Saturday, December 31, 2005
Prediction '06: The Blogosphere
Thursday, December 29, 2005
The Holiday Bowl: OU vs The Ducks
The Stem Cell Hoax
Intriguing though the mystery may be, the frustration of patients who pinned their hopes on a stem cell cure must be unbearable. A 12-year-old boy suffering from spinal paralysis who offered his cells to Hwang's team is said to have asked his father Kim Je-eon, "Will I never be able to stand up again?" Our country has 100,000 diabetic children and 130,000 spinal paralysis patients. It was they and their families who spread azaleas in front of Prof. Hwang's laboratory when it seemed he was the victim of a slanderous campaign, pleading with him to come back and continue the work that had galvanized their hopes. The government, which poured more than W65 billion (US$65 million) into the project and touted Hwang’s research as if a cure for incurable diseases was just around the corner, owes these patients at least an explanation.I find eerie echoes here to a former vice-presidential candidate saying that had President Bush "allowed" stem cell research on the unborn, Christopher Reeves would be alive today. Wonder if Mr. Edwards is keeping up with this story?
A Dissent From Darwinism
Whenever I hear or read the phrase, "everyone knows this is true," I tend to question whatever "this" may be. Evolution is one such "this" that deserves questioning. In the link are some of the questioners, and you won't find a "preacher" among them.
"We are skeptical of the claims for the ability of random mutation and natural selection to account for the complexity of life. Careful examination of the evidence for Darwinian theory should be encouraged."When was the last time you saw this statement anywhere? I'm betting you haven't. Have you ever wondered why? It certainly isn't because the credentials of the men and women making the statement don't hold up, is it?
Predictions: Bobby Byrd Has Named His Last Highway
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
What Is The Main Story of 2005? And What Will Come in 2006?
I think the big story of 2005 is the active, planned move to appeasement by the Democrat Party. They have sold American security for the hope of regaining power in 2006. And, I predict that the November 2006 elections will be far closer to 2002 than 1994.
I also predict that the Democrats suicidal strategy will kill the Patriot Act in late January. They won't stop Alito, but they'll give it a grand try.
More predictions to come, as the mood strikes us...
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
A Good One, or a Burn: How Troops View Journalists in Iraq
The Only Thing Outrageous is the Outrage
SHORTLY after the Sept. 11 attacks, President Bush ordered surveillance of international telephone communications by suspected members of Al Qaeda overseas, even if such calls also involved individuals within the United States. This program was adopted by direct presidential order and was subject to review every 45 days. Judicial warrants for this surveillance were neither sought nor obtained, although key members of Congress were evidently informed. The program's existence has now become public, and howls of outrage have ensued. But in fact, the only thing outrageous about this policy is the outrage itself.The president has the constitutional authority to acquire foreign intelligence without a warrant or any other type of judicial blessing. The courts have acknowledged this authority, and numerous administrations, both Republican and Democrat, have espoused the same view. The purpose here is not to detect crime, or to build criminal prosecutions - areas where the Fourth Amendment's warrant requirements are applicable - but to identify and prevent armed attacks on American interests at home and abroad. The attempt, by Democrats and Republicans alike, to dismantle the president's core constitutional power in wartime is wrongheaded and should be vigorously resisted by the administration.
Wisdom from the pages of The New York Times. Who would have thought...?
Sunday, December 25, 2005
The Incarnation
Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon
him, and to be born [this day] of a pure virgin: Grant that we, who have been
born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
God made man, the Hope of Glory.
Merry Christmas.
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Camp Katrina: A Blog About the Great Things Our Military is Doing
Friday, December 23, 2005
Monitoring for Radiation at Mosques: Isn't This a GOOD THING?!?!?
Tracking Santa
Narnia Topples Kong: Are the Defeatocrats in Hollywood Listening?
Parents make choices with their money, their time, and most especially what they let their children watch on a 90 foot screen in surround sound. It's past time for Hollywood to honor those choices with movies that are worth paying nine dollars to see.
Saddam and the Defeatocrats: The Same Losing Strategy
Thursday, December 22, 2005
The Roots of Evil
College Professors Tilt Decidedly Left
Americans are asking themselves why they pay so much money to professorsA good question. Many Americans are choosing not to pay the money to leftist indoctrination courses. They are choosing to send their sons and daughters to schools that are more in the middle. Hopefully, this trend will continue. The only way to change the the ideological bent of universities is to hit them in the pocketbook with lower enrollments.
whose work is often purely “academic” and whose political ideas typically are left-wing.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Despite the Caterwauling, It's Legal, and Is the Right Thing to Do
Now, to answer Jason's question: Just because Clinton did it does not make it right. That statement has more truth with Clinton than any other President of this great nation. But precedent does mean something, and the fact that Clinton, Reagan, and even Carter administration officials are onboard with this should tell you something. If you are interested in the truth. And if you can take off the Bush hater goggles long enough to see it.
The Wile E. Coyote Defeatocrats
UPDATE: Reader Stephen Fossati writes:
For the better part of ten years I had the privilege of working closely with Wile's creator Chuck Jones and in fact produced and co-wrote Chuck's final Roadrunner cartoon in 1994, so I would humbly offer that I am a fair authority on said erstwhile coyote.Having spoken with Chuck about Wile more times than I can count, I can say with great conviction that your suggestion that the Murtha, Dean, Kerry, Boxer et al, position with regards to the GWOT and the war in Iraq, is appropriately analogous to Wile and to his inumerable, ill-considered and near fatally-flawed plans to catch the Roadrunner -- a good many of which resulted in him falling off of a cliff.
Chuck defined Wile in the words of George Santayana who said: "A fanatic is one who redoubles his effort when he has forgotten his aim." Assuming that the Dems' aims are to regain control of the House, the Senate and the White House and based upon their seemingly fevered attempts to discredit President Bush by mis-representing the success of the war, advocating for our withdrawal/surrender, and purposefully undermining our efforts/abilities to wage war on an enemy unlike any we have faced before, I think it's fair to say that the Democrats clearly meet Santayana's definition of a fanatic. And since it is Santayana's definition of a fanatic with which Wile's own creator described him, I would conclude that your comparison of our luckless, over-zealous and too-clever-by-half coyote to the leaders of the Democratic party, is not only correct but painfully (for the Dems), astute.
It's interesting that Wile E. Coyote's creator viewed him in such philosophical terms. Meanwhile, another point of similarity between Wile and the Democrats occurs to me. Remember how Wile viewed even his misadventures as evidence of his superior intellect?
