1) Assault charge against student placed by drunk cop
2) Drunk cops intimidating students
Re #1, either it didn't happen or their actions provoked a response (and BRAVO to the one who decided NOT to take it). If it's dropped (no other option is apropos, IMHO) since it is an OBVIOUS BS charge by the drunk cops - then let bygones be bygones. If they actually try to prosecute the student, I'm for helping him out and cramming this story up the cops asses - sideways. Not attacking Australia, just some stupid asshats who happen to be from there, just like at Abu Ghraib - they get what they deserve, end of story.
A Swedish aid organization will roll out a new line of defense to the country's emergency services next week -- the condom ambulance.
The "Rubber Wagon"
From Friday, June 4, amorous couples can call the telephone number 696969 and a white van featuring a large red condom with wings as a logo will deliver them a packet of 10 prophylactics.
I see a vast potential for teenage crank calls, such as having a urgent delivery made to the church lady down the street.
"We need to increase the usage of condoms," said Carl Osvald, marketing manager for the Swedish Organization for Sex Education, the non-governmental organization behind the initiative. "It is 50 percent about pregnancy and 50 percent about sexually transmitted diseases."
And 100% about your job security
The ambulances will operate in Stockholm and the southern cities of Malmo and Gothenberg. The service, aimed at young people, will run until June 25 and be available between four in the afternoon and nine at night.
Just in time for Happy Hour
Posted by: Steve ||
06/01/2004 12:33:18 PM ||
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A Swedish aid organization will roll out a new line of defense . . .
#3
696969?
Kind of rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?
Posted by: Steve ||
06/01/2004 14:02 Comments ||
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Steve, that would be "sex, nio, sex, nio, sex, nio, oh nio, I can't wait for that ambulance, let's just do it", or "sextio-nio, sextio-nio, sextio-nio, oh nio, don't change your mind, the ambulance will be here any second burning rubber". Will the Ambulance come first?
#8
I dunno, I read an article the other day that said 97% of condom brands have an extremely carcenogenic chemical that gets liberated by "bodily fluids...."
#9
Seems like they are only dealing with the tip of the problem of promiscuity. A problem like this seems to go a lot deeper than just emergency deliveries of a pack of rubbers.
Posted by: Phil B ||
06/01/2004 21:10 ||
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" and some spiritual heir of Henry Kissinger has doubtless already come up with a plan to split off the Eastern Province as an American protectorate ..."
Yo, .com, I didn't know you and HK hung out together. I hear he's a babe magnet.
Good to see you posting full speed again.
Posted by: Matt ||
06/01/2004 22:34 Comments ||
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The Brits did it with Kuwait and the Emirates, and it worked reasonably well.
Posted by: Phil B ||
06/01/2004 22:45 Comments ||
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Hey, Matt! *blush*
Interesting piece - and she's prolly right about the change that would have to take place if the people who want the otherthrow came to power - oops!
I only have one bone to pick and that is the statement that the Eastern Province is still predominantly Shi'a - I have it on fairly good authority that she's quoting old data... and the Saudi's only make public what they feel like making public. Census? Available? Ha! Anyway - she tosses the idea of taking the oil sands like a used Kleenex - and I'm sure she considers the reference to Kissinger as a slur, heh.
Who knows? One thing is true - the end of the current situation is approaching. I've read 10 articles today about Expat groups who appear to be packing up -- exodus time. Whether or not the oil keeps flowing (yes) at the same rate (no) and for how long - hey, even Lundberg himself couldn't answer with better than 50/50 odds!
#4
Yup...I spent last week trying to convince some friends not to return. I told 'em it was going to get worse...they said (about Yanbu) "That stuff happened a long way from us." This conversation took place the day before the hostage murders. They live in Khobar.
IT WAS the "fourth generation" aircraft designed to protect the skies above free Europe at the height of the Cold War. But, 15 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, after Perestroika and German reunification, Eurofighter is already accused of being years behind the times.
No single piece of military hardware has caused so much trouble for successive governments, in Britain and across Europe, as the ill-fated Eurofighter Typhoon. Beset by problems with design, hideous delays and enormous cost overruns, the fighter is already four years behind schedule. But, just as the Royal Air Force prepares to take delivery of the first of more than 200 Eurofighters to which it has been committed for almost a decade, it has emerged that the RAF will not have all of them in its hands for long. A sheepish Ministry of Defence (MoD) has admitted that moves are already underway to sell off dozens of the brand-new super-fighters as soon as they are delivered. "Some consideration has been given to the scope to provide for early blue light special export of Eurofighter Typhoon to potential overseas customers," admitted armed forces minister Adam Ingram. "If pursued, a sale might be accomplished by adjusting the delivery profile to the RAF. The RAF remains, however, the primary customer for these aircraft and any decision made will take full account of its requirements."
The MoD had been planning to spend £20b on 232 Eurofighters over the next 20 years, already £2.3bn above the original budget. "In the next couple of months, the government is going to announce that it will make the most swingeing cuts to our armed forces," observed Tory defence spokesman Gerald Howarth. "They are looking to make savings wherever they can." Ministers deny that they are planning to impose such drastic budget restrictions on an arm of government that routinely complains of "overstretch", but the signals from within the MoD tell a radically different story. The departmentâs most senior civil servant, Sir Kevin Tebbit, has already admitted that the armed forces face major cuts because of Treasury spending restrictions.
"Here's yer reward for all the outstanding work in Iraq, chaps!"
The Royal Navy and the RAF are preparing to endure the most severe cuts, and expensive new projects, notably the Eurofighter Typhoon, are inevitably under greater scrutiny. Under proposals thrashed out within the MoD itself, the RAF would lose all of its 141 Jaguar and Harrier ground attack aircraft, its 39 Puma helicopters and a number of bases. Reducing the number of Eurofighters to be maintained in the fleet would free cash to be spent elsewhere. Recent attention has concentrated on the possibility of the UK scaling down its original commitment - given by a previous Tory Government - to buying 232 of the planes, slashing the figure by up to a half.
Air support? Who needs air support?
But, with the first tranche of 55 to be delivered by 2006, their room for manoeuvre in the short term is limited. It would also risk more political fall-out with Britainâs partners in the project: Italy, Spain and Germany. The most acceptable alternative to emerge is an agreement that Britain will meet its commitment, but seek to reduce the costs by selling up to 20 of the first delivery elsewhere. Singapore, Austria and Greece have emerged as the most likely customers.
Howarth, at least, recognises the spin-off value of what would inevitably be an embarrassing development, to British manufacturers including BAE, which are heavily involved in the Eurofighter project. "Providing we have sufficient cover, if some of the production-line places allocated to the RAF are allocated to the open market, I cannot complain," he told Scotland on Sunday. "Defence sales are hugely important to the UK because, without them, our unit costs for our own equipment would be incredibly expensive."
The wider argument, one more enduring than any short-term budget crisis, is that the UK would simply not need so many of the new planes, even if it could easily find the money to pay for them. Some critics, in fact, argue that, with the Cold War threat having evaporated, Britain does not really need the new planes at all. "The really ironic thing is that the planes we might have the most need for, the ground-attack variant of the Eurofighter, are in the third tranche [of 88 planes], and that is the one most at risk of being cancelled," Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Paul Keetch told Scotland on Sunday.
"The first tranche, the air-defence Eurofighters, are terribly good aircraft, but there is no longer any aerial threat to the UK, so who are we going to use them on? The only nation with a comparable capability is the United States and, short of going to war with them, I canât see us ever needing any of these planes."
Howarth insists that Eurofighter, and particularly the ground attack variant, will be vital in defending British forces and interests in future conflicts. "We donât want to find ourselves ranged against a country that has air supremacy over us," he said. "Without supremacy in the air you put your men at risk on the ground. With the anniversary of D-Day coming up, anyone who thinks we can just get rid of planes like these should be reminded of the slaughter that can be suffered by ground forces if you do not win the battle in the skies above them."
At the MoD, however, the mood remains defiantly optimistic. "Maybe next time we go into a project with the Italians and the Germans and the Spanish weâll get it right first time."
For this kind of money they could have all bought F-18E/Fs and have been done with it.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/01/2004 9:10:57 AM ||
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The Brits (RN and RAF) are also involved with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. That's the plane they need (delivery schedule in 2008). In the meantime, we don't need no stinkin' eurofighter!
#2
With all due respect to Steve and Spot,the smartest thing the Brits should have done was build their own F-16 Variant,like the Japanese are.They could then have entered into partnership agreements w/Euro F-16 users for upgrade/replacement.Could still be done,but unlikely as Eurofighter has become totally political,w/Britain not wishing to further anger Euros.
