Todays recipe thread is dedicated to the loving memory of Marian Fisher, whose bravery and courage can only serve as a model for each of us who live beyond her days. May Marians eternal soul find everlasting peace for her selfless demonstration of all that is worthy in that which we call human life. Rest in peace, Marian Fisher.
#1
Boston Baked Beans With Salt Pork And Canadian Bacon
A Traditional New England, with the addition of Canadian bacon,
Preparation time: 1.5 hour
Cooking Time: 5 to 7 hours
Makes: 8 servings
Ingredients:
16 Ounces (2Cups) dry navel beans
2 quarts cold water
¨ö teaspoon salt
¨ö cup molasses
¨÷ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
4 ounces salt pork
4 ounces Canadian bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
Optional:
Preparation:
Rinse beans; add to water in saucepan. Bring to boiling and simmer 2 minutes, remove from heat. Cover; and let stand 1 hour. (Or add beans to cold water and soak overnight)
Add salt to the beans and water; cover and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 hour
Drain, reserving liquid. Measure 2 cups liquid, adding water if needed; mix with molasses, brown sugar, and mustard.
Cut the salt pork in half; score one half. Grind or thinly slice the remainder and the Canadian bacon.
In a 2 quart bean pot or casserole (I prefer the bean pot), combine the beans, onion, salt pork and Canadian bacon.
Pour molasses mixture over and top with the salt pork
Cover; bake in 300¡Æ oven for 5 to 7 hours, adding liquid as needed.
Posted by: Jack Bross ||
10/06/2006 9:13 Comments ||
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#2
oops,
The measurements did not come out. they are:
one-half teaspoon salt
one-half cup molasses
one-third cup brown sugar
Posted by: Jack Bross ||
10/06/2006 9:18 Comments ||
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#3
Again, the coding ate some of the ingredient measurements. How much:
¨ö teaspoon salt
¨ö cup molasses
¨÷ cup brown sugar
#4
We now skip over the large area of people who do not eat pork and head straight for the home of one of the most famous pork preparations of all, namely, Parma Prosciutto
Grissini con Prosciutto Italian Appetizer of Ham Wrapped Breadsticks
Note: This is a super simple and delightful appetizer for an Italian dinner, buffet, cocktail party or most any dinner at all.
Preparation Time: 45 Minutes Total
Serves: 6-12 People
Ingredients:
¼ Pound Thin Sliced Parma Prosciutto (San Daniele is the best Ive had)
4 oz. Bread Sticks (avoid ones with a really hard crust)
Preparation:
Wrap one slice of the prosciutto around a breadstick in a long continuous spiral until the entire length of it is covered. If the slices of prosciutto are small, overlap two of them to complete the task. Continue until one or the other ingredient runs out.
Pile the wrapped breadsticks like firewood on a glass or ceramic plate and cover with cling wrap. Allow the prepared breadsticks to age for 30-45 minutes. Serve immediately.
Note: Aging these delicious appetizers is the secret to their flavor. During the 30-45 minutes that they rest, moisture from the ham permeates the bread and softens it slightly. The strong aroma floods your senses with each bite of tender prosciutto.
¼ Pound Asiago or Parmesan Cheese (shaved into curls)
¼ Pound Gorgonzola dolcelatte cheese
¼ Pound Solid White Albacore Tuna
2 oz. Thin Sliced Prosciutto Ham
2 oz. Dry Italian Salami (thin sliced)
2 oz. Pepper Salami or Hot Copacola (thin sliced)
2 oz. Toscana Style Salami (thin sliced)
½ Cup Marinated Artichoke Hearts
¼ Cup Pepperoncini
¼ Cup Marinated Button Mushrooms
¼ Cup Green Olives
¼ Cup Ripe Black Olives
Pickled Cherry Peppers
Anchovy Filets (rinsed and patted dry)
1 Head Romaine Lettuce (to line plate)
Options:
Sardines (I recommend the King Oscar Tiny Tot brand)
Cubed ham
Cherry tomatoes
Salt cured olives
Hard-cooked eggs
Preparation:
Chill a large platter for 30 minutes in the freezer or your refrigerator. Remove any soft cheeses from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Rinse the anchovies or drain the sardines and place on paper towels. Drain the marinated vegetables, peppers and olives. Shave the Asiago or Parmesan cheese into curls using a potato peeler.
Cover the chilled platter with flattened Romaine lettuce leaves. Fan out the sliced meats and cheeses. Array the vegetables as separate wedges in between the different meats and cheeses.
Notes: If you have not tried Gorgonzola dolcelatte cheese, you are in for a treat. It is an incredibly addictive soft blue cheese. Substitute with Cambozola or Blue Castello. Serve with cibatta bread, Stoned Wheat Thins or Ak-Mak crackers.
For extra fancy presentation, stuff cornettes of sliced ham with garlic herbed cream cheese. Cherry tomatoes can be scooped out with a melon baller and piped full of tuna salad or creamed Gorgonzola using a pastry sack.
From the South Asia Analysis Group, an article by B. Raman, Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India in New Delhi, and Director, Institute For Topical Studies in Chennai.
.... The figures of the large number of fatal casualties (about 2,500), which the NATO forces have claimed to have inflicted on the Neo Taliban during the last two months or so have been questioned by the Neo Taliban. It admits that about 2,500 persons have been killed by the NATO forces, but asserts that only about 20 per cent of them are its cadres. According to it, the remaining fatalities were of innocent civilians killed due to the indiscriminate use of air strikes and the heavy artillery by the NATO forces. The NATO forces, while denying the Neo Taliban figures of civilian casualties, do admit that civilian casualties have taken place, but in much smaller number. They attribute this to the Neo Taliban's practice of taking shelter in the midst of civilian population when chased by the NATO forces.
The Neo Taliban is qualitatively different from the pre--October 7, 2001 Taliban. The Taliban of the past was a ragtag militia of students recruited from the Deobandi madrasas of Pakistan. It was a force with considerable religious fervour, but with very little professional fighting capability. It dispersed and vanished into the villages on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border at the first sign of confrontation with the US-led forces. Even the religious fervour of its cadres was not strong enough to induce them to take to suicide terrorism.
Continued on Page 49
#1
Pashtos will never accept subordination to other Afghan ethnics. Their ancient Pashtun-Code is supremacist. They are the mirror image of Pakistan Punjabis, who are programed to dominate.
As for our conduct of battle - which Karzai (Pashto) has condemned - I would advocate a scorched earth policy. Locals invite Baluchistan and Waziri exiles to restore Talibanism. That invites the type of destruction that Israel inflicted on Hizbollah-Lebanon.