And for a full explanation of the Left's "genius" you need only read the commentary from Real Clear Politics:
With the resounding success of last week’s election, it will become harder for the press and the Democrats to frame Iraq as an unmitigated disaster. You could see the mainstream media walking back the negativity in their coverage of Iraq this past week and, while I have no doubt the negative reporting will return, at some point the facts start to win out – just as has happened with the economy. Ironically, one benefit to the Bush administration from the consistently negative reporting on Iraq is that expectations have now been set so low the odds are better than 50-50 that 2006 will be viewed by the public as having seen significant progress in Iraq.
The media may be writing stories about Bush “in a bubble” but they are two months late to that theme. Just like the spring and summer of 2004 when the conventional beltway wisdom said that Bush’s sub-50% job approval made him a political goner, there is a distinct sense this president is being misunderestimated again.
Misunderestimating the President appears to be the Defeatocrats favorite hobby. Perhaps they should find a more productive past time, like finding a way to win elections.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Narnia: An Excellent Review
Syria Agrees to Hide Iran's Nukes
Sununu's Response
The Value of Saying...Nothing
In the end, I realized, you can't save every relationship that totters because of politics. The best you can do is ditch the friends who can't see beyond left and right, and hang onto the ones who are prepared to stick with you no matter what.Consider another pal, one who hung in there even though he doesn't see eye to eye with me in the least.Good rules. Important rules for the dinner table, and for the blogosphere.
A voluble Deaniac, he sent me a string of notes during last year's campaign asking pointed questions about the war effort and the president's moral authority. If anything, he was an even more dangerous sparring partner than my former friend: He started every argument with disarming caveats about his own side, and when he went in for the kill he had much better facts at his command. I couldn't dismiss what he said as a fever dream.
In one sense, it was everything I didn't want in a friendship. For long, exhausting stretches all we talked about was politics, and I hardly ever held my own. But ideology never affected our friendship. He didn't trust the right, but he trusted me--and he was genuinely curious to know how I squared my personal ethics with those of the supposedly compromised hawkish establishment.We didn't convert each other, by any means, but I like to think we both ended up wiser for the experience--even if I'm still ducking some of his better questions.
Which brings me to one last big lesson from the past three years: Pick your fights. Don't jump at every chance to defend your side in a debate. Wait for arguments that you can answer with elegance and good humor, and take the rest in stride.
Intelligent Design v Evolution: The Trial Ends, The Debate Continues
Update: You can find the complete ruling here. Obviously, I've not read the whole thing yet. Hugh Hewitt has an interesting take on the ruling.
Welcome to Democracy, Folks
Democracy is messy by its very nature. And it doesn't get better over time, as evidenced by Bush v. Gore, Bush v. Kerry, the Clinton Impeachment, etc, etc, etc. So, as stories like this come out, keep in mind that no one story will lead to the Defeatocrats' hoped for Civil war. Iraq is on the way to Liberty. And Liberty means conflict, heated argument, and compromise. Welcome to the party, Iraq!
The President Claimed Ability to do No Warrant Searches
In a little-remembered debate from 1994, the Clinton administration argued that the president has "inherent authority" to order physical searches — including break-ins at the homes of U.S. citizens — for foreign intelligence purposes without any warrant or permission from any outside body. Even after the administration ultimately agreed with Congress's decision to place the authority to pre-approve such searches in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court, President Clinton still maintained that he had sufficient authority to order such searches on his own.
"The Department of Justice believes, and the case law supports, that the president has inherent authority to conduct warrantless physical searches for foreign intelligence purposes," Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee on July 14, 1994, "and that the President may, as has been done, delegate this authority to the Attorney General."
"It is important to understand," Gorelick continued, "that the rules and methodology for criminal searches are inconsistent with the collection of foreign intelligence and would unduly frustrate the president in carrying out his foreign intelligence responsibilities."
Executive Order 12333, signed by Ronald Reagan in 1981, provides for such warrantless searches directed against "a foreign power or an agent of a foreign power."
And, yes. That would be 9/11 Commissioner Jamie Gorelick, of "The Wall" fame.
Monday, December 19, 2005
Well, We Asked For Mr. Bush to Get Out Front on Iraq
Update: 10:30 AM CST
A dozen times Democrats in Congress were consulted on the Detect and Intercept program. Twelve times! And not a peep from them until The New York Times dropped the story in front of us on the day The Patriot Act went down in defeat.
As the President said, I want the Senators from New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles to go home and tell those people why they are safer with the Patriot Act no longer in effect. Go tell the folks in the World Trade Towers why they're safer now...oh wait. Guess the Senators can't do that last one, now can they?
Update II 5:00 PM CST
If you'd like to see the President's press conference, go here.
And, for the President's speech last night, go here.
Great, great stuff. And its about time too.
My favorite part of last night's speech was this:
I also want to speak to those of you who did not support my decision to send troops to Iraq: I have heard your disagreement, and I know how deeply it is felt. Yet now there are only two options before our country -- victory or defeat. And the need for victory is larger than any president or political party, because the security of our people is in the balance. I don't expect you to support everything I do, but tonight I have a request: Do not give in to despair, and do not give up on this fight for freedom.So far, no one from the Defeatocrat party or their willing allies in the MSM appear to have heard that last paragraph. Maybe they heard this one, from his news conference this morning:
The terrorists want to strike America again, and they hope to inflict even greater damage than they did on September the 11th. Congress has a responsibility to give our law enforcement and intelligence officials the tools they need to protect the American people. The senators who are filibustering the Patriot Act must stop their delaying tactics, and the Senate must vote to reauthorize the Patriot Act. In the war on terror, we cannot afford to be without this law for a single moment.Probably not. Guess its time for the President to turn up the volume yet again. Looks like he's about to.
The Leftward Tilt of Media in the United States
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Victory or Defeat, Patience, An End to Defeatism
People of the Year: The Iraqi People, The Lebanese People, The Ukrainian People
Looks like Michelle Malkin agrees. I would have given her a hat tip except I put up my post before I saw her post here. Of course, she had the bright idea to include pictures...darn, I wish I had thought of that!
Wikipedia: What's all the fuss about?
Bush (Gasp!) Defends Wiretaps
Now the thing that fascinates me is that the funeral director of the Senate, Harry Reid, admitted he knew about the spying months ago. He apparently chose to withhold his outrage until politically appropriate.
And, just so there are no further questions about the legality of the President's actions, here is an analysis from Hugh Hewitt. But, what does legality mean to Defeatocrats when they have a political card to play.
Saturday, December 17, 2005
How to Lose a War: A Primer for Defeatocrats
Appropriately entitled SHEEPDUNG, this peice clearly elaborates where the Left stands as 2005 comes to a close.
And, if you would like to let the 4 Republicrats who stood with the Defeatocrats in the Senate last night know how you feel, you can find contact information here.