FYI,the naval officer charged w/overseeing F-18E/F project told a group of writers and retired Aviation Admirals that it is true that F-18E has less range,less acceleration,less turning ability than F-18C,but other than that the F-18E is superior.(US Navy range figures for two a/c show F-18C w/2 300 gallon external tanks,and the F-18E w/2 450 gallon external tanks!)BTW,the Navy promoted the officer.In Iraq war,Admiral who had both F-18C's &E's,used his C's for strike missions and used his brand-new alledgedly superior F-18E's as tankers.
As to F-35,I have used too much of Fred's bandwidth in past b***ing about it,for now let's just point out it was originally supposed to enter service next year,and it is going thru severe cost increases.
Posted by: Stephen ||
06/01/2004 19:38 Comments ||
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You have to remember that the Eurofighter was conceived 20 years ago when there was far more enthuiasm for European cooperation than there is today. Since then the UK defence industry has moved to closer cooperation with USA and were the decision made today the decision would almost certainly be to buy/build an American plane.
Having said that I think they should go with an unmanned/autonomous aerial vehicle.
Posted by: Phil B ||
06/01/2004 21:20 Comments ||
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Sunday, May 30, 2004 Posted: 8:37 PM EDT (0037 GMT)
HAVANA, Cuba (Reuters) -- Cuba celebrated on Sunday the arrival of a million tourists in record time, despite U.S. efforts to undermine the Communist nationâs most important economic sector and amid a shake-up over corruption. What, corruption in a communist nation? Getouddahere!
"In 2002, we reached the figure (a million visitors) on July 29 and in 2003 on June 29," said a statement from the Tourism Ministry, read out amid dancing and spiced rum drinks at Havanaâs Hotel Nacional. The statement said the industry was on track to attract a record 2 million tourists this year. The good news came as President George W. Bush targeted the industry in an effort to tighten the four-decade-old U.S. embargo on the island.
Bush strengthened prohibitions on Americans traveling to Cuba and earlier this month announced Cuban-Americans could visit home only once every three years, instead of annually. Americans must seek government authorization to visit Cuba under the embargo. Some 120,000 Cuban-Americans and 67,600 Americans made the trip in 2002 under regulations dating back to the Clinton administration.
The government reported 1.9 million tourists visited last year and direct and indirect revenues were $2.1 billion, more than 40 percent of the Caribbean islandâs dollar earnings. Cubaâs tourism industry, like the economy in general, is controlled by the state.
"There are less Americans coming, but many more Canadians and British. So far it has been an excellent year, despite Bush," the Cuba-based sales manager of a major European hotel chain said, asking his name not be used. Cuba began developing the tourism industry after the demise of former-benefactor the Soviet Union left it without dollars to purchase fuel, food and other products abroad. Fearless leader, we must cater to the despicable Yanqui running dogs for their solvent hard currencies!
Tourism, which grew at a 19 percent clip in the 1990s and at a bit under 10 percent since then, is credited with lifting the country out of the depths of its worst crisis ever. Yet Communist authorities are unhappy about loose spending and corruption that has limited profits. Whoa Nellie! Letâs do the math, here. Cubaâs tourist industry is "controlled by the state." The tourist industry is corrupt. According to syllogistic logic, if A = B and B = C, then A = C. Ergo, if Cubaâs state run tourist industry is corrupt, Cubaâs government is corrupt. I know, I know, just another BGO (Blinding Glimpse of the Obvious).
Top executives from the countryâs largest tourism group, Cubanacan, were fired late last year and the tourism minister was replaced in February. Industry insiders report many other ministry executives were removed since then. But ... but, communists can do no wrong!
Communist party cadres are being shown a video featuring Defense Minister Raul Castro, President Castroâs younger brother and chosen successor, denouncing corruption and wasteful spending in the industry and criticizing the former tourism minister for not doing enough about it, people who have viewed the film said. Be sure to take a gander at the photo of El Presidente in the article. He looks like five miles of hammered sh!t.
Posted by: Zenster ||
06/01/2004 1:18:41 AM ||
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...denouncing corruption and wasteful spending in the industry...
Let's just say that the Havana Super Eight is now BWOTP - bring your own toilet paper.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
06/01/2004 22:30 Comments ||
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Good God! The "virtuous" are everywhere!
The Democratic Peopleâs Republic of Korea has joined the world-wide trend towards the building of a new world without tobacco in the new century. Smoking has become one of the worldâs serious problems as it endangers human existence, destructs the ecological environment of nature and gives great damage to the socio-economic activities. Look soon for the disaster movie.
The DPRK government has fully encouraged the no-smoking campaign to prevent all the sufferings from smoking and to provide people with an independent and creative life. It has controlled the cultivation, production, import and sale of tobacco and smoking by law in the country. Therefore, any agency, enterprise and company can neither import cigarettes without the government permission nor those who toured other countries can bring cigarettes into the country. Has Massachusetts heard about this yet? Nah, they need the tax money. For the children.
Cigarette import has been restricted by means of increasing duties. On second thought...
The government has taken various practical measures such as encouraging shops and markets in the country to sharply increase the price of cigarettes and extending no-smoking places. Hygienic information activities have been conducted extensively to make all the people interested in the no-smoking campaign. Also included in the no-smoking campaign are propaganda through mass media, art propaganda squadâs activities and hygienic lectures. Just like here. But have they sued "Big Tobacco" yet?
An increasing number of men have quitted smoking or refrained from smoking in public places, offices and families. Probably beats being shot.
A function has taken place at the Peopleâs Palace of Culture on Monday to mark the World No-tobacco Day. A photo show has been held and people have been informed of harmfulness of tobacco. "No-smoking" signs are seen in medical and educational institutions, gymnasiums and other places in the country. Cigarette sale is also prohibited. Their next program: "Eating causes obesity. So DONâT!"
Posted by: tu3031 ||
06/01/2004 10:33:12 AM ||
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The things you learn... I had no idea tobacco was such a big crop in the Koreas. For some reason I had thought the area wasn't temperate enough for tobacco cultivation... This site claims that 1.6% of South Korea's arable land is tied up in growing it. That's a lot for a country that only uses a ninth of its arable land for other agricultural purposes.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
06/01/2004 11:08 Comments ||
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I'll bet chewing tobacco will stay popular tho.
Bill the Cat(R) is an example of what someone looks like who has quit smoking cold turkey. Imagine millions of people who are forced into this situation, where many of them are starving, while Kimmie has his impoted Japanese Kobe Steaks, French Cognac, and Cuban cigars.
China is gearing-up for large-scale military wargames aimed at "taking control of the Taiwan Strait", with 18,000 troops and the amphibious landing of a tank brigade. China has become increasingly agitated with independence-leaning Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian, and the report referred to the exercises as the first-ever aimed at "striving to control the Taiwan Strait." The 18,000 soldiers will be deployed from the land, navy and air force of the Nanjing Military Region, where some 500 short-range ballistic missiles are pointed at Taiwan. "Sukoi Su-27 fighter jets will be outfitted with KN59M guided air-to-surface missiles in an effort to maintain control over the Taiwan Strait and ensure that tank brigades can make a landing and engage in warfare," the report said.
First you have to get through Taiwan's SAM defenses and their fighters.
Submarines, war ships and a guided missile brigade would also be involved in the exercises that were to be led by Lieutenant General Huang Jiang, it said. Soldiers were deployed on Dongshan Island in mid-May where tanks and armoured personnel carriers had been practicing amphibious landings daily on Jinluan beach, it said. It was not clear if the exercises had already begun.
Posted by: Steve ||
06/01/2004 9:37:17 AM ||
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those tanks won't do much good sitting on the bottom of the straits. Between Taiwan and our subs - the Chicoms don't have the capability to invade.
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/01/2004 9:56 Comments ||
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Chinese surface ship news.
http://tinyurl.com/3d2bm
#3
If they were convinced a Kerry Presidency would not interfere, they could perhaps nuke their way across the straits against an abandoned Taiwan.
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats ||
06/01/2004 12:04 Comments ||
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trouble for them is, the Chicoms would have to destroy Taiwan to capture it. Kill the goose and the golden egg... they'd be more successful trying to undermine from within, but then a non-capitalist Taiwan wouldn't be the same, would it? Ask Hong Kong
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/01/2004 12:50 Comments ||
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china will need to land more than 18,000 troops and an amoured brigade...if it were for real they would chewed up in the first 24 hours...the chicoms need another 5-10 years to build the forces needed...unless they misread our military deployments and conclude they could get away with it..they would still be chewed up and thier economy would take a serious dump..
we need to ask ourselfs - is being able to buy cheap shoddy products worth the price? we are just filling their treasury for ams purchases!
