Daoud, the country's minister of state for national security. Daoud said one of those arrested was in charge of the al-Zarqawi group's Baghdad operations.
And Israel:
JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Thursday night he believes the Palestinians have created conditions for a "historic breakthrough" in relations between the bitter rivals.
E Tu, Labor Party
This must be a plot by John Ashcroft...except that this time it's the liberal Labor Party.
LONDON — The government Wednesday unveiled a sweeping set of proposals restricting the activities of anyone in Britain deemed to pose a strong terrorist threat.
Detailed in Parliament by Home Secretary Charles Clarke, the measures may include putting electronic tags on suspects, curfews, house arrests and bans on the use of telephones or the Internet. Under the proposals, it would not be necessary to charge the suspects or prove they had committed a crime. Clarke said the controls could be applied by the Home Office to British citizens as well as foreigners in the country.
Human rights advocates were swift to voice objections. Some suggested that the proposed powers threatened Britain's centuries-old tradition of habeas corpus, which allows detainees to file court action claiming that they are being held in violation of law.
LONDON — The government Wednesday unveiled a sweeping set of proposals restricting the activities of anyone in Britain deemed to pose a strong terrorist threat.
Detailed in Parliament by Home Secretary Charles Clarke, the measures may include putting electronic tags on suspects, curfews, house arrests and bans on the use of telephones or the Internet. Under the proposals, it would not be necessary to charge the suspects or prove they had committed a crime. Clarke said the controls could be applied by the Home Office to British citizens as well as foreigners in the country.
Human rights advocates were swift to voice objections. Some suggested that the proposed powers threatened Britain's centuries-old tradition of habeas corpus, which allows detainees to file court action claiming that they are being held in violation of law.
Watch and Pray
A very sobering post from Andrew Sullivan this morning:
IRAQ'S LIBERALS: "In Iraq, the very centerpiece of the U.S. campaign to export democracy, 'democratic movements and institutions' are dying, the result of illiberalism, U.S. neglect, and, above all, sheer physical insecurity. As it grinds into its third year, the war for a liberal Iraq is destroying the dream of a liberal Iraq." That's Lawrence Kaplan's grim verdict from Baghdad. No doubt he will now be derided as a squishy left-liberal defeatist - but, in fact, Lawrence was one of the most stalwart supporters of the war against Saddam, co-authored a passionate pro-war book with Bill Kristol, and is a card-carrying neoconservative. (He's also a friend). But he's not blind; and he's not dishonest. The failure is in part a failure to get the U.S. bureaucracy to support liberal institutions and groups; but it is also simply a failure of order and security. Democracy was always going to be hard in Iraq. But democracy amod chaos and violence is close to impossible. And we never sent enough troops or conducted a smart enough post-victory occupation plan to maintain order and defeat a fledgling insurgency while we still could. So we are now left to ask ordinary Iraqis to risk their lives in order to leave their homes and vote. Here's the most heart-breaking passage - an interview with the liberal deputy defense minister, Mashal Sarraf, who cannot even leave his own house, because of the chaos:
"We have to admit the terrorists have won," he says. "People cannot engage in civil society; the war has stopped progress; liberalism is over for now." Asked what, if anything, can be done to revive the liberal project, Sarraf replies, "We need an emergency government that does nothing but security. When there is stability, then liberalism will begin to emerge, but only when there is stability."
I know Paul Wolfowitz has read Hobbes. Did he forget it? CPA adviser Larry Diamond hasn't: "You can't have a democratic state unless you have a state, and the fundamental, irreducible condition of a state is that it has a monopoly on the means of violence." As John Burns has written - again no sympathizer for Saddam or cynic - that simply isn't the case in Iraq. Our predicament is that you cannot have democracy without order and you cannot have a new order without democracy. Do I want the elections to succeed? Of course I do. Only those blinded by partisanship or cynicism wouldn't. Maybe a democratic miracle can occur. But at this point it would be exactly that: a miracle. So pray, will you?
IRAQ'S LIBERALS: "In Iraq, the very centerpiece of the U.S. campaign to export democracy, 'democratic movements and institutions' are dying, the result of illiberalism, U.S. neglect, and, above all, sheer physical insecurity. As it grinds into its third year, the war for a liberal Iraq is destroying the dream of a liberal Iraq." That's Lawrence Kaplan's grim verdict from Baghdad. No doubt he will now be derided as a squishy left-liberal defeatist - but, in fact, Lawrence was one of the most stalwart supporters of the war against Saddam, co-authored a passionate pro-war book with Bill Kristol, and is a card-carrying neoconservative. (He's also a friend). But he's not blind; and he's not dishonest. The failure is in part a failure to get the U.S. bureaucracy to support liberal institutions and groups; but it is also simply a failure of order and security. Democracy was always going to be hard in Iraq. But democracy amod chaos and violence is close to impossible. And we never sent enough troops or conducted a smart enough post-victory occupation plan to maintain order and defeat a fledgling insurgency while we still could. So we are now left to ask ordinary Iraqis to risk their lives in order to leave their homes and vote. Here's the most heart-breaking passage - an interview with the liberal deputy defense minister, Mashal Sarraf, who cannot even leave his own house, because of the chaos:
"We have to admit the terrorists have won," he says. "People cannot engage in civil society; the war has stopped progress; liberalism is over for now." Asked what, if anything, can be done to revive the liberal project, Sarraf replies, "We need an emergency government that does nothing but security. When there is stability, then liberalism will begin to emerge, but only when there is stability."
I know Paul Wolfowitz has read Hobbes. Did he forget it? CPA adviser Larry Diamond hasn't: "You can't have a democratic state unless you have a state, and the fundamental, irreducible condition of a state is that it has a monopoly on the means of violence." As John Burns has written - again no sympathizer for Saddam or cynic - that simply isn't the case in Iraq. Our predicament is that you cannot have democracy without order and you cannot have a new order without democracy. Do I want the elections to succeed? Of course I do. Only those blinded by partisanship or cynicism wouldn't. Maybe a democratic miracle can occur. But at this point it would be exactly that: a miracle. So pray, will you?
SpongeBob "Morrissey" SquarePants
SINGAPORE, Jan 28 - SpongeBob SquarePants, the wacky cartoon character who sparked a gay alert warning by U.S. Christian conservative groups, is neither gay nor straight.
He is asexual, says his creator.
He is asexual, says his creator.
This is Crazy, Loony, Nuts, Wacko, Etc.
The Vermont Human Rights Commission added its voice Thursday to criticism of Vermont Teddy Bear's "Crazy for You" bear.
The commission's executive director asked the company in a letter to stop manufacturing and selling the bear, which others have called offensive.
The controversial $69.95 teddy bear is dressed in a straitjacket and comes with commitment papers. It's part of Vermont Teddy Bear's line of Valentine's Day products. Company officials say the bear is a light-hearted attempt to help men who are crazy in love with their partners to express their feelings.
Advocates, lawmakers and others say the bear is insensitive toward people struggling with mental illness and have demanded the company remove the bear from the market. Vermont Teddy Bear has vowed to keep selling the bear through Valentine's Day.
Robert Appel, Vermont Human Rights Commission executive director, sent a letter Thursday to Vermont Teddy Bear President Elisabeth Robert criticizing the bear. "Perhaps most disturbing to me is the apparent lack of understanding by your company of the real hurt and emotional turmoil your continued marketing of this stereotypical and stigmatizing product causes for those who have suffered from psychiatric conditions, along with their loved ones," Appel wrote.
