[Asharq al-Aswat] Colonel Qadaffy said that the world was conspiring against Libya, out of envy for what the Libyan people enjoy. Then he recited the Holy Koranic Verse "From the evil of the envious when he envies." [Surat al-Falaq, Verse 5] The Syrian official media said that Syria was being exposed to a foreign conspiracy against its heroic struggle for resistance, resilience, survival and opposition. At this point, let me note that the Golan Heights have been under occupation for nearly half a century. The official Yemeni media stated that Yemen had been "targeted" because the country represents the cultural depth of the Arabs, and has a pan-national strategic dimension, along with further raving, irrational rhetoric. The official media in Jordan spoke of a foreign conspiracy hatched by covert forces to destabilize the country.
I would say: When will the Arabs abandon this conspiracy complex and stop denying mistakes and searching for scapegoats? When will you stop performing this farce, accusing foreign powers of conspiring against you, and blaming others for your faults? Who are you, to have the world conspire against you? Who are you to have the world's superpowers preoccupied with you? Why would the world target you, and what would it envy you for? Your wealth? Whilst your peoples feel the bitter taste of hunger, shame, ignorance, disease and underdevelopment? Or would the world target you for your giant industries, large-scale production, research centers, energy sources, bountiful knowledge, arsenals, destroyers, battleships, and aircraft carriers, when you can't even construct a car? Frankly, you are bottom of the global list in terms of industry, agriculture, education, development and production.
The annual budget of one Western multi-national corporation is far greater than the collective budget of the aforementioned Arab countries. Their peoples have taken to the streets to organize peaceful demonstrations for food, medicine, clean air, clean water, electricity, freedom and dignity. Those countries have failed to meet the basic necessities of their citizens, and so they have accused the world of conspiring against them. How much do these Arab "locusts" really believe their stock is worth? I would liken these Arab countries, who accuse the outside world of targeting them, to a mosquito alighting from a palm tree. When this mosquito decides to take off, it would say to the palm tree: Hold on tight, I am about to fly. The palm tree would reply: By God, I felt nothing when you landed, and most probably I won't feel anything when you fly away.
The US, Europe, China, Japan, Canada and Russia are busy with their factories, laboratories, nuclear industries and energy production. They are immersed in making discoveries and designing inventions, and thus they might think isn't it high time we, the Arabs, focused on our own flaws, corrected our errors, reconsidered our behavior, and rid ourselves of the conspiracy complex, which has become nothing more than a silly joke and an old ploy.
My good friend Abu Tayeb al-Mutanabbi once described an acquaintance of his, who hoped al-Mutanabbi would praise him publicly, or at least ridicule him, so that he could become famous. Al-Mutanabbi replied by saying:
"[You are] too insignificant to be praised, so I thought I had better ridicule you, but you are too trivial to be ridiculed."
The Holy Koran attributed the defeat of the Mohammedan army in the Battle of Ahud to a disagreement which had arisen between the Companions of the Prophet. In that respect, Almighty God said "Say: It is from yourselves; surely Allah has power over all things." [Surat Al-Imran, Verse 165] People ought to be held accountable for their errors and transgressions. Almighty God said "Corruption has appeared in the land and the sea on account of what the hands of men have wrought, that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done, so that they may return." [Surat al-Room, Verse 41] Therefore to blame others for your faults and use the world as a rack for hanging your mistakes on, that is an embodiment of the lack of mental perception and the corruption of opinion.
A sick person can never recover unless they first admit that they are suffering from a particular illness, and that they will not get better unless they take medicine. It is no use trying to run or hide in the dark. The truth comes with real courage, the nerve to admit to being wrong and the desire to change for the better. Almighty God says: "Allah does not change a people's lot unless they change what is in their hearts." [Surat al-Rad, Verse 11]
Posted by: Fred ||
04/12/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
Frankly, you are bottom of the global list in terms of industry, agriculture, education, development and production.
I feel a fatwa coming on! I hope the author has a good hiding place.
