AFTER a century of broken promises, a paved road linking Kenya to Ethiopia is no longer a mirage for a desert region choked by remoteness. Hurling up a cloud of blinding white dust, Chinese road engineers are helping to lay down the first kilometers of tarmac to replace a 530-km forbidding rock track that joins KenyaÂ’s farms and port to landlocked Ethiopia.
The stretch of road from Isiolo to Moyale on the border is one of the last unpaved sections of the Great North Road, a British colonial dream to connect Cape Town to Cairo.
But where Britain and post-independence Kenyan governments failed, China is leading the way: Helping to build a major trade route that will open up the northern half of Kenya, a region that has been effectively sealed off for 100 years.
In what is a now familiar sight across Africa, ChinaÂ’s drive to secure minerals, oil and a place for its workers and industries to thrive is converging with Kenyan government plans to tap the potential of undeveloped regions.
The road could turn promises of oil into reality and increase tourism and trade in a starkly beautiful land where, until now, only banditry, desolation and poverty had flourished.
“This progress is going to benefit the whole area for tourism. Once it is finished, we can already see more trade,” said Wu Yi Bao, project manager for the state-owned construction company China Wu Yi (Kenya) Co.
China Wu Yi is building the road with 4.3 billion Kenya shillings ($63.94 million) from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Kenyan government.
According to AfDB estimates, paving the road between Isiolo, 340 km north of the capital Nairobi, and Moyale could boost trade between Kenya and Ethiopia along that corridor five-fold to $175 million from the present $35 million annually.
The tarmac of the Cape Town-to-Cairo road goes missing at the squared-off edge of pavement at the end of Isiolo. Here one finds all the restless bustle of a quintessential border town because residents say it’s the frontier between the “Kenya Mbili” — Swahili for the two Kenyas. “People in the north feel like they are not part of the country,” said Hussein Sasura, assistant minister for Development of Northern Kenya and other Arid Lands. “When someone leaves for Nairobi, people say he has gone to Kenya.” Hopes are high that the revamped road will draw more tourists and create more revenue for the people living here.
But some people are suspicious of ChinaÂ’s motives, mirroring the ambivalence toward the Asian giantÂ’s investment push felt by many Africans.
Residents of some African nations, like Zambia, complain that China is undertaking a second colonization by focusing on AfricaÂ’s resources and dumping its cheapest goods here. China denies this, and has a 50-year history of bilateral trade and cooperation with Kenya. The Chinese have an immediate interest in rebuilding the first stretch of the Isiolo-Moyale road, so that it can move heavy equipment into Merti, roughly 80 km east of the end of the 136 km it has committed to build.
China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) and SwedenÂ’s Lundin Petroleum AB are carrying out seismic tests for oil in Merti in preparation for drilling next year. Residents in Isiolo have been suspicious of oil exploration since a 1980s venture yielded nothing amid murky circumstances. There are other signs of simmering resentment.
One Chinese engineer was shot and killed near the Merille River by shiftas — or bandits — on April 21. Tribal elders say he was targeted because of a feeling that not enough men from the area had been employed by the Chinese. Wu said at least 150 of the nearly 200 people on the project were Kenyans and all the day laborers were locals.
After the shooting, the Kenyan government sent its elite paramilitary General Service Unit to the Merille River area to disarm youths and provide a security presence.
There is little doubt the road will offer a lifeline to northern Kenya and could signal an end to years of neglect.
North of Isiolo to Ethiopia, not much has changed across desolate stretches of black volcanic stones and reddish sands since CardovillisÂ’ forebears trekked south in a donkey train. Amid this desolate beauty are some of KenyaÂ’s most unspoiled national parks, rarely visited because of their remoteness.
Barely 50 km past Isiolo lie three game reserves that rival the famed Maasai Mara for the volume and variety of animals. This is where “Born Free” author and naturalist Joy Adamson settled to raise leopards until her murder.
“We think our occupancies will double when the road is finished,” said Jayne Nguatah, manager of the Sarova Shaba lodge in Shaba park. “It will be a Christmas gift to us.”
#4
Here's the thing - you don't have to build these things for yourselves - it's possible to hire foreign companies to take charge of it. Once you generate a little foreign exchange by encouraging foreign companies to open up things like textile, shoe and toy factories in your country. Which the Kenyan government never bothered to do.
TRIPOLI, Libya -- Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafis son announced he will no longer be involved in politics, calling for political changes and denying he would succeed his father, as many have expected.
Seif al-Islam Gaddhafi gave no explanation for his decision. He acknowledged the move could raise speculation of a rift between him and his father, but denied that was the case.
I'm betting the top three reasons are wine, women and oodles of cash ...
In his speech, the leaders son called for political changes to better regulate Libyas system by rule of law, guaranteeing democracy, an independent press and human rights, "without harming the Jamahiriya system." "We need to work on something that we could perhaps call a constitution, to move forward the Jamahiriya era," the younger Gadhafi said.
In his speech, he again ruled out intentions for succession, saying his fathers role was enshrined in the Libyan system but cannot be passed down. "This is not a farm to inherit.... Dont tell me that I am the son of Gadhafi, and therefore, I am going to take over power," he said. I don't know this area at all but this does not sound normal for these forks.
#2
Sound like Baby Gaddhafi wants to avoid the problems that Baby Doc had after inheriting Haiti from his father; so now is the time to take the money and run.
#3
Who knows, maybe that skipbomb from Reagan changed the mind of the whole Gaddhafi clan?
They sure seem to have decided to tie their wagon to the west a lot more than any other N-African/arab country, except maybe morocco.
If the Gaddhafi's manage to make his dictatorship transition to a constitutional "almost-democracy", I will be amazed - and very happy for the Libyan people and for their leadership for doing something that has never been done without guns in that part of the world.
A day before the deadline for their promised retreat from Georgian territory, Russian troops showed signs of withdrawal in some places Thursday but announced plans to strengthen their presence in others.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/23/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
"Signs of Russian Withdrawal":
1. Georgia red wine hangover
2. No more turkish cigarettes
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
08/23/2008 8:02 Comments ||
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#2
3. Their resupply trucks are broken down 'x' kilometers in that direction.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/23/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
FREEREPUBLIC > GEORGIAN BUFFER POINTS "PERMANENT".
Iff correct,this tells me that my nose is correct in that Russia covertly wants US-West/NATO-EU to set up inside Georgia.
RUSSIA > D *** NG IT, HELP ME PROTECT MYSELF IN ASIA AGZ IRAN + CHINA, OR I'LL BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF ALL OF YOUSE"!
#2
ALso from RUSSIA, " AND BTW, DAGNABIT, TELL THOSE WEIRD-BOY GERMANS AND THEIR BUNDESWEHR TO START REARMING BACK INTO THE WERMACHT. MOSCOW MAY DEMAND AND NEED TO BE INVADED BY DAVID HASSELHOFF ONE DAY"!
#3
,this tells me that my nose is correct in that Russia covertly wants US-West/NATO-EU to set up inside Georgia.
