Something quite strange is happening in Britain lately, jewish and pro-Israel supporters getting warning from police for " causing provocation" or even worse, your friend gets beaten up at your door way by so called "asian youth", his blood drips all over the floor and cops warn you to leave your house for several days untill "asians" calm down. Go figure out.
'In front of us walked a young man, wearing a kippah. He got out of his bag an Israeli flag and was immediately taken to the side by two police officers.
'After questioning him for about 10 minutes, he was issued a caution. After he was released we went up to talk to him - he showed us the police caution - and I kid you not - it stated that by getting out an Israeli flag he was causing provocation to the pro Palestinian demonstration'.
Or how about police searching "asian youths" for bricks and knifes but giving warning to Israel supporters not to "anger" them.
#1
I'm surprised that anyone is still wondering. I believe the crowning Imam Chuck will reuslt in the retirement of the name Charles for another 300 years.
#2
Anarcho-tyranny. The new western form of governement, to various degrees, from Germany, to the USA. I still think the lead trio is France-Belgium-The UK, in whatever order the latest depressing news will give.
#4
In London we are too PC/multicultural and are scared of being accused of being racist whilst cities like Liverpool and glasgow take no shit from their immigrants!!!!
Rantburgers immigrants only make 5-7% of the general population however with rising birth rates amongst muslims this will cause problems in london,Birmingham and Manchester/Leeds in years too come!!!!
#5
SUN TZU > the Enemy is not responsible for the strengths or weakensses of one's Shield + Camp. MUSLIMS ETC., THEN, ARE NOT [wholly?]RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FAILURES OF CHRISTIANS.
Around 500 supporters of Israels right to defend itself against terrorist attacks gathered in front of Copenhagens City Hall in a peaceful demonstration organized by the Danish Zionist organization.
No doubt many more would have liked to be there, but as the President of the Danish Zionist Union, Max Meyer, explained to Danish TV2, he had been inundated with mails and phone calls from people who expressed their 100 percent support for the cause, but were simply too afraid to attend. And for good reason. A couple of days before the demonstration, a far-left grouping calling itself the Gaza Initiative had announced their intention to turn up with pictures of dead Palestinian children in order to bring the war home on Danish ground.
Had it not been for a heavy and very competent police presence, the demonstrators would no doubt have been attacked by a group of around 60 shouting and screaming Muslims and their Danish supporters that had gathered on the other side of the street. In a scene that has been repeated throughout the Western world over the past few days, these lovers of little children called for jihad and for killing the Jews, some raising their hands in the Hitler salute.
Similar scenes could be observed yesterday (Friday) in Aarhus as reported by the intrepid blog Uriasposten. Here a Danish Make Love not War segment from the far left, represented by among others the Socialist Unity List, had teamed up with Palestinian women carrying the Hizbollah flag and young Arabs shouting Allahu akbar, Takbir (expansion, conquest) and We want war! We want war!
Unfortunately, the journalists from the mainstream press must be hard of hearing, for the war cry did not find its way into their reports. This should come as no surprise given the decidedly pro-Palestinian slant that totally dominates the mainstream media. Day after day they stick to the same theme: What can the international community do to curb Israels blood thirst? Why have the Israelis decided to kill innocent women and children? The fact that Hamas is openly bragging about their use of civilians as human shields has rarely been mentioned. Nor has the fact that photographers have repeatedly been assaulted in both Aarhus and Copenhagen when they tried to take pictures of Muslim demonstrators. The same happened during the violent attacks on a small pro-Israeli demonstration in Oslo on Thursday.
Among the speakers at the pro-Israeli rally was Zionist leader Max Meyer. He expressed his regret that the war has resulted in many civilian casualties, but he emphasized Israels right to defend itself. Hamas has wanted this war. Israel cannot and should not tolerate a movement that has openly declared its intention to wipe the country off the map, he said. He went on to hammer the international community for its demands that Israel should simply accept a cease-fire while Hamas continues to shower Israeli civilians with rockets.
