Keep My Honor Clean

Go here...

2009-08-25T21:44:00.002-04:00

...read this.

Doctor Zero over at Hot Air has been writing some amazing pieces and you're a damn fool if you don't read 'em. Especially this one. Behind all of the relativism of torture debates and intelligence gathering techniques is a very important observation on how a passive/defensive nation must conduct its foreign policy.

"Ferocity" indeed.

Conservatism and ownership

2009-03-08T19:18:00.002-04:00

Patterico and Jeff Goldstein have been having a very enlightening discussion over Rush Limbaugh. Actually, the discussion has little to do with Rush, but as usual he serves as a useful catalyst for discussion. Go to their sites if you want background on the discussion. Hell, go to their sites because they are both conservative mainstays...even in disagreement they are probably twice the conservative anyone in congress is.

The point I want to make is that conservatism is about sticking with what works. Throughout recorded history, capitalism is the only economic system that doesn't lead its people deeper into slavery to the state...rather, it engenders freedom simply by following the free market. No one can own conservatism, and in that sense Rush is just a man speaking about what he believes. Listen to him or not, he is not conservatism. If Rush Limbaugh damns himself it irrelevance that doesn't mean that conservatism is defunct...it just means that conservatism will fall back on what works.
What works you ask? People that are clear about their fundamental beliefs, live by them, and speak with conviction about a hope for a free America. An America free from the despotic rule of fairness and censorship. An America that permits people to fail while offering them myriad opportunities to succeed. These are the people that conservatism must hail as its standard bearers. True believers as it were.
Final thought on the Limbaugh mess: what have we learned about the power of language? Rush spoke only four words and yet people are looking for any possible misunderstanding rather than face the truth. I have commented a few times that I think this problem is one of philosophy - namely, intentionalism vs. formalism/reader-response theory. I am an intentionalist. I believe that when someone says something their words can only mean what they intended them to mean. No amount of reinterpretation can change what an author meant.

If success means the end of freedom and the final breath of liberty in America, then I hope he fails too.

Whatever communists support, I oppose.

2009-02-09T23:32:00.002-05:00

Think of it as cleverly undermining the opposition. Do I think every idea communists have is bad? Not necessarily. It is how they want to go about things that scares the hell out of me. I decided to go see what the CPUSA was chirping about in this new age of enlightenment. If the communists are excited about Obama you should ask yourself why?

...the Obama administration and the broad coalition that supports him will almost inevitably have to consider—and they already are—the following measures:

* Public ownership of the financial system and the elimination of the shadow banking system and exotic derivatives.

* Public control of the Federal Reserve Bank.

* Counter-crisis spending of a bigger size and scope to invigorate and sustain a full recovery and meet human needs—something that the New Deal never accomplished.

* Strengthening of union rights in order to rebalance the power between labor and capital in the economic and political arenas.

* Trade agreements that have at their core the protection and advancement of international working-class interests.

* Equality in conditions of life for racial minorities and women.

* Democratic public takeover of the energy complex as well as a readiness to consider the takeover of other basic industries whose future is problematic in private hands.

* Turning education, childcare, and healthcare into “no profit” zones.

* Rerouting investment capital from unproductive investment (military, finance and so forth) to productive investment in a green economy and public infrastructure.

* Changing direction of our nation’s foreign policy toward cooperation, disarmament, and diplomacy. We can’t have threats, guns and military occupations on the one hand and butter, democracy, goodwill, and peace on the other.

* Full-scale assault on global warming.

* Serious and sustained commitment to assisting the developing countries, which are locked in poverty and misery.

When does the President of the United States become an enemy of the people? Is it possible for the government of the United States to become a domestic enemy? I'm assuming that it is impossible since those terms are defined by the government and they would have the sense to exclude themselves from such "oversight." I hope the communists are dead wrong about Obama. I hope he has the sense not to try to reinvent America despite what Americans want.

I'm waiting for the devourer, but he still hasn't shown at my door...still hasn't paid me a visit. I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine...

Sovereign Nation Defends Itself!

2009-01-03T18:49:00.002-05:00

Yeah, go figure. Sign a peace treaty with a political party that exists to destroy you - they fire rockets at you until the treaty expires...then they REALLY start firing them at you. Fatah wasn't really any different. The problem is that Palestinians consistently vote for the destruction of Israel. I'm linking to Hot Air because they are much better with updates.