Friday, December 16, 2005
Politics Above National Security, Power Above Patriotism
Now Here's a Way to Get Iraq Off the Front Page
The White House asked The New York Times not to publish this article, arguing that it could jeopardize continuing investigations and alert would-be terrorists that they might be under scrutiny. After meeting with senior administration officials to hear their concerns, the newspaper delayed publication for a year to conduct additional reporting. Some information that administration officials argued could be useful to terrorists has been omitted.The New York Times and Washington Post is continuing a fine tradition of undermining the war effort in this country. This one is right up there with Robert McCormick and the Chicago Tribune revealing we had the Japanese military codes in WWII. FDR wanted to bring him up on treason charges, but was persuaded by the State Department not to.
I think its time we had a real discussion of journalistic responsibility in war time. I'm not sure the Founding Fathers pictured a time when our MSM would be actively rooting for terrorists.
Update:
Michelle Malkin takes the story apart, including the fact that the "journalist" Risen has a book coming out in ten days.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
CarePages: A Wonderful Use of the Internet
Volunteer encyclopedia as accurate as Britannica, journal says
The Defeatocrats Headache: Howard Dean
Democrats are voicing concern that Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Howard Dean is compromising his party’s political prospects by straying on to controversial policy turf such as the Iraq war and Social Security reform.Ya think?
A Bill of Rights...For Terrorists. Thanks Sen. McCain
Hope, Freedom, Victory: The Iraqi Front
I searched for pictures of Senator Reid from yesterday's travesty. I found very few. I think I know why. The man looked like someone had just killed his firstborn. Griefstricken Democrat Senators don't play well on television, and the loss of the Iraq issue has left them heart broken.
The Democrats have invested much in the defeat of U.S. policy in Iraq, and yet the policy is succeeding. I know that sounds harsh, and leaves my friends on the left screaming that I'm attacking their patriotism. But how else do you explain the Defeatocrat offensive of the past few weeks? The success of President Bush's policies in Iraq hurts Democrats. President Bush's success on the ecomomy hurts Democrats. In fact, any success that the United States has, foreign or domestic, is a defeat for the Democrat Party, and the left. The Democrats have arranged it so. And now the Left is recieving the fruits of their policy. The President's poll numbers are on their way up, and the Democrats are on the way down...again.
Election Day in Iraq
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
I've Had Quite Enough of Lindsay Graham, and John McCain.
The President's Speech Today
One of these men was a Marine lieutenant named Ryan McGlothlin, from Lebanon, Virginia. Ryan was a bright young man who had everything going for him and he always wanted to serve our nation. He was a valedictorian of his high school class. He graduated from William & Mary with near-perfect grade averages, and he was on a full scholarship at Stanford, where he was working toward a doctorate in chemistry.Tomorrow the Iraqis go to the polls. The spread of freedom continues throughout the Middle East.
Two years after the attacks of September the 11th, the young man who had the world at his feet came home from Stanford for a visit. He told his dad, "I just don't feel like I'm doing something that matters. I want to serve my country. I want to protect our lands from terrorists, so I joined the Marines." When his father asked him if there was some other way to serve, Ryan replied that he felt a special obligation to step up because he had been given so much. Ryan didn't support me in the last election, but he supported our mission in Iraq. And he supported his fellow Marines.
Ryan was killed last month fighting the terrorists near the -- Iraq's Syrian border. In his pocket was a poem that Ryan had read at his high school graduation, and it represented the spirit of this fine Marine. The poem was called "Don't Quit." In our fight to keep America free, we'll never quit. We've lost wonderful Americans like Ryan McGlothlin. We cherish the memory of each one. We pray the loved ones -- pray for the loved ones they've left behind, and we count it a privilege to be citizens of a country they served. We also honor them by acknowledging that their sacrifice has brought us to this moment: the birth of a free and sovereign Iraqi nation that will be a friend of the United States, and a force for good in a troubled region of the world.
The story of freedom has just begun in the Middle East. And when the history of these days is written, it will tell how America once again defended its own freedom by using liberty to transform nations from bitter foes to strong allies. And history will say that this generation, like generations before, laid the foundation of peace for generations to come.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Stratego for Democrats
Read the whole thing. Laughed so hard I almost pulled out the stitches from my wisdom teeth removal!
War in Australia: The Sydney Riots
The talk radio station I'm listening to from Sydney seems to suggest the end of multi-culturalism in Australia. It's fascinating listening, and very frightening. Send the station an email, letting them know that our ally down under is in our prayers.
Not only PajamasMedia is covering the story, but also the Australian.
Murtha For the Blogosphere
December 12th, 2005
From the desk of Congressman John Murtha, proudly serving Pennsylvania's 12th District:
It would appear that conservatives have invaded Gun-Totin' Liberal. In fact, based on the complaints of those on the Left, who I've heard from each and every day, there appears to be little difference between those on the Right and the Zarqawi terrorists of
It would appear the Leftward contributors to GTL have become targets for conservative bloggers and readers, to such an extent that it is increasingly impossible for the Left contributors to complete their mission. In fact, according to one of the leaders on the Left, " The idea that we can actually win at GTL is just plain wrong." He went on to compare Gun-Totin' Liberal to a bloggish quaqmire, repeating the word
Since those contributors on the Left, and their readers, feel threatened, indeed terrorized, by the evil conservative insurgents in their midst, I would recommend the following strategy:
That all liberal bloggers leave immediately, in an orderly fashion, but as quickly as possible. This would decrease the chances of taking hits from well known conservative insurgents like Republican Vet.
That a quick reaction force of elite leftward bloggers be established to maintain a token "presence on GTL.
That an "over the horizon" force of leftward bloggers be established on friendly blogs, like Daily Kos, or Wonkette . This elite force could monitor the situation on GTL, and be ready to HALOscan in to make surgical comments on key posts, while still maintaining enough distance to keep from actually having to confront the Conservative insurgents.
Hope this strategy helps the brave bloggers of the Left on GTL. It's the best strategy we of the Democrat Party have been able to come up with.
Sincerely,
John "Jack" Murtha (who served in Vietnam)
With input from Chairman Howard Dean, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and former Presidential John Kerry (who served in Vietnam).
---cross posted at Gun-Totin' Liberal
Monday, December 12, 2005
A Conversation About Iraq
But today I was talking to a group of people after church. One of them saw that I was reading Hunting Down Saddam, by Robin Moore. He asked what I thought of the book, and I said it was a great look at the push in to Baghdad, and the hunt for Saddam.
He sort of made a face, and said, "What a mess we've gotten ourselves in to there."
Now, normally I sit back when I hear comments like that, breathe deeply, and ask very quietly, in my best therapist tone, "Now, what makes you say that?" It provides a breather for both of us, and a chance for me to get my thoughts together before landing on the uninformed victim with both feet.
