A man trying to rob a St. Croix restaurant was hospitalized after he hid in a heat extraction unit when employees showed up early for work Sunday, authorities said. Workers turned on the cooling system's hood and its fan blades began to strike the man repeatedly, police said. He was in stable condition at a hospital where he was being treated for numerous cuts and abrasions. The man broke into the Tutto Bene Cafe in Christiansted and attempted to open the restaurant's safe, said Scott Hill, the restaurant's executive chef. He became trapped when the first shift reported for work earlier than usual, Hill said. "After employees turned on the unit, they observed an unusual sound coming from inside the roof, where the hood is located," Hill said.
"What kind of sound?'
"Screams, mostly."
The employees searched the unit and discovered the intruder coiled up inside the hood with the blades cutting him. "He was basically stuck inside of it and had nowhere to go once the unit was turned on," he said. No cash was missing. Police said they expected to charge the man with burglary once he is released from the hospital.
Not bad, but doesn't come close to this story from the BBC.
Homes across Middlesbrough were hit by a power cut after a thief tried to steal copper cable from a disused dairy. The 39-year-old man is now critically ill in Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary after suffering a massive shock in the incident. It also left a substantial area of Middlesbrough without electricity on Sunday between 2121 and 2246 BST. Police said the thief had tried to take cable from a site in Roman Road. Cleveland Police said it appeared intruders had entered the premises with the intention of stealing copper cable.
Note to crooks, just because the building is "disused", doesn't mean the power was turned off. Check that next time before you try cutting a cable.
Posted by: Steve ||
05/03/2004 9:46:59 AM ||
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#4
We had a copper cable thief here in little Clinton Iowa a few years ago. He cut into an 8,000 volt line at a closed rail car repair shop. God must love the stupid as all he got was a burned leg! He was saved because the cable was so thick he had to brace the cutter against a heavy conduit, which took the main flow of current to ground.
EFL
Some of the most prominent former diplomats who condemned Tony Blairâs policies in the Middle East have business links with Arab governments, The Telegraph can reveal. In a letter published last week, 52 former British diplomats condemned the invasion of Iraq and the Governmentâs support for Israel. The letter failed to disclose, however, that several of the key signatories, including Oliver Miles, the former British ambassador to Libya who instigated the letter, are paid by pro-Arab organisations. Some of the others hold positions in companies seeking lucrative Middle East contracts, while others have unpaid positions with pro-Arab organisations.
The disclosure last night prompted allegations - denied by the diplomats - that they were merely promoting the interests of their clients. Andrew Dismore, the Labour MP for Hendon, said: "If an MP had made statements like these without declaring an interest in the subject they would have been before the standards and privileges committee we would have had their guts for garters. This casts a very different light on what the former diplomats have said."
The letter attacked new peace proposals announced by President Bush and Ariel Sharon as "one-sided and illegal". It warned that the measures would cost "yet more Israeli and Palestinian blood". The signatories said they had watched with "deepening concern the policies which you have followed on the Arab-Israeli problem and Iraq, in close co-operation with the United States. There is no case for supporting policies which are doomed to failure".
Mr Miles is the chairman and a director of the London-based MEC International, which promotes business opportunities in the Middle East. He has a 10 per cent holding in the company and although he draws no actual salary he will receive £10,000 this year in consultancy fees from the firm. According to the companyâs website, MEC has been commissioned to produce reports for the Saudi Arabian Export Promotions Board and the Gulf Co-operation Council. An offshoot of the firm, called AIM, has carried out work for the government of Bahrain. The website also lists the Arab Gulf Co-operation Council, the Arab League and the National Bank of Egypt as among MECâs clients. Mr Miles last night insisted that he had no personal knowledge of these contracts and that they had not influenced him in drawing up the letter, although he admitted that the signatories were "slanted" towards Arabists. "MEC earns its money from the market, from companies and foundations, some of which are no doubt financed by Arab governments. I am proud of my business links with the Arab world and would be happy to work for any Arab government. I am in contact with all the Arab ambassadors in London and a number of their embassies have been able to offer hospitality to MEC International." Mr Miles said that until this year he had drawn up to £4,000 annually from the company. He said the payments were not sufficient to "corrupt" and had nothing to do with his decision to organise the open letter. He added: "The eventual letter is slanted towards Arabists. "But that was more to do with the practicalities."
#1
"I am proud of my business links with the Arab world and would be happy to work for any Arab government. I am in contact with all the Arab ambassadors in London and a number of their embassies have been able to offer hospitality to MEC International." pretty unabashed.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
05/03/2004 17:15 Comments ||
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Mexico has pulled its ambassador from Havana and accused Cuba of interfering in its internal affairs as bitterness over Mexico's close relations with the United States comes to a head. "Mexico does not and will not tolerate under any circumstance any foreign government trying to affect our decisions on foreign or domestic policy," Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez told a news conference. Mexico asked Cuba on Sunday to pull its envoy out of Mexico City within 48 hours, he said. A spokesman for the Cuban government said Havana had no immediate comment on the Mexican decision.
Mexico was a traditional ally of the Communist-run island for decades but relations have fallen to an all time low under President Vicente Fox, who has swung Mexico closer to Washington since taking power in 2000. A dispute that began with Mexico's support last month for a censure of Cuba at a U.N. rights body came to a head in recent days. President Fidel Castro harshly criticised Mexico at a May Day speech on Saturday for voting against Cuba, saying Mexico's prestige in the world had "turned into ashes". Interior Minister Santiago Creel also said two members of the Cuban Communist Party's central committee had been "carrying out activities incompatible with their status" in Mexico. That term is often used by governments to denote spying but Creel added that the pair had dabbled in "affairs which should be dealt with by diplomatic channels in the relevant institutions," suggesting they had become involved in Mexican politics.
#3
Er, with Chavez so close to Cuba, and Peru & Mexico withdrawing ambassadors, should I start worrying about some sort of cold war in Latin America? Or is this less than it looks?
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
05/03/2004 10:04 Comments ||
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#4
Chavez is a pipsqueak that won't last another year IMHO
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/03/2004 10:13 Comments ||
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#5
Mitch H.> The thing to be worrying about is some Latin American countries (Venezuela the most obvious example but not alone) slide towards fascism -- not the emerging opposition to it. These moves by Mexico and Peru give me a bit more hope.
Well... News Spin... contrast and compare to the articles linked below and ask yourself: Is the glass half-empty or half-full?
Asshat "news" orgs, sigh, they must get together and dream this agenda shit up. Perhaps thatâs why they hang out in the hotel bars so frequently - for inspiration.
Last week I was in Poland, doing the good work of empire. There, I had access to only BBC and some travel channel, my languages being limited to English, Canadian and American. Good that I loaded up blogs, before leaving. After three or four days of the Beeb, I returned to Central Region surprised to find the Republic still intact.
Today, I picked up the IHT, a wholly owned sub of the NYT. Front page article: Americans are seen losing their scientific edge Third paragraph, slipped in for European consumption:
Europe and Asia are ascendant, analysts say, even if their achievements go unnoticed in the self-absorbed United States. Now, the NYT repackages its articles, and ships them to the IHT. The original read:
"The rest of the world is catching up," said John E. Jankowski, a senior analyst at the National Science Foundation, the federal agency that tracks science trends. "Science excellence is no longer the domain of just the U.S." Expecting to catch them (Leftonistas) with their pants down is one thing. Expecting them to pull them down themselves is another. Those who can, do. Those who canât...are probably European. Wonder how far Mr. Orkentâs brief is?
#1
Well, US education is at a disadvantage when schools can no longer teach "hands-on" science, from fear of some contingency lawyers' liability suits. And when state and federal bureaucrats keep mandating more and more waste into their curriculums, such as pop psychology exams, diversity and sensitivity courses. And when religious fundamentalists don't want science taught at all because if it isn't in THE book, is isn't worth teaching. (Doesn't even matter which book.) And when a racist and secessionist organization such as MeCha is encouraged to recruit and indoctrinate Hispanic students in schools. And when the teachers' unions are indifferent to educating children, in favor of supporting political agendas that have nothing to do with education. And when textbook makers produce books that are so profoundly inoffensive and sterile that they are useful for nothing more than recycled-paper doorstops. And when Chinese students who already hold advanced degrees come to enroll in post-graduate programs, pushing out prospective American undergraduates, and racially "purifying" entire programs. And when Universities intentionally recruit minority students with insufficient SATs, taking them from schools where they could have excelled and putting them in schools where the average student has a 20-30 SAT point average over them--almost guaranteeing failure--because they only care about diversity in admissions, not graduation.
Gee, this list just keeps getting longer and longer...
Well, sooner or later the sins of the past catch up with you.
"It's like the Roman Empire. Wasn't everybody running around just covered with syphilis? And then it was destroyed by the volcano."
--Joan Collins
#4
Hey, Mucky old pal, are you still converted to the RoP?
