#1
Stephens seems to have this story pretty much correct. Virtually ALL the environmental damage in Ecuador in the last 30+ years is entirely due to the Ecuadoran national oil company, not Chevron (or Texaco). There were probably some fairly minor problems from 'standard oilfield practice' of the earlier era, but Texaco (& Chevron) remediated them. Operating rules, and then later operations, were established by the Ecuadorans, and their corruption and incompetence led to some later environmental damage (significant but not devastating: understand that most of the oil that ever existed leaked back into the environment naturally - oil is a part of the environment, and whole communities of deep-ocean fauna have developed around submarine seeps.) Probably the best thing we can do for those poor Ecuadorans is hurry up and extract the rest of their oil and bring it to the US so it won't cause them any more pollution risk.
#3
Small wonder, then, that when actress Daryl Hannah ventured into the Ecuadorean Amazon in June to have herself photographed dipping her hand into a lake of black sludge, she characterized the situation as "potentially the biggest environmental case ever."
So give her a mop and a broom and a roll of Bounty. It's not like she doesn't have a lotta time on her hands lately...
Posted by: Mike ||
10/30/2007 08:17 ||
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#1
The idea of making an entitlement for children's health care for families with up to $85k may be silly and the theory of zero elasticity of demand for smoking is obviously wrong.
However, the idea of increasing sin taxes is not silly. If one assumes society would substantially benefit from less smoking (I'm not actually sure this is true but make it an assumption for this purpose), it clearly justifies a market intervention to reduce smoking (this also assumes that it does not make sense to make smoking illegal). Furthermore taxing cigarettes at the retail level is a reasonably easy to administer the tax.
#2
the Donk SCHIP proposal is simply the first step to Hillarycare, by pushing children from private healthcare to gov't mandated and run "healthcare".
but of course, it's for "the children", not greedy, power-hungry socialist pols
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/30/2007 9:30 Comments ||
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#3
more taxes...just what we need
clean the welfare roles of all illegials and you have paid for this as well as universal health care for the children...
Posted by: dan ||
10/30/2007 9:31 Comments ||
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#4
We're going to find out whether a government can tax a product so much that black marketing becomes acceptable as well as profitable.
#6
I'm not in favor of "sin" taxes. Almost anuthing can be taxed under the claim that society would substantially benefit. The proposal to increase taxes on carbonated beverages on the premise that drinking them makes people fat and a leaner populace is better is one example. There are hundreds of others.
Other than that, I agree with mhw.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
10/30/2007 9:58 Comments ||
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#7
smoking is good for society, it reduces the number of social security claims in the long run while at the same time keeping smokers who are younger paying SS taxes but with a fewer percentage claiming them when they're old. Also, whatever happened to letting people choose to buy their own health insurance or NOT. If some folks feel they need , say a new pickup every 4 years rather than secure health care let 'em pay the medical costs themselves if its a risk they're willing to take. People in this country make their own choices regarding what they consume, be it health care or X-boxes, if they are unable to make the sensible choice then , well, tough luck imbeciles. A fool and his money are soon parted.
#9
mhw, sinse the tax on smoking is earmarked for the children, not smoking is selfish? However, if the tax fails to produce the revenue due to reduced smoking by government intervention, the shortfall will be made up by taxing something else...like whatever you shouldn't like to do.
#10
The way to stop all this, or at least make me feel better, is to tax out the wazoo wine (the type that comes with a cork, screw tops exempted) and Brie.
Posted by: ed ||
10/30/2007 12:21 Comments ||
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#11
If Hillary is elected, get ready for socialism.
#2
Is there no alternative to Vlaams Belang and the Swedish neo-fascist parties? Why can't Euros reject the islamofascists AND the home-grown fascists?
Posted by: Jonathan ||
10/30/2007 9:01 Comments ||
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#3
The short answer is because Europe's elites would rather gnaw away at the roots of civilization than protect their daughters from a Dark Ages rape cult. In these circumstances more and more people will turn to the "far right". Once again liberals guarantee a genocidal war through their fatuous posturing in the name of peace. Welcome to the 1930s.