The foreign policy spokesman of the Danish Peoples Party, Søren Espersen, reminded the demonstrators of the daily situation in Sderot and other population centers in southern Israel. He quoted Barack Obamas statement that Israel had an obligation to take military action against Hamas terrorism when he visited Sderot a few months ago.
Among the speakers was also Frederiksberg City Councilor Pernille Høxbro, who is elected on the Conservative list. To the delight of the crowd, used to Conservative Foreign Minister Per Stig Møllers PC criticism of Israels overreaction and his appeals for armistice at all costs, Ms. Høxbro minced no words: Israel is the only democratic state in the Middle East and we have a duty to support it. She also noted that Hamas is waging war on Christians and has killed women that have refused to wear the veil. Another bit of Gaza reality that has been underreported by the Danish press.
True to form the counter-demonstrators embarked on a spree of vandalism and mayhem after the rally was finished. A mother and her child were dragged out of a car but rescued by police. Around 70 Hamas-supporters were arrested, 30 of them minors. Only the courageous and vigilant Danish police stand between democratic civilization and a break down of public order. As did Berlins green police in 1932 the year before Hitler took over.
President Bush says he refused to "bail out my political party" by withdrawing troops "during the darkest days of Iraq," a decision now lauded by his father in an unprecedented joint interview of both presidents by Brit Hume on "FOX News Sunday."
"During the darkest days of Iraq, people came to me and said, 'You're creating incredible political difficulties for us,'" the current president said as his term draws to a close. "And I said, 'Oh, really? What do you suggest I do?' And some suggested retreat, pull out of Iraq.
"But I had faith that freedom exists in people's souls and therefore, if given a chance, democracy and Iraqi-style democracy could survive and work," the president said. "I didn't compromise that principle for the sake of trying to, you know, bail out my political party."
The president's father, former President George H.W. Bush, became emotional when assessing his son's tenure. "You can make a tough decision and stay with it," he told his son before turning to Hume in the White House Diplomatic Room. "And he's been tested unlike any other president with 9/11. So he passed the test."
He said political invective has "gotten worse" since his days in the White House, adding: "It's offensive, very offensive."
The younger Bush agreed. "The biggest disappointment in the political process, that's been this kind of bitterness by a few people to the point where they don't want to have a logical discussion or a civil discussion about policy," he said. "They just want to tear you down."
But with the war in Iraq nearly won after years of setbacks, the younger Bush exudes serenity as he wraps up his two terms in the White House. "I'm better than fine -- I am proud of the accomplishments of this administration," he said. "I know I gave it my all for eight years, and I did not sell my soul for the sake of popularity. And so when I get back home and look in the mirror, I will be proud of what I see."
Bush said he was also proud of the CIA, although he acknowledged the agency has leaked intelligence secrets. "There have been disappointing moments when information came out of the agency," he said. "You can't stop leaks. And you don't know how many people were leaking, but I can assure you, the vast majority of people in the CIA were very cooperative."
Bush said he is planning to write a book about his presidency. "I'm toying with the idea of maybe describing the toughest decisions I had to make as president, and the context in which I made them," he said. "It is very hard for people to remember what life was like a mere four or five years ago. And it's going to be very important for me to recreate the environment in which I had to make certain decisions, particularly the environment of right after September the 11th, 2001."
Bush conceded that his prosecution of an increasingly unpopular war contributed to the fact that the Republican Party "got whipped in 2008." And he warned that a comeback will be difficult "if the party is viewed as anti-immigrant."
But he said the GOP should remain anti-tax and pro-military. "We shouldn't change our philosophy," he said. "We may want to change our messaging. We definitely want to change messengers. We need a new group of leaders."
He added: "I had one in mind. But he evidently didn't agree with his older brother."
It was a reference to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who announced last week he would not run for a Senate seat.
Unlike his son, the elder President Bush served only one term, leaving him to wonder about "things I'd like to have done" on his "unfulfilled agenda." But he has remained active since leaving the White House, even skydiving well into his golden years. He plans another jump in June, when he will be 85.
"I think he's a nut to jump out of airplane at age 70, 75, 80 and 85," remarked his son, who added: "Actually, I think it's cool."