#3
This entire article requires a fisking.
"cadres with a capability for conventional as well as unconventional operations against the NATO forces and the Afghan Security forces."
See yesterday's post about 40 Gurkhas fighting against 1200 Taliban. Hint: the score was 100 Taliban KIA, 3 Gurkhas wounded.
"Its conventional capability, remarkably acquired over a short period of three years, . . ."
For comparison, the US Army went from 5 divisions in 1940 to 6 million troops in 1943. The Germans were taking draftees and turning them into panzer grenediers in less than a year. Do you think the Taliban is as good as American draftees?
"is demonstrated by its knowledge of military craft and tactics and its ability to use them effectively against the NATO forces."
Which is why the kill ratio is something like 70 to 1 against the Taliban.
I don't know why this guy is spending so much effort praising the Taliban. Maybe it's because people are noticing how easily NATO is handling the supposedly elite Pashtuns
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
10/06/2006 11:46 Comments ||
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#1
You gotta be kidding me???? I thought it was bad enough the French and Germans had won the contract for the Army's latest helicopter. Now we find out Russia has stock in it!!! Good lord, EADS plans on building a factory in Mississippi to build the helicopters. So the French-Germam-Russian company will have a military defence plant here in the US. This is just dumb.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
10/06/2006 8:09 Comments ||
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#2
EADS will probably develop Europe's next fighter in cooperation with Russia.
Posted by: ed ||
10/06/2006 8:13 Comments ||
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#3
How many of those workers will refuse to return to Europe?
On the bright side, glad they're shoveling their money down that rat hole.....
#4
Well, if you put a company out to public offering you have to expect people are going to buy the shares. This is one of the vulnerabilities to the much touted global economy. Look at how much of America the Japanese bought up in the 80's and 90's.
ALAN COLMES, CO-HOST: Members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, have been protesting at military funerals since June of last year carrying signs with anti-gay slogans. Yesterday, they announced they were planning to protest the funerals of the Amish schoolgirls shot to death to death in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, earlier this week, but they have since changed their plans.
With us now from Westboro Baptist Church is Shirley Phelps-Roper.
You changed your plans because Mike Gallagher has offered you airtime on his radio show, because you want to get your message out. What is that message?
SHIRLEY PHELPS-ROPER, WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH: The message is that God has put a standard in the earth. He expects his creatures to obey it. If you obey, he'll bless you. If you don't, he'll curse you. America has sent away her day of grace. America is doomed.
COLMES: You're giving me what sounds like a bunch of talking points. Why would you cause more pain to this community, the Amish community, which, if so not even involved in so much what is considered modern day and these families who have suffered? Do you have any sense of how much additional pain you would be causing these families by protesting at the funeral of these young girls?
PHELPS-ROPER: There isn't any way to fix that situation for them. It's not going to be any less painful if we are there or aren't there. They did that to themselves. And you say they're not involved.
COLMES: What do you mean they did that to themselves?
PHELPS-ROPER: I mean, they sit over to there and create their own form of righteousness, instead of...
COLMES: Did those girls deserve to be killed?
PHELPS-ROPER: Well, they did get killed, and they did that. Who controls the hearts of men? It was at the hand of an angry God those girls are dead.
COLMES: Did they deserve to die?
PHELPS-ROPER: They did deserve to die.
COLMES: How you can possibly make a statement like that?
PHELPS-ROPER: Because that's exactly what happened, and it happened at the hand of the lord your God.
COLMES: How can you possibly say that how can you possibly say that young girls who have done nothing wrong, who are innocent, who are just a few years old, who have never sinned, who have never done anything, deserve to die? How could you possibly make a statement like that?
PHELPS-ROPER: You told me that you serve the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who says that when Adam sinned all sinned. There are no innocent human beings. And the parents...
COLMES: You know, you protest funerals of soldiers. You protest funerals of anybody who seems dies under any circumstances. Anybody who is not a member of your church is a sinner and is hated by God.
PHELPS-ROPER: Don't go to anyone who is not if you don't serve God
COLMES: Who serves God besides people in your church?
PHELPS-ROPER: Well, you tell me. I don't see anyone on the landscape in America.
COLMES: Nobody except people in your church, which is basically your family. A few hundred members of your family are the only people on earth who serve God, and everybody else deserves to die?
PHELPS-ROPER: You need to get out on these streets and warn your neighbors that your sin is taking him to hell, fulfilling the royal law to love your neighbor as yourself.
SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: Shirley, you really are a sick woman. You are a sick.
PHELPS-ROPER: Slight cold but thank you.
HANNITY: Twisted human being. Where is your soul that you come on the air and as young innocent girls are going to die and you're going to you're going to open up the family's wound and pour salt on it? Where is your heart? Where is your soul? Where's your compassion? Where's your love?
PHELPS-ROPER: Our message is for the living, and that is the only loving thing to do.
HANNITY: What about the living families that lost their daughter?
PHELPS-ROPER: They did that to themselves.
HANNITY: No, because some animal killed them in cold blood. The families didn't do it.
PHELPS-ROPER: Who controls the hearts of men?
HANNITY: Do you sin? Did you ever commit adultery? Did you ever sin?
PHELPS-ROPER: Of course not.
HANNITY: Did you ever lust in your heart? Did you ever get angry? Did you ever sin?
PHELPS-ROPER: And that you've got the deck chairs on the Titanic.
HANNITY: Have you ever sinned, Miss Perfect here?
PHELPS-ROPER: Of course, you know that I have sinned, and that's not the point.
HANNITY: You have. So you're a sinner. When you die, would you deserve to die?
PHELPS-ROPER: Well, of course all of us deserve to die. But I'm not the one who did die and my message is for those living people who brought that pain upon themselves.
HANNITY: This is what I see about you, Shirley.
PHELPS-ROPER: They need to obey the commandments of the lord their God.
HANNITY: Your entire life is is now sort of focused on bringing pain to other people: The families of innocent girls who died. The families of innocent soldiers who died. God hates fags, is what
PHELPS-ROPER: Innocent? Throw that word around. It has no definition when you get done with it.
HANNITY: More innocent than you. They didn't sin like you admit you sinned.
PHELPS-ROPER: Those children...
HANNITY: What did they do?
PHELPS-ROPER: ... those children were killed at the hands of a raging mad God to punish those families, to punish the state of Pennsylvania, because you've got a governor in that state got on FOX News and lambasted us because we serve God.
HANNITY: And you want to do and you want to...
