Boortz: Why the Left denies 9-11 connection to Iraq

Neal Boortz makes the connection between Iraq and the terrorist attack on New York in his inimitable way at Nealz Nuze :

More thoughts about the president's speech at Ft. Bragg on Tuesday evening. Amazingly, the left now seems to have developed a new rule. The president is not allowed to mention the terrorist attacks of 9/11 when talking about the war in Iraq.

OK .. here's what's at work here. The left knows that the American people still harbor harsh feelings toward the Islamic terrorists who killed 3000 of their countrymen on 9/11. The left also knows that the American people will not have any kind feelings toward anyone with any connection, no matter how tenuos, with the perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks. Since the left is placing its hopes on any possible electoral gains in 2006 to discrediting Bush's actions in Iraq, they know that they must stand steadfast in their battle to use whatever means necessary, even lies, to make sure that nobody -- and certainly not the president -- is allowed to connect Iraq and Saddam Hussein with Osama bin Laden or Al Qaeda.

Boortz also links to Andrew C. McCarthy's piece, It's All About 9-11! as well as anther NRO editorial, The Day that Binds. Must reads on this subject!

Be sure to check out the rest of Today's Nuze. Boortz always has good info. Wish we could hear him in Dallas.

For more essential data on the Iraq connection, go to Rush's site and view the two PDF pages from his July 2004 Newsletter which delineate the ties.

Aljazeera: "Senators challenge Bush on Iraq"

It's essential to visit the Aljazeera site from time to time just to see what the opposition is up to. Unclear on who I'm talking about? In this instance I refer to some of the senators who continue to be critical of President Bush's policy on the war against terrorists.

Surprise, surprise...there's Sen. McCain:

McCain, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said: "Too often we've been told and the American people have been told that we're at a turning point.

What the American people should have been told and should be told ... [is that] it's long; it's hard; it's tough. It's going to be at least a couple more years.

Oh, and there's Sen. Hagel:

Hagel, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee was quoted by US News and World Report as saying the administration's Iraq policy is failing.

Things aren't getting better; they're getting worse. The White House is completely disconnected from reality. It's like they're just making it up as they go along. The reality is that we're losing in Iraq.

And you can always count on Sen. Biden for some discouraging words:

But Senator Joseph Biden of Delaware, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Goss' statement does not comport with what he heard on a recent visit to Iraq.

'I wish Porter Goss would speak to his intelligence people on the ground," Biden said on CBS's "Face the Nation". "They didn't suggest at all it was near its last throes. Matter of fact it's getting worse, not better,' Biden said.

Way to go, guys!

Aljazeera Update: Democrats slam Bush speech.

Best Line of the Day

From "Talker" David Gold who has a sterling idea on how to reverse the Supreme Court ruling on eminent domain; close down abortion clinics in order to make room for more Wal-Marts.

Now that would get some attention!

The Government Giveth and the Government Taketh Away

Ten Commandments at Texas Capitol

The Supreme Court ruled today that the prominent monument of the Ten Commandments on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol, will be allowed to stay. The ruling states that such displays are constitutional but they are not allowed inside of courthouses. More on the story here.

Old Glory Doesn't Need an Amendment

Don't you just love it when someone you hold on a pedestal happens to share your point of view? Mark Steyn has a brilliant piece today in which he explains why we don't need the constitutional amendment to ban flag burning. Why legitimize the flag burners by lending credibility to their cause.

Like I blogged here last week, it's a feel-good, pseudo-patriotic, non-partisan show that makes an almost perfect distraction when so many other issues should dominate. Seriously...how big of a problem is flag burning in this country and like Steyn says, when it happens, let it happen so the real creeps can be easily identified.

Me thinks the politicos protesteth too much!

Amy Ridenour has another take on the flag burning ban:

Point 1: Speech involves flapping gums, not flames.

Point 2: Despite The Post editorial's claim, exceptions already are made to the First Amendment's protection of freedom of speech. Examples include defamation, causing panic/harm to others, incitement to crime, obscenity and sedition (advocating the overthrow of the U.S. government).

A more insightful Post editorial would have tackled the question: Does burning an American flag, by an American, in America, constitute sedition?