But this time, I couldn't help myself. Maybe its the pain from the wisdom teeth removal. maybe its just that I'm tired of hearing how awful things are there. Whatever. I just said, clearly and concisely, "Iraq is NOT a mess. How can you say that about a country where millions are going to vote on Thursday?"
We then had an excellent discussion, with the man making the comment finally agreeing to take a look at sites like Michael Yon and Iraq the Model before saying something like that again.
Voicing optimism about Iraq, and the forces of Democracy at play there is not fashionable today. The constant drip, drip drip of pessimism most people are exposed to makes it difficult to present the reality in a coherent way. Things simply aren't that bad in most of Iraq, and a whole lot better than they were under the butcher Saddam. Despite the media and the Defeatocrats constant harping on what's wrong there.
But its time to start voicing optimism about Iraq, past time. And not just in the closed system of the blogosphere. The truth is out there, and the truth about Iraq is positive. It's time we started telling folks that truth.
Update:
One of the topics we discussed was a comparison between post-war Germany and the current situation in Iraq. Here's a look at some of those parallels.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Gateway Pundit: Images of Tiananmen, Tanks Move on China Town
A Deep, Deep Homily From the New Pope
Though not Roman Catholic, I have followed the new Pope with a sense of wonder and awe. He has stepped in to some very big shoes, and has made the office his own. This homily, given on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, is one of the deepest treatises on original sin, and the true meaning of liberty I've ever read. Here's a couple of excerpts:
What is the picture placed before us in this page? Man did not trust God. He harboured the suspect that God, at the end of the day, was taking something from his life, that God was a competitor who limits our freedom and that we will be fully human only when we have put him aside; all in all, that only in this way can we fully realize our freedom. Man lives in the suspicion that the love of God creates a dependency and that it is necessary to get rid of this dependency to be fully oneself. Man does not want to receive his existence and fullness of life from God. He wants to be the one to draw from the tree of knowledge the power to mould the world, to make himself god, raising himself to His level, and to win over death and darkness. He does not want to count on love which does not seem trustworthy to him; he counts only on knowledge in that it confers power upon him. Rather than love, he aims for power with which he wants to take his own life in his hands, to be autonomous. And in doing so, he places his trust in deceit rather than in truth and thus, he sinks with his life into a void, into death. Love is not dependence but a gift which gives us life. The freedom of mankind is the freedom to be a creature with limitations and that is therefore a limitation in itself. We can possess it only as a shared freedom, in the communion of freedom; only if we live in the right way with each other and for each other can freedom develop. However, we live in the right way if we live according to the truth of our being and that is, according to the will of God. For God’s will for man is not a law imposed from outside which forces him, but an intrinsic measure of his nature, a measure which is inscribed in him, making him in the image of God, therefore a free creature. If we live against love and against truth – against God – then we destroy each other and we destroy the world. Then we will no longer find life, but we will serve the interests of death. All this is narrated with immortal images in the story of original sin and the banishment of man from the earthly Paradise.And this:
Dear brothers and sisters! If we reflect sincerely about ourselves and our history, we must say that this account describes not only the beginning of history but history throughout the ages, and that we all carry inside us a drop of poison of that way of thinking illustrated in the images of the Book of Genesis. This drop of poison is called original sin. Even on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the suspect emerges in us that a person who does not sin at all is really boring; that something is missing in his life: the dramatic dimension of being autonomous; that the freedom to say no is part of truly being men, the descent into the darkness of sin and to do as one pleases; that only then will one be able to exploit completely the vastness and depth of being men, of being truly ourselves; that we must put this liberty to the test even against God to become in reality fully ourselves. In a word, we think that really evil is good, at least a little, we need to experiment the fullness of being. We think that Mephistopheles – the tempter – was right when he said he was the strength “which always wants evil and always does good” (J.W. v. Goethe, Faust I, 3). We think that bargaining a little with evil, reserving some freedom against God, is good, perhaps even necessary.
However, looking at the world around us, we can see it is not like this, that evil always poisons, it does not elevate man, it degrades and humiliates him, it does not make him bigger, more pure or rich; it damages him and makes him smaller. Rather, we must learn this on the day of the Immaculate Conception: the man who abandons himself completely in the hands of God does not become God’s puppet, an annoying, conscientious person; he does not lose his freedom. Only the man who entrusts himself totally to God finds true freedom, the great and creative vastness of the freedom of good. The man who turns towards God does not become smaller, but bigger, because thanks to God and together with Him, he becomes large, divine, he becomes truly himself. The man who puts himself in God’s hands does not distance himself from others, withdrawing into his own private salvation; on the contrary, only then his heart will be truly awakened and he can become a sensitive person, hence benevolent and open.
Sin and redemption. Liberty and slavery. A very deep homily indeed.
One More Reason to Doubt the Validity of Global Warming
Iraqis Turn Over a Big Fish
Iraqi citizens turned over a high-ranking Al Qaeda member known as "the Butcher" to U.S. forces in Ramadi Friday a military statement said.Amir Khalaf Fanus was No. 3 on the 28th Infantry Division's High Value Individual list for Ramadi, wanted for murder and kidnapping in connection with his affiliation with Al Qaeda in Iraq.
"He is the highest ranking Al Qaeda in Iraq member to be turned into Iraqi and U.S. officials by local citizens," Capt. Jeffrey S. Pool said in a statement released from Camp Blue Diamond in Ramadi. "His capture is another indication that the local citizens tire of the insurgents' presence within their community."According to Pool, Iraqi and U.S. Forces "have witnessed increasing signs of citizens fighting the terrorists within Ramadi as the Dec. 15 National Elections draw nearer."
The terrorists' greatest hope of success rests, not with the Iraqi people, but with the Democrats here in the United States, most especially in Washington D.C.
Why Isn't this Getting More Coverage...Alot More Coverage?
SHANGHAI, Dec. 9 - Residents of a fishing village near Hong Kong said that as many as 20 people had been killed by paramilitary police in an unusually violent clash that marked an escalation in the widespread social protests that have roiled the Chinese countryside. Villagers said that as many as 50 other residents remain unaccounted for since the shooting. It is the largest known use of force by security forces against ordinary citizens since the killings around Tiananmen Square in 1989. That death toll remains unknown, but is estimated to be in the hundredsAnd there's more:
The use of live ammunition to put down a protest is almost unheard of in China, where the authorities have come to rely on rapid deployment of huge numbers of security forces, tear gas, water cannons and other non-lethal measures. But Chinese authorities have become increasingly nervous in recent months over the proliferation of demonstrations across the countryside, particularly in heavily industrialized eastern provinces like Guangdong, Zhejiang and Jiansu. By the government's tally there were 74,000 riots or other significant public disturbances in 2004, a big jump from previous years.Seventy four thousand riots, by the Government's tally?!? This is the same government that has a tendency to vastly underestimate any bad news. So that means there are many more riots than reported, by an order of magnitude. Does this strike anyone else, besides Hugh Hewitt, as a really, really big story?