Posted by: Dan ||
06/01/2004 13:04 Comments ||
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The wargames are part trial balloon and part intimidation. They want to see what our reaction and Taiwan's. If we put carriers in the area, they will take note, declare a successful exercise, go home and try another exercise in a couple of years. If we don't send a visible response, then one of their necessary cards for invasion, no carrier threats, is dealt.
The other card they need is no US submarine threat.
The performance of US and Chinese submarine forces is a wildcard. Our service is the one combat arm that remains unblooded since WWII. It's tactics and weapons have not been tested in combat. The same can be said of the Chinese.
I'll bet the two forces are and have been going head to head for a while now. We are probabaly raising hell with each other every day. Warshots are definitely loaded in the tubes and firing solutions loaded in the fire control computers. Tubes are flooded and muzzle doors are probably open. I'll bet there are some tight sphincters in the straits tonight. US commander's are probably worried they do not have enough weapons for all the targets. Perhaps that is part of the strategy. Overwhelm us with targets. We attack, the first targets die, they swarm on the datum point. The Soviets were always willing to trade us 1 for 1 in battle. If they could do that, then they could control the seas with their remaining 200 submarines. They always assumed we would get the first shot. Their doctrine was quick counter-fire before death.
What tricks and surprises each side has for each other is anybody's guess.
Crazy Vikings!
Norway has become the second country in the world to introduce a nationwide ban on smoking in public places. The Norwegian government says the ban is needed to protect people who work in bars and restaurants from the effects of second-hand smoke. Opinion polls suggest a majority of Norwegians support the change, which permits smoking outdoors. Ireland became the first country to introduce a nationwide ban in March, and has hailed the move as a success.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
06/01/2004 1:15:27 AM ||
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The virtuous, triumphant again...
Posted by: Fred ||
06/01/2004 9:59 Comments ||
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This gives all the self-appointed mother hens something to get excited about to let of steam because they aren't getting "Any" at home.
#4
I'll be glad when such a ban happens here in the states. Its disgusting having to put up with the nuisance of cigarette smoke in restaurants simply because the ADDICTS can't even go 45 minutes without a FIX .
The following is a weekly 60 Minutes commentary by CBS News Correspondent Andy Rooney. EFL and relevance. My first ever RB post!
Itâs hard to know how much time to spend remembering. Memories are more often sad than happy. The word "memorial" itself has a sad sound to it. Those to whom we are close die, and we want to remember them. We die, and we want to be remembered, but no amount of longing can bring anyone back, so there is a limit to the value of grief.
"Memories are more often sad than happy"? Perhaps it's only a certain mindset that treasures the sad over the happy. My most treasured memories are my happy ones — my Dad teaching me to ride a bike; fishing at the dam with my friend when I was eight years old; walking home on a cool night with an exceptionally pretty girl, slightly inebriated, singing "Buffalo Gals" for no particular reason. I can tell stories of red mud and misery and the smell of bodies rotting in the hot sun, but those aren't the memories I keep closest. But I guess Andy does.
We think of this war now in Iraq as terrible because every day we get the news that three or seven more Americans have been killed.
This is his first big lie. If three Americans were killed each day, the death toll would be well over 1000; if it were seven each day, the toll would be nearly 3000 (thatâs about how many were killed on 9/11).
He's doing the imagery thing. Facts aren't important when you're doing imagery. Not being of the same bent as Andy, I'm proud of the fact that we've thrown really, really bad guys out of control of two countries at a cost to date of less than a thousand men. Things will probably get worse in the future, but we're pretty economical of lives.
In the Civil War, 365,000 Northern soldiers were killed, and 133,000 soldiers from the South died. In World War I, 116,000 American soldiers were killed. In World War II, 407,000 died, 54,000 died in Korea, 58,000 in Vietnam. More than a million Americans have died in our wars, each one much loved by someone.
That's why war's hell, Andy. Those were wars where men's lives were sacrificed for a purpose. Does the fact that a half million died in the Civil War make it not worth fighting? Did the outcome justify the sacrifice? How about WWII? Did the expenditure of 407,000 Americans keep even more Americans — and Brits and Frenchies and Russers and Danes and Norwegians and Poles — from suffering and dying? War is society's way of defending itself and preserving itself.
There are men in every country on earth - mostly men - who spend full time devising new ways for us to kill each other. In the United States alone, we spend seven times as much on war as on education.
I didnât bother to look this up, but this has got to be another lie. We may spend 7 times as much on DEFENSE as on education, but not much of our defense spending is on "war."
I think he's probably talking about the government office concerned with education, part of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Without defending the nation our kiddies could be educated in other subjects than modern dance and Womyns' Studies. They could be studying the Koran. Or they could be studying Marx more assiduously than they are. Or they could be writing commentaries on Mein Kampf, at least the white, blond ones could...
Thereâs something wrong there. On this Memorial Day, we should certainly honor those who have died at war, but we should dedicate this day, not so much to their memory, but to the search for a way to end the idiocy of the wars that killed them.
So Rooney thinks that World War II was idiotic? I guess that doesnât surprise me. BTW, this last comment ignited a fierce family "debate" during which I feared that might very slightly pro-war wife would slap my anti-war mother.
Posted by: Tibor ||
06/01/2004 4:16:26 AM ||
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Does anybody watch this idiot anymore? Or 60 minutes?
#3
http://www.policyalmanac.org/education/archive/doe_education_spending.shtml
Nearly $373 billion of revenues were raised to fund public education for grades prekindergarten through 12 in school year 1999â2000.
...
Total expenditures made by school districts came to nearly $382 billion (K-12, ed) in the 1999â2000 school year. About $324 billion of total expenditures were current expenditures for public elementary and secondary education. An additional $35 billion went for facilities acquisition and construction, $8 billion for replacement equipment, and another $9 billion for interest payments on debt. The remaining amount ($5 billion) was spent on other programs, such as community services and adult education, which are not part of public elementary and secondary education.
#5
He's using the numbers from the estimated 2005 federal budget. Of course he knows that education is funded primarily at the local and state level, but admitting that would interfere with his playing at being Lord Haw-Haw.
#6
U.S. defense expenditures are forecast to be 3.5% of GDP for FY2004. defense spending link
U.S. public expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP 1998-2000 was 4.8% (this excludes private expenditures) education spending link
#8
Ed, Biff, et al., thanks for doing my homework for me. It was late and I wasn't up to focusing on the research.
On the point about memories, I have many happy and many sad memories. When I reflect, I choose to focus mostly on the happy memories. It's no surprise to me that a twisted, bitter old fruit such as Rooney would have mainly sad memories. "Didja ever notice that I'm an obnoxious @sshole? I mean, seriously, am I a whiny little bitch or what?"
I think Rooney's on-air transformation from garden variety curmudgeon to outright lefty is of a piece with those of Rather, Cronkite, Koppel, etc., who try to "keep it real" as they approach their dotage and irrelevancy by becoming more outspoken and obvious (but not honest) in their biases.
Posted by: Tibor ||
06/01/2004 12:09 Comments ||
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"walking home on a cool night with an exceptionally pretty girl, slightly inebriated, singing "Buffalo Gals" for no particular reason."
That led Jimmy Stewart to want to jump off a bridge. And if I see that mush one more time, I'll want to jump off a bridge. And the same for Andy Rooney.
Posted by: Mr. Davis ||
06/01/2004 12:40 Comments ||
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Rooney's comment on education applies to the Federal government only. Education receives more funding at the local, state and federal levels combined than does the DoD. This is just an argument to increase the power of the Federal govewrnment in education.
Posted by: Mr. Davis ||
06/01/2004 12:50 Comments ||
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Tibor, when Rooney was just a cumudgeon, he could be funny, but, recently he seems to be off the medications. . .
#12
BigEd, I know. He should stick to complaining about misleading packaging and whether his eyebrows should be trimmed.
Posted by: Tibor ||
06/01/2004 17:20 Comments ||
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It's kinda sad, the way they can find a single TV news reporter with that certain gravitas, who is not actually qualified for membership in AARP. It's like a TV production workshop in a retirement home.