His dad, who now walks with a cane, agreed. "You don't want to sit around just because you're an old guy, drooling in the corner," the elder Bush said. "Old guys can still do stuff." To which his son quipped: "You can drool and jump at the same time."
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/11/2009 12:50 ||
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#1
Good for him - he has principles.
No wonder the Dems and the MSM (but I repeat myself) hate him.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
01/11/2009 13:48 Comments ||
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#2
I can look at all the things I disagree about Bush with and realize, after the fourth month of having a president who votes Present and endlessly holds up a wet finger into the wind, that I'll probably miss even those positions.
Only if the party allows the usual suspects and apologists to frame the issue as immigration and not illegal immigration. Most of the population has no problem with those who go through the legal process of immigrating and entering the country. It's allowing the disingenuous to get away with framing the debate any other way that gets you in the corner. And as long as you permit it by not forcefully and loudly proclaiming that [to include throwing in the destruction and economic drag that illegals place upon the society] point, that you get what you deserve.
They're going to need more than three rings. by P.J. O'Rourke
Is it too soon to talk about the failed Obama presidency just because Obama isn't president yet? That depends upon how quickly Barack Obama is able to apply the lessons he's learned from Management Secrets of the Illinois Governors. So far he's not doing very well. He has allowed America's current number one jackleg, crackpot, smut-mouth, slime-licking politician to give the Obama Senate seat to a lovable old African-American doofus whom no one has the heart to execrate. Roland Burris will be the kind of ornament to this year's Senate that the broken plastic Rudolph with its antlers missing was to last year's Christmas tree.
Speaking of "witch," am I the only person who experienced an unexpected surge of warm fellow-feeling for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad when Hillary was named secretary of state? I wouldn't wish dealing with her on my worst enemy, who'd be Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Then Obama took Bill Richardson--one of his earliest important supporters and among the smartest, most experienced, and, certainly, most affable of Washington insiders--and put Bill at the Department of Commerce. I will read from the roster at the Secretary of Commerce Hall of Fame, its inductees dating back to the Harding administration:
Norman Mineta
Mickey Kantor
Ron Brown
Robert Mosbacher
Howard Malcolm Baldrige Jr.
Philip Morris Klutznick
Maurice Stans
Henry Wallace
Harry Hopkins
Herbert Hoover
Even a Blagojevich knows that Washington isn't Chicago. In Washington you don't place a loyal and able political ally in some obscure public office to garner campaign contribution boodle from local highway contractors. And--oops, that seems to have been the problem with the Bill Richardson nomination.
Come on, Obama, what kind of Democrat are you? I thought Democrats were supposed to be good at this stuff. It's us Republicans who stink at political corruption. One clumsy little elephant misstep and it's GOPterdämmerung with villainy that lives on in popular legend for generations--McCarthyism, Watergate, Iran-Contra, Enron, Jack Abramoff. But when Democrats get their hand (or other body part) caught in the till, folk heroes ensue--Boston's James Curley being reelected while jailed, Washington's Marion Barry being jailed while elected, Quixotic Bill Clinton unfazed by the Rush Limbaugh windmill and riding off into the sunset with fair Dulcinea Lewinsky unceremoniously dumped from the saddle. And, of course, there's Obama's Toddling Town, the Windy City of Richard and Richie Daley with its "corruption that works."
So what's the big deal about Bill Richardson and the highway contractors? You want those highway contractors making their Democratic presidential contributions during the primary campaigns of 2012 when the "failed Obama presidency" is being challenged at the polls by Hillary Clinton?
Speaking of "witch," am I the only person who experienced an unexpected surge of warm fellow-feeling for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad when Hillary was named secretary of state? I wouldn't wish dealing with her on my worst enemy, who'd be Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
I think about the next four years of Hillary's dutiful efforts at global peacemaking, and I hear a chorus of voices echoing around the world--from Israelis and Palestinians, Iraqis and al Qaeda, Taliban and NATO troops, Pakistanis and Indians, Sri Lankans and Tamil Tigers, Georgians and South Ossetians, Colombian soldiers and FARC guerrillas, Hutus and Tutsis, Congolese rebels and other Congolese rebels--all saying, "Thanks, but we'd rather be killed by each other than nagged to death by you."