Following Hugh Hewitt's lead, here's a little bit more on the story, from The American Thinker:
As a student of Chinese history under the late great John K. Fairbank at Harvard, I long ago learned the importance of just such waves of unrest in China throughout the millenia, and have told readers here that China’s current mandarins cannot help but be severely alarmed, fearful of losing control. Dynasties in China come and go, and all political leaders are conscious of the possibility of losing the “mandate of heaven.” Particularly when their regime overthrew another regime that was viewed as corrupt and ineffective. The fact that China has bungled its handling of SARS and the chemical river pollution in Manchuria, which cut off the water supply for the major city of Harbin, does not augur well for the future. The possibility of bird flu spreading from human-to-human has got to be giving the autocrats the shivers. Historical dynastic cycles often ended with a major disaster – floods, earthquakes, collapse of dikes – which demonstrated the ineffectiveness of the rulers. That the Pacific Rim of Fire seems to be undergoing a period of enhanced seismic activity cannot be of much comfort. Nor can the seemingly erratic weather patterns.China puts up a brave front as a centrally-controlled state. It is indeed that, but it is also ruled by a regime whose hold on power is far shakier than most Americans realize.As the winds of democracy spread, China shudders.
Friday, December 09, 2005
Not Even the Defeatocrats Would Be This Stupid...
The six were Republican Sens. Larry Craig of Idaho, John Sununu of New Hampshire and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Democrats Richard Durbin of Illinois, Kenneth Salazar of Colorado and Russ Feingold of Wisconsin. Feingold vowed to launch a filibuster, which would scuttle the Patriot Act extension unless 60 senators opposed his effort. Some Republicans said Democrats would be foolhardy to block an "anti-terrorism" bill on the eve of an election year.Let's see, the Democrats will filibuster the Patriot Act? I guess it fits the mould. They appear to believe Americans want to lose the war as much as they do. An amazing example of political suicide by a once great party.
Required Reading: VDH on Dean, Kerry and Murtha
When Saddam was removed in a brilliant three-week campaign, few anticipated that the subsequent effort to craft democracy in his wake would evolve into a conflict for the very heart of the Middle East. Most feared that postbellum Afghanistan would be the harder task — given the wealthier and more secular nature of Iraqi society.
Instead the war, as wars almost always do, has morphed into something quite different than expected — a regional referendum on Lebanon, the future of Syria, reform movements in the Gulf and Egypt, about-faces in Pakistan and Libya, and continued pressure on a soon-to-be-nuclear Iran. And despite the heartbreak of 2,100 deaths, we are not just winning in Iraq, but on the verge of something far larger, and more permanent: not a return to the ancient caliphate or another dictatorship, but the real chance for the birth of a new Middle East that takes its place at last among responsible nations.
All that was impossible to envision without the prior American removal of Saddam Hussein — now reduced to a pathetic deposed tyrant, railing against his victims and in his misery calling those “terrorists” who did not give him clean underwear. He plays the role of the dying thug right out the pages of Plutarch; all that is missing are Sulla’s worms.
Dean, Kerry, and Murtha are bright and good men who rightly worry that more Americans will die in a far-off place for a cause that they think is now hopeless. But to follow their apparently popular advice would lead to an abject national disaster as well as calamity for their own party. In short, they have become metaphors of why even Democrats are uneasy about voting for Democrats.
More importantly, the Democrats spent the last quarter century, following Vietnam and Jimmy Carter, trying to reestablish their lost fides on national defense (which were once unquestionable in the age of FDR, Truman, JFK, and senator Henry Jackson). If Joe Lieberman cannot save mainstream Democrats from themselves, perhaps the Iraqis who vote on December 15 can.
Scoop Jackson would become a Republican in a heartbeat. It would not surprise me to find Joe Lieberman making the switch in 2006, if his party continues to leave him behind in their rush off the cliff of cowardice.
Purple Finger Day: December 15th
This is a great idea. Can't think of a better way to support the elections in Iraq than sporting my own Purple Finger on December 15th. A note for Democrats: You would be wise not to repeat your recent history by getting a finger purple by hitting yourself with a hammer...use dye like the free people of Iraq, okay?
Retreat and Defeat: The GOP Strikes Back
A New Cartoon: Gaggle
It's Done. Now On With the Important Stuff
I was thinking, now wait a minute. Are they going to start cutting out my wisdom teeth before things take effect? With the wedge in my mouth, I can't talk. This isn't going very well AT ALL!!! WHOA! WE GOTTA PROBLEM HERE!
So, I push the wedge out with my toungue, and say, "Umm, 'scuse me, I'm not feeling anything yet, and I'm wide awake." The nurse somewhat ungently pushes the wedge back in, as the Oral Surgeon smiles down and says, "Oh, you'll feel it...about now."
Next thing I know, I'm awake, with gauze covering four craters where my wisdom teeth used to be. Lots of pain all day, and I look a whole lot like Chippy Chipmunk. But, I'm doing okay. A huge thank you to everyone who sent me an email, or posted a comment through all this. Blogging may still be kinda light the next few days, as the pain is supposed to be worse the second day. But my new blog partner Matt will be back soon, and can take up some of the slack.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Good Thing Colleges Allow Free Speech...
Oh, wait a minute. They don't allow free speech, do they? At least not when it's someone like Ann Coulter, or any of a number of conservatives. Coulter shows great courage by walking in to situations like this. She does it to prove the point that the last thing the Left in this country wants is free speech.
Thanks God for groups like this one, that give conservatives on college campuses some chance of being heard. TheFire has been a lighthouse of freedom on the dark shores of liberal colleges across the country.
Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers
Waiting to Lose My Wisdom Teeth
I think people believe they are being helpful by telling me all the horror stories about their wisdom teeth removal. Trust me, they aren't.
I wasn't this nervous the night before either of my two back surgeries. Of course, I was in so much pain before those I just wanted to get it over with. No pain at all from my decaying wisdom teeth...at least not until after they're out, according to my "friends." Sigh.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe...bigger than King Kong?
Losing My Wisdom...
Lots of stuff to do tomorrow in preparation of the big day, so blogging from me will be kinda light. The surgeon promised to give me lots of pain killers for a couple of days after the surgery. I'm looking forward to that, anyway. :-)
If anyone notices a slight tilt to the left upon my return, just blame it on losing my wisdom teeth and being under the influence. So, what's the excuse being used by those who really are on the Left?
The Democrat's Plan
The previous candidate for the Presidency of the United States says American soldiers are "terrorizing kids and children, and women..."
John Murtha, apparently the voice of the Democrat Party, says the military is "worn out" and "living hand to mouth."