#15
Great job, Tibor. And well thought out and written comments, as usual, Fred. Memories, memories, mammaries, where do I begin? Oh, yes, I was kinda amused when I saw the bit that Andy Rooney put out on trying to find the Mrs. Smith of Mrs. Smith's Pies. Then I quit watching him altogether.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
06/01/2004 23:31 Comments ||
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I offer an unnecessary amendment, much like the update for Earth's entry in the Hitchhiker's Guide (harmless => mostly harmless), to wit: asexual budding
I did admit it was not really necessary, heh... ;->
Nuclear terrorism is the gravest threat the United States faces, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said on Tuesday as he offered a plan to secure atomic arsenals and materials around the world. In the second of three speeches on national security, Kerry is expected to propose a new high-level White House job to oversee efforts to prevent a terrorist attack using nuclear weapons and recommend speeding up a current program to secure nuclear material in the former Soviet Union. He mustnât have gotten the memo about Pakistan and Khan...
"The greatest threat we face today (is) the possibility of al Qaeda or other terrorists getting their hands on a nuclear weapon," Kerry said. "Osama bin Laden has called obtaining a weapon of mass destruction a âsacred duty."â He has said he would adopt a two-track policy of continuing the six-party talks that include Russia, Japan, China and South Korea while also holding direct discussions with Pyongyang. "Peace in our time!"
After the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, Kerry said Americans needed to "take away politics, strip away the labels" and ask honest questions... Kerry has supported expanding and accelerating Nunn-Lugar as an important defense against terrorists and rogue states obtaining old Soviet weapons of mass destruction. "If we secure all bomb-making materials, ensure that no new materials are produced for nuclear weapons, and end nuclear weapons programs in hostile states like North Korea and Iran, we will dramatically reduce the possibility of nuclear terrorism," he said. Is Kerry really so clueless to not know that Pakistan (an Islamic state which has supported terrorists in the past) has nuclear weapons? And has exported the tech?
Last week, he outlined four "imperatives" -- rebuilding alliances "shredded" by Bushâs go-it-with-a-coalition-of-unbribed-nations alone policies, modernizing the U.S. military by voting against nearly every weapons program he has ever seen, using diplomacy to beg forgiveness, intelligence so we can be sure not to hurt any terrorists, economic power and United Nations American values to defeat threats and freeing the United States from its "dangerous dependence on Middle East oil. As long as it doesnât mean drilling anywhere...
Bush and his Republican allies have tried to portray Kerry as an equivocating liberal, soft on defense and weak on fighting terrorism.
#1
He has said he would adopt a two-track policy of continuing the six-party talks that include Russia, Japan, China and South Korea while also holding direct discussions with Pyongyang.
problem with that, is, once you start bilateral talks what incentive do the Nkors have to take the 6 power talks seriously. The fear is that this becomes JUST bilateral talks, with the Nkors trying milk the US for goodies in exchange for limiting their nuke program. Which sets a bad precedent for the rest of the world. I am concerned, this was NOT a good move by Kerry.
#3
The Agreed Framework was an agreed failure. If the Nork's completely disarm, they'll get something for dinner besides Atkins approved grass & tree bark. To do otherwise (Agreed Framework II?) simply demonstrates that people like Kerry are idiots & fools for failing to learn from past failures.
#4
Raj - those kinds of measures are for the little people. Surely you don't expect the Kerry-Heinz's to drive economical SUV's, yachts, jets?
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/01/2004 13:09 Comments ||
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#5
The Bush Administration has done nothing to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. Libya wasn't pursuing them. Libya isn't selling out the nuclear ambitions of Iran, Iraq, North Korea and Pakistan at this very moment. AQ Khan continues to proliferate. The IAEA hasn't been pressured to declare Iran in violation. Saddam Hussein's regime wasn't removed (ensuring that they will never get nukes). Stephen Hayes's new book doesn't show any connections between al Qaeda and Iraq's Mukhabarat. North Korea is desperate for a deal but American intransigence is blocking any hoped-for successes. There are not 100,000+ US troops on Iran's (or Syria's) doorstep. John Kerry has always voted to strengthen the US military and the US intelligence agencies. John Kerry supports promoting American values in implementing US foreign policy. John Kerry voted to reduce US dependence on foreign oil by drilling in ANWR.
All of these things are true. Welcome to John Kerry Bizarro-World.
Posted by: Tibor ||
06/01/2004 13:19 Comments ||
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#6
Hey, isn't this rather unilateral of Kerry? Where's the UN and our allies in all of this? Shouln't the terrorists get a veto here?
Posted by: Chris Smith ||
06/01/2004 13:21 Comments ||
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#7
No the gravest threat to America is Hanoi John. Self made patriot anti-war, disgrace your flag, country and uniform for political gain weasel. No you Mr Kerry are our gravest threat.
Posted by: Bill Nelson ||
06/01/2004 13:41 Comments ||
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#8
"After months of studying the problem I have concluded that it would be bad if some terrorists got ahold of nuclear weapons. And I'm even willing to say that in public."
Didn't I tell youse guys Kerry was quick? I mean, we're dealing with a really first-class intellect here.
Posted by: Matt ||
06/01/2004 16:04 Comments ||
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#9
Kerry is expected to propose a new high-level White House job to oversee efforts to prevent a terrorist attack using nuclear weapons and recommend speeding up a current program to secure nuclear material in the former Soviet Union.
He's looking to be the President of the Whole Wide World, I guess.
#11
Kerry needs to brief himself with a couple of years of RB before he shoots off his mouth. Based upon some of the Kerry-related comments contained herein, it may also be a character-building and humbling experience. Heh heh.....
But he is a Senator ***bow and make sweeping hand gestures*** so he knows everything....
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
06/01/2004 16:39 Comments ||
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#12
On Brit Hume yesterday he talked to the author of a Kerry biography, somebody with the Boston Globe. Anyway, I remember this guy talking about how Kerry is an intellectual and he likes to listen to both sides and play devils advocate and think through things. The thoughts running through my mind was "Great! If he's president how long will it take for him to have this intellectual discussion to figure out what to do? By the time he finishes his musings then a major catastrophe would have occurred." We had the Rhodes scholare as presdient and look where that got us! NOWHERE and fast!
Posted by: AF Lady ||
06/01/2004 19:23 Comments ||
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#13
Good grief. Even if there weren't a war on, and even if I were still a Democrat-- which I was for 31 years, until last year-- I don't think I could bring myself to vote for John Kerry.
Why would I? WHY?
Posted by: Dave D. ||
06/01/2004 19:42 Comments ||
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#14
Kerry had me convinced GW Bush was the gravest treat. Did he change his mind again?
Posted by: ed ||
06/01/2004 22:09 Comments ||
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#15
Ok, gravest threat. Freudian slip?
Posted by: ed ||
06/01/2004 22:15 Comments ||
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives will take up energy legislation in June to tame record-high gasoline prices and boost domestic crude oil production, House Speaker Dennis Hastert said on Friday. With average nationwide gasoline prices above $2 a gallon as U.S. drivers hit the roads for the Memorial Day holiday and the start of the summer driving season, the time is ripe for action, Hastert said. "The House will act once again next month on common-sense legislation to make America less dependent on foreign oil, to reduce prices at the gas pump and on home utility bills," Hastert said in a statement. His office did not elaborate. -------snip----------
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
06/01/2004 12:37:51 AM ||
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EFL: Touted as the "most pro-gay presidential candidate ever," Sen. John Kerryâs campaign has announced a "Pride Across America" program targeting the homosexual community with booths at 60 "pride" events in 22 states over the summer months. "Itâs exciting for us because itâs an investment the campaign and the DNC [Democratic National Committee] are making in the LGBT [Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered] community," said Mark Seifert, director of Kerryâs LGBT outreach effort, according to Gay.com.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
06/01/2004 1:03:44 AM ||
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#1
With the "gay friendly" title on the line in the 2008 Democratic Party Primaries, I'm afraid what types of acts we might expect to see from the ever malleable DNC candidates.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
06/01/2004 22:22 Comments ||
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Can this guy be anymore none Presidental!! I mean how much slack is the press going to give this guy. Are they keeping things like this quiet so there is a race or what? I just donât understand how this guy in one week can make fun of the President and the next flip off a Vietnam Vet and then start ranting about this vet being a felon. Is this guy kooky or what. Howard Dean, at this point is looking more stable. Lord help us.
BTW - This link is from Newsmax.com
Kerry âFlips Offâ Vietnam Vet
Democratic Senator - and certain presidential nominee - John F. Kerry gave the middle finger to a Vietnam veteran at the Vietnam Memorial Wall on Memorial Day morning, NewsMax.com has learned.