PHELPS-ROPER: And then you've got those people in Pennsylvania who think they can sue us and fix this problem?
HANNITY: Because you hang on a second. Because you didn't like Ed Rendell and what he said, you're now going to protest at the funerals to bring pains to the families?
PHELPS-ROPER: To connect the dots. To connect the dots from point A, your filthy manner of life and your rebellion against God...
HANNITY: What are your sins, Miss Perfect?
PHELPS-ROPER: ... and conduct against the servants of God, to point B, the dead children.
HANNITY: I want to know what your sins are.
PHELPS-ROPER: I'm not going to talk to you about any such thing. I don't glory in my shame like you seem to want to do.
HANNITY: No, I just find this amazing that everyone else is a big sinner but you, and you admit to being a sinner.
PHELPS-ROPER: Obey the commandments of the lord your God.
HANNITY: Which ones did you break?
PHELPS-ROPER: Obey the commandments of the lord your God. You don't fix this by saying two wrongs make a right. That's what you seem to be saying.
HANNITY: No, but...
PHELPS-ROPER: That you may not say what God requires of you. If you don't, what?
HANNITY: You know what I'm saying? I'm speaking to our audience beyond you because you're brain dead. What I'm saying to you is you are a soulless, thoughtless, mean...
PHELPS-ROPER: Thoughtless?
HANNITY: ... mean, human being.
PHELPS-ROPER: Thoughtless? We go out here year after year after year on our own to warn this nation that if you obey God he'll bless you. Why don't you just try it?
HANNITY: Now listen very closely.
PHELPS-ROPER: Just try it.
HANNITY: Listen to what I'm saying.
PHELPS-ROPER: Just try it.
HANNITY: Here's what I'm trying to tell you.
PHELPS-ROPER: Obey the commandments of the lord your God.
HANNITY: OK, I got that.
PHELPS-ROPER: And get his blessings.
HANNITY: Now you spoke.
PHELPS-ROPER: There is only one remedy.
HANNITY: Now you listen to me. Here's what your remedy is.
PHELPS-ROPER: You repent like the men of Nineveh or you, this nation s doomed. You think it's bad so far, you're going to find bodies stacked up so that you can't even bury them.
HANNITY: You you are a religious nut.
PHELPS-ROPER: Then you will obey.
HANNITY: You are a religious...
COLMES: We've got to run. Do you deserve to die, too?
PHELPS-ROPER: All of us do. Every one of us.
COLMES: God is going to smite you at some point?
PHELPS-ROPER: No, I said we all deserve to die, but the mercy of God to his people that serve him is what prevails.
COLMES: I can't even I can't even we've got to take a break. I can't get mad at you, because you're so pathetic.
PHELPS-ROPER: Look, honey...
COLMES: And what you're saying is so horrible and mean-spirited.
PHELPS-ROPER: You can do that and call me names. It doesn't fix it. You have got the wrath of God pouring out on your head. You need to fix that by obeying.
#1
I saw this. I just read it again in it's entirety. Disgusting. I still think what I thought at first. These people have no love, and therefore, they do not know God. They are not Christian, just nuts.
"He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is Love." 1 Jn. 4:8
"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." Jn. 15:12
"Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law." Rom 13:8
"And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you." 1 Thes. 3:2
"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God." 1 Jn. 4:7
"For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." 1 Jn. 3:11
#2
watched this shrieking sow on H-C. You don't get a glimpse of the sheer insane hate this bitch has from the transcript alone. She lost it bigtime. Look around for the video - it's worth it
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/06/2006 11:53 Comments ||
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#3
Thanks, mcg1. Most religious perversions are based on over emphasizing one idea to the exclusion of others. These nutjobs certainly have the Jeremiah aspect of God, but sure missed Jesus's message.
#4
These people are one synapse jump away from rationalizing the need for a catastrophic event. Someone needs to stop them before they decide to kill in gods name.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
10/06/2006 12:18 Comments ||
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#5
That church can't afford dental insurance??! C'mon Freddie, get yer ho's some dental assistance.
Posted by: Evil Elvis ||
10/06/2006 13:01 Comments ||
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#6
SR-71 nails it! Much like the hypocrisy of the full-on Islamists, these people don't see their own hypocrisy. While I may agree with some of her thesis (I do agree America has lost her moral compass, and would even go so far as to say that we got nailed on 9/11 to wake us up to that fact), you won't ever see me spewing the hatred that they do. And to blame Gov. Rendell for those girls' deaths? Pshaw. That's soooo Old Testament (God used to bring judgement down on your entire family for generations for sin you committed). She completely missed Christ's teachings and are focused on the "fire and brimstone" aspect of it. Me? Yes, I agree, that in love, I need to teach and lead others to Christ. But, I'll never (or at least, I'll try my hardest to never) do it out of hate and the "holier than thou" attitude.
Posted by: BA ||
10/06/2006 13:30 Comments ||
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#7
The best thing you can do to idiots like this is to let them talk. In just a few minutes she convinced about 99.5% of the country that she is a lunatic. The other .5% agree with her, but are lunatics too.
#12
Yet, as incredibly REPULSIVE as this woman and her idiot group are, their extremism does not go beyond vitriolic hate speech for her beliefs. I would rather have them in our society over Muslims who extoll the virtues of death and violence, who support plans to kill or who kill others themselves.
#15
I listened to this woman the other day on Howard Stern. Howard got into the same type of argument with her that Hannity did, except thanks to the glory of sat radio, he was able to really call her some choice names. She hung in there and kept up her "repent now" "we're all sinners" rap while HS and crew called her every name in the book. HS got her to say near the end of the interview she believed OBL was doing God's work.
#16
F8ck this dumb b*tch. I hope she gets one hell of a yeast infection or eats some of that messed up spinach.
Kinda reminds me of the old song fleetwoodmac song:
"Well I talked to God he said you understand,
Ya stick by me and I'll be your guiding hand,
but don't ask me what I think of you,
I might not give the answer that you want me to.
#17
The message is that God has put a standard in the earth.
And this frigid whore, with her monumental hubris, is living proof of that standard's violation.
These people are one synapse jump away from rationalizing the need for a catastrophic event. Someone needs to stop them before they decide to kill in gods name.
You are so right, 49 Pan . These wingnuts are the type who would release a plague to "purify" our world. They differ not one whit from the humanity-hating eco-Nazis who want (the other) 99% of the human population killed off.