"We join the chorus imploring your company to immediately cease production and marketing of this offensive product, and to exercise better judgement and social responsibility in future product choices," he added.
The Human Rights Commission enforces anti-discrimination laws, mediates disputes, educates the public on discrimination issues and promotes human rights policy.
The commission's executive director asked the company in a letter to stop manufacturing and selling the bear, which others have called offensive.
The controversial $69.95 teddy bear is dressed in a straitjacket and comes with commitment papers. It's part of Vermont Teddy Bear's line of Valentine's Day products. Company officials say the bear is a light-hearted attempt to help men who are crazy in love with their partners to express their feelings.
Advocates, lawmakers and others say the bear is insensitive toward people struggling with mental illness and have demanded the company remove the bear from the market. Vermont Teddy Bear has vowed to keep selling the bear through Valentine's Day.
Robert Appel, Vermont Human Rights Commission executive director, sent a letter Thursday to Vermont Teddy Bear President Elisabeth Robert criticizing the bear. "Perhaps most disturbing to me is the apparent lack of understanding by your company of the real hurt and emotional turmoil your continued marketing of this stereotypical and stigmatizing product causes for those who have suffered from psychiatric conditions, along with their loved ones," Appel wrote.
"We join the chorus imploring your company to immediately cease production and marketing of this offensive product, and to exercise better judgement and social responsibility in future product choices," he added.
The Human Rights Commission enforces anti-discrimination laws, mediates disputes, educates the public on discrimination issues and promotes human rights policy.
Isn't This Unfair...
OLYMPIA, Wash. - Nip, tuck and ... tax? Lawmakers trying to plump up the bottom line are considering a "vanity tax" on cosmetic surgery and Botox injections in Washington, Illinois and other states.
...to John Kerry.
...to John Kerry.
I Thought Communist Only Existed in the American Democratic Party
Tim Blair has Iraqi election news from down under:
The Iraq elections have begun:
The first votes in the world in the Iraq elections were cast in Australia this morning.
Polling centres in Sydney and Victoria opened at 7am (AEDT) for nearly 12,000 Iraqi expatriates who have registered to vote.
The Australian head of the Iraq Out-of-Country Voting Program, Bernie Hogan, said a crowd of people was waiting outside the Fairfield centre when he arrived.
"We had a line-up of probably 60 or 70 people at the front door at seven o’clock,” he said.Beautiful.
UPDATE: Meanwhile across the road, a small group of protesters from the World Communist Party assembled to demonstrate against the elections. These clowns apparently haven’t heard that the Iraqi Communist Party is fielding candidates in these elections. Whatever happened to “solidarity”, comrades?
The Iraq elections have begun:
The first votes in the world in the Iraq elections were cast in Australia this morning.
Polling centres in Sydney and Victoria opened at 7am (AEDT) for nearly 12,000 Iraqi expatriates who have registered to vote.
The Australian head of the Iraq Out-of-Country Voting Program, Bernie Hogan, said a crowd of people was waiting outside the Fairfield centre when he arrived.
"We had a line-up of probably 60 or 70 people at the front door at seven o’clock,” he said.Beautiful.
UPDATE: Meanwhile across the road, a small group of protesters from the World Communist Party assembled to demonstrate against the elections. These clowns apparently haven’t heard that the Iraqi Communist Party is fielding candidates in these elections. Whatever happened to “solidarity”, comrades?
Thursday, January 27, 2005
More From the UN
Where do they find these people:
"The United Nations official charged with election assistance yesterday threw a barb at American troops in Iraq,accusing them of conducting an 'overenthusiastic' campaign to promote this weekend's Iraqi election," reports the New York Sun:
The chief of the U.N. Electoral Assistance Division, Carina Perelli, was asked in a press conference about reports that American troops helped Iraqi officials distribute information on the electoral process to Iraqi citizens, and encouraged them to participate in Sunday's vote.
Ms. Perelli said that U.N. officials spent time "asking, begging military commanders precisely not to do that," but the time has not been well-spent. The Americans were "overenthusiastic in trying to help out with these elections," she said. "We have basically been saying they should try to minimize their participation because this is an Iraqi process."
Perelli later said she "misspoke," but she also offered this less-than-stirring rallying cry: "Iraqis, she said,will have to 'decide by themselves whether they consider that this election is important enough, is valid enough, is legitimate enough in order to risk their lives to go and vote.' "
"The United Nations official charged with election assistance yesterday threw a barb at American troops in Iraq,accusing them of conducting an 'overenthusiastic' campaign to promote this weekend's Iraqi election," reports the New York Sun:
The chief of the U.N. Electoral Assistance Division, Carina Perelli, was asked in a press conference about reports that American troops helped Iraqi officials distribute information on the electoral process to Iraqi citizens, and encouraged them to participate in Sunday's vote.
Ms. Perelli said that U.N. officials spent time "asking, begging military commanders precisely not to do that," but the time has not been well-spent. The Americans were "overenthusiastic in trying to help out with these elections," she said. "We have basically been saying they should try to minimize their participation because this is an Iraqi process."
Perelli later said she "misspoke," but she also offered this less-than-stirring rallying cry: "Iraqis, she said,will have to 'decide by themselves whether they consider that this election is important enough, is valid enough, is legitimate enough in order to risk their lives to go and vote.' "
Quote of the Day
"It's not a code word when I put [in] a reference to T.S. Eliot's 'Four Quartets' … it's a literary reference. Just because some people don't get it doesn't mean it's a plot or a secret." -- Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson, denying that the President used religious "code words" to win evangelicals in the 2004 election.
Quote of the Day II
"As for those in the World Trade Center, well, really, let's get a grip here, shall we? True enough, they were civilians of a sort. But innocent? Gimme a break." -- University of Colorado professor, Ward Churchill. He also described the victims of 9/11 as "little Eichmanns."
UPDATE: I just found this dude's photo. Kind of what I expected.
BTW: What is a Department of Ethnic Studies? Do you get paid for this?
UPDATE: I just found this dude's photo. Kind of what I expected.
BTW: What is a Department of Ethnic Studies? Do you get paid for this?
Yes! Civil Service Reform
Man, Bush is crazy with his bold initiatives (transforming the Middle East, SS reform, etc.), but I like it. From today's WaPo:
The Bush administration unveiled a new personnel system for the Department of Homeland Security yesterday that will dramatically change the way workers are paid, promoted, deployed and disciplined -- and soon the White House will ask Congress to grant all federal agencies similar authority to rewrite civil service rules governing their employees.
The new system will replace the half-century-old General Schedule, with its familiar 15 pay grades and raises based on time in a job, and install a system that more directly bases pay on occupation and annual performance evaluations, officials said. The new system has taken two years to develop and will require at least four more to implement, they said.
"We're not rushing into it," DHS Secretary Tom Ridge said.
Under the new plan, employees will be grouped into eight to 12 clusters based on occupation. Salary ranges will be based, in part, on geographic location and annual market surveys by a new compensation committee of what similar employees earn in the private sector and other government entities. Within each occupational cluster, workers will be assigned to one of four salary ranges, or "pay bands," based on their skill level and experience.
The Bush administration unveiled a new personnel system for the Department of Homeland Security yesterday that will dramatically change the way workers are paid, promoted, deployed and disciplined -- and soon the White House will ask Congress to grant all federal agencies similar authority to rewrite civil service rules governing their employees.
The new system will replace the half-century-old General Schedule, with its familiar 15 pay grades and raises based on time in a job, and install a system that more directly bases pay on occupation and annual performance evaluations, officials said. The new system has taken two years to develop and will require at least four more to implement, they said.