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
05/03/2004 16:39 Comments ||
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#5
Bulldog, Priceless.
Posted by: ed ||
05/03/2004 16:53 Comments ||
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#6
I think a driver here is that hard science doesn't lend itself well to a multicultural approach. Some bridges stand up; some bridges fall down, and it's not especially helpful to observe that the engineers who designed the bridge that fell down brought their own unique cultural perspective to the design process.
Posted by: Matt ||
05/03/2004 16:55 Comments ||
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#7
I pretty well with 'moose #1. Some comments of my own:
The teacher's union (particular the powerful NEA) wants to enrich its membership in general and its leadership in particular. This is the way with all unions.
A little over a decade ago I'd have said that the US universities are where students caught up, and in certain disciplines, even surpassed the rest of the world. I'm not so certain now since I haven't followed the state of science and engineering education at that level in a long time. (Any closet academics in the house?)
On Rome: Just like it wasn't built in a day, Rome didn't fall immediately. Once the Pope emerged from the city and persuaded the invaders to pass by. Remind anyone of anybody we know today?
Eventually, though, the Roman Emperor in the West left power--"I abdicate"--and Odoacer took over. And about 1000 years later, the Eastern Empire at Constantinople fell to the turks.
Hopefully the US will fall later. Somehow I doubt we'll get 1000 years, though.
#8
As a parent of a gifted child I can safely say that some school districts DO identify bight students and offer them a chance to grow. We MAY have some dysfunctional school systems in the U.S. but they are the minority. Of course I live in the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia and maybe we do things differently. My child was Identified as gifted by the State tests and was entered into a program that challenges him. All this while he remains in the same grade structure. He remains in his fifth grade class but takes 6th grade Math and Science, and takes other subjects with his peers. In most of the European and Asian countries my son would be remaining in the same class for all subjects. He may invent something that destroys the world but failing that the Empire is safe. LONG LIVE BUSH II!
#11
#7, I teach at the US Military Academy. Our cadets are all required to take a fair amount of science, math and at a minimum some basic engineering courses ... those who major in an engineering discipline are proud to note that USMA is ranked in the top 5 US engineering schools who don't have PhD programs.
We do have some concerns about the state of science and math teaching in the US, as does DOD. The latter is particularly concerned about attracting students to major in these fields and go on to advanced degrees and some work is being done to revamp curriculum materials to take advantage of simulations, immersive environments (virtual reality) etc. for these fields. It's in the R&D stage right now ....
I've taught the incoming freshmen and teach the seniors right now. We do a fairly good job of getting them to think in linear logic, but it's an uphill battle against a culture dominated by Sesame Street -> MTV bits of this and that input, rather than extended reasoning with more abstract ideas. Those who have taught longer than I (I come from industry) say that is definitely a bigger problem now than 20 yrs ago ....
#12
Where I live in East Tennessee my child was not allowed to take classes beyond her grade level. There were no Gifted programs. I was told "It would lower the self esteem of the children who were not as smart". I asked "What the hell do you think it's doing to my child to have to go along at the slowest child's pace? She was bored stiff and constantly got in trouble. You were lucky, Cyber Sarge. I agree with Anonymoose.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
05/03/2004 21:49 Comments ||
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#13
My read on the article is completely different. My brother is a proffesor at a US university. He has about a dozen grad students working on projects under him , and as far as I can recall non-Americans have always formed a majority (at least 15 years). For at least a generation, America in a largely unsung act of generosity, has trained most of the world's best scientists and engineers. We are now seeing the result of that effort.
Posted by: Phil B ||
05/03/2004 21:59 Comments ||
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Nice article. A bit lengthy, but covers a lot of issues, the Shariah court being only one. From www.timecanada.com
On a gray Sunday morning outside Torontoâs North York City Center, librarygoers meander to and from the otherwise quiet underground shopping mall. But inside a hall in the concrete complex, a frightening vision of Canada is being conjured up. Some 300 fired-up members of Torontoâs Muslim community have gathered to debate a proposal to establish a Shariâa court.
In Canada? When she first heard about it last year, womenâs rights activist Azar Majedi thought the idea of a tribunal in Canada based on Islamic jurisprudence was a joke. âI was overwhelmed, shocked,â Iran-born Majedi told the audience. âTo see the seeds of an Islamic republic being sown here in Canada is terrifying.â... The issue hit home for Iran-born Homa Arjomand, a Toronto social worker, when her daughter, now 16, was shunned by other children in her elementary school because she had male friends. Arjomand says a more orthodox form of Islam has been taking hold in Canada since the early 1990s....
Posted by: Rafael ||
05/03/2004 3:17:28 AM ||
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#1
The Sharia court referred to is an arbitration court for civil matters. Ontario law was changed last year to give Islamic arbitration tribunals the same status held by other tribunals, including Jewish Beit Din courts. People freely entering a contract can agree to have disputes resolved by such a tribunal. If they agree to do this, then decisions of the tribunal (here, the Sharia court) on civil matters will be enforceable by the courts. That's all this means. No criminal court decisions. Eugene Volokh had a very good 3-part analysis of the situation last November 23. Links to his posts were at www.learnedhand.com this morning.
Posted by: Patrick Brown ||
05/03/2004 8:49 Comments ||
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#2
The most interesting thing here is that some muslims feel terror at the idea of Sharia courts. The intimidation of the Sharia courts is one of the things that the jihad branch of Islam is counting on to whip the moderates into line.
Via Country Store:
What are the Congressional hearings to discover the truth about the United Nationsâ oil-for-food scandal? According to some of the committeeâs Democratic representatives, the hearings are a "misguided effort to discredit the United Nations." In other words - according to House Reps. Tom Lantos, Howard Berman and Gary Ackerman - [otherwise know as "the usual suspects"]
it apparently doesnât matter what happened to the $2 billion worth of bribe money paid to 270 diplomats and politicians, or the $10 billion allegedly stolen by Saddam Hussein. Why? Because the truth about France, Germany and Russiaâs opposition to the war in Iraq might not be helpful for Democrats in the 2004 elections. Yaâ think?
The party and their presidential candidate, who worship at the altar of "U.N. solutions" for world problems (including terror) might be forced to admit that the object of their continuing affection is a cesspool of anti-American, bribe-taking liars. Liars who are perfectly willing to stonewall any investigation - apparently with the blessings of certain Democratic committee members. And most of the Democratic party.
Once again, like the 9/11 committee before it, the truth will take a back seat to partisan politics. Once again, Democrats will likely dishonor themselves in the process of trying to dishonor the president. Quelle surprise!
And once again, Americans will see right through the subterfuge. At least, the ones with 2 working brain cells will. Donât know about the Left.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
05/03/2004 4:17:49 PM ||
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we all new it was only a matter of time
While the Washington press corps seems to have missed it, WABC Radioâs Steve Malzberg has been playing a clip of Sen. John Kerry in his biggest flip-flop yet - showing the presumptive Democratic nominee suddenly admitting that Saddam Husseinâs weapons of mass destruction may soon turn up. Heâs now officially only 10 steps behind the rest of America! Yeah!!
Itâs quite a turnaround for Kerry, who just a few weeks ago was complaining, "George Bush sold us on going to war with Iraq based on the threat of weapons of mass destruction. But we still havenât found them . . . . We were misled about weapons of mass destruction." Key Kerry backer Howard Dean has been even more adamant, insisting to CNN earlier this month, "There were no weapons of mass destruction . . . This is Bushgate, which is far more serious than Watergate." lookâs like no ones really sure about what Kerry wants to say these days
But Tuesday night on MSNBCâs "Hardball," Kerry retreated. "Fall back men, Iâve kept one view point for too long!!"
"It appears, as they peel away the weapons of mass destruction issue - and we may yet find them," he told host Chris Matthews. "Look, I want to make it clear. Who knows if a month from now, three months from now, you find some weapons? You may." Coincidentally or not, Kerryâs reversal came a day after the Jordanian government announced that WMDs from Syria were part of an al Qaida plot to kill 80,000 people in Amman with poison gas. At least one of the plotters has admitted he was trained in Iraq. The top Democratâs flip-flop also followed news that a suspected weapons of mass destruction production facility in Baghdad - disguised as a perfume factory - unexpectedly blew up, killing two GIâs who were searching the plant. And just like flip flops on the beach, so are the Kerry camps views...
#1
Coincidentally or not, Kerryâs reversal came a day after the Jordanian government announced that WMDs from Syria were part of an al Qaida plot to kill 80,000 people in Amman with poison gas.
#3
I think it's a bigger flip/flap that Kerry claimed that he would increase the troops over there by 40,000 .
Maybe he intends to DRAFTthem.
Which is it Kerry: a draft or the UN(SCAM)? These troops have to come from somewhere.