Any doubts on what the Democrat plan is for Iraq? The phrase "being thrown under the bus" comes to mind.
Monday, December 05, 2005
2005 Weblog Awards: LJiC is a Finalist!
I'm a little stunned, but there we are! So go vote for us, huh? We are in the Top 5001 to 6750 category. It's not the rarified air of my friend Beth over at Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, but I'm still pretty proud! Put in a vote for Beth while you're at it, okay?
Mark Steyn: The Defeatocrats
And Meanwhile, in Iran the Nuclear Clock is Ticking
How Does One Say "Stalling Tactics" in Iraqi?
What will be interesting in the coming proceedings is how much the MSM will cover the witnesses, once the delaying tactics are stopped. Seeing Saddam's evil will not fit the agenda of the Democrats and the MSM at all. Yet not covering the story would be very, very difficult to pull off thanks to the alternative media available today. Stay tuned....
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Release Our People. We're On Your Side
"We are working on revealing the occupation's violence and acts. Those people (hostages) are believers who work against the occupation," Mayer told Al Jazeera. "So we appeal for their release so they can continue their work on your behalf and on behalf of the Iraqi people." Asked if he was worried about the hostages' lives, Mayer said: "We are worried about the lives of these people. But we know that thousands of Iraqis are held illegally by the U.S. forces in prisons that violate international law and in worse conditions than these four."Soooo, understanding the terrorists isn't working. Maybe revealing the truth, which is that the "Christian" Peacekeepers are really working for the terrorists might help. Trouble is, they are still Christians, in other words, infidels. That doesn't play well with the Islamo-Fascists. That is, unless they can be convinced the four hostages would serve a better purpose as living useful idiots than dead, beheaded victims.
Friday, December 02, 2005
White Christmas
If you haven't seen it, shame on you. If you have seen it before, but haven't popped in the DVD player this Christmas season yet...well, what are you waiting for?
Peace, Peace, When There is No Peace
Does the above sound harsh? It's meant to. There is no reasoning with the terrorists of Iraq. The four peace activists currently held are beginning to understand that, I fear. Hopefully, those on the left will come to understand it as well.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
But, I Thought Things Were Getting Worse in Iraq...
And, Sun Microsystems Goes OpenSource
Firefox 1.5 Is Out
And, here's a story about all the folks who have already updated.
The Gulf Stream Current is Weakening!!!! We're All Gonna Die!!!!!
The powerful ocean current that bathes Britain and northern Europe in warm waters from the tropics has weakened dramatically in recent years, a consequence of global warming that could trigger more severe winters and cooler summers across the region, scientists warn today.But this, at paragraph 12 and 13:
Chris West, director of the UK climate impacts programme at Oxford University's centre for the environment, said: "The only way computer models have managed to simulate an entire shutdown of the current is to magic into existence millions of tonnes of fresh water and dump it in the Atlantic. It's not clear where that water could ever come from, even taking into account increased Greenland melting.""Uncertainties in computer change models." Translation: What you put in to a computer, Including the assumptions of the climatologist doing the study, is what you will get out. If you believe in global warming, you will invariably get models that prove your theory. Now, be honest, would you have read all the way to paragraph 12 on your own? Most people, including the journalists who will repeat this story, wouldn't have.
Uncertainties in climate change models mean that the overall impact on Britain of a slowing down in the current are hard to pin down. "We know that if the current slows down, it will lead to a drop in temperatures in Britain and northern Europe of a few degrees, but the effect isn't even over the seasons. Most of the cooling would be in the winter, so the biggest impact would be much colder winters," said Tim Osborn, of the University of East Anglia climatic research unit.
A Great Way to Purchase Books
Racial Matters: A Wonderful Series
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Ask the Soldiers
And thanks Timmer, for leading me to AubreyJ.org. An excellent blog, one I'll return to again and again.
The Strategy for Victory
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Another Democrat Speaks Out on Iraq
I have just returned from my fourth trip to Iraq in the past 17 months and can report real progress there. More work needs to be done, of course, but the Iraqi people are in reach of a watershed transformation from the primitive, killing tyranny of Saddam to modern, self-governing, self-securing nationhood--unless the great American military that has given them and us this unexpected opportunity is prematurely withdrawn.It's a Democrat. Really. Why, this Democrat was Algore's running mate in 2000! And, there's more from Joe Lieberman:
It is a war between 27 million and 10,000; 27 million Iraqis who want to live lives of freedom, opportunity and prosperity and roughly 10,000 terrorists who are either Saddam revanchists, Iraqi Islamic extremists or al Qaeda foreign fighters who know their wretched causes will be set back if Iraq becomes free and modern. The terrorists are intent on stopping this by instigating a civil war to produce the chaos that will allow Iraq to replace Afghanistan as the base for their fanatical war-making. We are fighting on the side of the 27 million because the outcome of this war is critically important to the security and freedom of America. If the terrorists win, they will be emboldened to strike us directly again and to further undermine the growing stability and progress in the Middle East, which has long been a major American national and economic security priority.If you are on the left, please read this editorial from Senator Joseph Lieberman. He's bucking his Party in saying these things. He's making himself a target for the Mainstream Media. He's telling the truth.
Changes, and a Need For Feedback
My wish was for three columns, which I just love!
Give us your feedback, if you would be so kind...
Monday, November 28, 2005
Mother Sheehan Without an Audience
Okay, I admit it. I love this photograph!Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan waits for people to show up at her book signing near President Bush's ranch on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2005 in Crawford, Texas. Sheehan, whose 24-year-old Casey died in Iraq, called for anti-war activists to return to Crawford this week as Bush celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)She held a book signing...in Crawford?!? After the mess she made of that town of 700 in August? She lucky she wasn't run out of town...by sheepdogs. (Scroll down to get the joke.)
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Urban Legends of the Iraq War
Sometimes.
Feelings.
Lie.
It's Not 1969 Anymore: Glen Reynolds
The Third Temple: Plans in the Making
In preparing my Sunday School lesson for tomorrow, I came across this remarkable site from Israel. There are plans to build a new temple in Jerusalem. This site not only reveals those plans, but also is a fascinating and beautiful chronicle of Jewish history, and the history of both the first and second temples.
The eerie photo shopped image of what could be if these people have their way is worth considering. In place of the Muslim Dome of the Rock stands the Third Temple, with the modern skyline of Jerusalem in the background. It is prepared for the Messiah, and the sacrifice of the tenth Red Heifer.
Saturday, November 26, 2005
A Look Back, and a Look Ahead
I moved to the blogosphere because the list got bigger and bigger, including alot of people outside the company, and corporate policies were changing regarding employee use of the internet. My first real post for what was then called The Gang was May 31st, 2002. It was, of course, a Peggy Noonan piece.