"We're not rushing into it," DHS Secretary Tom Ridge said.
Under the new plan, employees will be grouped into eight to 12 clusters based on occupation. Salary ranges will be based, in part, on geographic location and annual market surveys by a new compensation committee of what similar employees earn in the private sector and other government entities. Within each occupational cluster, workers will be assigned to one of four salary ranges, or "pay bands," based on their skill level and experience.
One Busy Legislator
MEMPHIS, Tenn. It's a child support case that involves three women and six children -- but only one man, a Tennessee state senator who heads a committee on child welfare.The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports that state senator John Ford testified last November that he lives in separate homes with two women whose children he fathered, paying nearly all the bills.
One home is where his ex-wife lives with their three children, another is where his longtime girlfriend lives with their two children.
Ford testified in Juvenile Court because a third woman is suing to increase the child-support level for their ten-year-old daughter. But the lawmaker is arguing that a law he authored keeps child support lower when a father is financially responsible for other children.
Ford may have another child to support soon -- his ex-wife tells the newspaper that she's six months pregnant and that Ford is the father.
One home is where his ex-wife lives with their three children, another is where his longtime girlfriend lives with their two children.
Ford testified in Juvenile Court because a third woman is suing to increase the child-support level for their ten-year-old daughter. But the lawmaker is arguing that a law he authored keeps child support lower when a father is financially responsible for other children.
Ford may have another child to support soon -- his ex-wife tells the newspaper that she's six months pregnant and that Ford is the father.
Common Sense from South Africa
We need more of this:
Cardinal Wilfred Napier said there was simply no evidence that promoting condoms had worked, citing the fact that as a contraceptive, they come with a failure rate which implies they probably do not always stop HIV transmission.
"Can you show me one example where condoms have stopped the spread of AIDS?," he said in a telephone interview on Wednesday. "If you look at South Africa, millions have been spent promoting condoms and we have one of the highest rates in the world. By promoting condoms we are promoting immoral behaviour."
This is tragically obvious, but we'll continue to kill ourselves.
Cardinal Wilfred Napier said there was simply no evidence that promoting condoms had worked, citing the fact that as a contraceptive, they come with a failure rate which implies they probably do not always stop HIV transmission.
"Can you show me one example where condoms have stopped the spread of AIDS?," he said in a telephone interview on Wednesday. "If you look at South Africa, millions have been spent promoting condoms and we have one of the highest rates in the world. By promoting condoms we are promoting immoral behaviour."
This is tragically obvious, but we'll continue to kill ourselves.
Ouch!
George Will unloads on MIT's Nancy Hopkins, who declared her breath grew shallow over the sexism of Harvard prez Larry Summers:
"Is this the fruit of feminism? A woman at the peak of the academic pyramid becomes theatrically flurried by an unwelcome idea and, like a Victorian maiden exposed to male coarseness, suffers the vapors and collapses on the drawing room carpet in a heap of crinolines until revived by smelling salts and the offending brute's contrition?"
"Is this the fruit of feminism? A woman at the peak of the academic pyramid becomes theatrically flurried by an unwelcome idea and, like a Victorian maiden exposed to male coarseness, suffers the vapors and collapses on the drawing room carpet in a heap of crinolines until revived by smelling salts and the offending brute's contrition?"
Uh Oh!
This is not encouraging (and John Burns is a very good, and sober, reporter):
"Starkly put, Baghdad is not under control, either by the Iraqi interim government or the American military." - John F. Burns, New York Times, today.
"Starkly put, Baghdad is not under control, either by the Iraqi interim government or the American military." - John F. Burns, New York Times, today.
The Austrian Parallel
From USA Today:
Consider Austria right after World War II, when it was occupied by American, British, French and Russian forces. Within six months, free elections were held. A year later, in 1946, Russia and the West were at each other's throats. Murder, rape and theft were commonplace, and the lack of food, fuel and housing endemic. The freely elected officials of the Austrian government met in secret, wondering whether their nation could survive.
Today, it's hard to imagine that Austria ever saw such fearful days. Yet, elections didn't save Vienna from the barbarians. Sound strategy did. American efforts in postwar Europe practiced what military planners called the "disease and unrest formula." They outlined three tasks to keep a defeated nation from chaos: (1) avoiding a humanitarian crisis; (2) setting up a legitimate government; (3) establishing domestic security forces.
Security took the longest, but by 1948, the government could stand by itself.
The three tasks are a suitable standard by which to measure any occupation. In Iraq, the first has been accomplished. There is no humanitarian disaster. Iraqis, in fact, are far better off than many Europeans were, even years after World War II. The Iraqi economy is already growing at a faster rate than the Austrian economy after the war.
Legitimacy is also at hand. The international community has recognized the new regime. Elections will likely be sufficient to constitute a representative government.
Iraq, however, will become a stable and prosperous nation only if the third task, establishing domestic security forces, is achieved. The clear-headed, realistic strategy that we're pursuing will help, as long as we're willing to avoid the temptation to exit too early.
Consider Austria right after World War II, when it was occupied by American, British, French and Russian forces. Within six months, free elections were held. A year later, in 1946, Russia and the West were at each other's throats. Murder, rape and theft were commonplace, and the lack of food, fuel and housing endemic. The freely elected officials of the Austrian government met in secret, wondering whether their nation could survive.
Today, it's hard to imagine that Austria ever saw such fearful days. Yet, elections didn't save Vienna from the barbarians. Sound strategy did. American efforts in postwar Europe practiced what military planners called the "disease and unrest formula." They outlined three tasks to keep a defeated nation from chaos: (1) avoiding a humanitarian crisis; (2) setting up a legitimate government; (3) establishing domestic security forces.
Security took the longest, but by 1948, the government could stand by itself.
The three tasks are a suitable standard by which to measure any occupation. In Iraq, the first has been accomplished. There is no humanitarian disaster. Iraqis, in fact, are far better off than many Europeans were, even years after World War II. The Iraqi economy is already growing at a faster rate than the Austrian economy after the war.
Legitimacy is also at hand. The international community has recognized the new regime. Elections will likely be sufficient to constitute a representative government.
Iraq, however, will become a stable and prosperous nation only if the third task, establishing domestic security forces, is achieved. The clear-headed, realistic strategy that we're pursuing will help, as long as we're willing to avoid the temptation to exit too early.
The Problem of Underpopulation
Yes, it's true.
Summary: Most people think overpopulation is one of the worst dangers facing the globe. In fact, the opposite is true. As countries get richer, their populations age and their birthrates plummet. And this is not just a problem of rich countries: the developing world is also getting older fast. Falling birthrates might seem beneficial, but the economic and social price is too steep to pay. The right policies could help turn the tide, but only if enacted before it's too late.
Summary: Most people think overpopulation is one of the worst dangers facing the globe. In fact, the opposite is true. As countries get richer, their populations age and their birthrates plummet. And this is not just a problem of rich countries: the developing world is also getting older fast. Falling birthrates might seem beneficial, but the economic and social price is too steep to pay. The right policies could help turn the tide, but only if enacted before it's too late.
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Has Bush Heralded the Return of Natural Law?
Joseph Bottum thinks so.
This is a claim about the universal, which the old foreign-policy realists rejected. This is a claim about the moral, which the libertarians despised. And this is a claim about the eternal, which the Social Darwinists renounced. But these older strains of conservatism have lost the battle to set the nation's rhetoric. They are welcome to come along for the ride, but George W. Bush announced, there in the bright cold of a Washington January, that the nation would be moving to the beat of a different political philosophy.