Weng Weng

2008-12-09T00:10:00.002-05:00

If you think we're overly sensitive in America, you're right. A TV show where a tiny little man takes out crime syndicates with his scooter and blowgun would only work here if it were clearly satire. Even then, I'm not so sure. Minor content warning for an F-bomb, nude silhouette dancer, and bad rapping.

This "news" via AOSHQ.

The opposition is ignorant

2008-11-17T22:16:00.004-05:00

Great. Awesome. Terrifying. There was a point as I was watching this where I honestly thought I was going to shout at my monitor. I'm trying so hard to buy into this whole pragmatist/super-genius narrative of Obama, but whenever I see something like this it reminds me that Obama didn't win the election by being a better politician. He didn't beat John McCain (or more importantly, he didn't beat conservatism - something McCain was ill-equipped to represent) and he didn't beat Sarah Palin. Barack Obama won because the media that most Americans rely on for their "truth" was utterly tainted in favor of him. I hope on January 20th Obama thanks them, and then promptly starts disintegrating everyone in sight like in Mars Attacks. Blarg.

Change: not just a catchy slogan anymore

2008-11-03T19:30:00.003-05:00

If Senator Obama weren't doing so damn well nationally I would probably find this video amusing. On the eve of election night he stands poised to win a landslide electoral vote margin and upwards of 3% of the popular vote. Why? Because people are fucking morons...that's why.

I swear, if I had a 1970s video of Senator Obama and Eric Estrada pairing up as a couple of wacky pimps out to change Harlem people would still vote for him. Actually, I think I'd probably vote for him too.

Video compiled by Mary Katherine Ham

Bitter and Bankrupt in PA

2008-11-02T14:37:00.002-05:00

That seems like a winning combo for McCain I would think. This video is starting to spread quickly around the right side of the net, but it remains to be seen if it will get picked up anywhere but Fox News before Tuesday. Seriously, if you like the idea of your government imposing artificial controls on the market in order to push an unrealistic and scientifically unproven agenda...well Obama is your man.

From: Ace of Spades HQ
NiceDeb
Hyscience
Now linked at Drudge Report

New McCain Web Ad

2008-10-28T15:52:00.003-04:00

Yeah I haven't been posting much lately...sue me. I'm still sort of finding my legs here so taking a brief hiatus for school seemed reasonable. Besides, there are like two people that check this blog.

I snagged this video from Hot Air and thought it was a pretty awesome example of letting Obama hang himself. It seems like every time we get more candid information from Senator Obama it turns out to be an oppositional goldmine. Keep the change. Ha.

California Burning

2008-08-06T15:23:00.002-04:00

In a strange twist of geological misfortune, California is burning from below. Not all of California mind you, just a hot spot located on some US Bureau of Land Management property. The ground is reported to have hit a surface temperature of 812 degrees Fahrenheit and has melted the soles off of geologist's shoes if they stand still too long.

Somehow, carbon emissions are to blame for this. If we could just cut back on our consumption and be more like Germany the earth would stop lashing out at us in anger...

Spring cleaning...

2008-04-29T15:42:00.002-04:00

Video...

I was just reading about this new DNC ad that attacks McCain for his comments about 100 years in Iraq...comments that amount to a statement of diligence rather than insanity to me, but I digress. In the advertisement there are images of the chaos that our military endures on behalf of US citizens and some commentary that would lead you to believe that McCain is as evil as Bush and that you're voting to kill the military if you vote McCain. Nonsense. If the idea of a president that has some idea of the danger we face,and insists on protecting Americans from it makes you nervous then you're living in a blissful state of ignorance.

Digression again. The video link is to a video that I took from a site that was sympathetic to Al Qaeda...so sympathetic that they were sharing propaganda that was meant to recruit terrorists. My point is that the DNC is making advertisements in a context that results in the same thing as these terrorists. Scary stuff. I recommend watching the video all the way through. In many of the cases the guys hit aren't killed because of how well armored we are, but there are likely many serious injuries. The music is also painfully catchy.