I continued to blog on my own for over a year. A co-worker and friend named Jon read The Gang, and commented frequently. Jon is the polar opposite of me in most every way, and when he became my blog partner in 2003, he brought a fresh, liberal perspective to The Gang. It was Jon that sent me a list of names for the site, which included Liberty Just in Case. Jon was a big part of keeping LJiC running for over a year.
In early August of 2004, I developed a severe breathing disorder. This forced me to the basement, the only part of the house I could breathe in, and to the computer for full-time blogging. After much conversation, Jon and I decided to part ways in the blogosphere, though he remains a good friend, and a semi-frequent commenter here at LJiC. I took LJiC in a decidedly conservative, pro-war, pro-military direction. It will remain so in the future.
My health problems have begun to resolve, which means I can soon resume full-time employment. This will limit my blogging time, and the frequency of posting. About the time I began to realize this, Matt wrote to ask if we could form a partnership. His email couldn't have come at a better time.
I've known Matt as Zaphriel (surely you've guessed that by now) for a long time , and have been deeply impressed with his blogs since he started them. He quickly moved Birth of a Neocon from zero to highly influential in a few short weeks. And his work as a founder of Balance of Power has few equals. His abilities as a blogger are only matched by his artistry at designing new blog templates. You will see that artistry very soon here at LJiC, with ongoing changes coming fast and furious in the future.
One thing that won't change is our committment to the war. Rather you call it the Global War on Terrorism, or the more accurate World War IV, Matt and I are firmly committed to doing whatever needs to be done to win it, period. Matt's military experience will shine as we continue to stay true to our mission statement:
An ongoing dialogue about Politics, Culture, Religion and the Universe in general in the September 12th World.
We continue to live in a September 12th, 2001 world. The shock, and the resolve of that time will remain our primary focus, the backdrop upon which all other dialogue is penned. The phrase "Never Forget" will remain the motto for Matt and myself.
Liberty. Just in case another attack comes. Just in case you need a reminder. Just in case you need courage. Just in case you forget.
Let's Roll.
Friday, November 25, 2005
What Should Pajamas Media Be? Good Discussion
Things Are "Looking Up" in Canada
Meanwhile, in the land of the frozen tushies, they've discovered one more thing to blame on the Bush Administration...interplanetary war. I'm hoping Senate Democrats here in the US will at least wait till after the holidays to demand hearings on why Bush lied about getting us in to war with the Aldeberans...sigh.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
I'm Still Not a McCain Fan But...
Happy Thanksgiving: Getting Your Turkey Just Right
Daddy doing the Thanksgiving Turkey is a tradition at our house. We got Tom yesterday, all 20 lbs of him, and he's defrosting now. I'll get him in the oven around nine this morning, and then start the pies baking about two hours after that. If all goes well, we'll sit down to dinner around two thirty or three, with a round of left overs just before bed.
Part of the tradition used to be a very dry Turkey, looking nothing like the golden brown bird you see Katie Couric pull out of the oven on The Today Show. But, since Daddy learned to follow the directions from Butterball.com each year, I'm now the toast of the dinner,even when it's only me, my lovely bride, and the little ones, like it will be this year. Which reminds me, I forgot to get the Cranberry Sauce. Wonder if Jewel is open yet....?
The First Thanksgiving Proclamation
And what do we suppose the ACLU would say about this today? On second thought, who cares? I plan on reading parts of this at our Thanksgiving feast today. It's an important part of our National legacy, and worth repeating this day.
General Thanksgiving
By the PRESIDENT of the United States Of America
A PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"
NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.
(signed) G. Washington
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
A Republican Straw Poll
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Uniting the Republicans: Murtha Couldn't Have Done a Better Job
It turns out, however, that the politics of national security favor staying the course. Both the president and vice president have hit back hard in this debate, noting the importance of winning in Iraq. Vice President Dick Cheney yesterday called for an open and clear debate, but he forcefully argued that the war was and remains in this nation's interests because it allows the U.S. to combat terrorists in the heart of the Middle East. He also took on the idea that by invading Iraq the U.S. has made itself more of a target for terrorists. "We were not in Iraq on Sept. 11 and the terrorists hit us anyway," he told the American Enterprise Institute in Washington.Let's hope so. Now, if only this understanding can begin to rub off the Senate...
And in Congress, fighting the war remains the one issue that continues to rally the GOP. Before Mr. Murtha's resolution, the Republican Party seemed hopelessly split and unable either to cut spending or to make the president's tax cuts permanent. After the Murtha resolution, Republicans quashed the earmark for the "Bridge to Nowhere" in Alaska (though the state still gets to keep the money for it), passed $50 billion in spending cut, and, of course, soundly rejected the idea of withdrawing from Iraq. Suddenly Republicans seem to understand why they are in the majority.
Two Vets and a Very Disturbed Shooter
A U.S. soldier stationed locally and a veteran of the Iraq war were the two hostages who disarmed a 20-year-old shooter at a mall in Tacoma, Wash., ending a four-hour standoff in which six people were shot, one critically.Funny, I never saw this part of the story on the MSM. Too busy carrying Murtha's latest pronouncements, I guess.
After being held with two other hostages, Joseph Hudson and Jon Black escorted a weeping Dominick Sergio Maldonado outside where he was arrested by police.
PajamasMedia: A Great New Old Name
The Library of the Future
The Library of Congress is launching a campaign today to create the World Digital Library, an online collection of rare books, manuscripts, maps, posters, stamps and other materials from its holdings and those of other national libraries that would be freely accessible for viewing by anyone, anywhere with Internet access.
This is the most ambitious international effort ever undertaken to put precious items of artistic, historical, and literary significance on the Internet so that people can learn about other cultures without traveling further than the nearest computer, according to James H. Billington, head of the Library of Congress.
Monday, November 21, 2005
This Is Definitely Me as a Christian
 | You scored as Reformed Evangelical. You are a Reformed Evangelical. You take the Bible very seriously because it is God's Word. You most likely hold to TULIP and are sceptical about the possibilities of universal atonement or resistible grace. The most important thing the Church can do is make sure people hear how they can go to heaven when they die.
What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com |
Defeated by Defeatism: Required Reading
An Episcopal Diocese Kills One of It's Own
With the bishop who helped sanction the church sitting quietly in a rear pew, members of All Saints Episcopal Church held services Sunday, a day after the local diocese dissolved the Irondequoit parish."This has been a terrible but rewarding time, for we learned how to stand up for our Lord Jesus Christ," said All Saints' rector, the Rev. David Harnish.
On Saturday, leaders of the Episcopal Diocese in Rochester voted to declare the church "extinct" for failing to pay about $16,000 in fees and to seize its assets.