This is a claim about the universal, which the old foreign-policy realists rejected. This is a claim about the moral, which the libertarians despised. And this is a claim about the eternal, which the Social Darwinists renounced. But these older strains of conservatism have lost the battle to set the nation's rhetoric. They are welcome to come along for the ride, but George W. Bush announced, there in the bright cold of a Washington January, that the nation would be moving to the beat of a different political philosophy.
Oscar Preview
Barbara Nicolosi pretty much sums up my feelings (although I did like Sideways):
So, this year, the top Oscar nominations have gone to
...a movie that makes a hero out of a man who murders his adopted daughter.
...a movie that makes a hero out of an abortionist.
...a movie that makes a hero out of a discredited researcher who was obsessed with sex and encouraged many others to experiment with various perversions.
...a movie that lionizes a billionaire narcissist who died insane from syphilis.
...a movie that suggests it is funny when an engaged man sets off for a week of debauchery before his marriage with his drunkard best friend.
...a movie that glamorizes four alley cats dressed as beautiful people who fornicate and commit adultery with each other, and indulge in various sexual perversions until the movie ends.
...a movie that makes a hero out of a paraplegic in despair who wants to kill himself.
What makes this year's noms even darker is the fact that there was this one big cinematic elephant out there that, as we all predicted, was passed over for all the top awards. This movie was:
...the biggest independent movie in cinema history.
...the third biggest box-office movie of the year.
...a movie that moved millions of people to tears, had the entire world talking, and even led several murderers to turn themselves in!
...the most courageous directoral achievement since Citizen Kane.
...which just happened to be the story of the redemption of the world by the Son of God.
Too bad. Call it the revenge of the blue states.
So, this year, the top Oscar nominations have gone to
...a movie that makes a hero out of a man who murders his adopted daughter.
...a movie that makes a hero out of an abortionist.
...a movie that makes a hero out of a discredited researcher who was obsessed with sex and encouraged many others to experiment with various perversions.
...a movie that lionizes a billionaire narcissist who died insane from syphilis.
...a movie that suggests it is funny when an engaged man sets off for a week of debauchery before his marriage with his drunkard best friend.
...a movie that glamorizes four alley cats dressed as beautiful people who fornicate and commit adultery with each other, and indulge in various sexual perversions until the movie ends.
...a movie that makes a hero out of a paraplegic in despair who wants to kill himself.
What makes this year's noms even darker is the fact that there was this one big cinematic elephant out there that, as we all predicted, was passed over for all the top awards. This movie was:
...the biggest independent movie in cinema history.
...the third biggest box-office movie of the year.
...a movie that moved millions of people to tears, had the entire world talking, and even led several murderers to turn themselves in!
...the most courageous directoral achievement since Citizen Kane.
...which just happened to be the story of the redemption of the world by the Son of God.
Too bad. Call it the revenge of the blue states.
They're Laying It On Thick
More bias from the WaPo:
Some of the Democrats who opposed Rice were centrists from states in which President Bush won or ran strongly in November, including Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.), Mark Dayton (D-Minn.), Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa).
Carl Levin a centrist? Tom Harkin a centrist? Compared to whom...Trotsky.
BTW...Only 15 Democrats voted against Rice today. Their reasons: she lied about WMD, she lied about the war, and she continues to lie today. Now, if true, those are very good reasons to refuse her nomination.
So what about the other Democrats who supported her? They must not think she lied and is lying or they would have voted no. Do we hear from them? No. On the news last night, I saw Barbara Boxer, Kennedy, Dayton, et al. Why not show Diane Feinstein's passionate defense of Rice? Oh, that would be problematic now wouldn't it.
Some of the Democrats who opposed Rice were centrists from states in which President Bush won or ran strongly in November, including Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.), Mark Dayton (D-Minn.), Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa).
Carl Levin a centrist? Tom Harkin a centrist? Compared to whom...Trotsky.
BTW...Only 15 Democrats voted against Rice today. Their reasons: she lied about WMD, she lied about the war, and she continues to lie today. Now, if true, those are very good reasons to refuse her nomination.
So what about the other Democrats who supported her? They must not think she lied and is lying or they would have voted no. Do we hear from them? No. On the news last night, I saw Barbara Boxer, Kennedy, Dayton, et al. Why not show Diane Feinstein's passionate defense of Rice? Oh, that would be problematic now wouldn't it.
"There Is Electricity In The Air"
Man, this is going to be something to behold.
To Iraqis, the elections are no longer theoretical. With voting less than a week away, there is electricity in the air. Pundits and politicians can discuss whether the elections should go forward, but for most Iraqis, such debates are moot. Democracy may be a process, but it is one in which Iraqis are ready to take the first step.
To Iraqis, the elections are no longer theoretical. With voting less than a week away, there is electricity in the air. Pundits and politicians can discuss whether the elections should go forward, but for most Iraqis, such debates are moot. Democracy may be a process, but it is one in which Iraqis are ready to take the first step.
Tsunami Update
The death toll has hit 280,000 and is still climbing:
"In Indonesia's worst-hit Aceh province, more than 1,000 bodies a day are still being recovered."
"In Indonesia's worst-hit Aceh province, more than 1,000 bodies a day are still being recovered."
More Duke Bias
The conventional wisdom is that Duke is overachieving with it's recent losses to graduation and early entry into the NBA draft. Hogwash! Chew on this for a minute (from Yoni Cohen):
Duke's roster includes 5 McDonald's All-Americans. Had he not been accused of rape his senior year, Shelden Williams would also have been honored as a McDonald's All-American. That gives the Blue Devils 6 All-Americans, one less than the rest of the ACC combined.
So Duke is doing just fine with more talent than anyone else.
Duke's roster includes 5 McDonald's All-Americans. Had he not been accused of rape his senior year, Shelden Williams would also have been honored as a McDonald's All-American. That gives the Blue Devils 6 All-Americans, one less than the rest of the ACC combined.
So Duke is doing just fine with more talent than anyone else.
No Man Is An Island
Now this is what I call a minority:
A 45-year-old man is believed to have become the last Jew in Afghanistan after the death of the caretaker of the only functioning synagogue in Kabul.
It has emerged that the caretaker, Ishaq Levin, aged about 80, died of natural causes about a week ago.
His Jewish neighbour, Zebulon Simentov, lived with Mr Levin in the synagogue.
Correspondents say that around 5,000 Afghan Jews left the country after the creation of Israel in 1948, with others leaving after the 1979 Soviet invasion.
The death of the man believed to be his only co-religionist does not seem to be a source of grievance for Mr Simentov.
A 45-year-old man is believed to have become the last Jew in Afghanistan after the death of the caretaker of the only functioning synagogue in Kabul.
It has emerged that the caretaker, Ishaq Levin, aged about 80, died of natural causes about a week ago.
His Jewish neighbour, Zebulon Simentov, lived with Mr Levin in the synagogue.
Correspondents say that around 5,000 Afghan Jews left the country after the creation of Israel in 1948, with others leaving after the 1979 Soviet invasion.
The death of the man believed to be his only co-religionist does not seem to be a source of grievance for Mr Simentov.
Another Bad Choice
This time by Villanova University:
LOWER MERION - An ethical rift brewing in the Villanova University community could surface today, when Mine Ener, an acclaimed former history professor, mentor and murderer is memorialized in the university's library.
No protests are expected, university officials said, but tension has grown between those who applaud Ener's extraordinary work and those who have reservations about celebrating the works of a suicide victim who killed her 6-month-old daughter who had Down syndrome."