This is blackmail to force the UN security council to adopt their resolution.
By legitimizing the buffer zone and stationing EU and UN troops there, they will reinforce their own positions in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
The UN will be there for decades and the Georgians will be unable to deploy troops into the buffer zone.
Posted by: john frum ||
08/23/2008 8:10 Comments ||
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#4
I do not see any problem here - Turkey, a member of NATO and a staunch US ally in the region has been occupying the norhern part of independent Cyprus since July 1974 (i.e. for more than 34 years), brushing aside all calls for immediate withdrawal and respecting the island's territorial integrity. Strange, eh?
And UN peace-keepers (rather status-quo ones)has been there for decades in buffer zones(let's take Varosha or a former, now defunct Nicosia airport) and nobody here ever protested against it. Are Georgians any better than Greek Cyprots? What a bigotry!
What is good for a goose is good for a gander as well - it seems to me a perfect example of typical American double standard...
Posted by: Matt K. ||
08/23/2008 12:31 Comments ||
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#6
Though, he does have a real good point about turkey's occupation and ethnic cleansing of european country and EU member Cyprus, which seems to goes along just foine for just about everybody (this doesn't even trouble the EUcrats in their entry negociation with turkey).
#7
I sorta missed the part of the military dictatorship in Athens sponsoring the coup to overthrow the sovereign government of Cyprus which invoked the Turkish counter action. So the real comparison is the attempted Pan-Hellenic military annexation with the attempted Pan-Slavic military annexation of the territory of another sovereign country.
#2
Now they shifted goal posts to Friday 29th, with a provision of give or take few days (they say give), so they should be possibly out by September 1st. The year, though, was not specified.
North Korean scientists have developed a new kind of noodle that delays feelings of hunger, a Japan-based pro-Pyongyang newspaper has reported. The noodles were made from corn and soybeans, the Choson Shinbo said. They left people feeling fuller longer and represented a technological breakthrough, the newspaper said.
WARSAW (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski celebrated the signing of a missile shield deal this week with Georgian wine, a choice sure to leave a bitter taste for Russia. Poland says the choice of Georgian 2005 Kakhetian Royal wine to complement Polish pike-perch at a dinner hosted by Sikorski was not meant as a slight to Russia.
"(Rice) smiled and, if I remember correctly, said she had had a chance to deal with Georgia and its politicians, but had not tasted its wine," the Polish newspaper Dziennik quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Ryszard Schnepf as saying.
Poland agreed to host elements of the planned U.S. missile shield a few days after Russia launched its offensive into Georgia in response to Tbilisi's attempt to reclaim the breakaway, Moscow-backed province of South Ossetia. The United States says the shield is not directed against Russia but is intended to protect its European allies against possible attack by what it calls "rogue states", particularly Iran, or by terrorist groups.
Relations have been cool between NATO member Poland and Russia, its Soviet-era overlord, and Warsaw has been one of the loudest critics of Moscow's military operation in Georgia. President Lech Kaczynski flew to Tbilisi to illustrate Poland's solidarity with Georgia.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/23/2008 00:00 ||
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LITTLETON, Colo. -- The man accused of sending a threatening letter to John McCain through McCain's Colorado headquarters office detailed the contents of his letter in an exclusive interview with 7NEWS Friday.
Marc Ramsey, an inmate in the Arapahoe County Jail, admitted that he sent the letter. On Friday afternoon, the US AttorneyTroy Eid announced Ramsey will be charged with knowingly threatening to harm or kill through the U.S. mail. The charge is punishable up to five years in federal prison and up to $250,000 fines. "We won't stand for threats of this kind in Colorado," Eid said. "A death threat is not a legitimate form of political expression," Eid said.
Ramsey has been held at the jail since Sept. 17, 2007, on a $350,000 bond, on allegations of felony menacing, harassment and felony second-degree assault on a peace officer.
Just another upstanding, and schtoopid, citizen ...
Deputies said he is a prolific letter writer. Ramsey told 7NEWS he wanted to tell McCain about his father -- a Vietnam war veteran who is served at the same time as McCain, and who is suffering from two types of cancer. "I referred to the situation in Vietnam. 'You're not the only one that was in the jungle, buddy,'" he said he wrote to McCain. "My point being that when election time comes, we're going to need somebody to take care of the soldiers. Not somebody who wants another war."
Not sure how any of that relates to dear old Dad. Perhaps he's feeling guilty that he's a hood sitting in the slammer rather than being at Dad's bedside ...
He said that he was upset that the government takes care of McCain, but not his father, who he said suffers from Agent Orange.
Pop can walk into the nearest VA hospital, present proof of being a vet, and and they'll fall all over themselves to treat any Agent Orange related problems. Since doing precisely that, I've had some of the best medical care I've ever gotten -- and my usual medical care comes through the Walter Reed Medical System, which isn't shabby at all. VA has a separate eligibility category for Agent Orange and they take it seriously.
Ramsey said he didn't put white powder in the envelope. When asked, the only white powder he could think of that is available to inmates is baby powder.
His exact letter read:
Senator McCain,
IF you are reading this then you are already Dead!
Unless of course you can't or don't breathe.
There are numerous substances which are deadly for humans to inhale.
There are just as many time periods for signs of illness to show, by which time it's to late.
Who expects to develop cancer 40 years after Vietnam?
Only those that knew the risk and side effects of Agent Orange.
DoD, DOW, Diamond Shamrock, U.S. Surgeon General
You're out of time.
Allahu Akbar
Akeem Ramsel El
Ramsey said he is a terrorist sympathizer.
I'm sure we can add something to the charge sheet for that ...
He said he didn't threaten McCain, but just wanted him to be aware that there are former soldiers out there who still need help. "This is the greatest country in the world and we can't take care of our folks," he said.
Which is why he wrote a letter threatening murder ...
On Thursday, McCain staffers at the Centennial office notified the Secret Service that it had a "threatening letter" against McCain and the letter contained some type of white powder. The call prompted a full-scale hazmat alert as staffers evacuated the building.
Colorado National Guard spokesman Rick Breitenfeldt said the Civil Support Team completed its testing of the powder early Friday. It is not anthrax or another lethal or toxic substance, he said. However, the exact substance is not known.
McCain officers across the U.S. were alerted to be on the lookout for similar letters. A threatening letter with a Colorado mailing address was sent to McCain's campaign office in Manchester, N.H., but it has not been positively linked backed to Ramsey.
"Our guys did not find any powder. There were maybe a couple of grains of something inside an envelope and they had to kind of work to get a sample," said Andy Lyon of the Parker South Metro Fire Rescue Authority. "It was described to me as maybe they found a couple of granules of something. It tested positive for protein, what was described to me as a weak positive. Well, protein could be a protein shake."