Mr. Kerry, you've stated that you would increase the number of troops there by 40,000. Do you plan to initiate a draft? Your democratic commrades have been calling for a draft - do you support their calls for a draft? Yes, so you are saying that you want to pull the elitist children out of Harvard, as we don't want only the poor to fight, right?
Bwahahahaaahaaahhahaaa
Mr. Kerry, you've said you will rely on the UN to increase troops by 40,000. What do you think of the UNSCAM??? Did you support Kofi The Sinking Ship Annan?
Bwahahahahaaaaa
I can't believe this went under the radar the way it did.
Posted by: Anny Emous ||
05/03/2004 20:16 Comments ||
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#4
Kerry is not a politician. He's a weathervane.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
05/04/2004 3:04 Comments ||
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But Kerry gives plenty of ammunition to those who say he considers no hair too fine to split and who charge that he tailors the cut of what he says to meet the tastes of the audience and the moment. Asked on Earth Day whether he owns a gas-gobbling SUV, the champion of higher fuel-efficiency standards first said no, then admitted under questioning that, yes, that was a Suburban parked at his Sun Valley, Idaho, vacation house. Next, he distanced himself from his own driveway: "The family has it. I don't have it."
It was a far different story, however, when Kerry visited car-loving Detroit last February. Back then, he exulted to local reporters about how much horsepower he commands: "We have some SUVs. We have a Jeep. We have a couple of Chrysler minivans. We have a PT Cruiser up in Boston. I have an old Dodge 600 ... We also have a Chevy, a big Suburban."
"They remind me of the Jeep I drove in Vietnam, I mentioned I was in Vietnam, right?"
Posted by: Steve ||
05/03/2004 10:37:26 AM ||
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#1
I'm curious as to why Mr. Kerry has not resigned his Senate seat to campaign for the Presidency. If I remember correctly, most congressmen who run for the presidency resign because they don't have enough time for both. I have reAD that Mr. Kerry has been neglecting his Senatorial duties. Could he be hedging his bets in that he doesn't want to resign in case he looses this fall? He would still have his Senate seate then.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
05/03/2004 11:27 Comments ||
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#2
He's doing a big ad buy to acquaint voters with the fact that he was in Viet Nam. You did know he was in Viet Nam didn't you? Drives a nice boat now too, but not like the Swift boat he had in Viet Nam....
If I was a Dem voter, I'd cut my wrists, rather than listen to horseface ....
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/03/2004 11:43 Comments ||
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#3
DB, that's exactly what he's doing. As far as I'm concerned, as soon as he got the nomination his seat should've been up for grabs, he's running on the taxpayer's dime yet not pulling his weight in his still held office.
#4
Kerry is "my" Senator here in Mass. (no thanks to me), and I'm happy he's not voting on anything - one less Dem vote.
Actually, I think he and any other full-time candidates are utterly derelict if they don't resign their positions. I remember Gov. Bill Weld resigned his post when he was simply nominated for Ambassador to Mexico.
#6
DB:
Well, I wouldn't say that Kerry has done nothing. He positively rushed back to the capital to vote against the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Firearms Act. Great white hunter my ass.
#8
Don't say anything about the jeep Kerry drove in Vietnam. Remember his speech in 1971 which included remarks about killing animals? There's a farmer is still looking for the "tall round-eye" driving the jeep who ran over his flock of chickens, killing five. War Criminal?
Also Deacon Blues - The reason Kerry won't resign is called Gov Mitt Romney, who'd appoint a GOP senator to replace him.
#9
An 18% voting record and he's still drawing his salry. I lived in Boston for 2 years and I do feel for the people of Massachusetts. They are not getting their money's worth.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
05/03/2004 15:52 Comments ||
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#10
Ship, I'm good bro'. Getting ready to go back to Camp Lejeune and finally become part of the operating forces again.
#11
Hmmmm, 18%, eh? Seems as though Kerry has been AWOL 82% of this session. This calls for an investigation by NBCABCCBSCNNMSNBC reporters. Can Kerry provide records that he actually came to the Capitol this session? Did anyone see him there?
#14
Jarhead---I am not into personal disparagement (except for the Arafish...hell, we even got a term of endearment for OBL---Binny), but I CANNOT get the image of Kerry and Treebeard out of my head, and I have to work and focus on Nome sewers today!!!!!
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
05/03/2004 16:49 Comments ||
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#15
When are Teddy and Kerry's seat up for grabs?
Posted by: Super Hose ||
05/03/2004 18:28 Comments ||
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(2004-05-02) -- As Sen. John Forbes Kerry struggles to find a theme for his presidential campaign, former Democrat presidential candidate Al Gore today offered his suggestion--The Theme from Love Story.
According to a report in The New York Times, Mr. Kerry has been through at least six different themes, none of which have "caught fire" with the American public.
Mr. Gore said, "Itâs important that any campaign theme has universal appeal which crosses ideological boundaries. As most voters will recall, the main character in the novel "Love Story" was based on me. And even though that was way back in the days when I was trying to convince someone to invent the Internet, The Theme from Love Story is a timeless classic."
Mr. Kerry, who according to his campaign co-chair is so "thoughtful" that "it takes him a while to say things" responded to Mr. Goreâs suggestion by saying, "Where do I begin..."
A Kerry spokesman promised a more complete response in the coming days.
Posted by: Steve from Relto ||
05/03/2004 9:28:56 AM ||
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"You're So Vain" isn't it?
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/03/2004 9:46 Comments ||
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#2
Nah, it just has to be this:
Iâm just a gigolo and everywhere I go
People know the part Iâm playin
I pay for every dance, sellin each romance
Ooh, what theyâre sayin?
There will come a day when youth will pass away
Whatâll they say about me?
When the end comes I know I was just a gigolo
And life goes on without me
Chorus:
I ainât got nobody
Nobody cares for me
Nobody, nobody cares for me
Iâm so sad and lonely
Sad and lonely, sad and lonely
Wonât some sweet mama
Come and take a chance with me
âCause I ainât so bad
Posted by: Steve ||
05/03/2004 11:45 Comments ||
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#3
Dancin' with Myself also came to mind...Tipper should like it.
#5
I still say it's "Fool on the Hill"
Lennon-McCartney
Day after day alone on a hill
The man with the foolish Grin is keeping perfectly still
But no body wants to know him
They can see that he is just a fool
And he never gives an answer
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down
And the eyes in his head
Sees the World spinning round . . .
#6
The primary reason that Kerry will lose is because he is a Yan-kee. But he will really get creamed when he is discovered to be a shrimper(*), like Dick Morris and Michael Jackson.
#10
Odd - link function is no longer working as before... When the above link fails, just strip off the "http://www.rantburg.com" prefix that doesn't need to be there and voila! Instant memory trip!
EFL - Caught via Polipundit
CNSNews.com) - Hundreds of former commanders and military colleagues of presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry are set to declare in a signed letter that he is "unfit to be commander-in-chief." They will do so at a press conference in Washington on Tuesday. be sure to watch ABCCBSPBSCNNNBC - they wonât cover this....
"What is going to happen on Tuesday is an event that is really historical in dimension," John OâNeill, a Vietnam veteran who served in the Navy as a PCF (Patrol Craft Fast) boat commander, told CNSNews.com . The event, which is expected to draw about 25 of the letter-signers, is being organized by a newly formed group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.
"We have 19 of 23 officers who served with [Kerry]. We have every commanding officer he ever had in Vietnam. They all signed a letter that says he is unfit to be commander-in-chief," OâNeill said.
OâNeill, currently a Houston, Texas, based attorney, is no stranger to Kerry. OâNeill served in the same naval unit as Kerry and commanded Kerryâs swift boat after Kerry returned to the United States. Kerryâs command of the PCF boat lasted four months and ended shortly after he received his third Purple Heart. According to naval regulations at the time, any soldier who received three Purple Hearts could request a transfer out of the combat zone.
Kerry and OâNeill engaged in a nationally televised debate in 1971 on The Dick Cavett Show over Kerryâs allegations that many Vietnam soldiers had routinely engaged in atrocities such as raping and cutting off ears and heads of Vietnamese soldiers and citizens. Kerry was the then spokesman for the anti-war group Vietnam Veterans Against the War.
"We are going to be presenting a letter that deals with Kerryâs unfitness to be commander and chief that has been signed by hundreds of swift boat sailors, including most of those who served with Kerry," OâNeill explained.
"The ranks of the people signing [the letter] range from admiral down to seaman, and they run across the entire spectrum of politics, specialties, and political feelings about the Vietnam War," he added.
Among those scheduled to attend the event at the National Press Club and declare Kerry unfit for the role of commander-in-chief are retired Naval Rear Admiral Roy Hoffman, who was the commander of the Navy Coastal Surveillance Force, which included the swift boats on which Kerry served.