Bugger Islam

2008-03-28T22:12:00.002-04:00

Part 2 in a 2 part series about Islam I suppose. I was floating around the internet trying to find moderate Islam and I thought I had something reasonable in this editorial from the Khaleej Times Online. I recommend reading through it because it is exactly the kind of drivel that scares the living hell out of me. If you know anything about Islam then you realize that this is a load of crap, but it just seems so nice doesn't it? Here's the catch:

"How can one have faith without knowing what it is that one has faith in? The example of the convert illustrates this. Generally, those who voluntarily enter Islam from other religions and belief systems do so once they have acquired the knowledge and reached the understanding that Islam is the faith and the way of life to which they would like to adhere. The Holy Quran is clear with respect to the preferred rank, in the eyes of Allah, of those who possess the substantive knowledge described above." (emphasis mine)

That "voluntarily" implies that there's another, less savory, option available to me. Read it however you like.

Fitna

2008-03-28T21:46:00.002-04:00

The movie Fitna has been released despite death threats from Muslims across America. If you haven't watched it yet you need to. Not because it is an amazing triumph of cinema, but because you will see firsthand in the film the scenes you should expect to see around us in the years to come. It is an honest representation of Islam, and of the problem left for Muslims to solve. Can they reinterpret the Quran in order to coexist with any other religion, or will they continue to pursue conquest?

I don't think there's any chance that Islam will change in any meaningful way in order to suit the rest of the world, but the danger is that "cultural marxism" will leave us disarmed against assimilation. Islam will seek to indoctrinate the west through blood and fire whether it suits our concept of reality or not. For as long as we have the 2nd amendment, I recommend you purchase a few guns because your government is intent on doing nothing to protect you from threats that it refuses to recognize and you're going to have to take matters into your own hands eventually. It remains the responsibility of every man to take care of himself and his own. Man the ramparts...Islam will be at our gates before you know it.

What the Deuce Am I?

2008-02-20T16:25:00.003-05:00

It seems like classification is more and more important in our hyper-polarized society. Meanwhile, I have no idea what I am anymore. Saying that I'm conservative or liberal carries almost no water since there are people in DC operating under those banners that I don't identify or agree with at all. For me to really know where I stand on this election I think its best for me to look at what type of government I would have if I had my way (coup notwithstanding).

1) The government's job should be to secure and defend the liberties of the people of the USA. That encompasses ensuring that we have the best military and border security in the world, but also that our civil liberties are not challenged by random acts of judicial imprudence.

2) Our tax system should never put a higher cost on being American for people that make more money. A percentage system seems the most fair to me - as long as at the end of the day the billionaire and I have both paid our equal parts towards continuing this grand experiment. What I DON'T want is a system that ever takes money from someone that works and gives it to someone that doesn't - a system that rewards laziness and establishes a sense of entitlement in its citizens. You are entitled to the products of your own labor. We live in the most vibrant society with arguably the best open economy in the world - if you aren't legitimately incapable of work then get off your seat and stop sucking the life out of hard working folk's pockets.

3) I don't want our government to care about AIDS in Africa or Darfur or anything except its people and their welfare. To me this means that our government would never lift a finger (with your money) to help poor disenfranchised people anywhere, but instead would support faith-based and other charitable organizations to continue to do this in a free-market sense. Are there people that need help? Of course. Is it right for my government to tax me for someone's goodwill projects? I think not.

4) Our politicians are servants, and should serve us from our level - not above. I don't mean to seem "classist", but there aren't very many Americans that are career politicians. Why do they represent us then? I would much rather make those positions more equivalent to pro-bono legal work or even military service. The pay isn't why you do it, right?

5) Screw the environment. Yep. Its not my government's place to make decisions about the environment, its mine. Does that mean I think we should burn our forests down and pump all of our oil into the sea? No...well maybe. It means that I don't think our government should make any decisions that aren't motivated by the need to protect and defend its people (see point 1) and environmentalist notions of "mother earth crying out for help" should mean nothing...well nothing more than any other dirty hippy brainslush.

I realize that these points aren't perfectly developed, and that they may even have some critical faults in logic, but that doesn't change that they're basically what I expect from my government. I don't know what my thoughts make me. Am I a Republican? A Democrat? I guess I'm just a regular guy that expects his government to serve him and not the other way around...a government that has no self-interest. Its like our government is the same as Sky-Net in The Terminator. Its become self-aware...

A simple question

2008-02-14T21:39:00.003-05:00

Do we dare elect another black president? I certainly hope not.