Mine Ener was a very energetic, inspiring teacher," said Villanova senior Jeanne Hoffman. "But she killed her baby."
Villanova is a Catholic university, and the Catholic Church honors the sanctity of life. While Ener did do a lot of good research, I don't think it's right to make a dedication."
According to police reports, Ener apparently suffocated herself in a Minnesota jail cell August 2003 after being charged with second-degree murder. Earlier that month, the professor of Middle Eastern History admitted slicing her daughter Raya's throat twice with a kitchen knife. Investigators said Ener battled with postpartum depression, and told police she wanted to relieve her child's suffering from Down syndrome.
LOWER MERION - An ethical rift brewing in the Villanova University community could surface today, when Mine Ener, an acclaimed former history professor, mentor and murderer is memorialized in the university's library.
No protests are expected, university officials said, but tension has grown between those who applaud Ener's extraordinary work and those who have reservations about celebrating the works of a suicide victim who killed her 6-month-old daughter who had Down syndrome."
Mine Ener was a very energetic, inspiring teacher," said Villanova senior Jeanne Hoffman. "But she killed her baby."
Villanova is a Catholic university, and the Catholic Church honors the sanctity of life. While Ener did do a lot of good research, I don't think it's right to make a dedication."
According to police reports, Ener apparently suffocated herself in a Minnesota jail cell August 2003 after being charged with second-degree murder. Earlier that month, the professor of Middle Eastern History admitted slicing her daughter Raya's throat twice with a kitchen knife. Investigators said Ener battled with postpartum depression, and told police she wanted to relieve her child's suffering from Down syndrome.
I Just Love the Hip-Hop Generation
This is one of the great legal battles of our day. Just check out the headline to the story:
Court Rules in Rappers' Battle Over Phrase 'Back That Ass Up'
Court Rules in Rappers' Battle Over Phrase 'Back That Ass Up'
Amen, Brother
Amen.
Somewhere in central Iraq an aircraft lands delivering goods that aren't made in country. Nothing unusual in that; go to any bazaar in this land and you'll find imported items outnumber those manufactured locally. Years of brutal dictatorship, UN sanctions, and ultimately war to end both have left this nation's manufacturing infrastructure less than intact, to say the least. The task of rebuilding is a daunting one, made more so by factions that would see to it that success is limited, that progress isn't made.
That's the future, at least the future as those with any sense of optimism see it. For now forklifts scurry quickly up the lowered cargo door and hoist pallets of material then return to their starting points, unload and climb for more. A forest of pallets forms on the pavement, soon to be loaded on trucks for transport away from the relative safety of the airbase. Now empty, the plane taxis away to retrieve another load. Now full, a convoy of trucks departs for other locations around the country, the drivers will quite literally risk their lives to get this material to its intended destination.
The forklifts stand by as in the distance the drone of another approaching aircraft signals their job is far from over.
The scene is repeated in various locations around the country. The payload? The material thought worth dying for by hundreds of men determined to move their nation forward? Election material, of course. The future history of free Iraq is being written. Across the country the people express a commitment to democracy, a determination to vote. Should they see the reports from America they must be stunned; stories of "disenfranchisement" from here and there where the weather was bad and many voters felt the wait in line was just too long, thanks. This is America? Could these people actually be somehow related to the men and women in uniform here in Iraq? Those who are shoulder to shoulder with the people of Baghdad, Mosul, Basra... delivering the ballots, manning the checkpoints, ever vigilant for the appearance of the "former regime loyalist" and the "foreign insurgent" determined to inflict the rule of the knife on a population that has never known anything but?
Bloody days are in store. These elections will be like nothing before witnessed. In most areas of the country all will be well, but elsewhere a shredded remnant of the anti-Iraqi forces will make their presence known. Their efforts are nearly impotent; on a recent day five separate car bomb attacks failed to reach their intended targets. Yet even as their failures mount, even as their ranks are diminished and their slaughterhouses are shut down they know one thing that brings them a glimmer of hope: their allies in the world media will not let them down. Whether to simply sell papers, lure advertisers, or to support a cause they firmly believe in, many in the media are the insurgent’s final hope.
Somewhere in central Iraq an aircraft lands delivering goods that aren't made in country. Nothing unusual in that; go to any bazaar in this land and you'll find imported items outnumber those manufactured locally. Years of brutal dictatorship, UN sanctions, and ultimately war to end both have left this nation's manufacturing infrastructure less than intact, to say the least. The task of rebuilding is a daunting one, made more so by factions that would see to it that success is limited, that progress isn't made.
That's the future, at least the future as those with any sense of optimism see it. For now forklifts scurry quickly up the lowered cargo door and hoist pallets of material then return to their starting points, unload and climb for more. A forest of pallets forms on the pavement, soon to be loaded on trucks for transport away from the relative safety of the airbase. Now empty, the plane taxis away to retrieve another load. Now full, a convoy of trucks departs for other locations around the country, the drivers will quite literally risk their lives to get this material to its intended destination.
The forklifts stand by as in the distance the drone of another approaching aircraft signals their job is far from over.
The scene is repeated in various locations around the country. The payload? The material thought worth dying for by hundreds of men determined to move their nation forward? Election material, of course. The future history of free Iraq is being written. Across the country the people express a commitment to democracy, a determination to vote. Should they see the reports from America they must be stunned; stories of "disenfranchisement" from here and there where the weather was bad and many voters felt the wait in line was just too long, thanks. This is America? Could these people actually be somehow related to the men and women in uniform here in Iraq? Those who are shoulder to shoulder with the people of Baghdad, Mosul, Basra... delivering the ballots, manning the checkpoints, ever vigilant for the appearance of the "former regime loyalist" and the "foreign insurgent" determined to inflict the rule of the knife on a population that has never known anything but?
Bloody days are in store. These elections will be like nothing before witnessed. In most areas of the country all will be well, but elsewhere a shredded remnant of the anti-Iraqi forces will make their presence known. Their efforts are nearly impotent; on a recent day five separate car bomb attacks failed to reach their intended targets. Yet even as their failures mount, even as their ranks are diminished and their slaughterhouses are shut down they know one thing that brings them a glimmer of hope: their allies in the world media will not let them down. Whether to simply sell papers, lure advertisers, or to support a cause they firmly believe in, many in the media are the insurgent’s final hope.
Bad Choice
If you're the Democrats, why would you choose a former Klan member to speak out against the nomination of a black, female Secretary of State?
"Dr. Rice is responsible for some of the most overblown rhetoric that the administration used to scare the American people," Sen. Robert Byrd , D-W.Va., said.
The Senate set aside most of the day Tuesday to debate the Rice nomination after Democrats revolted against a plan to confirm Rice last week, on the same day that Bush took his oath for a second term.
Your guess is as good as mine.
"Dr. Rice is responsible for some of the most overblown rhetoric that the administration used to scare the American people," Sen. Robert Byrd , D-W.Va., said.
The Senate set aside most of the day Tuesday to debate the Rice nomination after Democrats revolted against a plan to confirm Rice last week, on the same day that Bush took his oath for a second term.
Your guess is as good as mine.
Flaunting the Media's Agenda
Haider Ajina passes along a translation of an article in the Arabic newspaper Alsharq Alausat, with the results of a poll conducted by the Iraqi Ministry of Planning:
72.4 % of all of those polled said they would participate in the elections.
97% of Iraqis in Kurdistan said they would participate in the elections.
96% of Iraqis in the southern provinces (mainly Shiite areas) said they would participate in the elections.
33% of Iraqis in the central provinces (Sunni Area) said they would participate in the elections.