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/23/2008 19:34 ||
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#7
23 uh's in 7min 42 sec, by my count. That's 3 per minute. He spent a good deal of his talking not looking at either the camera or the interviewer. So, what's he looking at? The temptation is to suspect a teleprompter. Either that or he doesn't believe what he's saying any more than I do. The question of what color dress Michelle was going to wear at the convention seemed to be the most interesting to both Obama and his interviewer. Maybe, because it was the only one not scripted.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
08/23/2008 17:38 Comments ||
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#8
"The temptation is to suspect a teleprompter. Either that or he doesn't believe what he's saying any more than I do."
No reason it can't be both, Richard.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
08/23/2008 17:58 Comments ||
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DENVER - The candidate of change went with the status quo.
In picking Sen. Joe Biden to be his running mate, Barack Obama sought to shore up his weakness — inexperience in office and on foreign policy — rather than underscore his strength as a new-generation candidate defying political conventions. He picked a 35-year veteran of the Senate — the ultimate insider — rather than a candidate from outside Washington, such as Govs. Tim Kaine of Virginia or Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas; or from outside his party, such as Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska; or from outside the mostly white male club of vice presidential candidates. Hillary Rodham Clinton didn't even make his short list.
The picks say something profound about Obama: For all his self-confidence, the 47-year-old Illinois senator worried that he couldn't beat Republican John McCain without help from a seasoned politician willing to attack. The Biden selection is the next logistical step in an Obama campaign that has become more negative — a strategic decision that may be necessary but threatens to run counter to his image.
Democratic strategists, fretting over polls that showed McCain erasing Obama's lead this summer, welcomed the move. They, too, worried that Obama needed a more conventional — read: tougher — approach to McCain. "You've got to hand it to the candidate and the campaign. They have a great sense of timing and tone and appropriateness. Six months ago, people said he wasn't tough enough on Hillary Clinton — he was being too passive — but he got it right at the right time," said Democratic strategist Jim Jordan. "He'll get it right again."
Indeed, Obama has begun to aggressively counter McCain's criticism with negative television ads and sharp retorts from the campaign trail. A senior Obama adviser, speaking on condition of anonymity, said his boss has expressed impatience with what he calls a "reverence" inside his campaign for his message of change and new politics. In other words, Obama is willing — even eager — to risk what got him this far if it gets him to the White House.
Biden brings a lot to the table. An expert on national security, the Delaware senator voted in 2002 to authorize military intervention in Iraq but has since become a vocal critic of the conflict. He won praise for a plan for peace in Iraq that would divide the country along ethnic lines. Chief sponsor of a sweeping anti-crime bill that passed in 1994, Biden could help inoculate Obama from GOP criticism that he's soft on crime — a charge his campaign fears will drive a wedge between white voters and the first black candidate with a serious shot at the White House.
So the question is whether Biden's depth counters Obama's inexperience — or highlights it?
After all, Biden is anything but a change agent, having been in office longer than half of all Americans have been alive. Longer than McCain. And he talks too much.
On the same day he announced his second bid for the presidency, Biden found himself explaining why he had described Obama as "clean."
And there's the 2007 ABC interview in which Biden said he would stand by an earlier statement that Obama was not ready to serve as president.
It seems Obama is worried that some voters are starting to agree.
The University of Illinois at Chicago did an about-face Friday, agreeing to release records on Barack Obama's service to a nonprofit education reform group linked to 1960s radical William Ayers.
Although the records of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge had been at the UIC library since 2002, the school denied requests to review them, saying the donor had not given ownership rights to UIC.
Friday, UIC said it had fulfilled the terms of the gift and plans to make the records available Tuesday. Obama was the first chairman of the group Ayers helped start.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
08/23/2008 7:58 Comments ||
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#2
You mean to tell me that we are actually going to get records of Obama actually running something? Unbelieveable!
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
08/23/2008 9:17 Comments ||
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#3
That's why the select individual or people who help purge prepare the release will sometime in the near future get promotions to better paying jobs. It's the Chicago way.
#4
Obama ran the project for sure, straight into the ground. My understanding is that even by Annenberg's low standards this $50 million sinkhole was judged a abject failure. Also, Kurtz was originally provided a summary sheet of the CAC collection that said there were 900+ files. It will be an easy enough task to determine what documents are missing.
Posted by: Scott R ||
08/23/2008 10:39 Comments ||
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Senator Joe Biden of Delaware is Barack Obama's pick as vice presidential running mate, FOX News confirms.
The 65-year-old Biden is a veteran of more than three decades in the Senate, and one of his party's leading experts on foreign policy, an area in which polls indicate Obama needs help in his race against Republican rival John McCain.
The official spoke Friday on condition of anonymity, saying they did not want to pre-empt a text-message announcement the Obama campaign promised for Saturday morning.
#1
Wherever John McCain is right now, he's giving thanks to the Lord for having such a tremendous gift given to his campaign. Obama/Biden? The Dems truly DO have a death wish!
No sooner had word spread of his selection than McCain's campaign unleashed its first attack. Spokesman Ben Porritt said in a statement that Biden had "denounced Barack Obama's poor foreign policy judgment and has strongly argued in his own words what Americans are quickly realizing — that Barack Obama is not ready to be president."
As evidence, Republicans cited an ABC interview from August 2007, in which Biden said he would stand by an earlier statement that Obama was not ready to serve as president
#3
I guess Obama wanted a running mate that would make him look down-to-earth, humble, and genuine.
The tape...showed a testy exchange in response to a question about his law school record from a man identified only as ''Frank.'' Mr. Biden looked at his questioner and said: ''I think I have a much higher I.Q. than you do.''
He then went on to say that he ''went to law school on a full academic scholarship...'' He also said that he ''ended up in the top half'' of his class and won a prize in an international moot court competition. In college, Mr. Biden said in the appearance, he was ''the outstanding student in the political science department'' and ''graduated with three degrees from college.''
It gets better. (Hint: Actually near the bottom of his class, one degree, and not three, and the scholarship thing might be iffy too.)
Mr. Biden acknowledged that in the testy exchange in New Hampshire, he had lost his temper. ''I exaggerate when I'm angry,'' Mr. Biden said, ''but I've never gone around telling people things that aren't true about me.''
#4
I second that, Val.
This beady-eyed poltroon is heaven's gift to the GOP.
From praising Obama as "clean," to trying to establish his regular guy credentials by boasting that he represents a former slave state, Biden has a long history of putting his foot in his mouth in a big way.
#5
How exciting, I wonder which of Neil Kinnock's rhetorical gems Biden'll recycle this time around?
Odd really, because you'd think a politician with a nick-name like 'Ginger Windbag' would in effect come with a Do Not Plagiarise notice attached - apparently Mr Biden thinks somewhat differently.
#6
I'm still gloating. Biden guarantees a McCain victory, GOP propagandists will feast on his gamy buttocks (and beady eyes, plugged hair, berserk mouth, etc.)
In fact, this brief format does not allow for more than a tiny sample of the gourmet goodness he will bring to the Republican table.
Obama could not have done more damage to his campaign if he had been caught buggering an American eagle in the middle of the Washington mall.