Also scheduled to be present at the event is Kerryâs former commanding officer, Lt. Commander Grant Hibbard. Hibbard recently questioned whether Kerry deserved the first of his three Purple Hearts that he received in Vietnam. Hibbard doubted both the severity of the wound and whether it resulted from enemy fire.
"Iâve had thorns from a rose that were worse" than Kerryâs wound for which he received a Purple Heart, Hibbard told the Boston Globe in April.
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/03/2004 9:00:58 AM ||
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#1
I'll be watching Fox cuz they'll cover it - Fair & Balanced.
#2
"We have 19 of 23 officers who served with [Kerry]. We have every commanding officer he ever had in Vietnam. They all signed a letter that says he is unfit to be commander-in-chief," OâNeill said
Yeah - And Kerry says this is irrevalent, and his lapdogs at the cabal (CNN-CBS-ABC-NBC) lick his face and wag their tails.
83% of the officers who served with Kerry. "It's a VAST right-wing CONSPIRACY!"
#3
I takes a really special kind of politician to convert winning the Silver Star into a campaign liability.
Posted by: Matt ||
05/03/2004 11:58 Comments ||
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#4
Matt,
LOL. Ain't it the truth?
Posted by: Mr. Davis ||
05/03/2004 12:34 Comments ||
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#5
I bet we find out a lot more about that Silver Star and it aint going to look good at all. Something, no EVERYTHING about this man doesn't feel right. Maybe after the convention we will see some more 'war stories' with his peers.
#6
Just make darned sure that a Republican '527' isn't behind this. Public figured out rather quickly that the Bush AWOL story was being pushed by moveon.org, etc., and turned away from it. If the Repubs are returning the favor the message will be lost.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/03/2004 13:36 Comments ||
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#7
Steve - I think I read on another site this morning (can't remember which one, polipundit maybe) that this group is a 527.
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats ||
05/03/2004 13:41 Comments ||
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#8
If this was a partisan torpedo, wouldn't it have made sense to hold on till Kerry's the Democrats' confirmed candidate? AFAIU, they've still got time to change this dud for someone else.
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats ||
05/03/2004 13:49 Comments ||
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#11
LotR, that's what I was afraid of. It's going to be very easy for ABCCBSCNNNBC to dismiss this as just partisan sniping, though that didn't seem to stop them on the Bush AWOL bruhaha.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/03/2004 14:47 Comments ||
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#12
I don't think so Steve. Pretty soon they are going to ask a Veteran wether they will vote for Kerry and I bet there are not too many in favor of him. I know and work with a lot of Veterans groups in California and I have yet to see ONE Kerry sticker or have someone praise him. We are going to be heard sometime and maybe this will spark that fire.
EFL
As President George W. Bush tries to paint John Kerry as an old-fashioned Massachusetts liberal, the Democratic presidential contender is crafting an economic platform aimed at persuading skeptical corporate executives that heâs a business-friendly moderate, Mondayâs Wall Street Journal reported. In an hourlong interview Friday, Mr. Kerry disclosed that he has launched a major push to enlist corporate supporters and touted two stars he has landed so far: investment sage Warren Buffett and technology executive Steve Jobs. {no mention of George Soros- the trick here is for Kerry to convince moderates that he isnât anti business while convincing the left that he really is anti business --- ]
The Wall Street Journalâs version of their interview is here
In the background is the fact that the Fed meets Tuesday to plan the next increase in the prime and on Friday the BLS releases the monthly employment stats.
Posted by: mhw ||
05/03/2004 8:35:32 AM ||
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Doesn't matter Hanoi John. You're washed up.
Posted by: Bill Nelson ||
05/03/2004 9:19 Comments ||
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Amen, Bill.
"Tries"???? Tries??? He is what he is, CNN. He's all yours - and you're fucked stuck with him. Putting lipstick on this pig just won't cut it, CNN. Couldn't have worked out better - you can go down the tubes together.
#3
"the trick here is for Kerry to convince moderates that he isnât anti business while convincing the left that he really is anti business" ...
That will be a new challenge for Kerry. He'll just vote for the pro-business bills before he votes against them.
Posted by: Sam ||
05/03/2004 9:33 Comments ||
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Warren Buffet is one of the world's great jackasses. I don't care if he is a great investor, he is a massive hypocrite who proposes one thing for the country while doing something totally opposite for himself. If he really cared about the "little people" he would split is stock about 100 times and pay a dividend. What a jackoff. Jobs wears black turlte necks all the time. No more need be said about him.
Posted by: remote man ||
05/03/2004 12:59 Comments ||
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Barkshire Hathaway closed today at over $90,000 a share. And it's a lovely private club that owns the stock - it's next to impossible to buy any, even if you have the dough.
I'm with remote man; Buffet may be a smart investor, but hang on to your wallet if his "policies" get enacted.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
05/03/2004 17:10 Comments ||
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No it's not Barb, you're cute when you're angry but it's very easy to buy BH, even on a fraction. Get a clue dear. Bye
Guests: U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Ambassador Joseph Wilson
Hard to tell which one's more pathetic.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/03/2004 2:52:07 AM ||
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Good Lord man, they are both pathetic. Equally so I think. I wouldn't worry about the dork Wilson. Wait, they're both dorks and equally pathetic. What is bothersome is that the slimy snake Annie is going to slither out of this thing.You just watch as things unfold. I'll bet somehow, some way, by some general agreement the sanctity of the world body must be preserved and that is what will happen. I believe we'll see people, influential people, step forward in defence of those bastards and the whole thing will evaporate. I hope not,but if it does I hope someone has the moxie to formulate a petition to stop all taxes going to the UN. We ain't powerless ya know.Chine
You want class warfare, I got your class warfare right here baby......
How much would you pay for a bicycle? Is seven grand too much? Not as much as John Kerry, I daresay, now that we know, thanks to a front-page story about his butler in The New York Times, that he owns a Serotta bike. The Serotta, see, is custom-made, with the ``holistic approach to bicycle fitting.ââ translation: Our market will buy anything as long as its exclusive enough.
Translation: Itâs very expensive. How expensive, you ask. Serottaâs ``price pointsââ are between $1,800 and $5,000 - just for the frame, mind you, if you want extras, like gears and titanium spokes, tack on another $2,000 - which raises the question: what do you suppose Kerryâs point is? Consider that Kerryâs second wife owns a Gulfstream V jet, the Flying Squirrel, my guess is they call it that because its full of nuts? or maybe because the owner is a bucktoothed rodent? it works on so many different levels.
worth $35 million, and also bought him a personal powerboat, the Scaramouche, they did that with a with a straight face no less.....
worth at least $800,000. So do you think Liveshotâs wifeâs first husbandâs trust fund bought a bike on the low end, or the high end? Iâll go out on a limb and say Liveshotâs bike is worth five large. And that it actually belongs, not to the solon himself, but to his ``family.ââ Repeated calls to Kerryâs campaign spokesman over the last two days were not returned. So I looked up Serotta bikes on the Web and came up with a list of local dealers, most of whom operate in such Beautiful People enclaves as Manchester-by-the-Sea and Amherst. Nearest to Kerryâs $12-million mansion were dealers in Belmont and a city the Web site described as ``Sommerville.ââ Naturally I first called the Serotta dealership in Belmont. I asked the guy the money question. Is Liveshot a customer? `Why yes he is,ââ said the gent, who did not wish to be identified. Let me guess - Teresa let him spend 5 grand on the type they use in the Tour de France, perhaps the Coeur dâAcier model, given its French name. I guess he wouldnât be caught dead on a bike someone would ride in the hell-of-the-west race.
``We wouldnât comment on customers,ââ he said, frostily.
"No, no! Certainly not!"
Funny story on the bike thing - Kerry recently did a campaign swing through Sacramento - where Kerry was photographed in gear on his bike, the news made it sound like he was of on 50 mile ride - truth is he peddled from one end of old sac to the other and back - a trip of about 3 miles. It took him 15 minutes. The press made him out to be greg lemond. He looked to me like Lurch in lycra spandex. I dont think he so much as changed gears, much less broke a sweat.
Enough on the $5,000 bicycle. Now letâs move on his fleet of gas-guzzlers. Pardon me, his familyâs fleet of ozone-layer destroyers. not that there's anything wrong with that mind you, but hey - We didnt make it an issue. my thought is buy whatever the hell you want, its a free country. Apparently, Iâm in the minority.
Before he tracked down his second heiress in 1995, Kerry had a â91 Jetta. Made in what part of America, thats right, good ole Stuttgart USA.....?
In other words, 10 years ago his car was worth less than his bicycle is today. And some people say being a gigolo doesnât pay? David Lee Roth just popped into my head, I dont know why. QUICK - call the laura ingrham show, Iâve got a new Kerry campaign theme song.