Yet, as incredibly REPULSIVE as this woman and her idiot group are, their extremism does not go beyond vitriolic hate speech for her beliefs. I would rather have them in our society over Muslims who extoll the virtues of death and violence, who support plans to kill or who kill others themselves.
Wrongo, PlanetDan. There is little, if any, difference between these intolerant, hateful zealots and Islam's psychotic fanatics. Both are a virulent threat to our world. Each of them lives, eats, drinks and breathes hatred for their fellow man. Both of them pretend to have, not just all the answers, but the ONLY answer.
#19
Shame on FOX for giving them for handing them the megaphone. I'm more disgusted with Fox for allowing stark raving lunatics the opportunity to spread their hate. Don't kid yourself, there are people who watched that and decided they agreed with Westboro's message. Pathetic.
While battling the murderous scourge of Islamic terrorism in the Middle East, the United States simultaneously faces a most formidable foe within its own borders. Determined, well organized, and immensely wealthy, this enemy pours untold sums of money into the coffers of organizations dedicated to ensuring Americas defeat in that war. Yet few Americans are even remotely familiar with this foe, whose benign sounding name -- Peace and Security Funders Group (PSFG) -- gives no hint of the potential national catastrophe that its policies encourage.
Established in 1999, PSFG is an unincorporated association of more than 50 private and public foundations that give a portion of their $27 billion in combined assets to leftist organizations that undermine the war on terror in several interrelated ways: (a) by characterizing the United States as an evil, militaristic, oppressive nation that exploits vulverable populations all over the globe; (b) by accusing the U.S. of having provoked, through its unjust policies and actions, the terror attacks against it, and consequently casting those attacks as self-defensive measures taken in response to American transgressions; (c) by depicting America's military and legislative actions against terror as unjustified, extreme, and immoral; (d) by steadfastly defending the civil rights and liberties of terrorists whose ultimate aim is to facilitate the annihilation of not only the United States, but all of Western civilization; and (e) by striving to eradicate America's national borders and institute a system of mass, unregulated migration into and out of the United States -- thereby rendering all distinctions between legal and illegal immigrants anachronistic, and making it much easier for aspiring terrorists to enter our country. Rest at link.
Posted by: ed ||
10/06/2006 09:06 ||
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BERLIN. -- President Bush has found a powerful kindred spirit in Europe. In a signed editorial headlined "Europe -- thy name is cowardice," the CEO of Germany's publishing giant Axel Springer, Mathias Dopfner, wrote, "Appeasement generates a mentality that allows Europe to ignore nearly 500,000 victims of Saddam's torture and murder machinery and, motivated by the self-righteousness of the peace movement, has the gall to issue bad grades to George Bush.
"I wish I were joking," said the conservative chief executive of 150 newspapers and magazines in 27 countries, "but ... a substantial fraction of [the German] government, and if the polls are to be believed, the German people actually believe that creating an official state 'Muslim holiday' will somehow spare us from the wrath of the fanatical Islamists."
Recalling Neville Chamberlain waving "the laughable treaty signed by Adolf Hitler and declaring European 'Peace in our time," Mr. Dopfner asked, "What else has to happen before the European public and its political leadership get it?" He said there "an especially perfidious crusade" under way that consists of "systematic attacks by fanatic Muslims, focused on civilians, directed against our free, open Western societies, and intent upon Western Civilization's utter destruction."
"It is a conflict," Mr. Dopfner continued, "that will most likely last longer than any of the great military conflicts of the last century -- a conflict conducted by an enemy that cannot be tamed by 'tolerance' and 'accommodation' but is actually spurred on by such gestures, which have proven to be, and will always be taken by the Islamists for signs of weakness. Only two recent American presidents had the courage needed for anti-appeasement: Reagan and Bush (43)."
Mr. Dopfner's editorial stood out in a near-unanimous anti-Bush media in Europe and the rest of the world. "[Bush's] American critics may quibble over the details, but we Europeans know the truth. We saw it first hand: Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War, freeing half of the German people from nearly 50 years of terror and virtual slavery. And Bush, supported only by the Social Democrat Tony Blair, acting on moral conviction, recognized the danger in the Islamic War against Democracy. His place in history will have to be evaluated after a number of years have passed.
"In the meantime, Europe sits back with charismatic self-confidence in the multicultural corner, instead of defending liberal society's values and being an attractive center of power on the same playing field as the true great powers, America and China.
"On the contrary. We Europeans present ourselves, in contrast to those 'arrogant Americans,' as the World Champions of 'tolerance.' ... Why? Because we're so moral? I fear it's more because we're so materialistic, so devoid of a moral compass.
"For his policies, Bush risks the fall of the dollar, huge amounts of additional national debt, and a massive and persistent burden on the American economy -- because unlike almost all of Europe, Bush realizes what's at stake -- literally everything.
"While we criticize the 'capitalist robber barons' of America because they seem too sure of their priorities, we timidly defend our Social Welfare systems. Stay out of it. It could get expensive. We'd rather discuss reducing our 35-hour workweek or our dental coverage, or our four weeks of paid vacation. ... Or listen to TV pastors preach about the need to 'reach out to terrorists. To understand and forgive.'
"These days, Europe reminds me of an old woman who, with shaking hands, frantically hides her last pieces of jewelry when she notices a robber breaking into a neighbor's house.
"Appeasement? Europe, thy name is Cowardice. God Bless the Americans. God Bless America."
Richard Kohn, a military historian who holds the Omar Bradley chair of strategic leadership at the Army War College, says, "The real problem is that the Bush administration has repeatedly cast this struggle in apocalyptic terms that don't fit the historical facts, and set up strawmen like 'appeasers' to knock down, even though no one is talking about negotiating with the terrorists. That has dismayed and alienated many of our allies and played into the hands of the terrorists. ... The Bush administration succumbed to its own rhetoric and subordinated the strategy to military initiatives and pre-emption, confusing the rest of the world and blinding the public to the true nature of the threat."
Two diametrically opposed viewpoints on the war on terror. The Bush take on Iraq has found an important convert in Europe. But it is losing many of its original converts in the U.S.
Posted by: Captain America ||
10/06/2006 01:15 ||
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#1
O'REILLY's Radio Show [paraphrased] > Post-Cold War/9-11 Europe will likely do little to nothing until such time the Radical Islamists begin blowing up Euro-cities, towns, and malls, etc. to which O'Reilly believes Europe's post-reaction will be too little, too late to resolve wid out casualties + destruction on a massive scale on all sides, and within Europe = Euro-soil itself. Neutrals will NOT escape.