Posted by: Scott R ||
08/23/2008 6:40 Comments ||
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#8
wow. It is such a stupid move that I have to wonder if he is planning on dumping him for Hillary at the convention or some other alterior motive. I have to think that if this choice is real (and I'm sure it is, though so very hard to believe) that Obama's ego is so big and he is so insecure that he is only able to handle a VP who won't steal ANY of his lime light.
#13
Oh thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou! Biden not only has a wealth of juicy bits to go after in attack ads, he is also such a arrogant dick that he rubs everyone the wrong way.
Good choice Obama handlers.
#14
Naming Plugs as your Veep? He's so obnoxious he makes Michele look like Grace Kelly. By the time this is over BO will struggle to capture the majority of the black vote.
Posted by: regular joe ||
08/23/2008 8:37 Comments ||
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Biden, 65, has twice sought the White House, and is a Catholic with blue-collar roots, a generally liberal voting record and a reputation as a long-winded orator.
#17
Our potentially first black president picks a racist as his running mate. Methinks at least one of these two is going to drop out of the race about convention time.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
08/23/2008 9:09 Comments ||
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"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man."
"You cannot go to a Seven Eleven or Dunkin' Doughnuts unless you have an Indian accent."
-Joe Biden, 2006
You know who would be PERFECT to bring that up? Jindal, during his speech at the convention.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
08/23/2008 9:35 Comments ||
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#21
God is just and he has a sense of humor
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/23/2008 9:55 Comments ||
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#22
"You were asked, 'Is he ready?' You said, 'I think he can be ready, but right now, I don't believe he is. The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training,'" Stephanopoulos said.
"I think I stand by that statement," Biden replied.
#28
TW, IIRC he was 75th out of 86 students, so he can't do math either
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/23/2008 10:49 Comments ||
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#29
Sorry, my mind's eye is still stuck on that image generated back at post # 6: please send industrial strength brillo, STAT!
(A.C., I think I owe you one)
Seriously, the Seattle libs are gushing about this choice as if it were the third coming (what with Nobama being the second, and all) they see this as the final nail in Mc's coffin.
"Unaware of appropriate standards for legal briefs at the beginning of his legal training, Biden used a single footnote rather than multiple citations required to cite five pages from a legal article.
"Both Syracuse University Law School and the Delaware State Bar Association cleared Biden of plagiarism charges."
The commenter did NOT mention the issues during the 1988 campaign, which transpired long after Biden was a naive law student: Biden was a U.S. presidential aspirant who in 1987 was exposed for having plagiarized the speeches of some other politicians, such as British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock.
#31
Just guessing on my part, but I'd bet that Biden was picked after the Obama campaign took a close look at the post-Georgia invasion polling numbers. After the Bear growled, "Smart, Tough, and Experienced" probably trumped "Hope and Change" with the voters. Biden was picked for his tenure on the Senate Foreign Affairs committee.
As for his personality, I'd pay to see a cage match between Joe and Chuck Schumer. It would start when the ref tosses a single mic into the center of the ring.
#37
"You cannot go to a Seven Eleven or Dunkin' Doughnuts unless you have an Indian accent."
-Joe Biden, 2006
Ought to be on a video at the RNC.
Followed by Bobby Jindal saying (in his souther accent, but very visible, with a picture of his Indian father and mother over his shoulder)...
"I may not have my father's accent, but Senators Obama and Biden, you can find MY accent in the Governors Office in Great State of Louisiana, thanks to the Republican Party"
#38
I think Hillary pushed this one to ensure that Obama fails.
After all who else has the pull to push someone like this and stonewall off the other candidates?
And who would benefit more from Obama choosing an obvious 'self-aggrandizing ponce' than someone that wants to run against a wounded and aging McCain in 2012?
And assumign Obama fails, Hillary will spend 2 years collecting scalps. Payback is going to be a stone bitch from Hillary. And in 2010 when she starts campignign she will ahve every major possible competitor nailed ot the floor, since she will have the anger of Dems behind her, and the victimhood badge to flash the whole way.
#40
And who would benefit more from Obama choosing an obvious 'self-aggrandizing ponce' than someone that wants to run against a wounded and aging McCain in 2012?
Ma Cain is too old to run in 2012. Taht is why I was so interested in JC Wats as VP: first Black POTUS should belong to the Party who abolished slavery and discriminination not to the Party who fought teeth and nails to maintain them.
#42
Campaigning for president in New Hampshire in 1987, Biden admitted he had misstated several facts about his resume after a man named Frank questioned his Syracuse Law School resume.
Frank. Frank G?
Posted by: Bobby ||
08/23/2008 14:40 Comments ||
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#43
LOL - nope
over at AOSHQ, a clever commenter made the observation that, in honor of the Olympics, we should name this pair the "Clean and Jerk Ticket"
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/23/2008 15:01 Comments ||
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#44
Biden's the best he could do? Really? LOL.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
08/23/2008 15:10 Comments ||
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#45
Obama and Biden have somethign in common: each gives the impression that what he wants most is for you to know how smart he is.
Neither has any real world experience in business or the military.
Both are academic lawyers (teaching, not practicing).
Neither has held a real private sector job in the past decades.
Said GOP ad man and noted quipster of the Obama-Biden ticket: "They've picked the only guy in Washington who thinks he's a bigger celebrity than Barack Obama.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
08/23/2008 16:54 Comments ||
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#53
NPR reported that Senator Biden was chosen because he's seen as a union man, to pull in the union votes Hillary Clinton took in the primaries. And of course, he is white. It can no longer be said Candidate Obama discriminates against white people.
#57
I just hope the Republicans don't underestimate the impact of having Joe Biden on the ticket.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
08/23/2008 21:23 Comments ||
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#58
I don't think they will, Deac. I'd say some pretty high-powered Republican pols have assessed this one quite carefully. The biggest problem they have right now is stopping themselves from forming a conga line and dancing down K Street singing "The De-mos screwed themselves, YEAH; the De-mos screwed themselves, YEAH!"
This HAS to be the most ignorantly stupid political move since McGovern picked Eagleton in '72. Bama's gaffes aren't just gaffes--he really is that clueless! Incredible!
Looks like its Obama/Biden folks
August 22, 2008 10:50 PM
The United States Secret Service has dispatched a protective detail to assume the immediate protection of Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., a source tells ABC News, indicating in all likelihood that Biden has been officially notified that Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, has selected him to be his running mate.
John McCain has a guardian angel ...
Posted by: Full Bosomed1072 ||
08/23/2008 00:41 ||
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Sen. Barack Obama said he has decided on his running mate, but he's not saying who it is. "That's all you're going to get out of me," he said today. So it's not really news, is it? Let us know if something happens.
The top contenders are also staying mum on the selection process as the vice presidential guessing game enters its final hours. Obama is expected to appear at a rally with his running mate in Illinois on Saturday.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/23/2008 00:00 ||
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Barack ObamaÂ’s presidential campaign has put the brakes on ads that were running in seven states carried by the GOP in the 2004 presidential election, FOX News has learned.