10% of Iraqis in Central provinces (Sunni Area) said they have not yet made their mind if they were going to vote or not.
62.1% of those polled said that the elections will be neutral and free.
17.8% said elections will not be neutral and free.
66% said that the elections must take place under current circumstances.
53.3% said the security is good in their area..
21.7% said that security was average in their area.
25% said that security was bad in their area.
Interesting: 75% of Iraqis say security where they live is either "good" or "average." Not exactly the impression you would get from the American press.
72.4 % of all of those polled said they would participate in the elections.
97% of Iraqis in Kurdistan said they would participate in the elections.
96% of Iraqis in the southern provinces (mainly Shiite areas) said they would participate in the elections.
33% of Iraqis in the central provinces (Sunni Area) said they would participate in the elections.
10% of Iraqis in Central provinces (Sunni Area) said they have not yet made their mind if they were going to vote or not.
62.1% of those polled said that the elections will be neutral and free.
17.8% said elections will not be neutral and free.
66% said that the elections must take place under current circumstances.
53.3% said the security is good in their area..
21.7% said that security was average in their area.
25% said that security was bad in their area.
Interesting: 75% of Iraqis say security where they live is either "good" or "average." Not exactly the impression you would get from the American press.
The Neocons are Going Green
I've been a proponent of this for a long time. The bottom line:
The alliance of hawks and environmentalists is new but not entirely surprising. The environmentalists are worried about global warming and air pollution. But Woolsey and Gaffney—both members of the Project for the New American Century, which began advocating military action against Saddam Hussein back in 1998—are going green for geopolitical reasons, not environmental ones. They seek to reduce the flow of American dollars to oil-rich Islamic theocracies, Saudi Arabia in particular. Petrodollars have made Saudi Arabia too rich a source of terrorist funding and Islamic radicals. Last month, Gaffney told a conference in Washington that America has become dependent on oil that is imported from countries that, "by and large, are hostile to us." This fact, he said, makes reducing oil imports "a national security imperative."
The alliance of hawks and environmentalists is new but not entirely surprising. The environmentalists are worried about global warming and air pollution. But Woolsey and Gaffney—both members of the Project for the New American Century, which began advocating military action against Saddam Hussein back in 1998—are going green for geopolitical reasons, not environmental ones. They seek to reduce the flow of American dollars to oil-rich Islamic theocracies, Saudi Arabia in particular. Petrodollars have made Saudi Arabia too rich a source of terrorist funding and Islamic radicals. Last month, Gaffney told a conference in Washington that America has become dependent on oil that is imported from countries that, "by and large, are hostile to us." This fact, he said, makes reducing oil imports "a national security imperative."
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Will This Start A Trend?
This is one way to reduce your health care costs:
LANSING, Mich. -- Four employees of a health care company have been fired for refusing to take a test to determine whether they smoke cigarettes.
Weyco Inc., a health benefits administrator based in Okemos, Mich., adopted a policy Jan. 1 that allows employees to be fired if they smoke, even if the smoking happens after business hours or at home.
Company founder Howard Weyers has said the anti-smoking rule was designed to shield the firm from high health care costs. "I don't want to pay for the results of smoking," he said.
The rule led one employee to quit before the policy was adopted. Four others were fired when they balked at the smoking test.
Chief Financial Officer Gary Climes estimated that 18 to 20 of the company's 200 employers were smokers when the policy was announced in 2003. Of those, as many as 14 quit smoking before the policy went into effect. The company offered them help to kick the habit.
"That is absolutely a victory," Climes said.
On the company's Web site, it states:
"Weyco Inc. is a non-smoking company that strongly supports its employees in living healthy lifestyles. "
LANSING, Mich. -- Four employees of a health care company have been fired for refusing to take a test to determine whether they smoke cigarettes.
Weyco Inc., a health benefits administrator based in Okemos, Mich., adopted a policy Jan. 1 that allows employees to be fired if they smoke, even if the smoking happens after business hours or at home.
Company founder Howard Weyers has said the anti-smoking rule was designed to shield the firm from high health care costs. "I don't want to pay for the results of smoking," he said.
The rule led one employee to quit before the policy was adopted. Four others were fired when they balked at the smoking test.
Chief Financial Officer Gary Climes estimated that 18 to 20 of the company's 200 employers were smokers when the policy was announced in 2003. Of those, as many as 14 quit smoking before the policy went into effect. The company offered them help to kick the habit.
"That is absolutely a victory," Climes said.
On the company's Web site, it states:
"Weyco Inc. is a non-smoking company that strongly supports its employees in living healthy lifestyles. "
Blogging Orange
My main man Viktor Yuschenko has a blog. I can't read a word of it - and he's using his pre-poisoning picture - but I'm sure it's good nonetheless.
Quote of the Day
"George Bush's second inaugural extravaganza was every bit as repugnant as I had expected, a vulgar orgy of triumphalism probably unmatched since Napoleon crowned himself emperor of the French in Notre Dame in 1804. The little Corsican corporal had a few decent victories to his escutcheon. Lodi, Marengo, that sort of thing. Not so this strutting Texan mountebank, with his chimpanzee smirk and his born-again banalities delivered in that constipated syntax that sounds the way cold cheeseburgers look, and his grinning plastic wife, and his scheming junta of neo-con spivs, shamans, flatterers and armchair warmongers, and his sinuous evasions and his brazen lies, and his sleight of hand theft from the American poor, and his rape of the environment, and his lethal conviction that the world must submit to his Pax Americana or be bombed into charcoal." - Mike Carlton, Sydney Morning Herald.
I just read last night that John Howard's approval rating is approaching 70%. I think it's a safe bet that Mr. Carlton is part of the 30% minority.
I just read last night that John Howard's approval rating is approaching 70%. I think it's a safe bet that Mr. Carlton is part of the 30% minority.
More Encouraging News from Iraq
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 24 - Sunni Arab leaders who have been the most vocal in calling for a boycott or postponement of the coming elections say they intend to get involved in politics after the vote, including taking part in writing a permanent constitution.
There is too much at stake, with the constitution to be drafted by August 2005 and full-term elections held by year's end, for Sunni groups to reject the political process, the leaders say, even if they are sticking to their denunciation of the elections.
The train's pulling out of the station, so you better get on board. The Sunnis realize it; if only the Democrats did too.
There is too much at stake, with the constitution to be drafted by August 2005 and full-term elections held by year's end, for Sunni groups to reject the political process, the leaders say, even if they are sticking to their denunciation of the elections.
The train's pulling out of the station, so you better get on board. The Sunnis realize it; if only the Democrats did too.
The Chameleon Speaks
Hillary's starting to talk a good game on abortion:
ALBANY, Jan. 24 - Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said on Monday that the opposing sides in the divisive debate over abortion should find "common ground" to prevent unwanted pregnancies and ultimately reduce abortions, which she called a "sad, even tragic choice to many, many women."
But in practice is still very radical.
ALBANY, Jan. 24 - Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said on Monday that the opposing sides in the divisive debate over abortion should find "common ground" to prevent unwanted pregnancies and ultimately reduce abortions, which she called a "sad, even tragic choice to many, many women."
But in practice is still very radical.
Monday, January 24, 2005
Britain's CBS
This is delicious. It's very, very long, but well worth it. The BBC is exposed for what it is.
That's What I Call Getting Around
This is why there's no such thing as a monogamous relationship (unless, of course, both partners enter the relationship as virgins). You partner with every partner of your partner. Pretty creepy. Ain't free love grand.
I Hope This Is True
I'll believe it when I see it.