#2
"It is a conflict," Mr. Dopfner continued, "that will most likely last longer than any of the great military conflicts of the last century -- a conflict conducted by an enemy that cannot be tamed by 'tolerance' and 'accommodation' but is actually spurred on by such gestures, which have proven to be, and will always be taken by the Islamists for signs of weakness.
This is the plain truth. It has changed the world as we know it. We all might as well deal with it. Baby Boomers such as myself will pine for the days when we could argue over matters that will seem trivial in hindsight. We are down to good v/s evil. We need to deal with it.
#3
Yes, this is two years old, but apparently published in the Washington Times today. And that's OK. Snopes has a more 'careful' translation here. The only difference I noted right off is that someone has changed the orignal 300,000 death toll from Sammy to 500,000 and added a blessing.
But the author of the editorial notes - The Bush take on Iraq has found an important convert in Europe. But it is losing many of its original converts in the U.S.
If the 'convert' is two years old, perhaps the loss of same is equally out-of-date.
Posted by: Bobby ||
10/06/2006 6:34 Comments ||
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#4
Mr. Dopfner gets it.
This guy is the CEO of 150 newspapers and magazines in 27 countries. That's alot of power. I hope to see him put his money where his mouth is. Say, for example, at least one article per day above the fold reporting the latest muslim attempt to defeat western civilization. Perhaps in time it will help to rally support to resist the jihad.
Posted by: Mark Z ||
10/06/2006 6:43 Comments ||
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#5
Dopfner fatwa forthcoming....
Posted by: Evil Elvis ||
10/06/2006 13:03 Comments ||
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#6
Via David's Medienkritik:
What is surprising, though, is the fact that this CEO heads a company deriving most of its sales and profits from catering to the rich in America. The name of the company is Porsche, and the CEO is Wendelin Wiedeking. He had this to say about America in an interview with the German weekly SPIEGEL (Issue 39-2006):
SPIEGEL: Are you promoting the idea that the old German economic system with its social
market economy, which is increasingly giving way to the Anglo-American, should be retained?
Wiedeking: We mustnt copy one to one everything
that works in the Anglo-American realm,
particularly since we have proof delivered over the centuries that our idea about economies works too. We have a tradition. Europes culture is decidedly older than that of the USA. The Fuggers were doing business, while hunting was still the order of the day in America. Right now 37 million people in the USA live below the poverty line.
The gulf between poor and rich has widened brutally. Do we want to have a situation like that in Europe and particularly in Germany?
Cant remember the website, but I was reading the comments usual mix of snark, pith, piss, and flaming-sack-of-dog-poo lunacy and one of the commenters went off on terms that instantly told him he was dealing with a nutwad, and one of them was Islamist. Well, its hardly an inflammatory term coined by Fillintheblankophobes to describe the Scary Yet Truly Nonthreatening Dusky Other. Its been around for a while. What I frequently detect in such comments is not an admiration or appreciation of Islam itself; the defense comes from a peculiar reflex to defend something in another culture which the wrong people are attacking. According to this theory and Im paraphrasing the neo-theos are using terrorism as a cover story for fighting the hated Dusky Others and provide a rationale for the imperial oil war. (Add in some Zionist influence, if so inclined.) Its not a particularly nuanced vision. If David Duke doesnt like Muslims, the logic goes, then people who link approvingly to Oriana Fallacis critique of the Western response to Islamism are more likely to be like David Duke than Fallaci. Its not about ideas for most people, you see its something else, devious and ancient and selfish, and that man ranting about the Jews and infidels and the homersexuals is irrelevant. Confused? Relax: here come our old hardy twin brothers Class and Race to explain it. They can explain everything. Even middle-class Arab men blowing up middle-class Arab women and children? Especially that.
But thats not something we should worry about. We should worry about Islamophobia.
Its is a ridiculous term; its like saying that people who criticized the Catholic Churchs handling of the pedophile priest scandal were Christophobic, or people who criticized the last three Star Wars movies were Sithophobic. But theres something slightly insidious about it, as well: it applies a medical taxonomy to an opinion. A phobia, after all, is an irrational fear. Spiders, clowns, plaids, pickles, Islam. We can fix those things. Treatment is available, and its usually in the form of meetings or seminars or outreach missions or the usual hand-holding blandishments designed to get everyone through today. And after that? Let the future take care of itself, mate.
Most people over here want to get along, more or less. A significant percentage are fargin iceholes who oversalt the broth for the rest of us; it would be a mistake to assume they speak for all, just as it would be a mistake to assume they have no sway among those previously disinclined to exploring the outer perimeters of their belief system. But most people want to get along. More or less. And so co-religionists put up with the nonsense, and the people entrusted with managing the retreat of the dominant culture accommodate the most absurd demands. Like this: a British police officer was excused from guarding the Israeli embassy. He was a Muslim, and objected on moral grounds. Those are words that paralyze officialdom.
The path of least resistance buys you a days peace, but only a day. As one canny commenter on the newspapers website noted:
Should Scotland Yard make a point of excluding Muslims from specific duties based on their religion, there will be a predictable uproar claiming that they're not being trusted.
It comes down to this: Islam is being defined in the popular mind by three forces: the radicals who kill, the PR-savvy activists who protest, and the officials who cave. The aggregate effect does not produce good will. Every time something gets cancelled out of fear of the Few, it works to alienate the Many, be they people annoyed by the cancellation, or those annoyed by the initial provocation. (Of course their alienation results from different worldviews, and in that sense aren't comparable at all.) The individual examples make headlines, but it's the cumulative effect that counts. If push comes to shove, and the radicals in Britain demand sovereignity over their coreligionists, on what basis will the Government protest? Will the assimilated British Muslims object or submit - and if it's the latter, will they submit from fear or long-sublimated agreement?
Just asking. I don't know.
Here in Minneapolis theres a controversy about Muslim cab drivers who refuse fares who are carrying alcohol. The airport, as I understand the story, is studying whether to implement special lights on the cabs that alert passengers to hooch-friendly or hooch-hostile cabs. It reminded me as so many things do, for odd reasons of the Klemperer diaries. Every decree that identified and isolated the Jew infuriated and depressed him, because he saw himself as German first. He fought for his identity as a German even as the government insisted on reducing him down to the crude tropes of Blood and Tribe. He belonged to something larger.