Kerry still owns his old â85 Dodge convertible. The excellent New York Times story on his butler Wednesday said that Kerryâs man Jeeves had ``inheritedââ the car, but guess what - Kerry just re-registered the Dodge. Its plate is Purple Heart 3, which means he didnât have to pay for the registration. holy lord, this has got to be a joke, will he please shut up about the purple hearts already! I watched Gettysburg and "Gods and Generals" back to back, I think I spent more time in combat after that than he did and Iâm sure I took more damage to my backside than Kerry did.
Granted, he has every right to do that. But still, couldnât he have volunteered to pay the extra $75 . . . for the children? Then thereâs the 2002 Chrysler 300 sedan. Its current plate is USS 2. PT 109 was apparently taken by Ted somebody up in cape cod.....
Of course, Liveshotâs not the only family member who likes special plates. Down on Nantucket, garaged at the $9 million mansion on Hulbert Avenue, his 65-year-old wife has a yellow â97 Land Rover Defender with the plate: MOZMBQ. As in Mozambique, donât you know, the widow Heinzâs country of origin. The â94 Jeep Grand Cherokee - its license plate is HZ 57. Her third vehicle, the 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser, has a regular license plate. Known on the street as "barbies little coupe".
Then thereâs the stepson, Christopher. Apparently he, too, didnât get the memo about only buying Made-in-the-USA vehicles. Heâs tooling around the island in a gray 2002 Porsche 911. again, not theres anything wrong with that.......
I wanted one at that age ...
Weâre all learning so much in this campaign about the kind of lifestyle that is created when a gigolo marries a gold-digger. Arenât you getting sick of Kerry? Fortunately, thereâs one way to assure that you wonât have to see him this weekend. Just shop at Wal-Mart. Not even his butler would lower himself that far. And this is from the Boston Herald......
Posted by: Frank Martin ||
05/03/2004 1:37:23 AM ||
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Made in what part of America, thats right, good ole Stuttgart USA
Posted by: Rafael ||
05/03/2004 3:45 Comments ||
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#2
This is Howie Carr's column. Howie's not a big Kerry fan.
Also be advised that JFnK took his fancy bike out for a spin this weekend, hit a patch of sand and went down. No word on whether anybody on his SOB Secret Service detail were blamed for him being an overaged spaz.
EFL
When I was in Leftport in March, the party theme was that Mr. Bush had ruined the economy. They wouldnât hear of the fact that the economy went into a recession during the late Clinton months, or that the attack on America threw us off course, or that the tax cuts had spurred the economy into the best leap in 20 years. Unemployment, they yelled, was horrible. But employment figures jumped in March, so in April the tune changed back to the war. "We had no evidence of weapons of mass destruction. Bush did this for the oil, or because Saddam was his fatherâs nemesis. This is pay-back." My wife looks at me, knowing some salvos are forthcoming. Iâve held my tongue long enough, and suffered through lousy hors dâoeuvres and cheap white wine till Iâm beyond myself. I ask: Alan knows it really wasnât the booze that sucked, it was the company...
"Didnât Saddam use weapons of mass destruction against the Kurds in northern Iraq, against the âmarsh peopleâ in southern Iraq, against the Iranians? Didnât he send poison-tipped missiles into Israel? Didnât Israel destroy his nuclear facilities in the 1980s? Didnât he kill, over 35 years, 1.5 million people or so, or more than 3,000 per month, every month? As offspring of the Holocaust, did you prefer we wait until he has more capabilities for killing? Is it your hope, like our dead brethren in Germany, that if we try to acquiesce, we will be overlooked? Have you learned nothing?" And, I continued, "If we wanted the oil, why didnât we take over the oil fields, either during Bush I, or Bush II? And by the way, is there anyone here who has a vision of ending terrorism, or bringing a more egalitarian way of life to the Middle East." Yells of "Nazi" and "right winger" hit my ears. Not one substantive reply, only personal attacks on my character or intelligence. I kinda synpathize. I try to show the nexus between defeatist comments and possible effects on troops oin the field, and how they can affect real people back home, I get called mentally ill.
Sorry...
Just comparing scars I guess. ;o)
And he didn't even mention who had sold Saddam all his arms. Might have led to some wine-tossing.
Scratch a liberal, I say, and you often end up with a McCarthyite, bent on trying to destroy the character of every conservative, or even a mere questioner. So in self-preservation, Iâve torn up my directions to "Leftport," taken the Saw Mill Parkway off my map, and am going to confine myself to the best that Manhattan offers, the good food and hedonism of the Meatpacking district, where I can eat and drink the night away with my wife and be with people of all stripes--and with no more than a hip-thrust or wink on the dance floor I can commune with everyone. Amen to that, baby! Another glass of wine, sâil plait, another nightly toast to our military, and the knowledge I have a lot of beers to buy when we win this war.
Posted by: badanov ||
05/03/2004 12:48:07 AM ||
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I could post this comment against half the articles today. But these are interesting times indeed. We are watching the death throws of the mass media culture and its manufacture of a 'right' way of looking at things. Now anyone can be their own media channel on the internet and people can choose the spin they want. Excellent!
Posted by: Phil B ||
05/03/2004 8:07 Comments ||
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How did Blumenthal ever get to where he did? This article is incomprehensible. I'm serious. It can't be read. The paragraphs are disconnected, the logic is absent, it's word salad. He starts off on Bush and segues to people complaining about Kerry.
Muck4doo writes better than this.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/03/2004 3:01 Comments ||
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#2
Whew! I was worried that it was just me... Reminded me of a Dean speech, heh. :-)
#3
The British intellectual status-seeker class are collectively the most bigoted and arrogant large group of people in the world, unequalled since the suppression of the German National Socialist Party in 1945.
They are Al-Guardian's audience and Americans are the chosen targets of their raging bigotry and prejudice.
Since the facts are inescapable and obvious by now, this group is without the excuse of ignorance. Nor can they plead coercion. In supporting the Guardian, they are complicit in its constant incitement of crimes and outrages against Americans.
Accounts will be settled, Guardianistas, count on it.
#4
AC, I agree the left-leaning British middle classes are a hateful bunch of hypocritical cluster-f***ers. The exemplar of that breed, to my mind, ironically, is Blair's wife Cherie. But you shouldn't forget that Guardianistas actually represent a small minority of those who read British quality newspapers. Many more people in the middle classes choose the Telegraph and the Times over the Guardian and its sick mutant cousin, the Independent.
#5
The attacks against Kerry are a bodyguard of lies to protect the original ones who are the praetorian guard of Bush's presidency.
This sentence is so delicious I couldn't pass it up.
The attacks against Kerry are a bodyguard of lies
What is it with the bodyguard stuff after Lurchy's incident with the snowboard and the Secret Service Agent?
. . .who are the praetorian guard of Bush's presidency
Rummy in a Toga with a spear? Spooky.
#1
Good Lord! It's been a while since I've read al-Guardian. Sometimes they publish good stuff and you almost come to believe they're a respectable newspaper instead of Moonbat Central.
Then you see articles like this. I loved this paragraph:
The White House has recently been accused of inveighing (via Nasa) against the movie The Day After Tomorrow (out on May 28) because it narrates the wrong apocalypse. One caused by man-made global warming, that is, rather than God's white-hot rage against sinners. The apocalypse depicted in Tim LaHaye's Left Behind books is, we assume, the US government-approved version.
I confess to feeling a little "white-hot rage" toward this John Sutherland chap. Please God, smite this wicked idiotarian. What kind of world is this where they can publish this crap everyday? Any answer to the question `Why do they hate us?` must include a few words on people like John Sutherland who pump the Europeans full of this blather day after day, week after week, year after year, for decades on end.
Posted by: John in Tokyo ||
05/03/2004 3:02 Comments ||
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I love the fact that this chap Sutherland also brings up "Racehate websites" too because, as the British lefties know, mainstream Republicans hold the same views but they're just a little more canny and polite about it.
So the race hate websites are smearing Kerry for being part Jewish, huh? I wonder if this Sutherland guy, in the process of his research into racehate websites, happened to note their opinions on foreign policy? Do you think he had a few moments of discomfort when (if) he realized that the skinhead types are closer to the Left than to Bush on opinions about the Middle East policy and the War on Terror, as well as a lot of other issues? Do you think it bothered him that the Neo Nazis are nearly indistinguishable from the Guardianista British Left in their opinions of the U.S. Gov't (and Israel for that matter)?
Posted by: John in Tokyo ||
05/03/2004 3:17 Comments ||
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Are people in Britain actually stupid enough to believe this shit?
Do schools there not teach even the elementary principles of logic and rhetoric?
This is as crude a collection of stereotypes, demonizing innuendoes, outright lies and bigoted strawmen as I have seen anywhere.
This bastard Sutherland is a vicious authoritarian propagandist, and his readers are sniveling idiots and slaves if they buy one word of this.
What has happened to the UK?