WASHINGTON, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The Bush administration was committed to cutting huge U.S. budget and trade deficits, U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow said on Monday, and there should be no delay in overhauling Social Security.
However, Snow, appearing on CNBC television, declined to say whether Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan is pressing the Bush administration for swifter action to ratchet down deficits.
"I won't get into our discussions with Chairman Greenspan, that wouldn't be appropriate," Snow said. "But I will say that this administration is deeply committed to fiscal responsibility, to controlling spending and to bringing the deficit down."
WASHINGTON, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The Bush administration was committed to cutting huge U.S. budget and trade deficits, U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow said on Monday, and there should be no delay in overhauling Social Security.
However, Snow, appearing on CNBC television, declined to say whether Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan is pressing the Bush administration for swifter action to ratchet down deficits.
"I won't get into our discussions with Chairman Greenspan, that wouldn't be appropriate," Snow said. "But I will say that this administration is deeply committed to fiscal responsibility, to controlling spending and to bringing the deficit down."
Stop Being Mean
So is name-calling ok at elementary schools these days? I guess so if you need a "No Name-Calling Week."
NEW YORK (AP) -- Using a young readers' novel called "The Misfits" as its centerpiece, middle schools nationwide will participate in a "No Name-Calling Week" initiative starting Monday. The program, now in its second year, has the backing of groups from the Girl Scouts to Amnesty International but has also drawn complaints that it overemphasizes harassment of gay youths.
The initiative was developed by the New York-based Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, which seeks to ensure that schools safely accommodate students of all sexual orientations. GLSEN worked with James Howe, the openly gay author of "The Misfits" and many other popular children's books.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Using a young readers' novel called "The Misfits" as its centerpiece, middle schools nationwide will participate in a "No Name-Calling Week" initiative starting Monday. The program, now in its second year, has the backing of groups from the Girl Scouts to Amnesty International but has also drawn complaints that it overemphasizes harassment of gay youths.
The initiative was developed by the New York-based Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, which seeks to ensure that schools safely accommodate students of all sexual orientations. GLSEN worked with James Howe, the openly gay author of "The Misfits" and many other popular children's books.
Quote of the Day
From this article on the military and nanotechnology.
"Getting the government to change the way they kill people is difficult," Carpenter says.
"Getting the government to change the way they kill people is difficult," Carpenter says.
Encouraging News from Iran
Reports from across Iran are stating about the massive welcoming of President George W. Bush's inaugural speech and his promise of helping to bring down the last outposts of tyranny.
Millions of Iranians have been reported as having stayed home, on Thursday night which is their usual weekend and outgoing night, in order to see or hear the Presidential speech and the comments made by the Los Angeles based Iranian satellite TV and radio networks, such as, NITV or KRSI.
The speech and its package of hope have been, since late yesterday night and this morning, the main topics of most Iranians' conversations during their familial and friendly gatherings, in the collective taxis and buses, as well as, among groups of young Iranians who gather outside the cities on the Fridays.
Many were seen showing the " V " sign or their raised fists. Talks were focused on steps that need to be taken in order to use the first time ever favorable International condition.
Millions of Iranians have been reported as having stayed home, on Thursday night which is their usual weekend and outgoing night, in order to see or hear the Presidential speech and the comments made by the Los Angeles based Iranian satellite TV and radio networks, such as, NITV or KRSI.
The speech and its package of hope have been, since late yesterday night and this morning, the main topics of most Iranians' conversations during their familial and friendly gatherings, in the collective taxis and buses, as well as, among groups of young Iranians who gather outside the cities on the Fridays.
Many were seen showing the " V " sign or their raised fists. Talks were focused on steps that need to be taken in order to use the first time ever favorable International condition.
Big Momentum for this Weekend
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 21 - With the Shiites on the brink of capturing power here for the first time, their political leaders say they have decided to put a secular face on the new Iraqi government they plan to form, relegating Islam to a supporting role.
The senior leaders of the United Iraqi Alliance, the coalition of mostly Shiite groups that is poised to capture the most votes in the election next Sunday, have agreed that the Iraqi whom they nominate to be the country's next prime minister would be a lay person, not an Islamic cleric.
The Shiite leaders say there is a similar but less formal agreement that clerics will also be excluded from running the government ministries.
"There will be no turbans in the government," said Adnan Ali, a senior leader of the Dawa Party, one of the largest Shiite parties. "Everyone agrees on that."
The decision appears to formalize the growing dominance of secular leaders among the Shiite political leadership, and it also reflects an inclination by the country's powerful religious hierarchy to stay out of the day-to-day governing of the country. Among the Shiite coalition's 228 candidates for the national assembly, fewer than a half dozen are clerics, according to the group's leaders.
The senior leaders of the United Iraqi Alliance, the coalition of mostly Shiite groups that is poised to capture the most votes in the election next Sunday, have agreed that the Iraqi whom they nominate to be the country's next prime minister would be a lay person, not an Islamic cleric.
The Shiite leaders say there is a similar but less formal agreement that clerics will also be excluded from running the government ministries.
"There will be no turbans in the government," said Adnan Ali, a senior leader of the Dawa Party, one of the largest Shiite parties. "Everyone agrees on that."
The decision appears to formalize the growing dominance of secular leaders among the Shiite political leadership, and it also reflects an inclination by the country's powerful religious hierarchy to stay out of the day-to-day governing of the country. Among the Shiite coalition's 228 candidates for the national assembly, fewer than a half dozen are clerics, according to the group's leaders.
Is Islam at a Tipping Point?
The chief Imam of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, delivers an annual sermon blasting extremism and terror in the name of Islam.
"Islam is the religion of moderation. There is no room for extremism in Islam," he said. He called on Muslims to "protect non-Muslims in the Kingdom and not to attack them in the country or anywhere. Islam is a religion of peace that abhors attack on innocents." Militants were using misguided interpretations of Islam to justify violence, he added. "Because Muslims have strayed from moderation, we are now suffering from this dangerous phenomenon of branding people infidels and inciting Muslims to rise against their leaders to cause instability," Al-Sudais said. "The reason for this is a delinquent and void interpretation of Islam based on ignorance ... faith does not mean killing Muslims or non-Muslims who live among us, it does not mean shedding blood, terrorizing or sending body parts flying."
This seems like a really big deal to me, maybe even a turning point. To bad it won't be reported.
"Islam is the religion of moderation. There is no room for extremism in Islam," he said. He called on Muslims to "protect non-Muslims in the Kingdom and not to attack them in the country or anywhere. Islam is a religion of peace that abhors attack on innocents." Militants were using misguided interpretations of Islam to justify violence, he added. "Because Muslims have strayed from moderation, we are now suffering from this dangerous phenomenon of branding people infidels and inciting Muslims to rise against their leaders to cause instability," Al-Sudais said. "The reason for this is a delinquent and void interpretation of Islam based on ignorance ... faith does not mean killing Muslims or non-Muslims who live among us, it does not mean shedding blood, terrorizing or sending body parts flying."
This seems like a really big deal to me, maybe even a turning point. To bad it won't be reported.
What Have We Become
Oh, the beauty of abortion. A little tid-bit:
"This is the procedure for eight weeks or less, " she said. "When they're about 12 weeks, then the doctor takes the baby out with forceps. He takes the baby out in pieces. He checks each part and he places each one in a tray down below. When he finishes the procedure, I have to drain everything. We drain it to separate body parts from blood. We place all the parts in a jar that goes to the laboratory.