Of the seven states — including Alaska, Georgia, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota — Florida and Virginia are considered key battlegrounds this year. Obama’s decision to stop advertising in those states is raising eyebrows.
Aides to Obama told FOX News that the changes are related to the convention next week. They wouldnÂ’t discuss the specifics of their ad strategy, but the Obama campaign insists that it has not pulled out of those states permanently, calling this a temporary suspension.
When ObamaÂ’s campaign took over the Democratic Party earlier this year, it embraced Howard DeanÂ’s 50-state strategy, which is aimed at courting Democrats nationwide. The strategy has generated controversy, though, because many Democrats say it wastes money in states where they have no chance of winning.
The suspension of ads in some states comes after Obama and McCain exchanged ads Thursday accusing the other of being out of touch with the average citizen because of the number of homes he owns or the amount of money he has.
#5
I thought he wanted to president of all the people, not just the Progressive Democrats? How are we to know that, if he won't even advertise to us? Once or twice a week, during The Daily Show, The Tonight Show, and whatever that other one is with the gentleman from Indiana who likes to call his mother. would probably be enough to remind all that he does too love us, too.
#6
Biden WAS NOT the Obamessiah's pick, it was Nancy Pelosi's pick. The word from one our congressman is she controls all party decisions and actions with an absolute iron hand. Experience issues aside, a senior democratic player like Biden is a good pick for Pelosi. Complete loyalty (daily backchannel Oval Office updates) and a viable man to step in and replace an indicted or resigned Obama.
The election for the office of president will be held on September 6, the Election Commission of Pakistan announced on Friday.
Candidates will file their nomination papers by 12pm on August 26. The chief election commissioner will scrutinise the nominations on August 28. Candidates will be allowed to withdraw their nominations before noon on August 30, after which a list of candidates will be published at 1pm. Polling will be held in Parliament House and provincial assemblies on September 6.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/23/2008 00:00 ||
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[11130 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
MAKKAH: The Saudi Council of Senior Scholars has rejected the demand that the beginning and end of lunar months should be determined on the basis of astronomical calculations.
"Shariah does not accept astronomical calculations based on mathematical computing as the basis for the beginning and ending of Ramadan," said Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, grand mufti of Saudi Arabia and chairman of the council.
"If anyone doubts our moon-sighting, fasting and feasting, it betrays his weak faith and defective perception," the grand mufti, who is head of the Administration of Research in Religious Sciences and Fatwa said. He cited a Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) which says, "You start fasting when you see (the moon) and stop it when you sight (the next moon) and when it is hidden by clouds, complete (30 days of) fasting."
The grand mufti added that it is obligatory on the Muslims to start fasting when any Muslim known for his honesty and healthy eyesight claims to have sighted the new moon. This is the practice in the Kingdom, he said, dismissing suggestion that Muslims may depend on astronomical calculations to begin fasting in Ramadan and celebrate Eid.
It is the Supreme Judicial Council that announces the sighting of the new moon to mark the beginning of Rajab (seventh month of the Islamic calendar), Shaaban (the month preceding Ramadan), Ramadan, and the three months following it, Al-Madinah newspaper reported.
The senior scholars' council concluded a series of discussions on the issue and came to the conclusion on Tuesday that sighting of the moon should be the basis of a month's beginning though three of its members supported the idea of depending on astronomical calculations.
Meanwhile, Saudi astronomer Jabar Al-Doussary said religious scholars and astronomers should settle their dispute on the moon-sighting issue. "Nothing but the astronomical calculations confirm the sighting of the moon in a convincing manner. The calculations are made not for a day or a month but for thousands of years. Even the viewing through observatories is based on such calculations," the astronomer said.
Khaled Al-Zuaq, member of the Arab Federation of Space Sciences and Astronomy stressed the need for a meeting of astronomers and religious scholars to bring an end to the row over moon-sighting and avoid errors. "The present method of confirming moon-sighting has created confusion that can be removed easily by adopting scientific methods," he said. A 15-member panel from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain had decided two years ago to launch an Islamic satellite, which would be used for sighting moon.
#1
So, on one hand, we have a bunch of mullahs with low blood sugar on a cloudy day vs NASA which makes three cushion bank shots off the planets to send probes into deep space. A popcorn-worthy contest, indeed.
Still I give 'em credit for even having this discussion - one that the West went thru with Galileo and the Inquisition about four centuries ago. Lucky for us, Science won, praise God. Enjoy your Sharia, losers.
#2
I often hear scholars say how the Quran is characterized by a unique phenomenon never found in any human authored book. Every element of the Quran is mathematically composed.. Yet the Senior Scholars say Mohammed is more knowledgeable than mathamatical computing.
Don't their heads just explode sometimes?
#3
It was trying to learn more of God and his design for the world that led the Christians to create the modern world. It is precisely by this kind of dogmatic reasoning that the the Arabs have remained in the dark ages. I should not be surprised if in two generations the Sauds primary mode of transportation is camels again. And rationalizing why the Koran says they should be happy about it.
#4
A 15-member panel from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain had decided two years ago to launch an Islamic satellite, which would be used for sighting moon.
What, pray tell, would be the orbit of this satellite?
Posted by: john frum ||
08/23/2008 13:06 Comments ||
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#5
I'm a guessing it a stationary parking orbit directly over Israel.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution says the world awaits the return of Imam Mahdi to rescue mankind from injustice and prejudice. I, for one, have a mullet under my tongue. I await him with baited breath.
Speaking on the birth anniversary of the 12th Shia Imam on Sunday, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said the return of Imam Mahdi would herald the rule of justice in the world. Even a nation like Iran who has established the rule of justice is subject to pressure and bullying by the world powers, a fact that indicates the world is full of injustice, the leader said.
Imam Mahdi, known as the Savior, was born almost 1,300 years ago on the fifteenth of Sha'ban, the eighth month of the lunar calendar. As of this writing, he remains deader than a rock.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/23/2008 00:00 ||
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[11123 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
SETTING STAGE FOR DECISIVE/FINAL BATTLE 2008-2012 [2016] Post-Dubya Period, ala US TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ NLT 2011???
Again, something is very wrong inside Radical Islam iff still can't mil win in Iraq + Afghanistan-Pakis even when the USA unilaterally asymmetrically downsizes or withdraws unto Radical Islam's own tactical advantage, EVEN WID NUCLEAR IRAN/ISLAMISM! The true IMAM-MAHDI Shouldn't need any Nukes to defeat or destroy an Infidel Army times larger than his own.
injustice= any situation where Muslmis are not world's overlords and atre denied their God given gift to enslave and ransom (make pay jizyah) the inferior races.
#16
Wait, is this the guy who has been occluded (whatever that means) in a well for 1,300 years?
Wow, you'd think by now there would be real complexion problems with wrinkled skin from centuries of immersion? Can you focus on justice and peace after bveing wet that long? What about the smell? Guy might be a little ripe?