#4
Atomic Conspiracy,
This article, take alone, is nothing to worry about - in fact it's kind of hilarious. I assume that most Brits, like everyone else, maintain some skecpticism about what they read in the paper, if they even pay it much attention. Even the Guardian's Leftoid readership, who share the same preconceived notions and prejudices about average Americans as the author, probably find this a little over the top in terms of hysteria and incoherence.
The problem is that this article is just one drop in the ocean. They write this crap every day. They've been doing it for a long time, although it's grown more shrill since 9/11. Even sensible Europeans cannot help but be effected by the steady drip, drip, drip of Leftist anti-American propaganda.
Posted by: John in Tokyo ||
05/03/2004 6:39 Comments ||
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#5
So you people are not aware of Bush's slavish gathering of the jihadis at the Islamic Center, on Sept. 16, 2001, and delivery of his insane "Islam is peace" basura? In David Frum's competent hagiograpy, "The Right Man," he tells how in 2002 GWB gathered Jews, Christians and Muslims in the Oval Office, and told them that without religious faith, he would still be an out of control alcoholic. Hmmm... an argument for interfaith. So let's see how his Saudi masters treat interfaith, on the principal Wahabi fatwah website:
http://www.alminbar.com/khutbaheng/ifm.htm
Saudis hate Bush; Bush loves Saudis. Someone give that nut a bottle of Jack.
Posted by: Man Bites Dog ||
05/03/2004 9:07 Comments ||
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#6
Man Sucks Dog - Again you demonstrate you're a fucking idiot. And a prolific fucking idiot, too.
One time: Bush is the First and Only President to actually make the Saudis start coming clean. You paint him with Daddy's brush - Geo41 was a typical Saudi ass-kissing US President. Dubya is not.
#8
I can only say "Megadittos" to what Dotcom sad about ManSucksDog, but you have to tell us:
Which presidential candidate is going to get your vote, Zipperhead, if you hate Bush--I'm sorry, "Shrub"--so much and yet are such an aggressive warrior in the WOT?
The Zapatero-like Ralph Nader?
Or Sen. John Fonda sKerry who wants to beg the UN and the French to forgive us and as CiC, will order America to do whatever they say?
Posted by: Jen ||
05/03/2004 13:08 Comments ||
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Actually the impression I get from MBD is he feels the admin is not doing enough to go after the soddies et al. I think MBD is pro wot just not a Bush fan. I know people who are both. Though granted I'm voting GWB again this election because the alternative is just too f'n skerry.......
NRO via Drudge -
Democratic 9/11 commissioner Bob Kerrey made an early departure from the commissionâs long-anticipated session with President Bush and Vice President Cheney only to find himself waiting for what turned out to be a late, and very brief, meeting on Capitol Hill. Now, Kerrey says that if he had it do over again, he would not have left the White House in the first place. Geez - If Iâd known the stink my departure would cause Iâd have dissed Domenici, who kept me waiting.
But when Kerrey arrived at the Hart Building, he was told that Domenici was busy on the Senate floor, voting on a series of amendments. Noon came and went. Instead of meeting in the office, Kerrey went to an area just off the Senate floor, where, at about 12:30 P.M., he was finally able to have a quick word with Domenici. Domenici : Gee, Bob, I thought you were with the President, so I didnât hurry in my voting
EFL
The Clinton administration prepared a secret indictment of Osama bin Laden in 1995 in connection with the Black Hawk Down attack two years before, but never filed it - a witness before the 9/11 Commission is set to testify on Friday.
Hat tip LGF. EFL.
According to Ted Koppel, dragging his gravitas like a ball and chain, ââThe most important thing a journalist can do is remind people of the cost of war.ââ "But they need to forget the cost of not going to war!"
So on Friday night on ABC he read out the names of the American men and women to die in Iraq. They should be honored. But this was only to make Bush look bad.
Is reminding people of the ââcost of warââ really the most important thing a journalist can do? Costs donât exist in a vacuum, but relative to their benefits. For example, the cost of Ted Koppel to ABC is said to be $6 million per year. That sounds a lot when you consider that Skip, the busboy at Dennyâs, would be happy to do it for $28,000, but cost alone doesnât factor in the benefits of Tedâs distinctive portentousness.
Likewise, the cost of war is a tragedy for the families of the American, British and other coalition forces whoâve died in the last year. But we owe it to the dead, always, every day, to measure their sacrifice against the mission, its aims, its successes, its setbacks. And, if the cause is still just, then you honor the fallen by pressing on to victory -- and then reading the roll call of the dead.
If that doesnât quite have the sweeps-month ratings appeal ââNightlineââ is looking for, since Ted has now established himself as a $6 million list reader he might like to remind people of the comparative costs of war. At two seconds per name, to read out the combat deaths of the War of 1812 heâd have to persuade ABC to extend the show to an hour and a quarter. To read out the combat deaths of the Korean War, heâd need a 19-hour show. For World War II, heâd have to get ABC to let him read out names of the dead 24/7 for an entire week. If he wants to, Iâd be happy to fly him to London so he can go on the BBC and read out the names of the 3,097,392 British combat deaths in World War I, which would take him the best part of three months, without taking bathroom breaks, or indeed pausing for breath.
As Stalin said, one death is a tragedy, 1 million is a statistic. The fact that Americaâs dead in Iraq are not yet statistics, that theyâre still small enough in number to be individual tragedies Ted can milk for his show tells you the real cost of this war. In Afghanistan, the numbers are even lower, which is why ââNightlineââ hasnât bothered pulling this stunt with Americaâs other war. They want to be able to pretend itâs a quagmire
Yes, the dead are husbands, wives, fathers, daughters, best friends, and for those who knew them in that capacity the loss is grievous. But Americans know them only as warriors, and they should honor them as such. Those British losses in the Great War reached deep into every family in the land. By contrast, in a nation of 300 million, the vast majority of families are personally untouched by military deaths, and that, paradoxically, makes it easier for the defeatists to exploit the small number of the dead as evidence of the hopelessness of our cause. The historically low rate of combat fatalities amplifies each one.
Hereâs where itâs worth considering the cost of Ted Koppel in the broader sense. Our enemies have made a bet -- that the West in general and America in particular are soft and decadent and have no attention span; that the ââsleeping giantââ Admiral Yamamoto feared heâd wakened at Pearl Harbor can no longer be roused. If he could, heâd be a problem. But heâs paunchy and effete and slumped in his Barcalounger, and heâs defining decadence down: In Vietnam, it took 50,000 deaths to drive the giant away; maybe in Iraq, it will only take 500; and maybe in the next war the giant will give up after 50, or not bother at all. He has the advantage of the most powerful army on the face of the planet, but he doesnât have the stomach for war, so itâs no advantage at all. Heâs like the fellow with the beautifully waxed Ferrari in the garage that he doesnât dare take on the potholed roads. If youâre predisposed, like many Islamists and many Continentals, to this stereotype of the soft American, then the lazy, ersatz pacifist mawkishness of ââNightlineâââs gimmick pretty much confirms it: Thatâs the cost of Koppel reminding us of ââthe cost of war.ââ
Posted by: Steve from Relto ||
05/03/2004 9:37:33 AM ||
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EFL
In testifying to the 9/11 commission, President Bush contradicted former President Bill Clintonâs claim that heâd warned Bush that Osama bin Laden would be his No. 1 problem when he took office, a new report says. Bush told the panel that Clinton seemed a lot more passionate about the dangers of North Koreaâs nuclear program and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Time magazine reports. My money is on Bush.
Bush aides have suggested that the president saw Clintonâs approach to terrorism as girly "swatting at flies." They say Bush wanted a more muscular approach to getting bin Laden, and that such a plan was about to be approved when terrorists struck on 9/11.
Posted by: Dragon Fly ||
05/03/2004 7:57:54 AM ||
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No doubt the left and media which has been spouting the 'Bush Lied' (unproven in spite of many requests for proof) BS for months will now claim this as yet another Bush lie -- backing Clinton who is proven to have lied under oath.
#2
I don't believe anything that comes out of the mouth of bill fuckin' klinton, him or his dirty leg wife. klinton is a PROVEN liar, and a real sack o' shit.
Posted by: Halfass Pete ||
05/03/2004 11:23 Comments ||
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dirty leg wife? LOL! that's a new one
I heard about her thankles, though...;-)
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/03/2004 11:37 Comments ||
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#4
Look Give Bubba the benefit of the doubt. He was probably still embarassed about cruise missiles shot into empty tents in Afghanistan. . . .
NO other organisation is regarded with such respect as the United Nations cough! hack! wheeze!. This is perhaps natural, for the UN embodies some of humanity's noblest dreams.
But, as the current scandal surrounding the UN's administration of the Iraq oil-for-food program demonstrates, and as the world remembers the Rwanda genocide that began 10 years ago, respect for the UN should be viewed as something of a superstition, with Secretary-General Kofi Annan as its false prophet.