Ted Sampley, a former Green Beret who served two full tours in Vietnam, spotted Kerry and his Secret Service detail at about 9:00 AM Monday morning at the Wall. Sampley walked up to Kerry, extended his hand and said, "Senator, I am Ted Sampley, the head of Vietnam Veterans Against John Kerry, and I am here to escort you away from the Wall because you do not belong here."
At that point a Secret Service officer told Sampley to back away from Kerry. Sampley moved about six feet away and opened his jacket to reveal a HANOI JOHN tee-shirt.
Kerry then began talking to a group of school children. Sampley then showed the tee-shirt to the children and said, "Kerry does not belong at the Wall because he betrayed the brave soldiers who fought in Vietnam."
Just then Kerry - in front of the school children, other visitors and Secret Service agents - brazenly âflashed the birdâ at Sampley and then yelled out to everyone, "Sampley is a felon!"
Kerry was referring to an incident 12 years ago when Sampley confronted Senator John McCainâs cheif aide, Mark Salter, in a Senate stairwell after McCain repeatedly offended POW families at a Senate POW hearing. Sampley, whose father-in-law at that time was MIA in Laos, followed Salter into the stairwell and, when they emerged, Salter had a bloody lip and a broken nose.
Sampleyâs group, Vietnam Veterans Against John Kerry, has garnered huge national attention and been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post and on MSNBCâs Scarborough Country. Tens of thousands of Vietnam vets have registered their opposition to Kerry through Sampleyâs group.
Clearly Sampley has gotten under Kerryâs skin once again.
Posted by: Long Hair Republican ||
06/01/2004 12:58:57 AM ||
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#1
Lol! It just doesn't pay to screw around with some people, eh Skeery? Methinks Sampley doesn't just get under his skin, Skeery's skeered of him. So Skeery's not terminally stupid, he's just on the other side, as puppy-blender sez.
Let's see how many other sources materialize offering this story, lol!
#4
President Bush is one lucky man. The Democrats nominated the most disagreeable twirp in the world to run against him.
Posted by: rex ||
06/01/2004 2:26 Comments ||
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#5
Senator Traitorous Sackofshit has not the self-control or dignity to behave in a manner befitting Senator much less President. But then he is a DEMONcRAT and gutter rats -- see Teddy and Billy and Algore and Pelosi -- to members of that Party are the best they can be.
#6
Personally, I wouldn't have faulted Kerry if he had gone a little Buzz Aldrin on the guy.
And since when the Rantburg comments section turn into LGF?
Posted by: Baltic Blog ||
06/01/2004 2:54 Comments ||
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#7
Mike, don't you think this kinda reflects on the character of Lurch mr. kerry, or the lack thereof? Shootin' the finger in front of a bunch of children, and losing his cool that way.....tsk, tsk.
Like the man said....."non presidential"
Posted by: Halfass Pete ||
06/01/2004 2:57 Comments ||
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#8
Agreed. These sorts of incidents show Kerry doesn't have the patience, focus or self-control to be President - he would be the pawn of anyone who figured out how to push his buttons.
#9
Look, it's not that we're defending Kerry - I can't stand le Dauphin - but the guy who confronted him isn't exactly a credit to the cause. I remember that controversy with McCain. If anybody has the right to face off with the POW/MIA folks, it's somebody like McCain, who actually *was* a POW. For somebody to assault an aide because he didn't like what he was hearing from that guy's boss... that's just not cool. I wouldn't want a guy like that even *near* a group of kids.
The right can't answer for John Kerry's sins, but it's certainly responsible for the excesses committed on its behalf. Someone terrorizing children as a means to the end of embarrassing John Kerry isn't exactly something anti-Kerry folks ought to be bragging about. For one thing, it's terrible politics. For every POW-MIA member of the chorus it preaches to, it's going to alienate ten mothers who hate to see children get caught in the quarrels of adults.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
06/01/2004 7:37 Comments ||
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#10
And since when the Rantburg comments section turn into LGF?
Lord have mercy! Another leftist with an agenda against LGF! Chuck Johnson not only has to put up with leftists trying to kill his site, now Fred has to deal with the spill over.
The 'racism' charge against LGF is patently false. I suspect a number of other bloggers hateful for LGF's success are responsible for this little campaign. Are you one of those bloggers?
Kerry's 'the bird' incident is indicative of the level this man operates. Kerry committed war crimes in Viet Nam, bent the rules to leave and then launched into a 30 plus year in which he has campaigned to undermine the national security of the United States.
And now with the democratic party in full socialist mode, he has the perfect vehicle to continue with this agenda.
#11
Well that Viet vet who confronted pussy Kerry is a felon. A very minor one for jacking up (punching out in a stairwell?) some scumbag congressional staffer who was involved in some Vietnam Senate hearings a decade ago.
BUT KERRY is the traitorous skunk who stabbed our boys in the back once he got home free, after a few phony Purple Hearts.
#12
McCain deserved all the grief put on him by this guy - look at McCain's actions: he sold the POW issue out for political gain. ANd doing so, he also severely dishonored the POW groups.
Its all out there - that's why nobody trusts McCain. POW? Who cares, when his post-POW performance has been as shabby as Kerry when it comes to maltreatment of some of his fellow veterans.
#14
I'll cut Sampley some slack because he was a Green Beret. Kerry is in meltdown mode along with Dean and Gore who already have gone off the deep end. Imagine if Gore was Prez now. Kerry is nothing but a political weasel who came back from (4 months) in NAM and fought against the war longer than he actually fought in it. He had an agenda in polkitics. His 1971 "hearings" were his jumping board. He has succeeded well on the backs of those Nam Vets he trashed. Despite the intense biased media coverage, Demorat rantings and those of their surrogates (Soros, Moore) et al they are self destructing in their own hatred. Kerry will get his buttons pushed more and more now after this. I only know those Vets at our VFW and how they feel about him. He sucks.We will see how Hanoi John handles things going forward.
Posted by: Bill Nelson ||
06/01/2004 14:01 Comments ||
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#15
Sssssssssso whatsssssssss wrong with LGF. I missss Ssssassssha.
Seems a troll/poster at LFG reveal he/she has been making a nuisance of him/herself because of being a part of a webring dedicated to 'patrolling' conservative websites, prsumably for gathering information for AUP policy violations.
Recently Charles has been under attack from leftist bloggers for over-the-top commentary by some of the more extreme elements who post there, primarily focussed around the middle of April, when there was such outrage about the Fallujah murders.
Also, there are at least four blogs which 'monitor' LFG, again and presumably for AUP policy violation; all clearly with the intent of shutting LGF down.
KInda unfair, iffin you ask me. The guy is very mild in his criticisms of Islamists, etc, and yet these leftwingers are on his ass like Kerry is on his own Viet Nam service.
SO the operating assumption is that there is a webring of leftists who are patrolling sites to check for AUP policy violations with a view of shutting them down.
I am trying to find where these folks are myself, but it takes some doing.
#17
Besides the obvious, what I get out of this is that when Sampley got under Salter's skin, Salter punched him out. When he got under Kerry's skin, Kerry hid behind the Secret Service and flashed the bird. Watta guy, he's got my vote.
#18
Actually, I think McCain's staffer showed some commendable ballsiness in walking out to the stairs with Sampley. Even an old, out-of-shape Green Beret scares me.
#19
CF - Not the bird, no I'm pretty sure he scanned for cameras before he flipped Sampley off... how about Flashdancing?
As for Sampley, consider the story. A Green Beret who was supportive of the POW families. Here's McCain making politcal hay because he's got this untouchable status as a POW. If McCain had .01% of the class of guys like Adm James Stockdale (a TRUE POW hero), then I'd cut him some slack. Anyway, Sampley confronts McCain's staffer Salter. We don't KNOW what happened out of sight, now do we? No - we don't. Salter emerges with his face caved in - and Sampley the GB is the culprit. I'll lay you some great odds he asked for it with some smartass comment. There are some people, Thank Goodness, who just don't take shit - from anybody. Sampley's probably one of those guys. Salter's probably a typical Legislative Aide, i.e. an ass-kissing sycophantic little wannabee. So I fall on Sampley's side of the razor blade given the facts presented. You may, of course, differ. Just my $0.02 take.
There is an entire school of psychology that debates the causes of incivility in America today. One of the reasons tendered is that the wussification of the American Male - which has been underway for about 4 decades, now - has finally resulted in most males, especially if under 25, having The Clockwork Orange response to violence. In this scenario, a uniform anti-violence script / ruleset has been imposed. Given this imagined "cover", there are snippy little 'tards who now believe that they can get away with the shrill nasty incivility we have all noticed is so prevalent in the shreiking Left. The funny thing is that the indoctrination isn't 100% effective - and there are those Neanderthal Alley Oop throwbacks who either never got the treatment, or brushed it off - and I am one of those. They don't share the ruleset. So when some little jackoff gets in their face and tries the shriek routine - he gets a surprise. Okay, that's $0.04. Need change?