Heartache for the fifth columnists, open borders traitors, and the Mexican Gov't which may actually have to deal with their own problem.
Illegal immigrants are returning home to Mexico in numbers not seen for decades -- and the Mexican government may have to deal with a crush on its social services and lower wages once the immigrants arrive.
The Mexican Consulate's office in Dallas is seeing increasing numbers of Mexican nationals requesting paperwork to go home for good, especially parents who want to know what documentation they'll need to enroll their children in Mexican schools. "Those numbers have increased percentage-wise tremendously," said Enrique Hubbard, the Mexican consul general in Dallas. "In fact, it's almost 100 percent more this year than it was the previous two years."
The illegal immigrant population in the U.S. has dropped 11 percent since August of last year, according to the Center for Immigration Studies. Its research shows 1.3 million illegal immigrants have returned to their home countries.
Some say illegal immigrants are leaving because a soft economy has led to fewer jobs, causing many laborers to seek work elsewhere. Others argue that a tough stance on immigration through law enforcement has spread fear throughout the illegal population.
"There's no question there's a variety of suggestions that people are in fact returning," said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies. "Remittances, which is the money immigrants send home to Mexico, have gone down dramatically over the past year. Again, probably part the economy, but also part enforcement, leading to fewer people being here."
Advocates for immigrants are disturbed by the trend. Albert Ruiz, an organizer for the League of United Latin American Citizens, agrees that more undocumented immigrants are going home -- but says families are being torn apart in the process. If a father is deported, Ruiz says, his family members in America are forced either to fend for themselves or follow him to a country where they've never even lived. "So the mother is saying we should return home with the breadwinner of the family to Mexico, and the children are saying, I don't want to leave, I'm a U.S. citizen, I don't know that country," said Ruiz.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon plans to help returning nationals by providing food, medical care and temporary shelter if needed. But reports are already out in Mexico that the large number of illegal immigrants returning home could drive down wages and put pressure on social cry me a rio, pendejo
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/23/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
GET OUT! JUST GET THE HELL OUT! YOU WEREN'T WANTED TO START WITH AND YOU'RE WANTED EVEN LESS NOW. TAKE YOUR VICIOUS CRIMINALITY AND OUT-OF-CONTROL SOCIAL COSTS WITH YOU AND DON'T EVEN THINK OF COMING BACK!
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/23/2008 1:05 Comments ||
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#4
Gee, Steve, the place is called "Rantburg," isn't it? Plus, if this particular issue isn't a topic worthy of ranting about, there aren't any. Seems like I recall lots of Americans ranting quite loudly about it when the last immigration bill was being considered by Congress.
Besides, I could be channeling Joe Mendiola! AS GUAM GOES, SO GOES THE NATION! JOE '08!!!!!!
#6
Some say illegal immigrants are leaving because a soft economy has led to fewer jobs, causing many laborers to seek work elsewhere. Others argue that a tough stance on immigration through law enforcement has spread fear throughout the illegal population.
Not either-or, but Both. Now build the damned fence for security reasons. Reducing illegals is just a beneficial side effect.
What a useless generalization. To attribute that kind of ability to a nationality is freaking stupid. More like some people out there are excellent cement workers.
#8
...I work for an industrial galvanizing company in SC (if something needs to be dipped in molten zinc, we're your guys) and about 75% of our workforce is Mexican, working through an agency. To a man they are quiet, polite, and VERY hard working - not to mention they have no intention of going home. They've made good lives here; they ain't giving it up to go back to the corruption and crime.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
08/23/2008 4:56 Comments ||
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#9
Mike,
I don't care about any of their other attributes; if they're here illegally, they're CRIMINALS. And, IF you're aiding and abetting that criminal behavior, say by hiring them without proper verification of citizenship, YOU'RE A CRIMINAL TOO.
It's not America's fault that Mexico is a sinkhole of crime and corruption. They managed that all on their own. And, given the opportunity, they'll do the same thing up here. Have you taken a good look at SoCal lately?
BTW, next time you're talking to one of your wonderful Mex coworkers, why don't you ask them why it's such a good idea for Mex to have draconian laws against illegal immigration (they often SHOOT people crossing their border illegally) but the U.S. enforcing its border laws is considered racist.
All foreigners that are here illegally need to be shipped back. Period. End of story.
Well congratulations on working for a company that no doubt underpays 75% of its workforce. Congratulations on helping to continue a entire class of labor forced to live in the shadows without all of the protections of the law - due to their fear of being deported. I'm sure it is very profitable for all of you to keep the little brown boy down. You must be so proud.
#13
We had a crew here putting faux stone on the house. My wife asked (in Spanish) what part of Mexico they were from. They got a little peeved. Seems they were all from Nicaragua.
All of them worked hard and were polite to her. Can't say that about every other sub we had here.
#14
I don't care if we have to hand out 2 million green cards a month to fill our cheap labor needs. If they want to work here, great. Get in line. If they are here illegally, get the fuck out and try again. Illegal is illegal. I don't care how nice or big of dickheads they are. A nation that does not control its borders and its national identity will soon no longer be a nation.
#15
The only downside is these guys are leaving for economic reasons -- ie they work. Unfortunately that leaves the layabout "refugees" and gangs ensconced and livin large in our welfare state.
Posted by: regular joe ||
08/23/2008 8:41 Comments ||
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#16
They can stay in the crappy molten zinc factory, I'll go the Puerto Vallarta, its an equitable trade.
#17
the Mexican government may have to deal with a crush on its social services
Man, that line is pure comedy gold!!
Posted by: Swamp Blondie in the Cornfields ||
08/23/2008 9:16 Comments ||
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#18
They can stay in the crappy molten zinc factory, I'll go the Puerto Vallarta, its an equitable trade.
Aye, that's the rub. The Mexican government wants free flow of labor but they will not permit free flow of capital [except in the corrupt context]. Regardless of the tripe you see on HGTV with Americans buying homes on the beaches in Old Mexico, the national constitution is specific. No foreigners can own land within 100 miles of the ocean. So when things get sticky or iffy down there, those American yahoos are going to lose it all when their extra special dispensation paper goes up in puff in face of traditional Mexican xenophobia. Of course that's when those expatriates will want their own little Puty in DC to come and rescue them. After the Mexicans modify their own xenophobic constitution, they can come talk about the 'free flow of labor'.
#19
As a qualifier, I'm a "build the fence, faster!" guy, and all for deporting illegals, but once that's done, I'd like to see a well-run "bracero"-type program. But that's after we get this situation under control
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/23/2008 10:02 Comments ||
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#20
#7: Mexicans are excellent cement workers.
What a useless generalization. To attribute that kind of ability to a nationality is freaking stupid. More like some people out there are excellent cement workers.