Not since Dag Hammarskjold has a UN leader been as acclaimed as Annan. Up to a point, this is understandable. Annan usually maintains an unruffled, dignified demeanour. He has charm and â many say â charisma. But a leader ought to be judged by his or her actions when important matters are at stake. Annan's failures in such situations are almost invariably glossed over.
Personal responsibility? Perish the thought!
Between 1993 and 1996, Annan was assistant secretary-general for UN peacekeeping operations and then undersecretary-general.
One of the two great disasters for which he bears a large share of the blame is the Serbian slaughter of 7000 people in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica, perhaps the worst massacre in post-war Europe.
In 1993, Bosnia's Muslims were promised that UN forces would protect them. This commitment was a precondition of their consent to disarm. The UN declared Srebrenica a "safe haven" to be "protected" by 600 Dutch UN troops. In July 1995, Serb forces attacked. The UN did not honour its pledge. Annan's staff released evasive, confused statements. Oblivious, apparently, to the dreadfulness of the situation, they failed to sound the alarm properly and did nothing to intervene. The Dutch fired not a single shot. NATO air power could have halted the Serbs, but Annan did not ask for NATO intervention.
'cause it was uckky.
Ratko Mladic, the Serb commander and war criminal, deported the women and children under the eyes of the UN, while capturing and murdering the men and adolescent boys.
No one should be surprised by the UN's inaction, because only the year before it had demonstrated utter incompetence in facing the fastest genocide in history â the slaughter of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda in just 100 days. UN forces in Rwanda in 1994 were Annan's responsibility before and during the crisis. Annan was alerted four months before Hutu activists began their mass killings by a fax message from Romeo Dallaire, the Canadian general commanding UN forces in Rwanda. Dallaire described in detail how the Hutus were planning "anti-Tutsi extermination". He identified his source "a Hutu" and reported that arms were ready for the impending ethnic cleansing.
Dallaire requested permission to evacuate his informant and to seize the arms cache. Annan rejected both demands, proposing that Dallaire make the informant's identity known to Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, even though the informant had expressly named the president's closest entourage as the authors of the genocide blueprint. Annan maintained his extreme passiveness even after the airplane crash that killed Habyarimana, which signalled the genocide's start, helped by the indifference of the great powers.
One might think Annan far too compromised to become secretary-general but the UN doesn't work that way. Instead of being forced to resign after Rwanda and Srebrenica, he was promoted to the post.
Tells us everything we need to know about the UN, doesn't it?
That is the culture of the UN: believe the best of barbarians, do nothing to provoke controversy among superiors, and let others be the butt of criticism afterwards. Even subsequent revelations about Annan's responsibility for the disasters in Rwanda and Bosnia did not affect his standing. On the contrary, he was unanimously re-elected and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Which he shares with such notables as Yasser and Jimmuah.
The media sometimes ratchets up admiration for Annan by pointing out that his wife, Nane Annan, is Swedish and a close relative of Raoul Wallenberg. We are meant to infer that, on top of all his talents, Annan shares the ideals embodied during the last days of World War II by the foremost Swede of modern times.
But Wallenberg's name should make us even more dismayed about Annan's record. In Hungary, Wallenberg exploited every contact, resorting to shady tricks, bribes and other stratagems to save as many people as possible from the Holocaust. He never allowed himself to be duped by Hitler's cronies.
A hell of a man.
Perhaps no one's achievement should be judged by comparison with that of Wallenberg â a titan of strength, courage and perseverance.
Annan cannot plead he faced any risk to his safety, whereas Wallenberg in 1944 and 1945 was in constant peril. Nor can he excuse himself by saying no warnings were given, or that he lacked resources, or that he did not have the international position to intervene. Annan had at his disposal all the instruments of power and opinion Wallenberg lacked. Yet, when thousands or hundreds of thousands of people were exposed to mortal threats he had the authority and duty to avert, alleviate, or at least announce, he failed.
Now, despite revelations about bribery in the UN's oil-for-food program for Iraq, the world is clamouring to entrust Annan with the future of more than 20 million Iraqis who survived Saddam Hussein dictatorship. That is because of who Annan is and what the UN has become: an institution in which no shortcoming, it seems, goes unrewarded.
The writer, Per Ahlmark, is a former deputy prime minister of Sweden.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/03/2004 2:43:45 AM ||
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#1
My, how far the UN has fallen... from Lie to Hammarskjold to U-Thant to Waldheim to Boutros-Ghali to Annan.
#2
Ratko Mladic, the Serb commander and war criminal, deported the women and children under the eyes of the UN
Quite literally, in fact.
Posted by: Rafael ||
05/03/2004 4:39 Comments ||
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#3
If Annan was WHITE, it would have been OUSTED from its cushy job long ago. The one mistake President Bush should acknowledge was the decision he took to allow that Hutu-loving fecesstain a SECOND term as Secretary General.
#4
I've said this earlier, so can I say it again? Thanks.#1 Good Lord man, they are both pathetic. Equally so I think. I wouldn't worry about the dork Wilson. Wait, they're both dorks and equally pathetic. What is bothersome is that the slimy snake Annie is going to slither out of this thing.You just watch as things unfold. I'll bet somehow, some way, by some general agreement the sanctity of the world body must be preserved and that is what will happen. I believe we'll see people, influential people, step forward in defence of those bastards and the whole thing will evaporate. I hope not,but if it does I hope someone has the moxie to formulate a petition to stop all taxes going to the UN. We ain't powerless ya know.Chine
#5
One of the two great disasters for which he [Kofi Annan] bears a large share of the blame is the Serbian slaughter of 7000 people in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica, perhaps the worst massacre in post-war Europe. .... they failed to sound the alarm properly and did nothing to intervene. The Dutch fired not a single shot. NATO air power could have halted the Serbs, but Annan did not ask for NATO intervention.
This is similar to the argument that George Bush "bears a large share of the blame" for the September 11 attacks. Some one man in charge was supposed to foresee dastardly attacks and was supposed to adroitly marshal preventative measures.
In this argument here, NATO's failure to intervene is the fault of Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The Dutch contingent's small and weak force is the fault of Kofi Annan. The Srebrenice massacre is the fault of Kofi Annan. He could have prevented it, but he didn't. He "bears a large share of the blame." If he had ordered the Dutch soldiers to fire a shot, the massacre would not have happened. If he had asked NATO to drop some bombs, the massacre would not have happened.
The article ignores Annan's actions, after the massacre, to support an effective international response. He receives no credit here for anything at all.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
05/03/2004 6:31 Comments ||
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#6
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Posted by: Man Bites Dog TROLL ||
05/03/2004 7:48 Comments ||
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#7
We all owe Annan a debt of gratitude. If Kerry continues to tout the UN as the way to win the war in Iraq, he could go down on Annan's sinking ship. If he acknowledges what a farce the UN has become, then his anti-American activities will make him look unfit to lead Americans into battle.
Annan's done. He's finished and he's taken the UN credibility along with him. He and Chirac and the others have already been exposed. There will be no putting a lid on this scandal - no matter how much the press tries to ignore it. In fact, each day the press ignores it, their credibility sinks even further.
Yumm...toast for breakfast. That sounds good.
Posted by: Anny Emous ||
05/03/2004 7:55 Comments ||
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#8
Mike,nobody saw 9/11 coming.On the other hand I saw the Ethnic clensing and massacre of Srebrenice
plus the Rawadan Genocide happening before my eyes on the news.
If I could see these crimes aginst humanity happening why couldnt he?
Are you going to sit there and tell me Kofi doesn't have a television, doesn't own a radio,and never buys a newspaper.
How come he absolutly will not acknowlege much less do anything about the slaughter happening right now in the Sudan?
Why is it that every place U.N.Peacekeepers(talk about wrong terminalogy!)are sent they do nothing?
What about Iraq?As soon as the U.N. compound got boombed they couildn't run away fast enough.
Posted by: Man Bites Dog TROLL ||
05/03/2004 9:00 Comments ||
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#10
Kofi Annan is an executive who basically only carries out the will of the United Nations members, especially the will of the Security Council. Two members of the Security Council -- Russia and China -- consistently vetoed or threatened to veto effective measures to counter Serbia.
I think that's basically true; it's also true that the stuff needed to get things done in the face of these obstacles is called leadership.
#13
Mike if Kofi had a hair on his ass he would have been screaming far and wide for something to be done.Yet I don't recall hearing him say a thing.
Same goes for Rawanda.
#16
Mike - Kofi's son participated in the Oil-For Saddam bribes - think Kofi's clean? - get him out!
Expose the UN for the cowardly criminal hellhole it's become
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/03/2004 10:59 Comments ||
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#17
The fact that much of the world is comprized of thugocracies and kleptocracies and that many of the countries have organized hate campaigns against the US guaranteed that the UN would be the kind of organization that it has become. Maybe Kofi expedited this slightly, but the fundamental flaw of the UN is not the SecGen; it is the membership.