I would add that spending money, according to McCain-Feingold is also antithetical to freespeech, whereas many (myself included) do not. At some point it may be against the law to criticize incumbent politicians as it may become defined as "hate-speech," (seditious?) especially when one considers the import of international law in Supreme Court rulings.

But, again, I have to ask, where are all these flag burnings occurring?

Welcome Slate and Radio Equalizer readers!

Think on These...

Some thought provoking quotes by Thomas Jefferson on which to muse and ruminate this weekend:

Enlighten the people, generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like spirits at the dawn of day.

Every citizen should be a soldier. This was the case with the Greeks and Romans, and must be that of every free state.

I cannot live without books.

I do not take a single newspaper, nor read one a month, and I feel myself infinitely the happier for it.(the MSM has been hokum all along)

I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.

In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.

Never trouble another for what you can do for yourself.

Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances.

The advertisement is the most truthful part of a newspaper. (he would have been right at home with the New Media...get a load of the next quote...heh heh)

The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers.

Laws that forbid the carrying of arms...disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.

The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it.

To take from one because it is thought that his own industry and that of his father’s has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association—the guarantee to every one of a free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it. (you need to read this one again; you didn't get it the first time!)

I think myself that we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

I am not a friend to a very energetic government. It is always oppressive.

What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.

God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure if we have removed their only firm basis: a conviction in the minds of men that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever.

So many quotes, so little space! Jefferson was a veritable bumper sticker machine!

The North American Community

Glenn Beck talked about this on his show today and offered that the idea of a "North American Community" consisting of Canada, Mexico and the USA, may be one of the reasons our border problem isn't being taken seriously by politicians on either side of the isle. This isn't some ginned up conspiracy theory...it's right out there for all to read about here and here.

The following comments, by Dr. Robert Pastor, may give you an idea of what some portend for North America:

Defining a North American Community

North Americans are ready for a new relationship. Studies over the past 20 years have shown a convergence of values, on personal and family issues as well as on public policy. An October 2003 poll taken in all three countries by Ekos, a Canadian firm, found that a clear majority believes that a North American economic union will be established in the next ten years. The same survey found an overwhelming majority in favor of more integrated North American policies on the environment, transportation, and defense and a more modest majority in favor of common energy and banking policies. And 75 percent of people in the United States and Canada, and two-thirds of Mexicans, support the development of a North American security perimeter. The U.S., Mexican, and Canadian governments remain zealous defenders of an outdated conception of sovereignty even though their citizens are ready for a new approach. Each nation's leadership has stressed differences rather than common interests. North America needs leaders who can articulate and pursue a broader vision. (emphasis mine!)

I hope this Committee will pursue the North American agenda beyond the travel initiative considered here. On June 23rd, the three leaders promised to publish a report with specific recommendations on how to deepen North American integration. These should be reviewed together with Senator Richard Lugar's far-sighted bill for a "North American Cooperative Security Act" and Senator Cornyn's "North American Investment Fund." The time has come for us to define a true North American Community. Our security and prosperity depend on it.

The links to this information are somewhat lengthy, but deserve attention. We're certainly not hearing anything about this in the MSM or anywhere else for that matter. Granted, parsing these docs aren't nearly as fun as watching and listening to the dems implode, but unless we pay attention to the really important matters, we may one day wake up in another country with an altered constitution amenable to international law. Wait, that last part about the constitution has already happened, at least in part.

Robert A. Pastor is Vice President of International Affairs and Professor of International Relations at American University. He established and directs the Center for North American Studies, a public policy, research, and educational center at AU which offers an undergraduate minor and a graduate certificate in North American Studies. From 1985 until he came to AU in 2002, Dr. Pastor was professor of political science at Emory University and Fellow and founding Director of the Carter Center's Latin American and Caribbean Program and the Democracy Project. He was Director of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs on the National Security Council (1977-81) and a Fulbright Professor at El Colegio de Mexico. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University and is the author or editor of sixteen books, including Toward a North American Community: Lessons from the Old World for the New (IIE, 2001). He was Vice Chair of the Council on Foreign Relations Task Force on the Future of North America. See www.american.edu/ia/cnas

Supremes Rewrite 5th Amendment

Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

The operative word here is "public" which the Supreme Court construed today as "public AND private" property.

What's with this "anti-Flag burning amendment?"