IMHO, fuck the weenies. Get in the wrong face and get yours handed back to you after tenderizing. Q.E.D. In other words, they'd better grow some manners, just as we had to in our youth.
If you screw around with the bull, eventually you'll get the horn.
2) Sampley ought to do this with more class. These sorts of confrontations will only generate sympathy for Kerry. That's right, sympathy, particularly if Kerry had some class in responding. But flipping the bird at the guy is the sort of thing that looks a little macho to some folks and thus plays well.
Sampley and his fellow travellers need to understand that they help Kerry with in-your-face confrontations. Far better to wait for chance to serve up a revealing moment, like the snowboarding incident.
3) .com is correct in noting that the weenies never do figger out the Alley Oop guys til they have a bloody nose courtesy of Mr. AO. But giving a Kerry staffer a bloody nose any time between now and Nov would not be a good idea.
4) LGF: Charles is one strange dude, I can't figure him out. He's entitled to his opinion, and I appreciate his site (then again, I also read Kevin Drum, so go figure).
But LGF is LGF, and Rantburg is Rantburg. Let's keep it that way, okay folks?
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/01/2004 19:46 Comments ||
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#21
Dr Steve - I'll buy that Sampley went looking for this fight.
As for the Lizard Master, lol, well he started out as a fairly liberal Lefty mainly blogging the superiority of and software for Macs, the Tour de France, and similar. A moderate - according to him and some old-timers like zulubaby (I think I heard it from her).
It was the Sep 2000 intifada that changed him - because the Paleos sickened him. I think he just evolved into this. He has spoken about it all a few times. I found his blog about 3 yrs ago - after the change - cuz I was looking for this sort of info.
#22
4) LGF: Charles is one strange dude, I can't figure him out. He's entitled to his opinion, and I appreciate his site (then again, I also read Kevin Drum, so go figure). But LGF is LGF, and Rantburg is Rantburg. Let's keep it that way, okay folks?
Posted by: Steve White 2004-06-01 7:46:41 PM
From the New York Times, an opinion article by Craig Unger, author of House of Bush, House of Saud: The Secret Relationship Between the Worldâs Two Most Powerful Dynasties.
Americans who think the 9/11 commission is going to answer all the crucial questions about the terrorist attacks are likely to be sorely disappointed â especially if theyâre interested in the secret evacuation of Saudis by plane that began just after Sept. 11. ....
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
06/01/2004 5:32:49 AM ||
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Would that be the "secret evacuation" that Richard Clarke claimed sole responsibility for approving?
Posted by: Mike ||
06/01/2004 6:26 Comments ||
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#2
The "secret evacuation" that, as far as I can remember, was reported everywhere at the time?
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
06/01/2004 8:20 Comments ||
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#3
Sssshhhh! Robert! Don't tell anyone--it's supposed to be a secret!
Posted by: Mike ||
06/01/2004 8:54 Comments ||
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#4
goddam new york times! im refuse subscribe to them as they are call my house once a month try get me subscribe. and im kep telling hey! if im wanting a new york times im go to goddam store and buy one!
on another note however im wondering something maybe you rantburgers are have answer for. peples on another blog are always say house of bush house of saud a must read! so i went local library and find one and now i am read it. in it he is say that chainey and bush senior and reagan and many other repub politicians are go to place call bohemian grove in california and wear red silver and black robes and are there to worship stone owl god. he is not give a source on this info. anyone else ever hear of this?
#5
Sssshhhh! Robert! Don't tell anyone--it's supposed to be a secret!
Yeah. I guess.
Now, I may be utterly confused, completely mis-remembering, but as I recall, at the time the story as played as just more evidence of how horrible Americans were, that those innocent people had to be rushed out of the country for their own safety.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
06/01/2004 11:06 Comments ||
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#6
Mucky, I think its called the Stonecutters. They have so much influence that they made Steve Guttenburg a star. An awe inspiring organization.
#10
muck: I live about 15 minutes from the Grove. The locals have it that it's not a god at all, but an oversized likeness of J Edgar Hoover's favorite pet owl Waffles. As for some worshipping it...well after few bottles of firewater I've been known to do sillier things.
Posted by: Rex Mundi ||
06/01/2004 18:19 Comments ||
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#11
ive been wearing tin foil hat all day looking up stuff on this and im find out author conveniently leave out jimmy carter and bill clinton also have participate and im see it look like john kerry involve to as well as in skull and bones. screw these guys im gonna go with nader. at least he just trying save the owls not worship them.
#12
Yup, muck4doo. One of my favorite antimasonic/antisemite writer,
Emmanuel Ratier, the guy who was truly behind Thierry Meyssan's "Terrible lie" book (ie no plane crashing on the pentagon, 9/11 a neocon/zionist plot), sez that *both* Kerry and GWB are Skull and bones. Apart from his, ahem, little "obsessions", he's very credible in his antimasonic sources, so it is probably true, I guess.
Secret masonic orders... I like it! They're all after me!
From The Wall Street Journal
.... In recent days, some have labeled Red Cross personnel as "humanitarian do-gooders" whose presence in coalition-run detention centers is inappropriate while American soldiers are fighting and dying. Others have warned that the ICRC is on the path toward becoming a left-wing advocacy group and portrayed the Geneva Conventions as a hindrance to our ability to extract intelligence from prisoners that might save U.S. lives.
It is critical to realize that the Red Cross and the Geneva Conventions do not endanger American soldiers, they protect them. Our soldiers enter battle with the knowledge that should they be taken prisoner, there are laws intended to protect them and impartial international observers to inquire after them. Americaâs observance of the Geneva Conventions and our support for the ICRC in part determine the willingness of other nations to do the same. While our intelligence personnel in Abu Ghraib may have believed that they were protecting U.S. lives by roughing up detainees to extract information, they have had the opposite effect. Their actions have increased the danger to American soldiers, in this conflict and in future wars. ....
Some also have argued that the Geneva Conventions have been rendered quaint by the new circumstances in which we find ourselves. We do face a new enemy in the global war on terror, and much of our ability to disrupt attacks and destroy terrorist cells depends on the quality of intelligence we gather from detainees. Yet nothing in the conventions precludes directed interrogations. They do, however, prohibit torture and humiliation of detainees, whether or not they are deemed POWs. These are standards that are never obsolete -- they cut to the heart of how moral people must treat other human beings. They also are the principles on which the liberation of Iraq is based. We are bringing to Iraq a new day, an era that is better in all ways than the tyranny of Saddam Hussein. This era replaces terror, humiliation and arbitrary rule with freedom, human rights and the rule of law. ....
Rather than placing blame on the ICRC or other humanitarian groups, we must instead fix our gaze on those individuals who perpetrated abuses at Abu Ghraib. Had American officials paid heed earlier to ICRC reports of these abuses at Abu Ghraib, we could have limited the damage these individuals have done to Americaâs international standing. ....
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
06/01/2004 6:07:37 AM ||
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Yes thank you Mr Hindsight.
Posted by: Bill Nelson ||
06/01/2004 8:27 Comments ||
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How many Red Cross packages did McCain get while he was a POW? How hard did the Red Cross work to get them to him?
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
06/01/2004 10:59 Comments ||
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I posted an extensive fisking of this op-ed to Rantburg last night, but apparently it never took. McCain spectacularly conflates unrelated issues (utility of of GC, self-discrediting behavior of the ICRC) in his defense of the "do-gooders." He completely inverts the significance of the recent breach of confidentiality by the ICRC. There's a very disturbing and important issue here, and McCain misses it completely.
#4
It is critical to realize that the Red Cross and the Geneva Conventions do not endanger American soldiers, they protect them. Our soldiers enter battle with the knowledge that should they be taken prisoner, there are laws intended to protect them and impartial international observers to inquire after them. Americaâs observance of the Geneva Conventions and our support for the ICRC in part determine the willingness of other nations to do the same.
What is up with this guy? If I didn't know who he was, I'd be seriously questioning his sanity.
#5
McCain is right about the INTENT of the Conventions, but it is less clear that they will be observed by the terror networks, except in selected instances where the PR value is deemed sufficiently high.