#21
It's not just the illegals who are leaving. Don't forget that green card holders must return to their country of origin to reapply when their card is due to expire. A friend of formerly temporary daughter has returned to a dusty village in Mexico with the expectation that her father's green card will not be renewed in time for her to graduate with their high school class in two years. Her father had a technical job that paid well enough for them to live in a 2,500 sq.foot house in a decent neighborhood. I'm sure there's a lot of that going around, too.
#23
The Mexican Consulate's office in Dallas is seeing increasing numbers of Mexican nationals requesting paperwork to go home for good, especially parents who want to know what documentation they'll need to enroll their children in Mexican schools.
Am I reading this correctly? After coming to the USA illegally and without any documentation whatsoever they need papers and permission from the Mexican government to go home? Excuse me but that can't be right. Can it?
Yeah, and bigjim and P2K raised an interesting point about buying beachfront property in Mexico. If I could buy a beach house in Puerto Escondido with all the rights, benefits, security and privileges that I enjoy in this country I would stop bitching immediately and move there. Until that day all these illegals can GO BACK HOME!!!
And, Mike, it's no surprise that those guys working in you zinc factory are hardworking, polite just exemplary all-around good guys. But if they are here illegally you need to get rid of them and they need to GO BACK HOME!!!
AND JOE FOR PRESIDENT!!! because McCain doesn't get it
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
08/23/2008 12:25 Comments ||
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#24
...Okay, just a couple of notes here: First, every last one of these guys has his green card, and got it playing by the rules - just like my grandparents did when they came here from Poland and Italy. Secondly, their pay is the same as mine, and I'm doing quite nicely. Third - and I've noticed this among expatriates from countries like South Korea and the Philippines - they don't like talking about politics to anyone except one of their own, and even THEN they keep it down. Things are bad down Mexico way (much worse than our government and media let on) and it's to the point where you have different people belonging to different factions, and you really don't know who will be reporting your comments to whom.
Gimme a break, folks. I think my rep here is such that nobody should doubt that if there was a company employing illegals and paying them less than the legal federal minimum wage, I wouldn't be working there.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
08/23/2008 12:33 Comments ||
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#25
The illegals are here in an unregulated fashion. That is my beef. Get them out of the market, and out of our ERs. That means screenign tightly, and dislalowign them any work until/unless here legally.
I have no problem, and all fo the centra americans and mexicans I have met working with charities are hard working.
The problem is the border being wide open is a huge security risk, as are all these peopel who have not followed the process properly.
Its dangerous, and its also simply unfair.
So get them back to the proper side of the border, crack down on those that illegella employ them, and then fix the damned immigration mess.
Get rid of H-1B and other visas that make virtual slaves out of immmigrants - let them compete freely in the marketplace.
We are making entry far too easy for people we dont want to get, and entry far too hard for people we should want to get in.
So as a matter of fairness, security, and national soverignty (must control the borders and immigration), the illegals MUST go, and we must build the fence.
Attrition by enforcement does work, and is part of what causing the current exodus.
We just need to ensure they they do not com back except as we want them to.
As for those here legally, I find nearly 100% of them to be massively patriotic, appreciative of our country and the values we hold dear.
We need more like them. Legal immigrants have been the lifeblood of this country, a nation of mutts.
But we need to fence and close down the borders and coastline first - it is a matter of national security on both a military and an economic basis.
#26
And yes, Mexico is a huge mess - the elitists in the ruling class have some stupid european sense of entitlement that they feel gives them every right to hold on to control and corruption, to make laws that restrict capital to their class, and generally make it impossible for an economic ladder to exist, muchless allow people to climb it.
After all, they are the rulers, and the rest are just peasants. THat is why all the rulign parties in Mexico tend toward state ownership ofindustry - because they know that thier families will be the ones running the government and therefore in control.
Until Mexico gets its upperclass a brain change (possibly by large caliber bullets), and real democracy is put in place, they are going to continue ot have corruption, class warfare and a nearly permanent stratification that stifles real growth.
I have a feeling right now, the average Iraqi has a better potential for becoming well off and living freely in a representative democracy than does the average Mexican in Mexico. After all, unlike Mexico, Iraq has the US enforcing real democracy, cracking down on corruption, producing a truly non-partisal police force, and producing a professional army that is part of and subsurvient to the civil structure.
Gavin Newsome [POS], being a self-declared “sanctuary city” and recent stories about sending illegal immigrant criminals to San Bernardino.
The man charged with shooting - with an AK 47 – to death Anthony Bologna, 49, and his sons, Michael, 20, and Matthew, 16, is Edwin Ramos, an El Salvador native and *alleged* gang member.
Associated Press
*The F'G newspaper is bending WAY over backwards claiming LYING about *alleged*.. Like he was a member of Mara Salvatrucha gang, known as MS-13.
The illegal scumbag [Edwin Ramos] was carrying a loaded AK-47 in his car and got a case of the ASS while driving in the USA illegally.
Not being an American he felt entitled to unloaded his AK into a Father and two sons, Anthony Bologna, 49, and his sons, Michael, 20, and Matthew, 16, AND MURDERED THEM!
There are cases like this every month...
Fucking Disgusting
Posted by: Red Dawg ||
08/23/2008 14:08 Comments ||
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#28
All I can say is go home faster please...give limited visas w/a path to citizenship for educated foreigners that get in line the right way and want to emigrate here. A moratorium on all othere entrants. The motel is full. Get off my highways, out of my public schools and out of my ERs. I don't want to hear about press 1 for English. My ancestors ditched Gaelic & German in favor of English as fast as possible. Also, the gov't needs to make it hard for these new immigrants' distant relatives hopping a flight out of bangladesh or wherever & jumping on the system. Build a HUGE WALL, back it up w/mil assets if needed, end of story.
#29
"the Mexican government may have to deal with a crush on its social services and lower wages once the immigrants arrive."
Awwwwww - ain't that just too bad.
What goes around comes around, Señor Calderon. Deal with it.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
08/23/2008 14:40 Comments ||
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#30
Barb, so true - think about the load our social services have been under from these illegal aliens. I've heard that in California it is especially bad.
#31
Stop all of the free expected stuff and free services and we may see more returning home.
For all of society to have to pay all of the social benefits to the whole family while the one worker is here only benefiting the sole business, I sure don't like having to pick up the tab.
Posted by: Jan ||
08/23/2008 16:06 Comments ||
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#32
Kozlowski
Hummmmm.....
Sounds foreign. So no to whatever you're saying.
BTW Gimme the Hunley book title so I can like buy it already.
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
08/23/2008 17:15 Comments ||
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#34
A few years ago I was offered a very well paid job from an American employer (I didn't even apply for it) that would have paid more than 15000 dollars a month.
I was tempted to move from Europe but when I started to dig into the bureaucracy and limitation of the H-1B visa I finally decided not to accept the job.
If I move to another country that wants my skills I don't want to be treated like a second class resident whose right to stay depends on the mercy of an employer.
The current system in the U.S. actually favors those who just ignore the legal proceedings and scares off highly skilled people who are actually wanted in the U.S.