"It's impressive how well-defined they are. You can't believe what you are seeing. You see perfect little hands, tinier than those of a Barbie doll. You can see intestines, tiny ribs, their little faces, and their tiny squashed heads. You can distinguish among the parts if the baby was a boy or girl.
"It makes me so sad to see the jars. It's very hard for me to do all this. To see all that falls on the floor, or for example, to remove a tiny foot from the instruments. A girl who worked here told me that she came home with a tiny foot stuck to her uniform, close to her shoulder. She, of course, hadn't noticed until her husband told her."
"This is the procedure for eight weeks or less, " she said. "When they're about 12 weeks, then the doctor takes the baby out with forceps. He takes the baby out in pieces. He checks each part and he places each one in a tray down below. When he finishes the procedure, I have to drain everything. We drain it to separate body parts from blood. We place all the parts in a jar that goes to the laboratory.
"It's impressive how well-defined they are. You can't believe what you are seeing. You see perfect little hands, tinier than those of a Barbie doll. You can see intestines, tiny ribs, their little faces, and their tiny squashed heads. You can distinguish among the parts if the baby was a boy or girl.
"It makes me so sad to see the jars. It's very hard for me to do all this. To see all that falls on the floor, or for example, to remove a tiny foot from the instruments. A girl who worked here told me that she came home with a tiny foot stuck to her uniform, close to her shoulder. She, of course, hadn't noticed until her husband told her."
She'll Remain in the Brothel Until She is Dying of AIDS
Life in Cambodia can be hell. But maybe there is hope:
President Bush declared in his inaugural address this week that "no one deserves to be a slave" and that advancing freedom is "the calling of our time." I can't think of a better place to start than the hundreds of thousands of girls trafficked each year, for this 21st-century version of slavery has not only grown in recent years but is also especially diabolical - it poisons its victims, like Srey Mom, so that eventually chains are often redundant.
President Bush declared in his inaugural address this week that "no one deserves to be a slave" and that advancing freedom is "the calling of our time." I can't think of a better place to start than the hundreds of thousands of girls trafficked each year, for this 21st-century version of slavery has not only grown in recent years but is also especially diabolical - it poisons its victims, like Srey Mom, so that eventually chains are often redundant.
The Iraqis are Ready to Purchase Their Freedom
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) In a country wracked by violence, a tiny bookstore in a dusty mall offers a quiet corner where customers can escape the misery and the owners can dare to sound hopeful.
Here students too poor to finance their studies can borrow books for a week at 20 cents each, and the two men who own the Iqra'a bookstore can indulge their conviction that their business is also a mission.
Such positive attitudes set Mohammed Hanash Abbas and Attallah Zeidan apart in a country where the prevailing mood has been shaped by three wars since 1980, almost 13 years of crushing sanctions, the humiliation of foreign occupation and the brutality of the insurgency.
''I don't just see light at the end of the tunnel, I see light at the start and throughout the tunnel,'' says Abbas, 41, in a typically upbeat remark. His partner Zeidan, 39, agrees.
''We must live like other people,'' Zeidan says. ''Let a million of us die. That's the price of freedom. Have you heard of any society that gained freedom without sacrifices?''
On a recent afternoon, they mused about the Jan. 30 election, the Sunni-led insurgency and the large U.S. and foreign military presence in Iraq. Personal matters came up too how business has gotten steadily better since Saddam Hussein was ousted in April 2003, their plans to expand the store, why Abbas isn't married yet.
While their openly upbeat attitude is unusual, their views are not uncommon among the many Iraqis who have neither taken up arms against the Americans nor actively cooperated with them.
Here students too poor to finance their studies can borrow books for a week at 20 cents each, and the two men who own the Iqra'a bookstore can indulge their conviction that their business is also a mission.
Such positive attitudes set Mohammed Hanash Abbas and Attallah Zeidan apart in a country where the prevailing mood has been shaped by three wars since 1980, almost 13 years of crushing sanctions, the humiliation of foreign occupation and the brutality of the insurgency.
''I don't just see light at the end of the tunnel, I see light at the start and throughout the tunnel,'' says Abbas, 41, in a typically upbeat remark. His partner Zeidan, 39, agrees.
''We must live like other people,'' Zeidan says. ''Let a million of us die. That's the price of freedom. Have you heard of any society that gained freedom without sacrifices?''
On a recent afternoon, they mused about the Jan. 30 election, the Sunni-led insurgency and the large U.S. and foreign military presence in Iraq. Personal matters came up too how business has gotten steadily better since Saddam Hussein was ousted in April 2003, their plans to expand the store, why Abbas isn't married yet.
While their openly upbeat attitude is unusual, their views are not uncommon among the many Iraqis who have neither taken up arms against the Americans nor actively cooperated with them.
Sunday, January 23, 2005
Minutemen?
This statement, reportedly from Zarqawi, is worth repeating:
"We have declared a bitter war against the principle of democracy and all those who seek to enact it…Candidates in elections are seeking to become demi-gods while those who vote for them are infidels. And with God as my witness, I have informed them (of our intentions)."
And so is this statement, from Michael Moore last year:
"The Iraqis who have risen up against the occupation are not "insurgents" or "terrorists" or "The Enemy." They are the REVOLUTION, the Minutemen, and their numbers will grow -- and they will win.”
Here’s more on those minutemen:
“Insurgents in a town in central Iraq made a gruesome billboard threat to behead Iraqis who take part in next weekend's elections, warning they will use ink thumb prints to be issued at polling stations to target voters. The graphic poster, showing a headless body with its' thumb covered in ink, was pasted next to campaign materials in the town. All voters will have a thumb marked with a visible UV ink - which will remain on the skin for 48 hours - to prevent repeat polling.”
The Michael Moore's of this world are little better than the Zarqawi's. Here's hoping both are defeated in Sunday's election.
"We have declared a bitter war against the principle of democracy and all those who seek to enact it…Candidates in elections are seeking to become demi-gods while those who vote for them are infidels. And with God as my witness, I have informed them (of our intentions)."
And so is this statement, from Michael Moore last year:
"The Iraqis who have risen up against the occupation are not "insurgents" or "terrorists" or "The Enemy." They are the REVOLUTION, the Minutemen, and their numbers will grow -- and they will win.”
Here’s more on those minutemen:
“Insurgents in a town in central Iraq made a gruesome billboard threat to behead Iraqis who take part in next weekend's elections, warning they will use ink thumb prints to be issued at polling stations to target voters. The graphic poster, showing a headless body with its' thumb covered in ink, was pasted next to campaign materials in the town. All voters will have a thumb marked with a visible UV ink - which will remain on the skin for 48 hours - to prevent repeat polling.”
The Michael Moore's of this world are little better than the Zarqawi's. Here's hoping both are defeated in Sunday's election.
Is Mike Vick a Fraud?
Lance McAlister thinks so:
"Wow, that's why Vick was only 27th in completion percentage, and threw fewer TD's than Billy Volek and Joey Harrington. That's why Boomer, Sharpe, Bradshaw, Jimmy Johnson and others continue to say what they say......he's scary dynamic, but he won't be an NFL QB until he learns to become more QB and less athlete. I can't believe so much was made of McNabb vs Vick. McNabb is ten times the QB Vick is."
"Wow, that's why Vick was only 27th in completion percentage, and threw fewer TD's than Billy Volek and Joey Harrington. That's why Boomer, Sharpe, Bradshaw, Jimmy Johnson and others continue to say what they say......he's scary dynamic, but he won't be an NFL QB until he learns to become more QB and less athlete. I can't believe so much was made of McNabb vs Vick. McNabb is ten times the QB Vick is."
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