#18
By the way, do you want the UN Secretary-General to "overcome obstacles" and to "scream far and wide" when he doesn't like US vetoes in the Security Council?
Not me; I want the UN to be exposed and destroyed as a utopian fraud, the quicker the better.
#19
Well spoken, mhw, in comment #19! What does anyone expect the UN to do given its membership of dictatorial and tyrannical governments holding the majority of the votes? When Israelis attack the West Bank or Gaza in raids to eliminate terrorists, everyone at the UN is all a-froth to condemn Israel. When the terrorists blow up an Israeli bus full of women and children, they order mineral water.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
05/03/2004 11:40 Comments ||
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#20
Why Mike, if Kofi DID say anything, loudly, far, and wide, about these massacres, then they'd be on the record. Since you're so much for him, why don't you CITE those records?
#23
By the way, do you want the UN Secretary-General to "overcome obstacles" and to "scream far and wide" when he doesn't like US vetoes in the Security Council?
Part of the problem here is that Anan has taken it upon himself to make pronouncements as if he was a statesman and not just an executive.
That leaves him open to criticisms which are unfair if aimed at a mere bureaucrat. Anan wants the respect of a leader without the responsibility, or so it would appear.
#24
Coming soon-The UN Shuffle.Kofi will hold press conference announcing he is stepping down-not because he did anything wrong,but because he loves the UN soooo much and he doesn't want to be a distraction from the important work the UN does.Sven will retire quietly w/comment he did the best he could against all those lying Iraqis.New leader will announce that all is in the past,and that UN has to look toward future.
Posted by: Stephen ||
05/03/2004 16:08 Comments ||
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#25
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Posted by: Man Bites Dog TROLL ||
05/03/2004 7:48 Comments ||
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#26
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Posted by: Man Bites Dog TROLL ||
05/03/2004 9:00 Comments ||
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#27
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Posted by: Man Bites Dog TROLL ||
05/03/2004 9:56 Comments ||
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#28
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Posted by: Man Bites Dog TROLL ||
05/03/2004 10:56 Comments ||
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#29
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Posted by: Man Bites Dog TROLL ||
05/03/2004 12:07 Comments ||
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#30
If Annan was WHITE, it would have been OUSTED from its cushy job long ago.
Whatever you say, Garrison.
The one mistake President Bush should acknowledge was the decision he took to allow that Hutu-loving fecesstain a SECOND term as Secretary General.
Whatever you say, Garrison.
.
#31
Raptor, Kofi Annan is an executive who basically only carries out the will of the United Nations members, especially the will of the Security Council. Two members of the Security Council -- Russia and China -- consistently vetoed or threatened to veto effective measures to counter Serbia. Kofi Annan did not have the authority to ignore their positions and to do whatever he personally might prefer to do. Kofi Annan did not have the authority to levy his own troops sufficient to counter the Serbian forces. He had insufficient forces because that is what the UN members gave him.
NATO eventually had to oppose Serbia, because Russia and China prevented a UN response. If you're looking for someone in the UN to blame, I would blame Russia and China -- not Kofi Annan.
As for Kofi Annan's decision to withdraw UN personnel from Iraq, that was a reasonable decision in the circumstances. What UN members have criticized his decision? None. Not even the US delegation has criticised his decision.
.
By the way, do you want the UN Secretary-General to "overcome obstacles" and to "scream far and wide" when he doesn't like US vetoes in the Security Council?
.
#34
Why don't you CITE those records?
Why don't you? I'm busy. You do it this time, and I promise I'll do it next time.
Kofi's son participated in the Oil-For Saddam bribes - think Kofi's clean?
It looks corrupt to me. I don't defend that.
It has nothing, however, to do with whether Kofi Annan is to blame for the Srebrenice massacre.
.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/03/2004 3:04 Comments ||
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#2
The fruit of Kofi's loins is up to his navel in the Oil-for-Bribes scandal, and the ol' Secy General is worried about drug party exposees, and the like? He has too much on his plate, he's getting too distracted!
Another via Country Store. (Hey, heâs retired and has the time to find this stuff. :-p) EFL
Environmental charities are exaggerating the threat of climate change in an attempt to raise more money from public donations, according to a report by Oxford University academics. Awww, say it ainât so!
The charities, including WWF-UK, the worldâs biggest usual suspect independent conservation organisation, claim that a quarter of the worldâs species are facing extinction by 2050. However, the report says that this is a "woeful misrepresentation of the underlying science". WWF would lie? Iâm shocked! Oh, wait... Theyâre not talking about the World Wrestling Federation, are they? Carry on, then.
The report says: "It might serve the interests of particular actors in the chain to âsex-upâ the story [Where have we heard that before? Gee, lemme think....]
by linking climate change with the imminent threat of massive extinctions and jump on the resulting bandwagon. "By this means . . . conservation charities generate donations and politicians gain an agenda that may attract votes and enhance careers. This could increase public cynicism [I donât think mine could be increased any more; Iâve pretty much topped out in that area.]
and complacency about climate change and biodiversity loss." The report, Crying Wolf on Climate Change and Extinction, examined environmental charitiesâ responses to climate change research conducted by the University of Leeds in January. Telling title. Guess the "conservationists" have never read the ending of The Boy Who Cried Wolf. More at the link. Seething and crys of "fraud" from the LLL and the "conservationists" in 5, 4, 3....
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
05/03/2004 4:48:57 PM ||
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#1
In unrelated news, the Cancer Society is still seeking a cure after fifty years.
....self preservation societies
Posted by: john ||
05/03/2004 21:00 Comments ||
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But curing cancer would help society, whereas curing global warming would help ... noone.
Nice post, Barb, you have a knack for finding some interesting ones!
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/03/2004 22:30 Comments ||
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#3
Thanks, Steve. Wish I could take credit, but Country Store found this one. (He really finds weird stuff.)
Though I do find some enviro-related stuff in a specialty newsletter I get.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
05/03/2004 22:39 Comments ||
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Posted by: Mr. Davis ||
05/03/2004 13:00 Comments ||
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#3
Posted by: Yosemite Sam ||
05/03/2004 13:34 Comments ||
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#4
Ted Rall hits a new low. That is one of the most vile things I've seen since ... well, since his attack on the 9/11 widows.
Is it too late to bring back the stocks? Me thinks Mr. Rall needs to spend a few days in a public square.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/03/2004 13:41 Comments ||
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#5
UNREAL.
Can we send Rall on the next (unsuccessful) space mission?
Preferable strapped to the outside of the rocket.
Posted by: Jen ||
05/03/2004 13:43 Comments ||
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#6
Steve White - Only suggest the stocks if you can provide the rotten eggs and produce. Otherwise seeing him stand there is like watching wet paint dry.
#7
Biography from The Illustrated History on the Fourth World War (Ann Coulter edit, 2008)
"Fourth-rate 'cartoonist' Ted Rall turned down a lucrative career illustrating soups cans and stupidly enlisted in the terrorist propgaganda jihad, falsely believing that the this would enhance his status at the leading edge of the Hollywood/Madison Avenue Cultural Axis."
#13
Ted Rall...where ever you are...I hope you get to look in the eyes of one of those Islamo-murders ...and feel the pain of a 7.62mm slug as it penetrates your brain...and you go to Hell.
"We support the troops! (Until they actually do something, then we'll spit on them every chance we get. Did we mention that we'll call them baby killers?)"
Can we start calling these people traitors? I mean, that's what Rall is. He's not "dissenting", he's crapping on a soldier's service because that soldier got some accolades.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
05/03/2004 14:49 Comments ||
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#16
Men's Health usually carries a Ted Rall strip in its monthly magazine. The strip is usually not political (i.e. usually about men and women) but I cancelled my subscription in protest over his political strips. As of last month they're still carrying him.
#17
I thought this was about Rall's latest outrage -- the smearing of Pat Tillman -- a better man than Rall could ever dream of being: http://www.ucomics.com/rallcom/
Drudge is reporting that Slate pulled the offending comic. Why would they have run it in the first place?
Posted by: Tibor ||
05/03/2004 15:47 Comments ||
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#1
The commercial alphabet networks and their print counterparts are actually more depraved than the BBC or Julius Streicher in at least one respect.
Non-commercial enemy propagandists seem to have sincere, albeit loathesome, motives for disseminating hatred and misinformation. The commercial networks do it to sell ads.
#2
True facts! In Somalia the Army lost ?12? people in the fighting. The Somali gangs lost over TWO THOUSAND fighters. The Army has had worse days on the battlefield but that could scarcely be called a defeat! But since the U.S. News showed the dragging of an American body through the streets we lost the Information War. Build or repair 100s of schools in Iraq and no News crew covers that, blow one up and the insurgents get film and commentary. But I donât see the U.S. News services covering anything but the bad except Fox sometimes.
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