The 'Swiftboating' of John McCain

2008-02-09T01:50:00.000-05:00

I don't love John McCain, but I'll admit some of the statements in this video are a bit disingenuous. John McCain's actions during the war are no more out of bounds than Kerry's were though so expect our glorious new frontrunner to see some friction nationally over this. No matter how thin it is, it only takes a few 30 second spots and all of America will believe anything you want. Meh.

The Money is at about 4:15. I haven't seen anything additional to back these statements up, but I will say that if any of this is true you can bet McCain is going to look like a damn fool. If he did choose not to come home due to special treatment, but stayed there to make dozens upon dozens of propaganda films for the North Vietnamese...which by the way is extraordinarily dishonorable to us in the military. I still remember seeing the videos of the Pueblo being captured something like 40 years ago - all of the prisoners would read the propaganda letters as ordered...while flipping the middle finger to the camera. Man the North Koreans were furious when they found out that that was about. Long story short - in time of war you don't give your enemy anything to use against your nation. If John did and lied about it we're screwed. Can Romney 'renig' if that happens? Would he?

When boys replace men

2008-02-06T20:49:00.000-05:00

Al Qaeda (AQ) is apparently training young boys for terrorist operations ranging from kidnapping to terrorizing courtyards full of innocent folk (if anyone can truly be called innocent). To me this could mean a couple of things. AQ may be having a hard time finding grown men willing to blow themselves up, especially considering the resiliency of some of our newer tactical vehicles. Historically this has been common as the militant base of a country dies out in war - Nazi Germany is a good example. I really don't think this is the case though since the Quran compels the muslim to Jihad, and Jihad lately means doing what AQ says. Its also possible that AQ recognizes the potential mental struggle some people face when firing a round into a child (we're talking about kids as young as 6) and is looking to further horrify Americans at home with returning stories of atrocities on children. This was a factor in our withdrawal from Vietnam (atrocities), second in importance to the ferocity with which dirty hippies fought to end the war...I digress. AQ have proven themselves to understand us better than we give them credit for. I will even go so far as to say that their PR campaign is vastly superior to our own, but I caveat that by saying that the reason is because aforementioned dirty hippies are also multicultural swine - they really believe Islam is a more relevant cultural idea than democracy...that we are to blame for all of our problems. Digressing again.
What does all this mean? Nothing really. Some hard left folks in America will find a way to blame this on Bush, but the majority of people will realize that this is another example of the depravity of AQ, and the other-worldly nature of Islam in general. In the end, I cannot say what each individual will do when faced with an 8 year old boy holding an RPG. I can only verify that in my mind his age is not a factor in his role as a combatant, and training wins out over emotion every day. As a conservative I place great value in personal choice, and that boy may very well pay a severe price for a decision that he doesn't understand, but must pay for nonetheless.

People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf - George Orwell

The Marines have the situation in order.

2008-01-02T10:31:00.000-05:00

Michael J. Totten is an independent journalist and an amazing writer. He has consistently represented a clear picture of Iraq at great personal risk to himself and I think he's a damn hero. In a recent article, Michael is talking about the current atmosphere in Fallujah - something that definitely isn't being talked about enough in the mainstream media. There is also some rather interesting coverage of a Marine unit's sign in Fallujah "Have a plan to kill everyone you meet." Marines are an extraordinary breed. Our ways are easily misunderstood, but we remain the finest fighting organization the world has ever known. Read the article on his page. Its long, but 10 minutes is a very small price to pay for hope.

Avast! RINO!

2008-01-02T08:17:00.000-05:00

There was an article published by the NY Times yesterday evening that makes my skin crawl a little. I have to admit from the outset that I openly despise what Huckabee is doing. He is using his religious clout to leverage support for his bid to become president - something mocks our political system and Christianity at the same time, and he's more liberal than many of the democrats running (which is overshadowed by the fact that many of the democrats are running on a ticket of socialism...another story entirely and one best saved for the general election). My dislike of the Huckster aside, this article is chock full of his peculiar brand of in-your-face religious politicking.
The article is basically about Huck thanking the bloggers that support him, and Chuck Norris thanking the bloggers that have supported him. There are two things about this article that bother me:

1) "He noted that the mainstream media might be “filing a bad story” right now, and if the bloggers were relying on the same wireless system at the hotel, they might be “clogging up the lines” and preventing them from filing.
If that’s the case, “thank you,” he said. “You’re doing the Lord’s work.”"