#4
The argument is that Vlaams Belang is not neo-fascist, merely Belgium for the Belgians (or actually Flanders for the Flemish -- they're tired of the corrupt rule of the French/Walloon aristocrats). The argument continues that the fact that relatively small number home-grown fascists attach to their party is not the point.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
10/30/2007 18:31 Comments ||
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#3
perhaps a RICO action against the named criminal enterprises? ACT, DNC, ACORN, SEIU....
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/30/2007 18:32 Comments ||
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#4
DIGG.COM > THE RISE OF SECULAR AMERICA. Atheists andor agnostics, etc. in USA on the increase; + USA TO UN: SANCTION IRAN OR WE'LL HAVE TO "STEP IT UP" [WAR?] articles. ISRAEL > may integrate new US missle-killer wid own ARROW SYS after highly successful US BMD test.
If there were any doubt about the reach of militants in Pakistan, last week's events should have put them to rest. The ostentatious procession celebrating the return home of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was tragically cut short by twin bombs that killed over 130 and wounded several hundred more on Thursday night. The attackers almost succeeded in killing Bhutto as well. The blast shattered the windows in her vehicle and set a police escort car ablaze. The sophistication of the attack was apparent from the outset, and the bombs may have been accompanied by sniper fire.
But extremist violence in Pakistan is hardly news. The raids against the militant Lal Masjid mosque on July 11 occurred in Islamabad, the capital city. Supporters of al Qaeda exist in the military and intelligence services; indeed, there may prove to be a link between militant infiltrators of these institutions and the attempt on Bhutto's life. The mysterious fact that the streetlights were off and the phone lines dead during the attack further raises the possibility of collaboration with ideologically sympathetic low-level government officials. Still, the stronghold of militant activity in Pakistan is clearly the remote and mountainous Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on the border with Afghanistan, where Pakistan has ceded more and more ground to al Qaeda and its allies over the past year.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: john frum ||
10/30/2007 00:00 ||
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Today on 28th October, 2007 I woke up to the horror stories of killing and beheading of thirteen people in Swat, Pakistan that occupied the front page of Gulf daily News, Bahrain. Depressed and dejected, I did not know what to do except calling one of my friends from tribal regions to sound him
out about the current situation there. I called my friend whose name we can assume to be Atif as disclosing his real name can result in his premature and involuntary journey to the next world. We went to the same school in Dera Ismail Khan and he comes from a well respected family of South Waziristan, the area that have become famous all around the world for all the wrong reasons.
After exchanging usual pleasantries, I was taken back by his narrative of horror that ordinary people are facing there. I will reproduce our discussion for the benefit of readers, which almost took the form of an interview. I have tried to keep his style of narrative intact so that the readers can judge the situation themselves. Further, these are the feelings and opinions of my friend and I do not have any other source to verify them, though I have never found him anything but an upright and sincere person.
Me: Atif! What is going on in the tribal areas?
Atif: Yar (friend), you are talking about tribal area. Even the settled areas of Tank and Dera Ismail Khan (settled areas adjacent to South Waziristan agency) are not immune from Talibanization. Ordinary people are suffering at their hands as well at the hands of Government Forces. Killings are the matter of routine now, and there is sense of fear among all people.
Me: Who are these people?
Atif: Yaraji (O friend), these people are Taliban. Their leaders are the people who were part of Taliban in Afghanistan, and they have recruited a large number of local youth.
Me: Are they local or from other countries?
Atif: There are very few foreigners, and they just live as guests; they do not involve themselves in local politics and keep to themselves. But the Taliban faction, who is creating trouble, is all local.
Me: Local youth? How they have joined them?
Atif: Actually, the youth do not listen to anyone, anymore. They have been brainwashed to the extent that even if father or brothers of these Taliban try to convince them, they reply by branding the father or brother as munafiq (Hypocrite). If pressed further, they even do not hesitate to kill the family member who confronts them. The whole social fabric has torn down.
Me: Who brainwashes them?