Posted by: Bobby ||
04/12/2011 9:08 Comments ||
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The crisis in the Ivory Coast has important lessons for Europe, Israel and the United States. And none of these lessons is being conveyed by the Western media.
The most important aspects of the crisis in the Ivory Coast are being overlooked or deliberately disguised by the Western media. One can read media report after media report without discovering the basic fact that the Northern Ivory Coast rebels are Muslims. Indeed they are Muslims who by and large entered the Ivory Coast as infiltrators, through borders that are poorly patrolled, from neighboring countries. A better advertisement for stronger border control cannot be found. At least four million illegal immigrants, mostly Muslim, entered the Ivory Coast during the past two decades, tilting the demographic balance there.
And these Muslim infiltrators and interlopers, increasingly backed by African, French and Western powers, are challenging the control by Ivory Coast natives over their own country. The sufferings and violence in the Ivory Coast may well illustrate what awaits Europe if it continues its own demographic suicide and if it continues to flood itself with Muslim immigrants. The conflict also illustrates the extent to which the Western powers are willing to subvert their commitment to Wilsonian principles. Since Woodrow Wilson and the end of World War I, the West was nominally committed to erecting and defending nation states. We now see that the Western powers (and African regimes) are willing to abandon this set of principles whenever faced with a cheap way to curry favor with Muslims. Finally, it shows what awaits Israel if its seditious Left ever has its way and implements a Palestinian Right of Return that converts Israel into a bi-national state.
A SPATE of anti-Turkish protests has swept rebel-controlled parts of Libya. In Benghazi hundreds of worshippers chanted anti-Turkish slogans after Friday prayers. Take your beloved Qaddafi and allow us to be armed, read one placard. On April 6th over 100 people gathered outside the Turkish consulate in Benghazi to demand the removal of the Turkish flag. Revolutionaries want to arm, they sang.
Their frustration might be shared by Turkeys more hawkish NATO allies. Turkeys mildly Islamist AK government is rigidly against plans to arm Libyan rebels who might bring about the removal of Colonel Muammar Qaddafi by force. Turkeys foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, has been trying to broker a truce even while telling the colonel to step down and allow the establishment of a transition government. So far, no deal. But the dogged Mr Davutoglu refuses to give up.
Since the uprising in Libya began, Turkey (caught off guard like others) has been squeamish about foreign intervention. The prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, even called the idea absurd. He was offended not to be invited to the first Paris conference to discuss Libya (Mr Davutoglu went to the second, in London). Turkish stonewalling has revived old questions about whether Turkey is turning its back on the West. It was only after France and Britain began pounding Libyan air defences that Turkey belatedly backed NATOs plans to create a no-fly zone.
The Turks have since dispatched four frigates, one submarine and an extra warship to Libya. This week a Turkish ferry-turned-hospital took hundreds of Libyans wounded in the fighting off for treatment in Turkey. Most were from the rebel camp. The government has put a brave face on its U-turn, insisting that it moved only because NATO had taken the lead. More likely it feared being left out. This would have put a dent in Turkish claims to be the regional superpower. Yet Turkey remains fiercely opposed to expanding NATOs role in Libya, saying it should be limited to protecting civilians.
#1
Turkey under Erdogan has become a total loss. Bye, Bye. Flush 'em from NATO - it's a waste of time, energy, money, and information.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
04/12/2011 19:16 Comments ||
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#2
While Turkey may not be a loyal member of Nato, as only potential competitor to Iran for domination of the Caliphate to come it should not be considered a total loss. Better to have the Ottomans battling the Persians if they become too big for their britches.
#1
I think it's long past time we started shooting everyone promoting "political correctness", simply as a matter of survival as a nation, and as a people.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
04/12/2011 15:56 Comments ||
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#2
Chances are that if it is "correct" according to your politics, it is most likely "incorrect" according to mine.