I guess I could be overreacting here, but this is yet another example of a creepy sort of "God wants me to be President - resistance is futile" attitude from Huck.

2) Afterwards, Anthony Bonna, 20, a blogger from Florida who is a student at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., said he supported Mr. Huckabee because he is “the authentic conservative” in the race. His Web site, www.huckamania.com, is devoted to him.

This guy is clearly an absolute idiot. On immigration, economics, foreign policy, justice...everything, Huck is even more liberal than Bill Clinton was. How this blogger is claiming Huck is an "authentic conservative" is beyond me. Huckabee is a liberal, and his game of using Jesus to get elected while actively misrepresenting Christ's message is disgusting. I hope the polls are as meaningless as my gut tells me.

Smokin' Salafist Satire Batman!

2007-12-27T21:02:00.000-05:00

Okay - there is almost nothing that I can say about this that will make it any more hilarious...just watch as we "demonstrate our true power".

This is a public service announcement from the Dutch government mocking terrorists AND promoting safe holiday fun. While the politically correct fools of the world will see this as insensitive and crass, I loved it. Consider this my New Year's Eve gift to you, and remember: "Fireworks are explosives as well".

Global Warming: Liberal Columnist Weeps Tears of Joy as Conservatives Drown in Bitter Irony...

2007-12-27T13:42:00.000-05:00

Oh my.
The good news is that global warming is a hoax. The bad news is that I don't think this guy was wildly separate from the ideals of his base when he wrote this. Granted, there are extremes on either side of the political fence, but the glee as this guy describes an apocalypse on conservative America is sick. Allahpundit at HotAir represented my thoughts very well:

What distinguishes this from normal left-wing quasi-religious maliciousness, like attributing Tony Snow’s cancer to some sort of karmic blowback from his work for Bush, is that it’s not content to have the heathens drowned or boiled, as a deranged Phelpsian Old Testament preacher might be. This turd’s actually gamed out a whole new political order premised upon liberals ruling over a disenfranchised, ghettoized conservative untermensch.

The writer of the post tops it off at the end where he announces that this catastrophe will bring about a new dawn for liberals, and a much needed chastising of nasty conservatives:

The important thing is that we, on the higher ground both actually and figuratively, need to remember that, when they begin their historic migration from their doomed regions, we not give them the keys to the city. They certainly should be offered assistance in their time of need, but we need to keep a firm grip on our political systems, making sure that these guilty throngs who allowed the world to go to hell are gerrymandered into political impotence in their new homes.
There will be much work to be done to help the earth and its residents—human and non-human—survive this man-made catastrophe, and we can’t have these future refugee troglodytes, should their personal disasters still fail to make them recognize reality, mucking things up again.

It should be considered acceptable, in this stifling new world, to say, “Shut up. We told you this would happen.”

If anything its more likely that as a result of heavy-handed environmental activism we will eventually attempt to intercede on behalf of the planet and correct global warming. A nightmare scenario in my opinion, but certainly not one beyond the scope of liberal hubris. A pox on you Mr. Lindorff...you and your cats.

Heresy!!!

2007-12-27T03:56:00.001-05:00

Left: That is an 8 week old fetus. Yes it was alive.
Over at the NY Times they have a running display of where the candidates stand on several issues, but after reading a few something started to bother me. The Democrats are VERY inconsistent about their appraisal of federal government. For example: they unanimously agree that the federal gov't should instate universal health care of one sort or another - a traditional big gov't proposal. Centralize everything. They only appear interested in allowing American citizens the right of choice in one key area: murder. I'll leave it there since my prejudice is clear, but I think the picture on the left explains it all.

Mauritania: Should have stayed a French colony?

2007-12-27T03:25:00.001-05:00

I'm sure this will be a big deal in another week or so. As far as I can tell an Al Qaeda related terror cell is being linked to the murder of four French family members. There was only one survivor, the father. I think there is probably a bit more to this though.

Initially police had said the gunmen were attempting to rob the French family as they picnicked on the side of a road near Aleg, a small town 150 miles east of Mauritania's capital, Nouakchott. But a day later, Mauritanian prosecutors called the slaying an act of terror and said the suspects are believed to be members of a regional al-Qaida-linked network.