#36
It sure is. But at least there is a path of sorts.
As a military wife I could not take ANY employment on the local economies at potential European postings when Mr. Lotp was active duty, other than the random opening on post.
And that was at a time when my skills were in great demand in Britain and on the continent.
#39
As a trailing spouse I could not take any paid employment in Germany when my civilian husband was transferred there by his American company (I'm quite certain they are not the ones who offered you a job, Sonny Fleans7954. They would have hired you properly in Europe, then transferred you as a European expat to the U.S. later.) I think that held true in Belgium when we were subsequently transferred there.
#41
Something happened here that I haven't seen anywhere else - a brother turned in his family members who were here illegally because they wouldn't work. The brother came here legally in 1976, and now owns his own business. His brother hoped he'd found a meal ticket for him and his extended family. Brother got mad, told them to 'get out, go home'. When they didn't, he called ICE.
BTW, Colorado has a HUGE illegal problem, but not much here in Colorado Springs. Seems most Latinos don't care much for snow falling in virtually any month of the year.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
08/23/2008 17:55 Comments ||
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#42
Just found out you do not need the proposed silly nicks
So Sonny Fleans7954 = Sane European from now on
Posted by: Sane European ||
08/23/2008 17:56 Comments ||
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#43
Oh Colorado, a beautiful place. Spent some holidays here once.
Posted by: Sane European ||
08/23/2008 17:58 Comments ||
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#44
Mr. Pruitt set up a clever nym system, Sane European. Welcome, cousin! I look forward to learning from you.
when you give up a very well paid job and move overseas you don't want to face those restrictions.
More simply, when you move overseas you don't want to face those restrictions, especially for something that might not be long term. We were promised a four-year stay in Brussels as recompense for leaving a very satisfactory situation in Frankfurt. But after only a year Mr. Wife was given a promotion back in the States, so we weren't there long enough to enjoy the country. :-(
#45
Those restrictions are truly silly. It's like saying: We want your husband but your wife is not "welcome", at least not as a competitor.
Same goes for marriage. If a German marries an American woman and she moves to Germany, she is not allowed to work (I think for 4 years). Only after 4 years she will get a permanent residence permit that is independent of her marriage.
Posted by: Sane European ||
08/23/2008 18:17 Comments ||
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#46
@tw "Welcome, cousin!"
Thank you! Are you saying there are two of a kind? :-)
Posted by: Sane European ||
08/23/2008 18:18 Comments ||
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#47
The Germans are very protective of jobs and industry. As a frequent visitor at stateside Home Depots, during our recent stay in Germany, I enjoyed visiting the Baumarkets in Rhineland-Platz. You don't see much..."MADE IN CHINA" stuff there, which is damn good for the Germans in my opinion.
#48
You'll find them and some people who need to buy cheap buy them and come to regret it.
Anyone doing serious work with tools does not touch this crap.
Posted by: Sane European ||
08/23/2008 18:38 Comments ||
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#49
Sane European, Why not come to America on vacation, stay with someone you know, find a job and disappear in the system? I say this because of the impending doom of Europe.
#62
What happened to him? I just googled him and he sure must have been interesting.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
08/23/2008 21:20 Comments ||
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#63
That he was. Lots of posters here miss True German Ally a great deal, as his posts almost always showed an insight into Euro thinking that was not commonly available.
I don't have a problem with immigration; I have a HUGE problem with illegal immigration. We need talented, educated, intelligent, hardworking people. We DON'T need any more uneducated, illiterate gangbangers who are going to terrorize our citizens and clog our jails.
Because it's OUR country, we get to choose who we let in. Anyone here illegally is a criminal and should be deported immediately and permanently deprived of any right to ever cross our borders again.
It's the traitors in the Democrat Party who want the open borders policy. They see in it a way to swamp the indigenous vote, which hasn't given them a majority since 1964. Those bastards are pushing us toward a Second Civil War.
#64
Jolutch - exactly true, except there are big business interests (see: Tyson Chicken, et al) who give money to both Donks and Reps, and expect returns. I also blame certain Republican interests (see: Wall Street Journal) for putting their wallets ahead of American citizen's interests. Those too, need to be exposed, and prosecuted, with higher-up white-collar assholes going to jail and losing assets
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/23/2008 22:05 Comments ||
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#65
are big business interests (see: Tyson Chicken, et al) who give money to both Donks and Reps, and expect returns. I also blame certain Republican interests (see: Wall Street Journal) for putting their wallets ahead of American citizen's interests. Those too, need to be exposed, and prosecuted, with higher-up white-collar assholes going to jail and losing assets
I fully concur with this assessment. Both political parties have sold us out on this one as their confluence of interests decreed that they ignore the 80+ percent of Americans who have for three decades expressed their wish to have immigration greatly curtailed.
In this we've followed Britain. If you watched the BBC series on Enoch Powell that A5089 posted some time back, the British pols of Powell's time IN BOTH PARTIES simply decided that the topic of immigration WOULD NOT BE DISCUSSED PUBLICLY. They opened the borders, flooded the country with immigrants, and basically told the British people that if they didn't like it they were racists who could sod off somewhere else. I don't think it's coincidental that it was in those years that the British Government conclusively decided that under no circumstances should British citizens ever be allowed guns for self-defense purposes.
The same thing--ignoring the will of the people on this issue--has happened here, except we've so far fought off the attempt to take our guns. Nothing in American political history since Ronald Reagan was more cheering to me than to see the entire country rise up in anger at the proposed immigration bill in 2005.
All the stars were aligned to insure its passing; the POTUS, the Dem majority in House and Senate, Kennedy, McCain, the MSM, in short, every powerful force in DC was behind this bill.
I'd never seen a full-court press like that on any previous issue. The elites wanted that one badly and they pulled out all the stops to get it.
The only group not in accord was THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. They understood what was happening and knew damned well it would be bad for them. When THE AMERICAN PEOPLE stood up and reminded those bastards who they work for, the elites folded like a cheap suit.
I've often despaired of the intelligence of the American electorate but that vast outpouring of concern on an issue of supreme importance truly buoyed my hopes for the country. It may take a lot to get Americans to pay attention (Fred's A SHATTERED NATION LONGS TO CARE ABOUT STUPID BULLSHIT AGAIN graphic couldn't be more apt), but when the chips are down we WILL pay attention, and we'll get it right.
I think that episode taught the powers that be a real lesson. The important question is how long the effect will last.
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.
A day before the deadline for their promised retreat from Georgian territory, Russian troops showed signs of withdrawal in some places Thursday but announced plans to strengthen their presence in others.
LITTLETON, Colo. -- The man accused of sending a threatening letter to John McCain through McCain's Colorado headquarters office detailed the contents of his letter in an exclusive interview with 7NEWS Friday.
Senator Joe Biden of Delaware is Barack Obama's pick as vice presidential running mate, FOX News confirms.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution says the world awaits the return of Imam Mahdi to rescue mankind from injustice and prejudice. 