Atif: Taliban, who somehow have the idea of bringing the entire world to the folds of Islam. They have found these idiots in tribal areas, who can be bent to do anything due to their stupidity in the name of Islam, though they do not have even the slightest idea regarding the basic tenants of Islam. The ranks and files of Taliban comprise of various youth sections of societies including the petty thieves, thugs, unemployed and fanatics. No one can touch them and they roam around freely in the country.
Me: What is government doing about it? After all, army is deployed in the area?
Atif: Yaraji, even a simpleton like me understands that it is the government itself, which is responsible. They have allowed them to grow to show the world that there is problem in these areas. Sometime, to show the world they attack them and then go about shouting about it. They do not even hesitate to sacrifice their own poor soldiers in the process. Tell me, if ISI is not helping them, then how come they have all the latest weapons except tanks and armored vehicles. Now, they have even acquired some armored vehicles also after kidnapping army convoy and are roaming around in it. Almost every single Taliban commander, however small and insignificant he may be, possesses four wheelers and roams around with the escort of bodyguards. Part of the money that is coming to combat terrorism is actually used to help them.
Me: So, the ISI is behind that?
Atif: Yes; most definitely they are. They even have suicide training camps in Waziristan where they train young boys from the age of twelve to sixteen. They brainwash them and make them believe that this is real Jihad, and when they will die in their cause, they will go straight to Jannat.
Me: What the tribal elders are doing about it?
Atif: What can they do; traditionally they were respected and obeyed but in new situation they are totally helpless. Those who have tried are made example for others. un ko baqiyon kay liyay nishan-e-ibrat bana diyaa gaya hay. Just imagine, when Imam of Kaba said that suicidal attacks are haram, even he was branded as munafiq. As I told you, they do not listen to anyone, anymore. Alims (Islamic scholars) cannot even confront them; remember, what they did to Moulana Hassan Jan, whose only sin was that he was openly opposed to suicidal attacks.
Me: Once, you politically belonged to Moulana Fazl-Ur-Rehman. Does he have any influence?
Atif: That was in college days, and he cannot do anything. He is also afraid of them. Few days ago, on the occasion of Eid, when people went to greet him, he did not come out of his residence, because he was not sure about who is friend and who is not among two to three hundred people who went to greet him. His brothers house was recently attacked by rocket fire.
Me: So no one can oppose them?
Atif: Yara ji, you reckon yourself. The things I am telling you, I cannot say in open, because if I do, I am sure that my headless body will be found in two or three days; and this is Dera Ismail Khan, so called settled area. The situation in Tank is worse than that. You remember Sheeraz (not real name), whose relative was kidnapped for ransom in Tank by Taliban. Yaraji, our heart bleeds for what is happening. When some Talib is killed most of the time he is not from the leadership, but is some poor persons son or brother. Even at the funeral, parents cannot mourn their misguided dead sons as Taliban highjack the funeral and project the death as the death of a hero. When some person of armed forces is killed, he is also some poor soldier struck like us in this bloody situation.
Me: What is the reason that youth join Taliban?
Atif: Yaraji, most of the youth is not educated, and even those who are educated are unemployed because of no economic opportunities. Now, in this scenario, if one knows that he will get money to sustain himself and his family with the added benefit of becoming so called true Muslim, what do you think he will do?
Me: So, they get paid?
Atif: Yes, they get money to sustain themselves. Chai paani chalta hay unka.
Me: Where they get money from?
Atif: Yaraji, what do you think this money for war on terror goes to? And look, what we have due to them. Nowadays, even the banks in Punjab refuse to open a bank account for us when they come to know about our origin from the identification paper.
Me: Is your family okay?
Atif: No; I have to resettle with all of my family to Dera Ismail Khan and Tank. But these areas are not immune also, as even here they can pick anyone at will and the body is found after few days. People are so much scared that now they dont have to kidnap them anyone. They just sent a parchi (epistle) ordering to go and meet someone and no one dare refusing to go as otherwise whole family bears the brunt. Four, five of our own near ones have become victims (he did not elaborate here, even when pressed). Bas yaraji dua karo kay Allah hum per raham karay - Just pray that may Allah have mercy on us.