Mauritania is a 100% Islamic country, but it is comprised almost entirely of the either blacks or Moors (which apparently don't like each other very much). They have no long-standing ties to terrorism as a whole, but its not unreasonable that Al Qaeda would have a sleeper cell in a location like Mauritania is it? I think its more likely that a disaffected group of Muslims killed four French people out of old animosity towards France, but what if it is some elaborate plot to attack France? If it is, then this would only further prove that AQ's greatest strength is also their most apparent weakness - they cannot control their followers. Decentralization is nice, but not when you can't get your people to start listening when you need their attention. Attacking the French in any way would be pure idiocy on AQ's part. I guess we'll just see what facts bubble up...until then CONJECTURE!

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon:

"I assure you that French authorities are determined to shed light on this tragedy,"

Old news, but worth remembering

2007-12-27T02:56:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving 2006. Cpl Brian Matthews and his date Jennifer Bower are killed by an illegal alien that was driving while extremely drunk (.32 BAC). I remember hearing about this and feeling a strange combination of furious and sick. Marines are meant to die in either fire and blood, or at peace in the home they fought viciously to defend...not senselessly ruined on the side of the road thanks to poor border control and a long-standing policy of ignorance and "good will" from our politicians. The fact that he died is sad, and had it been an American that struck their car it would still have been shameful and disgustingly irresponsible, but that isn't the black irony to me. Cpl Matthews joined the United States Marine Corps to protect and defend the liberties of the people of the United States, but when he was home from Iraq and trying to enjoy that sweet liberty he was killed by a man that had no right to the freedoms that Cpl Matthews had purchased. My sense of justice remains taxed even a year after this happened. ...and if I die...in a combat zone...just box me up...and ship me home...tell my momma...I did my best...then bury me...so I can rest...

Hillary Phycus

2007-12-26T21:22:00.000-05:00

This is a relatively old video (Nov I think), but follow the link for some classic Hillary. I especially like the point at 00:39...its short so I won't ruin it. I will say that if I were a Democrat running for President, and I knew that my party's constituency was loaded with crazy environmentalists, I would sure as hell have an energy plan...SOMETHING. I find myself wondering if Hillary has even spent time working out the details. Maybe she is just planning to waltz back into the White House and finally plant her much anticipated flag of feminine superiority (equality). I don't mean to extrapolate too much regarding her agenda, but since she hasn't worked out the details of what exactly she means to do, I don't really have much choice but to make wild guesses.

Rice to Huck: Get your facts straight.

2007-12-21T17:26:00.000-05:00

Ms. Rice is probably the most determined and intelligent woman in politics today. Despite being very capable of defending herself, and the administration, she rarely does. Going the high road often has the result of leaving your "opponents" thinking that your silence means they've somehow scored a point. Not exactly. Mike Huckabee (who I'm having a hard time giving a fair shot) has been increasingly taking a traditional liberal stance on criticizing the current administration's foreign policy. It is noteworthy that Huck has zero foreign policy credentials, and to wit - may be a less than average student of American history. Apparently he didn't realize that the US has not only revived old diplomatic relations with France and Germany, but we are making tentative (and cautious) progress with North Korea and Iran. Even if we weren't making a damn bit of progress with them, Huck is basically saying that our foreign policy is to make all the decisions without talking to anyone. The "bunker mentality" as he puts it. I wish someone would unseat this clown before the primaries get going. I'd be embarrassed as a Christian and as a conservative to have that man paraded across the country as "my" candidate. I guess maybe the MSM is just kiting this whole thing so they can air an upset story. Until then, Huckabee continues to make progress by feasting on the souls of the uninformed.

Absurd

2007-12-18T01:14:00.000-05:00

File this under ridiculous. I've complained about how global warming is utter nonsense to the point where I'm actually heating the earth's atmosphere to dangerous levels with my rhetoric. Despite my fervor, Al Gore continues to spread his reckless ideology - perhaps hoping to slow the progress of industrialized nations in order to realize some distant Marxist dream. I hope he's trapped in one of our freak snow storms in the north east and dies an agonizing death - which is a moot threat since he's spending his free time in Bali badmouthing the USA. Its like what happened in Yellowstone in the 1920s. The elk were dying and environmentalists wanted immediate action to protect the elk from the wolves so they encouraged the killing of nearly all of the Yellowstone wolf population. As a result, the elk numbers skyrocketed due to a lack of natural predators and began eating everything in sight. Mankind lacks the understanding of the complex systems that God has established, and when we recklessly play with the mechanics it does not go well. Of course God doesn't exist and we're all monkeys, so let's just let the chips fall where they may.