We calibrate Californias decline by its myriad of paradoxes. The nations highest bundle of gas, sales, and income taxes cannot close the nations largest annual deficit at $25 billion. Test scores are at the countrys near bottom; teachers salaries at the very top. Scores of the affluent are leaving each week; scores of the indigent are arriving. The nations most richly endowed state is also the most regulated; the most liberal of our residents are also the most ready to practice apartheid in their Bel Air or Palo Alto enclaves.
We now see highway patrolmen and city police, in the manner of South American law enforcement, out in force. Everywhere they are monitoring, watching, ticketing no warnings, no margins of error desperate to earn traffic fines that might feed the state that feeds them. I could go on. But you get the picture that we are living on the fumes of a rich state that our forefathers brilliantly exploited, and now there is not much energy left in the fading exhaust to keep us going.
#2
...especially with a total lack of linkage between pay and performance coupled with artificial anchors that debase merit within the schools and families and elevate 'special interests' over all.
#3
Test scores are at the country's near bottom; teachers' salaries at the very top.
I'm not so keen on the teachers' union myself but there is more to those low test scores than you might think. When half or even more of your elementary school students don't speak English it's pretty hard to teach them. Fact is, a lot of them come to this country illiterate in Spanish and completely ignorant of English. We are prohibited by law from even asking if those kids are here legally. We have to spend OUR tax dollars educating illegal aliens because the FEDERAL government won't secure the border. Most likely it's gotten to the point of no return because the majority of our legislators are elected from neighborhoods like the one you see in the graphic. I've tried to tell you people before, although California takes the brunt of it, this is a FEDERAL problem. As I've tried to tell you before, California used to be a red state. Remember Dick Nixon, Pete Wilson, Sam Hayakawa, Ronald Reagan? California changed because the FEDERAL government refused to enforce the law, because jackasses like Bill Clinton and George Bush were derelict in their duty. Make fun of us all you want but it's just as much your fault as it is mine. Am I pissed off about it? You're damn right I am.
#4
It's like there's some link between subsidy and falling quality..
I think a big piece is the link between the large number of non-English speaking immigrant students in California (illegal or legal, it doesn't matter) and the ability of the teacher to teach at the speed the English-speaking students can absorb. Separating students by English-language ability would allow the fluent speakers to speed ahead, but many non-English speakers would take years to make the transition. And the average numbers would still be awful.
#7
I don't have a whole hell of a lot of sympathy.
I know all about the CTA. I think they're fairly typical of unions all across this country. You didn't say what state you live in but you might want to check out the teachers' union there.
As for the teachers' pay in this state, you probably don't want to get me started on the cost of housing here. But, too late, you already did. California experienced a building boom that has gone on for the past few decades. It was artificially stimulated by Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac, another FEDERAL problem. But the boom went completely out of control here. It seemed that, despite your scorn and derision, everybody in the whole country wanted to move here. And why not? We have the palm trees, the beaches, the mountains and the weather that can't be beat. And for a time before the loonies took over we had an extremely competitive business environment and LOTS of jobs.
I could have sworn there were days back in the 70's when I saw more out of state license plates than California plates on the cars. New York, New Jersey, Texas and Michigan were by far the most numerous. That's right, Texas was right up there. There were times when I thought I might start throwing punches the next time I heard a New York accent. They just grate on the ears. I've said this before too, scratch a Californian and you're likely to find a New Yorker.
Well, all that demand sent the cost of housing into the stratosphere. We have houses here that go from half a million to a million bucks that would probably only get 200 grand in Kansas City. Back to the subject, teachers are human too and they like to live in nice houses just like everybody else. It's just that a nice house out here is gonna cost a fortune.
So yes, we're too crowded, too expensive and the state is run by crooked morons. If you don't like it, don't come here. I won't miss you.
#8
We Kalifornians are having an epiphany on taxes. It seems there is little or no support for the tax extensions that Jerry Brown proposed. The people are beginning to question why do the cuts only target education, safety, and health services. Also the state has businesses fleeing the state in record numbers. Mark this down: Liberals are facing a revolt in Kalifornia.