Of course, so do the complaining cabbies. Its just a different Something Larger. Indicative of a Greater Whole? I dont know. Ive taken a lot of cabs in the East Coast. Hindus, Jews, Muslims. No one ever complained if I had a Big Mac in my hand, or asked if it had bacon, and the Muslim cabbies who picked me up outside of various bars surely knew I was carrying alcohol, if only in bloodstream form. Truth be told, my introduction to actual real-life Muslims came in the form of many cabbie colloquies. Im sure the hard-core guys just kept their mouths clamped, but I remember a few inter-faith dialogues, and they all boiled down to the same things respect, tolerance, everyone likes Jesus, peace, have a nice night, smiles all around.
Its not as difficult as it seems. Or so it seems, sometimes.
Ever watched a fight on TV? Before the bout everyones milling around in the ring; theres hard looks and grins and hangers-on and photographers, and a general air of excitement and anticipation, but everyones enjoying the moment. Then the bell clangs. Everyone heads to their corners. They know exactly which corner is theirs.
We may think that bells already rung, but it hasnt. Believe me, you'll know it when it does.
Posted by: Mike ||
10/06/2006 06:51 ||
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From Jewish World Review online.
By Caroline B. Glick
The clouds of the coming war are converging upon Israel. But the Jewish State's political and military leaders refuse to look up at the darkening sky.
The Russian bear has awakened after fifteen years of hibernation. Under the leadership of former KGB commander President Vladimir Putin, Russia is reasserting its traditional hostility towards Israel.
On Tuesday, Russian military engineers landed in Beirut. Their arrival signaled the first time that Russian forces have openly deployed in the Middle East. In the past Soviet forces in Syria and Egypt operated under the official cover of "military advisors." Today those "advisors" are "engineers." The Russian forces, which will officially number some 550 troops, are tasked with rebuilding a number of bridges that the IDF destroyed during the recent war. They will operate outside the command of the UNIFIL.
Mosnews news service reported on Wednesday that the engineers will be protected by commando platoons from Russia's 42nd motorized rifle division permanently deployed in Chechnya. According to the report, these commando platoons are part of the Vostok and Zapad Battalions both of which are commanded by Muslim officers who report directly to the main intelligence department of the Russian Army's General Staff in Moscow. The Vostok Battalion is commanded by Maj. Sulim Yamadayev who Mosnews refers to as a "former rebel commander."
With the deployment of former Chechen rebels as Russian military commandos in Lebanon, the report this week exposing Russia's intelligence support for Hizbullah during the recent war takes on disturbing strategic significance.
According to Jane's Defense Weekly the Russian listening post on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights provided Hizbullah with a continuous supply of intelligence throughout the conflict.
Much still remains to be reported about the impressive intelligence capabilities that Hizbullah demonstrated this summer. But from what has already been made public, we know that Hizbullah's high degree of competence in electronic intelligence caused significant damage to IDF operations. Now we learn that Moscow stood behind at least one layer of Hizbullah's intelligence prowess.
Moscow's assistance to Hizbullah was not limited to intelligence sharing. The majority of IDF casualties in the fighting were caused by Russian-made Kornet anti-tank missiles that made their way to Hizbullah fighters through Syria. Indeed, as we learn more about Russia's role, it appears that Russia's support for Hizbullah may well have been as significant as Syria's support for the terror organization. And now we have Chechens in Lebanon.
Russian backing of Hizbullah, like its support for Syria and Iran has been matched by its extreme, Cold War-esque hostility towards Israel. On Tuesday, Channel 2 reported that for the past few months Putin has been obsessively demanding that the government transfer proprietary rights and control to the Russian government over the Russian Compound, which has served as a police station since the British Mandate, and other Russian historical buildings in central Jerusalem.
Putin's demand, which has no legal foundation or diplomatic precedent, exposes startling disrespect for Israeli sovereignty. According to Channel 2, Russian diplomats have been raising this obnoxious demand at the start of every meeting they have had with Israeli officials for the past several months. This most recently reported slap in the face joins a long list of diplomatic crises that Russia has fomented in the past few months.
In just one example, last month the Russians cancelled the Russia-Israel trade fair in Tel Aviv on the eve of its opening. Russian businessmen who had already arrived in Israel and were unable to get flights home the day of the announcement, were ordered by the Russian embassy to remain in their hotel rooms until they returned to the airport for the first available flight to Russia.
Then there is Russia's unstinting support for Iran's nuclear weapons program. During the latest of his frequent visits to Teheran, Tuesday Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced, yet again, that Russia opposes all international sanctions against Iran. Indeed, since Iran's nuclear program was exposed three years ago, Russia has acted as Iran's defender against every US attempt to galvanize the international community to take action to prevent Iran from achieving nuclear weapons capabilities.
In 1967 Russia played a central role in fanning the flames of war in Syria. In the months that preceded the Six Day War, Moscow fed Damascus a steady diet of false intelligence indicating that Israel was planning to invade. In the summer of 1973, the Soviets also encouraged Syria to join Egypt in invading Israel.
Whether or not Russia is interested in fomenting the next war, its intentions are less relevant than how Russia's extreme positions are interpreted by the Arabs. Judging by Syrian President Bashar Assad's recent bellicose speeches, it appears that Damascus believes that Russia will support Syria if it goes to war against Israel. In his latest address regarding Syria's willingness to go to war if Israel doesn't fork over the Golan Heights forthwith in "peace negotiations," Assad made clear his belief that whatever its level of intensity, a Syrian war against Israel could well advance his interests.
Russian influence is also evident in Assad's "peace" rhetoric. His protestations of willingness to conduct negotiations with Israel are taken directly from the Soviet playbook. As the reactions the speech elicited from leaders of the pro-Syrian camp in the Israeli Left like Maj. Gen. (ret.) Uri Saguy, Education Minister Yuli Tamir, Ha'aretz columnist Yoel Marcus, and MK Azmi Bishara made clear, all that is needed to manipulate Israeli public opinion regarding Syrian intentions is a hollow and disingenuous Syrian announcement: If we abide by all of Damascus's demands, (something Damascus will never allow us to do), then Syria will give us "peace," and if we don't, then the responsibility for the war that will ensue will be our own.
What is Israel doing to meet these gathering threats?
First we have our elected leaders. They contend with the growing threats by denying them, giving in to them and attempting to change the subject. The Olmert-Livni-Peretz government had no public reaction to the Russian-Chechen deployment in Lebanon. As far as the Israeli government is concerned, this issue, like the fact that Hizbullah has returned to its pre-war positions and that UNIFIL forces are doing nothing to prevent its rapid rearmament, should be of no interest to the public.
According to Channel 2, Olmert is now leaning towards capitulating to Russia's demands and transferring proprietorship over the Russian Compound to the Russian government during his upcoming visit to Moscow.