Death becomes her.

2007-12-18T01:03:00.001-05:00

Is it me, or is Hillary starting to look like Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn towards the very end of Death Becomes Her? No matter. At the end of the day the Democratic front-runner is still basically an empty suit compared to even the foggiest Republican candidate. The Huckster has his issues, but I think you're crazy if you think he'll go all the way. Rudy, Mitt, Fred - all are basically light years ahead of Hillary, Obama, and Edwards in terms of goals and issue-oriented thought. Rush sums it up rather neatly: Will this country want to actually watch a woman get older before their eyes on a daily basis? Awesome question. Personally, I could care less how she looks, as long as she's not in any position of power that gives credibility to her frighteningly socialist agendas. Hillary I have seen your evil, and it is called "Wealth Redistribution."

The benevolent leader provides a forum for Americans to make an ass of themselves.

2007-12-11T15:24:00.000-05:00

I wish I had some readers. I would send them all here to make relevant comments. Is the disinformation machine in Iran massive and intolerant of free speech? Yes. Is there any chance that Mahmoud actually reads these? I actually think there is. He's basically a public relations figure as far as real decision making goes, so maybe he has some free time. Despite his personal revelations regarding the decency of Islam and Iran in general, all policy and action for Iran are handled at the theocratic level. So if you get a second stop on by and have a laugh at how ignorant some of the American comments are - maybe even hit him with a zing to see if it gets removed in true Islamic/Orwellian fashion.

Not even Huckabee knows what he's going to say next

2007-12-09T15:51:00.000-05:00

There was a time when I thought Huckabee was going to be my candidate. That time ended the first time he opened his mouth. There's just this odd sort of imperiousness to him...like he's the second coming of Christ.
If you subtract Huckabee's religious overtones he's really just a liberal politician - his economics, health care, immigration...the whole gamut. The fact that he's attempting to use his religious credentials to get the Republican nomination, while promising to be a complete liberal where everything else is concerned just bugs the hell out of me. Even worse is the fact that social conservatives are so desperate to get their agenda some air time that they'd vote for anyone that will say Jesus regardless of their politics. Mind boggling.
Mike Huckabee was almost certainly saying that because homosexuality is the primary lifestyle carrying AIDS that we should isolate homosexuals and rid ourselves of the plague along with the plague bearers. In 1992 that concept would have been a little more casually accepted since America hadn't yet bought into homosexuality as anything other than aberrant behavior, but today saying that we should take homosexuals and isolate them so they can die off is haphazard politics at best. Frankly, I'd be a little more impressed if Huckabee were sticking to his guns and saying that homosexuality is a pervasive and dangerous lifestyle and is the primary distributor of AIDS - followed by intravenous drug use. Following that, securing the general public against this disease and the billions of dollars that would eventually be spent on searching for a cure would almost make sense. Of course there are scenarios that make this seem monstrous, but in 1992 the majority of the people that would be ostracized would more than likely be grown men - the problem lies more in it being akin to genocide of homosexuals...not exactly constitutional. So I guess what I'm saying is that I'd be impressed if Huck were at least giving me some impression that in 1992 he had actually thought about things before answering that question, and that his final answer was the result of the kind of personal convictions that wouldn't just up and change in 15 years. Instead you get pandering to the popular cultural concept of AIDS, rather than something a little closer to his ideological roots...condemnation. In the end Huckabee is nothing more than an empty suit - he is whatever you want him to be as long as he's got your vote.

Oh snap!