At this point, I was not able to continue the conversation and I changed the topic. He asked me when I am coming to Pakistan, and told me that he will himself come to Lahore to meet me, as he cannot invite me anymore due to the situation, and thats when my eyes moistened as I cannot believe to hear this from my Pathan friend, who are famous all over the world for hospitality.
Frankly speaking, at this moment, I do not know what to write anymore, except remembering my younger days in Dera Ismail Khan and one of my visits to tribal areas with a wedding party (barat) when we went around dancing at the beat of Dhol. I think it would be a very long time till we are able to hear the beat of dhol and voices of joy again in those areas, if any at all.
Posted by: john frum ||
10/30/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Kid Nation / Lord of the Flies takes over Pakistan Tribal Areas?
#2
Atif: Actually, the youth do not listen to anyone, anymore. They have been brainwashed to the extent that even if father or brothers of these Taliban try to convince them, they reply by branding the father or brother as munafiq (Hypocrite). If pressed further, they even do not hesitate to kill the family member who confronts them. The whole social fabric has torn down.
From yesterday's article on our favorite Saudi madrassa in Fairfax VA: The school teaches: That trusted friends can only be Muslim. That even family members, if they are non-believers, have nothing in common with you and should be abandoned or ignored. That people further away from you geographically and culturally are truly closer to you than the family you live with if your family does not believe. That one should never establish a close and trusted friendship with a non-Muslim. Ninth and twelfth grade curricula heavily emphasize the concept of Jihad, of holy war, and the obligation to fight and destroy the enemy and the non-Muslim. There are no grey areas in Saudi schools, it is all black and white and it is all reinforced in classroom assignments, papers and homework.
Who can claim this preparation for islamic warfare on American soil is tolerable or will end well? May all who are involved, Saudi and American, truly receive the rewards they deserve.
Atif: Yaraji, even a simpleton like me understands that it is the government itself, which is responsible... Tell me, if ISI is not helping them, then how come they have all the latest weapons except tanks and armored vehicles... Part of the money that is coming to combat terrorism is actually used to help them.
Head of ISI wiring $100,000 to the 911 terrorist Mohammed Atta was the best investment Pakistan ever made. $10 billion in US weapons and aid plus a cut of all the road bound logistics going into Afghanistan. A 1,000,000% profit and growing. But the pot has to be stirred for the money to flow.
Posted by: ed ||
10/30/2007 11:39 Comments ||
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#3
Corrected: A 10,000,000% profit.
Posted by: ed ||
10/30/2007 12:33 Comments ||
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#4
Me: So, the ISI is behind that?
Atif: Yes; most definitely they are. They even have suicide training camps in Waziristan where they train young boys from the age of twelve to sixteen. They brainwash them and make them believe that this is real Jihad, and when they will die in their cause, they will go straight to Jannat
Says it all!!!!Why are we allies with Perv?????
Posted by: Paul ||
10/30/2007 12:46 Comments ||
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#5
It's a script, not a conversation. Khalid throws out the very well-scripted one-line questions and Atif fields each with a very articulate one-paragraph answer. It's like the recent FEMA "press conference" but without video.
#6
If Pakistan is spending its War on Terror profits to fund infighting at home, the money and the fighters are not going to Afghanistan or the West to cause problems... or at least only a remnant as opposed to all of them. Much like the Palestinians on their side of the Security Fence. A tragedy for the non-Taliban/Deobandi locals, but it's their society.
Though a Newsweek cover story recently labeled the turbulent South Asian state the most dangerous nation in the world no one dares to ask this obvious question.
In fact, Pakistan represents an arbitrarily constructed, chronically unstable, perpetually embattled, deeply dysfunctional and undeniably shaky creation of the retreating British Empire. Before 1947, the territories eventually designated as Pakistan (the name means Pure Land in Urdu) comprised an integral part of British India. The hastily and sloppily drawn borders corresponded to no historic nation state, and represented only a desperate concession to Muslim agitators who wanted no part of a newly independent, Hindu majority India. The creation of Pakistan led to an explosion of unspeakable barbarity and bloodshed, with Independence Riots claiming a total of at least 500,000 lives (some sources say more than a million). Meanwhile, Pakistans creation created the greatest refugee crisis in recent history; UN figures indicate that more than 14 million human beings fled their homes in desperation, with Hindus and Sikhs trying to escape the hostile new Muslim state and find safe haven in India, and Muslims moving from India to Pakistan.