I think we do need to set standards for ourselves and keep to them no matter how tempting it is to cut corners. That is at the heart of all military discipline in an army of free men and women. It's why the West Point corps of cadets enforces its honor code so stringently:
A cadet will not lie, cheat or steal or tolerate those who do.
Top cadets - even senior corps leaders close to graduation - have been kicked out of the Point for what some might consider minor infractions of this rule - lying about being out of their rooms after lights-out, for instance.
Why? Because cadets who cut corners on this will cut corners in torturing a captive to try to save the lives of their soldiers. In the short run, this may seem defensible; in the longer run, it deeply undercuts morale and discipline in and out of battle.
Having said that, I too am disturbed by what seems like increasing politicization of the ICRC.
Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri has advised wavering voters to select the prettiest candidate in the July 5 election. "I've heard complaints that voters are confused because there are too many candidates," she said in an off-the-cuff speech after campaigning officially began. "Why confused? Just vote for the prettiest one," she said, to the cheers of about 2,000 supporters. Megawati is the only woman among five candidates in the country's first direct presidential election. The others are two former generals - her ex-security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and former military chief Wiranto - as well as her curent vice-president, Hamzah Haz and national assembly chairman Amien Rais.
Megawati, daughter of the country's first president, Sukarno, was speaking at a ceremony marking the declaration by her father in 1945 of the state ideology known as Pancasila. Support for her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle slumped dramatically in the April 5 legislative election. The polls were won by Golkar, which backed former dictator Suharto. An opinion poll released today shows Yudhoyono with 41 per cent compared to 11.2 per cent for Megawati and 10 per cent for Wiranto.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/01/2004 11:31:25 AM ||
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Malaysia has suspended a programme of demonstrating punishment floggings to schoolchildren after it drew public criticism. The deputy internal security minister, Chia Kwang Chye, said the government would decide whether to make changes to the programme or abandon it altogether. The programme was introduced at schools last week with the aim of discouraging children from crime. Wha? But, I havenât filled out my set of trading cards yet!
Flogging is widely used as a form of punishment in Malaysia. But the school demonstrations drew strong criticism from the countryâs Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), which said the programme would appear to legitimise cruel, inhumane or degrading behaviour. Bwahahahahahahaha!!! These guys are a laff riot!
"We are prepared to hear all the views from various parties, including Suhakam," Mr Chia was quoted as saying by Malaysiaâs Bernama news agency.
In the last week, children have watched as prison guards beat effigies in front of them. They have also been shown pictures of flogging injuries. Flogging can be used to punish more than 40 crimes in Malaysia, including under-age sex. The government is considering introducing public flogging before execution as a punishment for child rape, after the rape and murder of two 10-year-old girls in the space of a week earlier this year. Wow! For a second there they were almost beginning to make sense.
Posted by: Zenster ||
06/01/2004 2:53:53 AM ||
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Norway bans public smoking and a Moslem country ...
Posted by: Super Hose ||
06/01/2004 22:26 Comments ||
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From IranMania
The Iranian city of Saveh has elected the first female mayor in the 25-year history of the Islamic republic .... The new mayor, Mehri Roustaie Gherailou, was a former member of the austere desert cityâs municipal council and has been described as being "experienced in public management." Saveh is 100 kilometers (62 miles) southwest of Tehran and home to 125,000 people. Five years ago it distinguished itself by electing a majority of women to its muncipal council, a body that in turn appoints a mayor. In the 2003 municipal elections, three women were voted onto the seven-member body ....
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
06/01/2004 6:45:55 AM ||
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Never mind.
The complainants of the case against Samuel Masih, who was accused of blasphemy under Section 295 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), said they did not want him charged with blasphemy because he didnât commit it. Samuel was arrested on their complaint and attacked by a police constable on May 22 with a brick cutter while he was recuperating from a tuberculosis attack in Gulab Devi Hospital. He died last Friday in Lahore General Hospital of head injuries sustained in that attack. The 27-year-old Christian man was facing trial under Section 295, which carries a maximum sentence of two years. The constable, Faryad Ali, said he felt it his religious duty to kill Samuel.
Slaughtering somebody's kinda like a sacrament in the Religion of Peas...
The three complainants - Chaudhry Muhammad Yaqoob, chief librarian of Darul Islam Library at Lawrence Gardens, Qari Rifatullah, moazzin, and Muhammad Aslam, assistant librarian â in the case against Samuel registered on August 23 last year condemned his killing. They said they only wanted the police to tell him not to throw litter at the outside wall of their mosque. Mr Yaqoob, who has worked at the library for seven years, said Samuel had repeatedly thrown litter at the mosqueâs outside wall. âSome people saw him doing this on and off,â said Mr Rifatullah, who has worked at the mosque for nine years. âThe last time, before we lodged the complaint, he was seen littering at the time of Zohar prayers. We tried to catch him, but he ran away. He was healthy at that time and we couldnât catch him.â
Posted by: Fred ||
06/01/2004 8:24:30 PM ||
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Comes as a surprise, huh?
Congolese soldiers fought troops loyal to a renegade commander near the eastern town of Bukavu on Tuesday, breaking a shaky cease-fire and spurring U.N. peacekeepers to try to negotiate an end to the violence, a U.N. spokesman said. Brig. Gen. Mbuza Mabe, the commander of the army in South Kivu, launched an attack on troops loyal to a former rebel commander, even after the former rebel had declared a cease-fire. Brig. Gen. Laurent Nkunda's troops had marched on Bukavu's airport Monday, but he declared an end to the conflict after the government set up arrangements in Congo's troubled South Kivu province to prevent the persecution of the minority Tutsi community, known as the Banyamulenge.
But the government force attacked Nkunda's forces and the battle raged for five hours 15 miles north of Bukavu. The fighting only ended when Mabe withdrew. Nkunda said his forces suffered casualties, but he refused to discuss them in detail. Mabe did not answer repeated calls for comment. U.N. spokesman Sebastien Lapierre said a U.N. camp near the airport was struck by stray gunfire Tuesday, but no one was injured. He said U.N. troops were setting up checkpoints and conducting armored patrols in Bukavu to prevent fighting from breaking out inside the city.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/01/2004 8:12:58 PM ||
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Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
06/01/2004 12:48:53 AM ||
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#1
Oil prices are already very high, thanks to factors including increasing demand, low stocks, Opec's price strategy and fears of supply disruptions.
Something interesting here is that part of the high price has been called a "terrorism premium". Now what happens if a terrorist attack occurs that does disrupt the supply? Will the price stay level due to the fact that we are already paying this premium? Not on your life.
From The Washington Post, an opinion article by Pervez Musharraf, President of Pakistan
The world has been going through a tumultuous period since the dawn of the 1990s, with no sign of relief in sight. The suffering of the innocents, particularly my brethren in faith -- the Muslims -- at the hands of militants, extremists and terrorists has made it all the more urgent to bring order to this troubled scene.
Particularly Muslims? At the hands of whom? Crusaders and Jews?
In this spirit, I would like to set forth a strategy I call Enlightened Moderation. ... The world has become an extremely dangerous place. The devastating power of plastic explosives, combined with high-tech remote-controlled devices, as well as a proliferation of suicide bombers, has created a lethal force that is all but impossible to counter. The unfortunate reality is that both the perpetrators of these crimes and most of the people who suffer from them are Muslims. .... To make things even more difficult, Muslims are probably the poorest, most uneducated, most powerless and most disunited people in the world. ...
Think there might be a connection?... Naw. Couldn't be...
The special challenge that confronts Muslims is to drag ourselves out of the pit we find ourselves in, to raise ourselves up by individual achievement and collective socioeconomic emancipation. Something has to be done quickly to stop the carnage in the world and to stem the downward slide of Muslims. My idea for untangling this knot is Enlightened Moderation .... It is a two-pronged strategy. The first part is for the Muslim world to shun militancy and extremism and adopt the path of socioeconomic uplift. The second is for the West, and the United States in particular, to seek to resolve all political disputes with justice and to aid in the socioeconomic betterment of the deprived Muslim world.
Good idea. You go first.
We need to understand that the root cause of extremism... blah blah blah
When I think of the role of Muslims in todayâs world, my heart weeps. What we need is introspection. Who are we, what do we as Muslims stand for, where are we going, where should we be headed and how can we reach it? The answers to these questions are the Muslim part of Enlightened Moderation. We have a glorious past... blah blah blah
Todayâs Muslim world is distant from all these values. We have been left far behind in social, moral and economic development. We have remained in our own shell and refused to learn or acquire from others. We have reached the depths of despair and despondency. We need to face stark reality. Is the way ahead one of confrontation and militancy? Could this path really lead us back to our past glory while also showing the light of progress and development to the world?