Mr. future ex-President Obama, if I may address you personally, let's discuss your laundry list of hope and change. In your opinion how often is change really a good thing? Changing a tire. "You'd better change your ways." Change of life. "Spare change, Man?" Any change in a wart or mole.
If change came in a box, what kind of box would it come in? You've read your Bulfinch's. After Pandora opens her container (made of recycled material so that death and disease leave a small carbon footprint) and all the evils that plague mankind have been loosed on the world, what's left inside? Do you think it's a good sign when nothing remains but hope? What would your girls have liked best for Christmas? A kennel with a puppy? Or a carton full of empty promises?
In the language of politics there is only one translation for the phrase "hope and change," to wit, "big, fat government." Mr. Obama, if you're going to give us big, fat government, you need to be a big, fat politician. You need to be a Tip O'Neill, a Teddy Kennedy, a Richard Daley, a Bill Clinton at the very least. And you don't seem to be a big, fat anything--literally or otherwise. You seem to be . . . smart and organized. Like Jimmy Carter!
So we may speak without compunction of the failed Obama presidency. What a blessing that it's a failure. Things are bad enough the way they are. There's already a huge ongoing government intervention in the economy. Bringing the government in to run Wall Street is like saying, "Dad burned dinner, let's get the dog to cook." Now the government's going to take over the auto industry. I can predict the result--a light-weight, compact, sustainable vehicle using alternative energy. When I was a kid we called it a Schwinn. And next in line for political therapy is health care. Voting will cure what ails you. Go to the doctor when you've got cancer, and he'll say, "Don't worry. Everything will be fine. I'm going to treat your disease by going inside this small, curtained booth and putting an 'X' next to a very special name."
If we want this sort of thing and lots more of it, we'll need somebody better--that is to say worse--than Barack Obama. Is Obama the man who can make the wolf of partisan spoils dwell with the lamb of public interest, and the leopard of increased political power lie down with the kid of individual liberty; and the calf of personal responsibility and the young lion of social engineering and the fatling of free enterprise together; and a lawyer from Hyde Park will lead them? (And will Nancy Pelosi eat straw like Dennis Kucinich?)
No. Barack Obama doesn't have the outsized personality and flair for bunkum that is necessary to lead even America's sheep-like electorate into such ravenous company. Thank God.
Barack Obama is not a P.T. Barnum of the Washington Big Top. The real P.T. Barnum had a side-show attraction where a lamb, a wolf, a leopard, and a lion had been trained to stay with each other in one cage. Asked if this was difficult Barnum said, "No. But every now and then we have to get a new lamb."
#1
Another monster created by unions out of control which have become as destructive as any 'Robber Baron' owner ever was. The elected body of the people is sovereign. There can be no equality between the body as a whole and any subset in standing or negotiations. No public employee has the right to strike against the people. If they don't want to work, then they can seek employment elsewhere. These fundamentals have been thrown out because of the corruption of the political process by the money the union does not use to support its membership, but to buy and own seating representatives just as the Robber Barons did a hundred years ago. Four legs good, two legs better.
#2
most public agencies will be forced to cut bennies for new employees, privatize non-essential jobs, furloughs, etc. I know ours is - hiring freeze has been in place for a while.
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/11/2009 11:02 Comments ||
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#3
p2k, hold on a second.
I was a guvmint employee (city of Phoenix, state of AZ) for over ten years. During that time I was a union member, I was specifically NOT allowed to strike. If I would have participated in one, I would have been immediately fired.....and the union would NOT have tried to save my job. I also had times when I couldn't have joined a union if I tried....that jobsite didn't have one and we had to sign an agreement not to have one. (Yep, imagine that!)