As to Syria, rather than crafting a Syria policy, the government argues about the desirability of giving Syria the Golan Heights now or later. Above and beyond all else, as Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Amir Peretz proclaim, from the government's perspective, the best way to deal with the growing military threats is to ignore them and destroy Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.
Our political leaders are not the only ones involved here. It is the IDF's duty to sound the alarm bells and contend with these threats. But the IDF is doing no such thing. Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz claims that he is devoting all of his time to rebuilding the IDF after what he refers to as its "mediocre" performance in Lebanon. Practically speaking, however, Halutz is not contending with the threats. In an interview with Yediot Ahronot on Sunday, Halutz discounted the Syrian developments and maintained his position that we won the war in Lebanon and are feared by Hizbullah.
Far from contending with the IDF's "mediocrity," Halutz is prolonging it. The IDF's "mediocre" land campaign in Lebanon was led by Deputy COS Maj. Gen. Moshe Kaplinsky, Operations Directorate Chief Maj. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot and Brig. Gen. Tal Russo who oversaw the IDF's special operations. Rather than contend with these officers' demonstrated mediocrity, Halutz has promoted them. Eisenkot was appointed the new commander of Northern Command, and Russo will be promoted to major general and replace Eisenkot as head of Operations. Furthermore, Maj. Gen. Iddo Nehushtan who commands the Planning Directorate supports opening negotiations with Syria. Halutz promoted Nehushtan to his position after he led the IDF's failed media campaign during the conflict.
Halutz has repeatedly stated that he will resign if he feels that his authority is no longer accepted by the army. Yet, the primary officers who have felt the brunt of his authority - Armored Brigade 7 commander Col. Amnon Eshel and Maj. Gen. Yiftach Ron-Tal - are the most prominent officers who have forthrightly attempted to point out the reality of the IDF's defeat.
It is clear why Halutz behaves this way. If he were to sound the alarm bells about the rising dangers in the north, he would have to admit that he failed in his command of the war. Similarly, if he were to bring new blood into the ground forces' chain of command, he would be effectively admitting that Kaplinsky, Eisenkot, Russo, and he as their commander, led the war irresponsibly. Indeed, the only way that Halutz can keep his job is by not contending with the dangerous military realities that have arisen as a result of the IDF's defeat in the war against Hizbullah this summer.
It is this policy of denial that motivated Halutz to fire Maj. Gen. Ron-Tal from the service on Wednesday night for Ron-Tal's statement of the obvious: The year the IDF devoted to training its forces to expel the 9,500 Israeli civilians from Gaza and northern Samaria last summer came at the expense of training for war against Israel's enemies. It was also this policy of denial that motivated Halutz to bar Eshel from promotion for two years after Eshel pointed out how incompetently Division 91 Commander Brig. Gen. Gal Hirsh commanded his forces in Lebanon.
Halutz accused Ron-Tal, who has been on paid leave pending his retirement for the past seven months, of bringing politics into the IDF for his statement that the IDF's single-minded devotion to the government's controversial political program harmed its war-fighting capabilities, and for his call for Halutz and Olmert to resign. Yet, during his tenure as Chief of Staff, Halutz has been slavish in his public devotion to the government's political preference for using the IDF to fight the Israeli residents of Judea, Samaria and Gaza over preparing for war against Israel's enemies.
Any objective observer of the developments in our region understands that the storm of war is rapidly approaching us. With Moscow's blessing, the Palestinians, Hizbullah, Syria and Iran are steadfastly preparing for battle.
There is no doubt that Israel can weather the coming storm. But to do this, we must have political and military leaders who are willing to recognize its inexorable approach.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
10/06/2006 16:19 ||
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#1
This explains why the intercepts of IDF transmissions were possible. Putie, right behind the curtain. These Russkie engineers are there to evaluate how the bunkers held up to attack and redesign if necessary. Putin and KGB buddies are still after the Russian Jews, even if they are now living in Israel. Putin and ChiComs are definitely the enablers. Let the Muzzies take the hit. See if the West is weakened. If not weakened, then deplete their treasury. And, as a side note, fer Chrissakes, get rid of the putz Halutz. Now.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/06/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
More worrying was the cool response she received from the USs Arab allies. She went in search of moderate Arabs and found instead an irritable chorus, chiding her for not doing more to break the Palestinian-Israeli deadlock. They sent her back to her starting point telling her that, in their part of the world, all roads lead to the West Bank.
Correction, all roads lead to the assholes who continue to use the West Bank as an excuse for lack of substantial progress. Those who do so must be on the receiving end of some high velocity lead. Nothing else will even begin to remotely solve the problem. Kill these recalcitrant fucks, NOW!
Nor was there backing for the US attempt to contain Irans ambitions. Jordan and Egypt told her that they resented the US preoccupation with Iran, rather than the Palestinian question. The state-owned Jordan Times berated her for calling on the Palestinians to form a government while putting no pressure on Israel.
"Pay no attention to the MADMan behind the curtain!"
Iran is problem numero uno. Arab attempts to distract attention away from this most pressing of issues must be viewed as being in outright collusion. Kill any of the stupid fucks who attempt to obscure this problem.
#3
The eight countries made it clear that they did not want to be seen to be acting against other Arabs; they wanted the US to solve the crisis. That way, they could seeth, whine, riot, and burn.
Nor was there backing for the US attempt to contain Irans ambitions. Jordan and Egypt told her that they resented the US preoccupation with Iran, rather than the Palestinian question. The state-owned Jordan Times berated her for calling on the Palestinians to form a government while putting no pressure on Israel.
That is a blow for the US. It hoped that Arab leaders feared the rise of a Shia crescent from Tehran, through Baghdad, to Syria and Lebanon. Perhaps they do, but not enough, it seems, to bring them on to the US side. Yet containment of Iran is emerging as the USs easiest option; perhaps its only one.
Doom. Gloom. Fairbanks.
Posted by: Bobby ||
10/06/2006 7:14 Comments ||
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#4
Why contain when we can help precipitate another Sunni-Shia war?
Posted by: ed ||
10/06/2006 8:16 Comments ||
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#5
The state-owned Jordan Times berated her for calling on the Palestinians to form a government while putting no pressure on Israel.
Uh, is it just me, or doesn't Israel already have a (truly functioning) gov't? Jeebus, it's all about the Joooos or the Great Satan(tm). Reminds me of the guy I used to ride to work with (a Bangladeshi Muslim who was basically raised in NYC and recently moved here to Atlanta). Anytime, I'd bring this subject up (Israel/Palestine), he'd IMMEDIATELY go into full spittle mode, even though he'd NEVER been there, and Bangladesh is half a world away from Israel (not to mention he's basically as American as it comes). There is absolutely NO sense of cause/effect, or of personal responsibility in the Muslim world. That is what is going to take us on a full-tilt collision course with them.