The Irondequoit church withheld the money in protest of a 2003 decision by national church leaders to allow same-sex marriages and ordain a gay priest in New Hampshire.
The Rochester diocese has supported that 2003 decision, though a considerable number of other Episcopalians have not — and the dissolution of All Saints has attracted widespread attention in the international church.
"There are those throughout the world who are praying for us this day," Harnish said at the beginning of Sunday morning's service.
That service proceeded in seemingly normal fashion, with about 50 people in the pews of a small sanctuary with whitewashed walls and a dark wooden roof.Harnish, wearing a white robe with a multicolored vestment, preached a short sermon whose overall theme was the redeeming power of the Holy Spirit, though his talk was larded with references to extinction.
This may well begin happening all over the country as Conservative parishes are forced to decide between their belief in the message of the Bible and keeping their churches.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Hints of Things to Come
Those of you who have been reading LJiC for a while know that this used to be partner blog, with one liberal voice, and one conservative voice. With Jon moving on, I've moved Liberty further to the right. The addition of a new conservative voice will cement that move. Stay tuned for an exciting announcement later this week!
The Disconnect: Boots on the Ground and Journalists
November 20, 2005: American troops are developing a hate-hate relation with journalists. The basic problem is that soldiers and marines in Iraq have access, usually via the Internet, to what the mass media is saying about what they think is happening in Iraq. These news reports, all too often, do not reflect what the troops experience. It gets uglier when the troops realize that reporters are spending most of their time in the Green Zone or some well guarded hotel, leaving it to local Iraqi stringers to collect information and photos for the reporters stories. Relations are a bit better with the few embedded journalists who still travel with the troops out in field. But even the embeds are often mistrusted and disliked, because some of them are blatantly out for dirt, not an accurate story.Read the whole thing.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
200,000 Protest in Amman
No End But Victory
The calls for a cut-and-run from Iraq are growing stronger. On this very day, the Democrats and Republicans in the United States Senate have duelling amendments before that body which each, in their own way, fuel the political impulse to abandon Iraq to the murderous elements that would destroy it.
Within living memory, we have seen what happens when America abandons its national commitments, and deserts the brave people who stood tall and believed its promises. The faint-hearted and the wavering painted our commitment to the people of Indochina as a cause in itself of the bloodshed and grief there — and then stood mute when they achieved their objective, forced America’s retreat, and years of genocide followed in its wake.
A generation later, they’re trying to do the same in Iraq. For the sake of an Iraqi people only now grasping the responsibilities, perils, and blessings of liberty, we cannot let them force America to shrink from the awesome responsibility it has shouldered. For the sake of American honor — and those who have died in this cause — we cannot repeat the mistakes of 1991, when the cost of our reluctance was counted in Kurdish and Shi’a dead.
This is not a partisan issue. This is not a left- or right-wing issue. This is an American and Iraqi issue, and all men of good faith must now come together to remind our leadership that whatever our politics, and whatever we thought of the decision to go to war, there can be only one end:
Victory.
The anti-war, cut-and-run crowd, which fears not defeat, nor dishonor, nor an Iraq under the terrorist heel, is well-organized. Its online haunts are well-known enough: Daily Kos, Atrios, and the rest have a massive readership, and they present the appearance of representing a substantial segement of public opinion in the United States.
But we know that this is not so. We know that Americans don’t want to retreat: they want to win. And their support for the war varies in direct proportion to their perception that the American political leadership is willing to achieve that. History shows this clearly: the United States Congress turned against the war in Vietnam long before the American people did; support for the 1983 Lebanon intervention collapsed only after the Reagan Administration decided to withdraw; and support for the Somalia intervention was strong until the moment the Clinton Administration elected to retreat.
The President has done an admirable job in holding the line. But both American political parties show signs of capitulation. It’s time for us to raise our voices and remind them that all of us, Americans and Iraqis, demand one thing of this war:
NO END BUT VICTORY.
I strongly, and whole-heartedly support this ideal, and this site.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Science and Theology: A Nifty Site
Yes, I've Been Had: A Major Retraction
Jason also makes a well reasoned argument about the peice, who ever wrote it. Here is his comment:
Fascinating that you would focus on that rather than his main arguments though.His reply has caused me to do some deep thinking, which is always worthwhile, but always gives me a headache. Sigh.
I focused on that one fact because it struck me as a bit high and I have neither the time nor the inclination to check all of General Chong’s facts. A quick Google search for the words "France," "Muslim," "population," and "percent" quickly yielded a source that contradicted General Chong’s assertion. If General Chong was so sloppy with facts that one of them could be debunked by such a cursory search, it calls into question his other factual assertions, ne c’est pas?
Here’s another bad fact that General Chong asserts:
These are the type of prisoners, who just a few months ago, were throwing their own people off buildings, cutting off their hands, cutting out their tongues, and otherwise murdering their own people, just for disagreeing with Saddam Hussein.
Maybe in General Chong’s world. However, in reality, the majority of Iraqi detainees were innocent. According to a Red Cross report, coalition intelligence officers estimated that 70 to 90% of Iraqi detainees were arrested mistakenly. (source: MSNBC) So, maybe 10 to 30% of the prisoners were the type who committed such atrocities a few months ago.
The consequences of losing the war certainly hold up, don't you think?
General Chong presents Spain as an example of defeat, and then goes on to state that defeat would mean that "our production, income, exports, and way of life will all vanish, as we know it." If Spain was defeated, as General Chong asserts, then it would follow that Spain would be experiencing the economic doom and gloom that General Chong asserts to be the consequences of defeat
Let’s look at the facts. According to the economic indicators on the back pages of this week’s edition of The Economist, Spain’s GDP is up 3.4% over a year ago. Industrial production is up. Unemployment, while still higher than the rest of the Euro area, is down one and a half percentage points over a year ago. The Madrid Stock Exchange is up 17.6% so far this calendar year.
So, no, General Chong's statement of the consequences of losing don't hold up. Either he is wrong in asserting that "Spain is finished" or he is wrong that defeat in Iraq leads to economic collapse.
Or are you one of those who want to pull out the troops immediately?
I'm really not sure what to do in Iraq. Going in appears to have been a mistake. However, I tend to subscribe to Colin Powell's "Pottery Barn" rule. Whether or not Iraq was our problem pre-invasion, it is our problem now. Leaving Iraq to its own devices now doesn't seem quite right to me. On the other hand, I'm not sure that staying the course in Iraq would improve the situation there.
As for General Chong's, and your, assertion that we need to give up some freedom, damaging freedom in order to save it makes absolutely no sense to me. General Chong cites envy of our freedom as one of the reasons we are at war. If we make ourselves less free, we just help the terrorists accomplish their goal. Those who would surrender freedom are at best capitulating to the terrorists and at worst collaborating with them.