2007-12-09T15:31:00.000-05:00

I'd like to believe that voters aren't so damned stupid. I'd like to, but I don't. Obama has Oprah campaigning for him, Hilary has Bill, Edwards has...Ms. Linda Dogan? All of these shenanigans over "securing the black vote" - as if anything could be more insulting. I guess its only insulting if you don't fall for it. Judging from the stadium they need to hold the crowds I think some voters really are starstruck. Damn your black heart Oprah.
The thought of any of the democratic candidates winning the general election is terrifying to me - the siren song of socialism wailing away every time they open their nasty little mouths. It seems shameful that an Edwards supporter was basically saying that the media antics from Oprah and Mr. Hillary were ploys to distract the black voters, but then the Edwards campaign distanced themselves from her. Politicians are awful people.
This whole thing is nonsense in reality, but Ms. Hogan's tenacity is enjoyable:

"If you can build a school in South Africa, build one in South Carolina"

Oh SNAP! This circus is spiraling out of control...

NBC rethinks madness. Washington Post full of barbs...

2007-12-09T15:18:00.000-05:00

It looks like NBC has come to their senses on the Freedom's Watch advertisement mess. I really don't know what they were thinking. On one hand I want to believe that it was nothing but a matter of needing to change a policy that wasn't making sense in this particular case. My gut tells me that things are probably more sinister than that though. NBC may not necessarily be watched by anti-war crazies, but its obvious their marching orders come from that camp. Intuitively at least.
I really like that last line from the Washington Post article:

Freedom's Watch, a group backed by wealthy Republican fundraisers, has emerged as one of the best-financed conservative groups. It seeks to be a vocal advocate of President Bush's current policy in Iraq.

It would be hard to read that and not conclude that Freedom's Watch is directly tied to and completely supportive of everything that President Bush has chosen to do in Iraq. It seems more likely that they sprang up as a necessary counter-group in order to lobby against liberal anti-war agendas. It just seems like they're making a really big leap in logic in an attempt to smear Freedom's Watch. Most people will agree that the President's policies have been flawed or poorly enacted at times, and connecting Freedom's Watch to Bush's flawed policy without mentioning the details of what they support seems like a careful smear. I could just be overreacting though. Imagine that.

NBC is afraid of anti-war "crazies", and you should be too

2007-12-07T14:46:00.000-05:00

I get my news from the DrudgeReport, and you should too.

Freedom's Watch is not a bad group. They aren't extremist or off center. If anything, they seem to represent the views of the average patriotic American - which is apparently appalling to NBC. I guess this is what happens when you need a special interest group in order to get any weight in at the table in Washington. The article basically says they submitted their advertisement and were denied because it has their URL on it - not because they're a political organization, but because the advertisement was about an issue of public controversy. Damn. Supporting the men and women that have knowingly sacrificed their freedom and potentially their lives is controversial in America now. Maybe we need an "if you don't like it you can find somewhere else to live" policy for people that find supporting the troops controversial. I digress...
The NBC people are saying that the ad isn't controversial so much as the content on the webpage is. Comments like "For too long, conservatives have lacked a permanent political presence to do battle with the radical special interests groups and their left-wing allies in government." are polarizing and "controversial" and so NBC can't air their ad. I guess those comments are only controversial if you are a radical special interest group or a left-wing person allied to one.
Freedom's Watch is a political group with an agenda. So far as I can see, that agenda is to ensure that our military is not robbed of the resources or operational capabilities necessary in order to secure the freedom and liberty of American citizens. I guess I just like them because they have a video with a fellow Marine in it. We enlisted together and we've both been to Iraq a few times, but he's in a wheelchair now. We freely give our lives to secure NBC's right to prevent controversial material from airing. I say they've got Sgt Robinson's permission - who else is there to ask?

Mitt Romney believes we're all bigots...

2007-12-07T14:12:00.000-05:00

...and he's right. Mitt Romney gave an address...blah blah blah. Truth told, he took advantage of a spectacular opportunity that the American people should have never provided him. Most of Christianity believes that Mormonism is a cult, and they are more than happy to use those grounds to derail any legitimacy Mitt Romney's ethics have...which to say the least makes me sick. Why on earth are we voting for religion? Why are we trivializing this presidency to the point that we're arguing over why someone believes something rather than what they believe? Seriously, those are questions...I have no idea what the answers are. I guess we're that dumb. The Republicans have 4 candidates that make the Democratic nominees look like idiots, but we're bickering about why someone believes something. Stupid.
I hate to sound like I'm cheering for Mitt. I'm really not much of a Mitt fan at all. At this point all I want is a president that will uphold the constitution, destroy special interest lobbying, marginalize the federal government, and listen to the will of the people...everything else is just semantics.