During most of its 60 year history, Pakistan has suffered from dictatorial military rule in contrast to the surprisingly durable democracy in its gigantic neighbor, India.
That should tell you something, shouldn't it?
The majority of the nation remains both illiterate and impoverishedwith little of the spectacular economic progress that his made India into a high tech and commercial powerhouse. In 1971, the eastern portion of Pakistan engaged in a bloody struggle against federal forces to separate itself into the new country of Bangladesh. Border wars with India over the disputed province of Kashmir have flared up on two major occasions, with the issue still unsettled at a time that both combatants possess nuclear weapons. Now a new crisis looms as General Musharraf tries to hold onto power in the face of twin challenges from rabid Islamist fanatics and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, recently returned from exile.
In light of this history, its shocking that few Americans or Europeans question the troubled and divided nations existence.
Muslims would have been much better off if the Raj hadn't been divided. 250 million Muslims live within India. A democratic India consisting of present-day India, Pakistan and Bangladesh would be much further along the economic road than either Pakistan or Bangladesh.
Instead, agitators on the international left love to challenge the right to exist of Israel a far more stable, prosperous, democratic and, yes, peaceful nation than Pakistan. Though formally recognized as a modern state at almost exactly the same time as Pakistan (1948 rather than 1947), Israel occupies similar borders to the ancient Jewish commonwealth that flourished for more than a thousand years. Moreover the transfer of refugee populations with 700,000 Palestinian Arabs fleeing the territory of the new state of Israel, and more than 800,000 Jews fleeing Arab states and finding new homes in Israel --- represents scarcely 10% of the massive population shift (involving more than 14 million people) attendant to the birth of Pakistan.
This doesnt stop the President of Iran, or the terrorist organizations he openly supports (Hamas and Hezbollah), or twenty states in the Arab League (except for Jordan, Egypt and Morocco), from regularly denying Israels very existence excluding it from maps, referring to the Jewish State as Occupied Palestine or The Zionist Enemy.
Give the Iranians and the Arabs time, and they'll make war on the heathen Hindooz. Gotta get those pesky Joooz out of the way first ...
This Islamist intransigence raises the obvious question: on what basis does Pakistan constitute an authentic, well-established, respect-worthy nation, but Israel does not?
On every conceivable basishistory, international recognition, authorization by world bodies (The League of Nations supported a Jewish homeland on the site of Israel in 1923, a decade before anyone even proposed the idea of Pakistan), stability, functioning economy, democratic institutions, rule of law, enforceable borders, successful self-defense on multiple occasions, desire of peace with neighbors, support by a majority of its own citizens, respect for religious and ethnic pluralism --- Israel contrasts favorably with The Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
No, the nightmarish, basket-case nation on Indias northwestern border wont disappear or dissolve. But its persistence (despite horrendous civic unrest, Islamist fanaticism, rampant militarism, and nuclear threats to its neighbors and the rest of the world) should help persuade antagonists and skeptics that Israel will remain at least as permanent a feature on the world stage.
Posted by: john frum ||
10/30/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Only 1 Pakistan minority had anything to do with the country's formation: Hindus. And Hindus have been reduced from 20% to 1% of Pakistan's population. There are major separatist groups among ALL the remaining ethnic minorities: Sindhis, Balochis, Waziris, Pashtos. Revolt is open in both Balochistan and NW Frontier Province. In Sindh, the MQM has slaughtered hundreds of Punjabis, usually extremists - and they advocate banning Jamaat-i-Islami.
At 9-11, Pakistan was collapsing under US sanctions; now they are thriving from US aid and the Karzai's Pashto Heroin industry.
#2
McZ, those aren't ethnic minorities, they are tribes.
Due to globalization of communication and transport the biggest problems facing the world center on this archaic organizational form and its unsuitability to the modern world.
The sole source of legitamacy of Islam is that it provides some commonality for the tribes. But, as can be seen in Pakistan and other areas of the MME when puch comes to shove the tribes will out.