Anything you do that's not what you're doing now would be an improvement...
I say to my brother Muslims: The time for renaissance has come. The way forward is through enlightenment. We must concentrate on human resource development through the alleviation of poverty and through education, health care and social justice. If this is our direction, it cannot be achieved through confrontation. We must adopt a path of moderation and a conciliatory approach to fight the common belief that Islam is a religion of militancy in conflict with modernization, democracy and secularism. All this must be done with a realization that, in the world we live in, fairness does not always rule.
Still determined to be victims, aren't you? Tits are usually traded for tats. Show us your Islamic tits.
The Organization of Islamic Conferences (OIC) is our collective body. We need to infuse new life into it; it is now in a state of near impotence. The OIC must be restructured to meet the challenges of the 21st century, to fulfill the aspirations of the Muslim world and to take us toward emancipation. Forming a committee of luminaries to recommend a restructuring of the OIC is a big step in the right direction.
Yep. Forming a committee fixes things right up every time...
blah blah blah
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
06/01/2004 5:23:37 AM ||
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We have been left far behind in social, moral and economic development.
Sounds like this sentence was constructed for domestic consumption; can't be blaming yourselves for having 'been left far behind', can we?
Steyn of course
Just for a change in the old columnar diet, I thought Iâd weigh in on Britainâs obesity epidemic. But, on closer inspection, the war on blubber seems to be the war on terror by other means. In the Guardian, for example, Polly Toynbee had no hesitation in deciding on the root cause: "America has by far the most unequal society and by far the fattest," she wrote. "Britain and Australia come next. Europe is better and the Scandinavian countries best of all. No doubt there are also social policy reasons for this: the best social democracies pick up family problems earliest... But the narrower the status and income gap between high and low, the narrower the waistbands."
Yep, check out the fatties in Durfar, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Congo. But Mark whacks her better than I can ...
Plenty to chew on there. Just for the record, the fattest people in the world arenât the Americans but our Commonwealth cousins in the Pacific - the hearty trenchermen of Nauru lolling atop their island of guano deposits. Still, there are 300 million Americans and a mere 10,000 Nauruans, and if you stuck every single one in a New Jersey mall no one would even notice. So let that go.
Also, when it comes to Ms Toynbeeâs "income gap", the United States is 41st in the world, the United Kingdom 63rd and Australia 74th. But OK, by Fleet Street standards of pundit accuracy, thatâs close enough. Oh, and the Greeks have less income inequality than the British, but are much fatter. And the country with the highest obesity mortality rate in the world is apparently Denmark. Donât ask me why. I saw a report at the weekend detailing the remarkable rise in Danish breast size over the past two decades, so maybe itâs sweaty Danish fat guys keeling over at the sight of all that fabulous Jutland cleavage.
But I digress. When Polly says America, Britain and Australia are the fattest countries in the world, sheâs making a broader point - that the coalition of the willing is also the coalition of the swilling; that there are terrible aesthetic consequences for any nation that heeds the siren song of America ("Would you like fries with that?").
This has been a barely disguised subtext of the new war ever since 9/11. In February 2002, Salman Rushdie reported back to New York Times readers his experience of metropolitan dinner parties. "In the non-American west, the main objection seems to be to American people. Night after night, I have found myself listening to Londonersâ diatribes against the sheer weirdness of the American citizenry. The attacks on America are routinely discounted. American patriotism, obesity, emotionality, self-centredness: these are the crucial issues."
When the press warns that Britain is becoming a nation of obese children, who does that sound like? In America, you can be an obese child at 45. In Paris a couple of years ago, my French dinner companions harangued me at length about how they could no longer bear to walk down American Main Streets, filled as they are with 300lb middle-aged toddlers waddling along the sidewalk in Xtra-large Disney T-shirts and slurping super-sized sodas from plastic bottles with giant nipples. "It is a culture of arrested development," one disdainful Parisian sniffed wearily, "of perpetual childhood."
Naturally, when such a culture sallies forth into the world, it will be crass and blundering - see Sir Max Hastings, for most of the past year, on what hopelessly vulgar imperialists the Yanks make. Indeed, when Europeans gleefully contemplate Americaâs imminent "imperial overstretch", the very phrase takes on awesome metaphorical power, conjuring a pair of polyester check pants straining at the seams across some huge global butt.
Thus, in January the municipality of Carquefou in north-western France held a competition. The townâs schoolchildren were asked to illustrate what America meant to them. The older pupils turned in pictures of an enslaved Statue of Liberty being run over by Uncle Sam on a motorcycle (liberty, or at least the statue thereof, being a gift to America from France) or of three hands - Stalinâs fist, the Hitler salute, and Bushâs fist clutching a cross: the axis of evil as seen from the Continent. Yawn.
Thatâs why Michael Moore makes such a perfect performing seal for the European intellectual class: the vast bulk of his credibility derives from his vast bulk; to the sophisticates at Cannes, heâs their very own Uncle Tom who growed like Topsy. As to Polly Toynbeeâs economic arguments, I donât buy that. The EU will have collapsed under the weight of its social programmes long before America collapses under the weight of its weight. VS Naipaul was closer to the mark in his book A Turn in the South, marveling at how Americans had "turned fulfilment and the glory of abundance to personal fat. A kind of suicide, it might have seemed; but I also began to wonder," he wrote, "whether for these descendants of frontier people and pinelanders there wasnât, in their fatness, some simple element of self-assertion."
British obesity seems, to these eyes, a sadder affair. But you can see why it bothers the nationâs increasingly unrepresentative attenuated elite as they nibble their curly endives in Islington and Hampstead. How can you argue that Britons feel more and more European when they look more and more Floridian? One day the bony-butted Dutchmen and Swedes will notice; one day the French school competition will be won by some drawing of corpulent West Midland tykes gorging on Cheesy Wotsits. Thatâs whatâs at stake. If Polly Toynbee and the nannytollahs canât fix things now, the bottom will drop out, literally, of Britainâs European future.
Posted by: tipper ||
06/01/2004 1:21:45 AM ||
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Well, it's pretty fruitless to argue against the "Americans are fat" point. Last year, when I was in China for a month's time, I noticed something odd that I couldn't put my finger on. In an "A-ha!" moment, I realized that there were no fat people in China. There are certainly no shortage of huge crowds here, either. Just on a trip down to the shopping areas, you can see hundreds of people at once, and several thousand in the course of an hour. Know how many of them were fat? NONE. I kept count of the fat people I saw. After a month's time, I had seen exactly four fat people. The sad thing is, two of them were children...I think maybe China will give us a run for our money in 10-20 years. When I returned to America, I saw four fat people on the walk from the jetway to the terminal.
Anyway, the pioneer mindset is still there..."clean your plate" is a theme that burns in my mind constantly, it's how I was brought up. My parents would be angry if I didn't eat all my food, especially the meat (you're wasting money, boy). In other cultures, there's no pressure to finish everything, and indeed in China it's considered rude to finish everything...a sign of good hospitality is that there is plenty of food left at the end of the meal, it means the host is prosperous enough to afford it.
#3
As a young American punk rocker living in London 20 years ago, I would sit for hours drinking cider with my Brit mates, and watch the lovely birds stroll down the King's Road.
I appreciated the great looking legs (more walking, less driving there) and said so but the Brits complimented the American bust line. I pointed out that was a product of high caloric intake.
We were at an impasse and had to agree to disagree.
#5
Recently made my first European trip, mostly in Italy, and I made the same "Aha!" Gromky does on a lesser scale... No morbidly obese folks anyway. I pondered it a number of times and realized one issue is sheerly logistical. If you were "Mama Cass" big, you would never be able to fit in the micro cars that are most popular in Rome. I wondered to my wife if all the fat people were stuck in their rooms, ala "
Gilbert Grape".
I made friends later with an Italian restaurant owner who had spent 13 years in NJ. He blames Americas weight issues less on Mickey D's, and more on the amount of "processed foods" that Americans face at every meal, including breakfast. "We eat what is fresh, in season, and simply prepared." I had a walk through of his restaurant, and he had less shelf space dedicated to pantry's, spices and refrigeration than many upscale American kitchens. He said if he were to come to America and be my personal chef, the first thing he would do would be to dump most of the crap on the inside of my refrigerator door! When I went home and looked, I realized that many of the foods I considered to be part of a healthy lifestyle, Salads etc, were completely bad for me by the time I finished pouring on dressings etc.
His food was fabulous, by the way... It's not rocket science...Eat well but make it from fresh components.
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.
(pix Comcast)