Also, one other thing that is not explored in this article is whether or not NYC was making the proper contributions for the past decade (or more) to the pension fund, what their investment mix is, or if they pulled dumb tricks like San Diego's pension fund did that they now have to make up for. (Of course, that would take some research, maybe reading of a dry actuary's report, and the NY Slimes ain't interested in doing that. Better to just paint them all as a bunch of fat, lazy pigs.)
#4
Thanks Frank & Blondie. I can testify that Idaho has the same policies; you strike you get fired. I get tired of some blasting in all directions w/r to government employees. I note they are usually the first to bitch and the LAST to compliment good service.
I can also testify that Idaho state employees on average are 15-20% behind the private sector on wages for equivalent work. We have a decent (and properly paid for with co-pay by both employer and employee) but not gold plated health and retirement package. We have managed to keep the politicians sticky fingers out of the retirement funds (they have tried) so with decent management it is still healthy. Funny how decent fiscal policies on the part of both parties minimizes problems and I really sympathize with those who have been torched.
The State's income will be hit this year. There will be programs cut, some layoff's, not filling vacancies. The politicians here are prone to not increase wages when times are GOOD let alone when times are tight.
Gary Dugan, the chief investment officer for the US bank, said there has been a remarkable change in sentiment. "People are genuinely worried about what the world is going to look like in 2009. It is amazing how many clients want physical gold, not ETFs," he said, referring to exchange trade funds listed in London, New York, and other bourses.
"They are so worried they want a portable asset in their house. I never thought I would be getting calls from clients saying they want a box of krugerrands," he said.
Merrill predicted that gold would soon blast through its all time-high of $1,030 an ounce, and would hit $1,150 by June.
The metal should do well whatever happens. If deflation sets in and rocks the economic system it will serve as a safe-haven, but if massive monetary stimulus gains traction and sets off inflation once again it will also come into its own as a store of value. "It's win-win either way," said Mr Dugan.
He added that deflation may prove the greater risk in coming months. "It's very difficult to get the deflation psychology out of the human brain once prices start falling. People stop buying things because they think it will be cheaper if they wait."
Merrill expects global inflation to hover near zero, with rates of minus 1pc in the industrial economies. This means that yields on AAA sovereign bonds now at 3pc will offer a real return of 4pc a year, which is stellar in this grim climate. "Don't start selling your government bonds," Mr Dugan said, dismissing talk of a bond bubble as misguided.
He warned that the eurozone was likely to come under strain this year as slump deepens. "There is going to be friction as governments in the south start talking politically about coming out of the euro.
I don't see the tensions in Greece as a one-off. It is a sign of social strain in countries that have lost competitiveness."
#2
The more resilient economies will do well. (Comparably) hard times are always when better policy shines. The dollar and the pound will come out of this well compared to the Euro.
That will help temper the rise in oil prices in the short and medium term and will prevent gold from going parabolic.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
01/11/2009 1:29 Comments ||
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#3
Yea but I expect gold value to fall once Soody princes start selling gold plumbing from their houses.
#8
Used to use a chunk of depleted uranium for ballast on the racecar. One of mah fellow co-owners knew somebody that worked with an NHRA Pro-Stock Bike team. Appearantly, they take their business seriously and want their weight in as small a package as possible.
Neat stuff. Far more functional than gold.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
01/11/2009 21:01 Comments ||
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#9
Gold hasn't been performing all that well as a hedge. There isn't any inflation. The price of gold has been falling. Gold works better when there is inflation. That won't be happening until the government cranks up the money presses. Though this might be a good time to accumulate as gold will probably skyrocket in about 2010 or 2011 as the boomers start to retire and the Social Security trust fund teat runs dry for Congress' deficit spending.
I would look for companies that might benefit from major public works programs. Granite Construction (GVA) comes to mind.
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.
Around 500 supporters of Israels right to defend itself against terrorist attacks gathered in front of Copenhagens City Hall in a peaceful demonstration organized by the Danish Zionist organization. 
Gary Dugan, the chief investment officer for the US bank, said there has been a remarkable change in sentiment. "People are genuinely worried about what the world is going to look like in 2009. It is amazing how many clients want physical gold, not ETFs," he said, referring to exchange trade funds listed in London, New York, and other bourses.