#4
With the single act of proliferating nuclear technology to Iran, Pakistan forsook all right to territorial sovereignty. They will have to consider themselves rather fortunate if Pakistan does not become the first nation in history to undergo nuclear attack without having first declared war.
#5
Pakistan comes across as a toxic cocktail of islamo-fascist one-upmanship supremacism and the worse of Indian egotism.
Indian-muslims, the naturalized ones, are known as "mamaks" in M'sia and which is not really a term of endearment. They always want the full privileges of the malays from the government because of religion.
Ron Silver's beautifully sarcastic plan for the world. Who knew anyone in Hollywierd still had a brain?
It may take 12 steps to get clean and sober, but only 6 to make the world realize just how super the U.S. can be.
1. We can start by helping the Arabs retake Andalusia. Having conquered it once, it belongs to them forever. This goes for most of the Balkans as well as Austria up to the gates of Vienna. All infidels should convert to Islam. This is inevitable as Islam means submission. Needless to say, we should all follow the code of Sharia. Itll work wonders. No need to tie up the courts with gay marriage cases; we can just kill all the homosexuals. How much better will our soap operas be when the cheating wives get stoned to death?
Whats wrong with honor killings of women? Or keeping them uneducated or illiterate? Why cant heroism be defined as hiding behind women and children while trying deliberately to kill women and children? Able-bodied men should be free to dance and march in the streets, burn flags, shoot guns into the air and contort their faces into grimaces fueled by impotent rage because they are victims (all 360 million of them, let alone their 1.2 billion co-religionists) of the 13 million Jews who run the world (see Chavez, Walt and Mearsheimer). Notwithstanding sitting on more than half of the worlds oil reserves and the massive wealth they have, it is only proper that the rest of the world be responsible for and pay for the Palestinians not given citizenship in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and the 20 other Arab countries.
Not everyone should be made to feel they can contribute by becoming doctors, philosophers, teachers, artists, engineers, etc. Whats so wrong in educating your child to hate, and if youre a real lucky parent, persuade him or her to kill themselves before they reach puberty? Parental pride takes different forms and we should not presume to judge. Because all cultures are good.
Now I know this will offend many in my own community. Hollywood, as we know, is very sensitive to the mistreatment of women, and womens rights, first amendment protections, separation of church and state and the usual menu of American values like diversity, pluralism, dissent, free press, unfettered artistic expression and all the other BS we try to foist on the world. But what happens in America should stay in America. If filmmakers are killed in Holland, let the Dutch decide if it has a chilling effect on free and unfettered, robust debate. Cartoons that may be offensive should not appear in mainstream news outlets if they are deemed offensive by anybody, not simply the people were afraid of because theyll kill our children and us. All the news that fits ideologically will be printed.
6. We need to speak with Persia. If they want nukes and their neighbors want nukes, who are we to say its a bad idea? Appoint Sen. Larry Craig our Ambassador.
Let Larry and Mahmoud discuss how the international community can liquidate the state of Israel. No Israel, no more problems. Not only the region and the world, but our university campuses will return to their pre-Israelite calm.
The world will shine all the brighter when its unburdened by American arrogance and banality. Lets return to our roots. Good ole American isolationism. America, first, now and forever. Return our fleets in the Pacific and Persian Gulf to our shores. Get our troops out of Korea, Germany, the Emirates, wherever. Theres plenty to do here at home. Leave nation building to the Europeans who worked wonders and did their thing in the 20th century. Our beloved land will once again bask in the worlds approval. George McGovern lives, Come Home America. To paraphrase the immortal words of one of my fellow artists, we can hold hands, open a Coke and say, They like us, they really like us.
#7
Just need number 7) This is wording from the new HR 1955 to ostensibly tackle radicalization: "Prohibits the Department of Homeland Security's efforts to prevent ideologically-based violence and homegrown terrorism from violating the constitutional and civil rights, and civil liberties, of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents".
Will this not militate against democracy and the constitution to usher in Sharia law? We had law against the communist overthrow of our government, but I guess that was old-school.
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.