#10
"We now see highway patrolmen and city police, in the manner of South American law enforcement, out in force. Everywhere they are monitoring, watching, ticketing no warnings, no margins of error desperate to earn traffic fines that might feed the state that feeds them" What a Jacka## - LAPD just lost a 2 million dollar lawsuit filed by the officers for attempting to force a ticket quota on them. Quotas are illegal. The CHP and most other Agencies have gone to 12 hours shifts - thus you see more cops on the beat.
Posted by: retired LEO ||
04/12/2011 13:42 Comments ||
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#11
Mark this down: Liberals are facing a revolt in Kalifornia.
Call me when they start tarring and feathering them, I will come and help.
Posted by: Secret Asian Man (at large) ||
04/12/2011 13:44 Comments ||
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#12
"Liberals are facing a revolt in Kalifornia."
Geez - aren't they revolting enough already, Sarge?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
04/12/2011 13:45 Comments ||
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#13
When half or even more of your elementary school students don't speak English it's pretty hard to teach them.
Nearly every wave of immigration till the 80s, English was not just the key to integration and success, but literally pushed by the parents on their children. While they'd speak it at home and in ghetto'd neighborhoods, they all saw it as opportunity for the next generation and promoted it. Then the 'diversity' and 'multicultural' thinkers got hold not just of the education institutions, they also sold a bill of goods to the new immigrants that they don't have to melt into the pot and could cling to the old ways and be entitled to it all. The families now see no need to become part of that which generations of immigrants before them had done. That is now coming home to roost to a state that promoted the attitude so much. It's costly and a dead end for future prosperity.
#15
Liberals are not facing a revolt in Caliphornia. They are Caliphornia. They elected Brown, Harris and Lockyer, not to mention Boxer Feinstein and the rest of the Bay Area Babes in Congress and defeated every rational measure Ahnold proposed and turned him into a girly man. Liberals have taken over the state and it is now living with the consequences.
#16
Beavis, I'm not trying to be personal either. The point I'm trying to make is there are a lot things that have been foisted upon this state by people from outside the state. Also, if some of those people who came to California have now become disillusioned, they are free to leave because IMHO the state really is too crowded. Having grown up here I considered myself fortunate and when I finally scraped up enough money I bought into the state thinking it was different from New Jersey. Now I'm not so sure that I wouldn't be better off in New Jersey. It has changed that much.
#17
Mr. Lotp was born and raised in CA, and we lived there during most of the period 1978-1989, both in the north and in the south. We still own a home there.
Around 1987 my small firm had to fire a new employee whose resume was badly inflated. The state legal environment was strongly pro-employee / anti-employer, EB6305 - much more so than in other states. That led to a real hassle for us, in which we were essentially required to prove we had a right to fire someone who'd been with us 2 months. That environment drove away a lot of business = tax base.
#18
BS, Kommiefornu is exactly what it's residents wanted it to be and no amount of whining can change that. It's residents keep voting for liberal morons and now we see the outcome. When was the last time the state built a power plant, or went after any type of useful industry? Foreign car companies are building new car plants, how many on the left coast?
Posted by: Jefferson ||
04/12/2011 15:50 Comments ||
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#19
The only car plant I am aware of in California is the Tesla Motors plant in Fremont.
1. You always get more of what you subsidize.
2. You always get less of what you tax.
Was in paying my property tax bill yesterday (last chance before it's late) and it was interesting listening to the other tax-livestock (I mean home-owners) paying their huge property tax bills for houses that are worth much less than shown on their property tax bills. Lots of anger in that room waiting to pay bills.
I'm hoping the coming hyper-inflation will bring my inflation-adjusted tax bill down... as long as the tax-eaters leave Proposition 13 alone. Tax increase is limited to about 1.5% per year unless the house is sold or work done on it. The increase isn't inflation adjusted - so that might help.
How sad is it that I'm hoping our Federal government crazy monetary policy will inflate down my property tax? I pray for our kids.
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.
California in the Balance.