Posted by: BA ||
10/06/2006 9:32 Comments ||
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#6
An interesting old article on the myth of the "Moderate Muslim' here.
#1
good post. I commend President Bush for attempting not to inflame emotions against Muslims because it is impossible to know which Muslims support terror and which do not. Anyone who says "they ALL do" is wrong.
But what is becoming clear as time moves on is that we are in a multigenerational conflict and the majority of Muslims currently support breaking down our way of life and replacing it with their own fascist brand of religion. They don't give quarter. They don't give, period.
It's taking us a long time to get a clue because it is so amazing to us that anyone would want to return to the worst of what the 7th Century had to offer. But Americans are beginning to wake up. It's such a shame really. All of the senseless violence and loss of life is unnecessary. Isalm is not a Religion of Peace. They can feign indignation all they want to, but the Average American is beginning to realize Bush was right when he said - you are with us or against us. It's going to get much worse before it gets better.
#2
"it is impossible to know which Muslims support terror and which do not. Anyone who says "they ALL do" is wrong."
-same could've been said about the nazis. When Patton took over Bavaria as the mil governor he said for many Germans being a nazi was like being a repub or dem back in the states. (Of course this created a pc fire storm back home to the uneducated). Though we were never certain if the engineer on the trains who wore the swastika arm band or the guy that ensured the city had electricity necessarily supported the gassing of jews but the bottom line is - like nazism the underlying ideology that is the core of islam needs to be destroyed. Or, at the very least, moderated to the point of being innocuous. I've mentioned several times in the past that I'd love to see a jeffersonian type koran. Heck, for shits and giggles I might rip apart the koran I have and do just that this weekend. (Yes, I accept the inevitable fatwa that comes along w/defacing islams most holy comic book.) I swear, I'll only use the most absurd passages for toilet paper. (which prolly kills 80% of that book.)
To beat a dead horse - not all muslims are terrorists, we all prolly know some who are decent folks who do not take the religion literally. The rub is that so many of their co-religionists have made the cost/benefit of keeping this religion around at an all time low. For the record I don't want to kill a fifth of the world's population, I just want to kill their religion.
#4
Heck, for shits and giggles I might rip apart the koran I have and do just that this weekend. (Yes, I accept the inevitable fatwa that comes along w/defacing islams most holy comic book.)
IIUC, any translation of the Koran is not a real Koran, so that may not be a fatwa-worthy action. Of course, I'm sure there are (all too) many imams who would gladly make an exception.
A recent article in the Houston Chronicle discusses the problem of so-called anchor babies, children born in U.S. hospitals to illegal immigrant parents. These children automatically become citizens, and thus serve as an anchor for their parents to remain in the country. Our immigration authorities understandably are reluctant to break up families by deporting parents of young babies. But birthright citizenship, originating in the 14th amendment, has become a serious cultural and economic dilemma for our nation.
In some Houston hospitals, administrators estimate that 70 or 80% of the babies born have parents who are in the country illegally. As an obstetrician in south Texas for several decades, I can attest to the severity of the problem. It�s the same story in California, Arizona, and New Mexico. And the truth is most illegal immigrants who have babies in U.S. hospitals do not have health insurance and do not pay their hospital bills.
This obviously cannot be sustained, either by the hospitals involved or the taxpayers who end up paying the bills.
No other wealthy, western nations grant automatic citizenship to those who simply happen to be born within their borders to non-citizens. These nations recognize that citizenship involves more than the physical location of one�s birth; it also involves some measure of cultural connection and allegiance. In most cases this means the parents must be citizens of a nation in order for their newborn children to receive automatic citizenship.
Make no mistake, Americans are happy to welcome immigrants who follow our immigration laws and seek a better life here. America is far more welcoming and tolerant of newcomers than virtually any nation on earth. But our modern welfare state creates perverse incentives for immigrants, incentives that cloud the issue of why people choose to come here. The real problem is not immigration, but rather the welfare state magnet.
Hospitals bear the costs when illegal immigrants enter the country for the express purpose of giving birth. But illegal immigrants also use emergency rooms, public roads, and public schools. In many cases they are able to obtain Medicaid, food stamps, public housing, and even unemployment benefits. Some have fraudulently collected Social Security benefits.
Of course many American citizens also use or abuse the welfare system. But we cannot afford to open our pocketbooks to the rest of the world. We must end the perverse incentives that encourage immigrants to come here illegally, including the anchor baby incentive.
I�ve introduced legislation that would amend the Constitution and end automatic birthright citizenship. The 14th amendment was ratified in 1868, on the heels of the Civil War. The country, especially the western territories, was wide open and ripe for homesteading. There was no welfare state to exploit, and the modern problems associated with immigration could not have been imagined.
Our founders knew that unforeseen problems with our system of government would arise, and that�s precisely why they gave us a method for amending the Constitution. It�s time to rethink birthright citizenship by amending the 14th amendment.
#1
"The real problem is not immigration, but rather the welfare state magnet."
100% true. The welfare state is funded by extortion and is the very opposite of charity.
When you signed the free-trade agreement, you should have had a clause making countries whose citizens are jailed in the US pay for their citizens jail time. Then f**king arrest all the illegal immigrants.
#2
I've written both my Senators and my Representative that we need to end the "anchor baby" idiocy immediately. If you're American, do the same.
Posted by: mac ||
10/06/2006 6:11 Comments ||
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#3
I have mac, several times. We all need to.
www.congress.org
Find your rep and let'em know how you feel. I prolly do it about once a month. Sen Stabenow (D-MI) (more likely one of her henchmen) even emailed me back once.
FAIR estimates there are currently between 287,000 and 363,000 children born to illegal aliens each year. This figure is based on the crude birth rate of the total foreign-born population (33 births per 1000) and the size of the illegal alien population (between 8.7 and 11 million). In 1994, California paid for 74,987 deliveries to illegal alien mothers, at a total cost of $215.2 million (an average of $2,842 per delivery). Illegal alien mothers accounted for 36 percent of all Medi-Cal funded births in California that year.
Of course, now the estimate of 8.7 and 11 million illegal aliens is low, problably by 50%, so the anchor baby numbers need to adjusted higher.
Posted by: ed ||
10/06/2006 11:30 Comments ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