In a move to halt the rampant flag burnings happening daily across the fruited plain, the House of Representatives approved a constitutional amendment that would give Congress the power to ban desecration of the American flag. It's about time! Not a day goes by that dissidents by the hundreds flagrantly torch "old Glory." Surely you've seen them in your town and maybe even in your neighborhood, and it's about time that Congress puts an end to this outrageous behavior.

What???? You haven't seen any flag burners on your street or in your town? Or anywhere else in the country? Hmmmmmmmmm! So if flags aren't being burned, why is there such a need to hurriedly pass an amendment to prohibit such blatant acts of national disrespect?

As much as I loathe coming down on the same side of any issue with the socialistic left, I can't help but think that this is a non-issue. The flag just isn't being burned anywhere and when it is, it's done in an expression of free speech. This amendment is nothing more than a feel good issue to make politicians look and feel patriotic in their home district so they can say, "look at me, I'm patriotic!" What he's not telling you is he's more than willing to trample your right to free speech. He's probably voted for McCain-Feingold too (another free speech issue).

How about an amendment that bans abortion?

How about an amendment that would disallow international law in any judicial ruling?

How about an amendment that would prevent ratification of any international treaty that would jeopardize our sovereignty in any way or impose international law on our nation or any local community within our borders.

How about an amendment that would prohibit illegal immigration?

How about an amendment that would make English our official language?

How about an amendment that would ban superfluous government departments, agencies and institutions, such as the Dept. of Education, Energy, Commerce, the Surgeon General and so many other wasteful departments.

You get the point.

UPDATE: How about an amendment that prohibits changes in existing amendments!

Jack St. Clair Kilby 1923-2005

You wouldn't have ever heard of him unless you were a techy nerd or you lived in Dallas. I live in Dallas. Jack Kilby changed the world every bit as much as Edison or Alexander Graham Bell, but you probably never heard of him. Kilby, who worked for Texas Instruments, "set off the high-tech revolution with his invention of the semiconductor chip in 1958."

Mr. Kilby's semiconductor put an entire electronic circuit on a single piece of material, an idea that ushered in a second industrial revolution. Although he shunned the thought, many put the longtime Texas Instruments engineer in the same league with Thomas Edison and Henry Ford.

Mr. Kilby won the Nobel Prize for physics in 2000. His chip made it possible for man to travel to the moon, for personal computers and cellphones to enter everyday life and for the electronics industry to grow into a $1 trillion-a-year business.

"He is one of but a handful of people that have changed the world around us," said Rich Templeton, chief executive of Texas Instruments Inc.

The 6-foot, 6-inch inventor was a "gentle giant" who did little to toot his own horn, his friend Pat Weber said Tuesday.

"He was always a very humble man," said Mr. Weber, former vice chairman of TI. He always understated his accomplishments."

Mr. Kilby avoided many of the fruits of his invention. He didn't own a digital watch or a microwave oven. A conventional watch with its sweeping hands better conveyed the passage of time, he reasoned. And, although he helped invent the hand-held calculator in 1967 to demonstrate a practical use for his semiconductor, Mr. Kilby continued to use his slide rule.

"Many times he'd be late for lunch, and we all told him, 'Jack, you need a cellphone so we can check up on you,' " said Mr. McGarity, a former TI senior vice president. "He was very dismissive of it. He said, 'I'll be where I need to be when I get there.'"

Please check out the entire piece in the Dallas Morning News.

The Durbin "Apology"

WorldNetDaily reports the so-called apology of Dick Durbin today on the Senate floor. It's not an apology. See for yourself:

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., apologized on the Senate floor today for comments he made comparing treatment of detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp to the Nazi Gestapo, Soviet KGB, and Pol Pot's killers in Cambodia.

"Some may believe that my remarks crossed the line," the Senate's No. 2 Democrat said. "To them I extend my heartfelt apologies."

Durbin's voice choked and his eyes teared up as he apologized to U.S. soldiers who may have taken offense.

"They're the best. I never, ever intended any disrespect for them," he said.

On the Senate floor last Tuesday, Durbin read an e-mail message from an FBI agent describing alleged prisoner abuse. The senator said if he didn't identify the source of the information "you would most certainly believe this must have happened by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags or some mad regime ? Pol Pot or others ? that had no concern for human beings."

After the remarks drew outrage from talk radio and weblogs, Durbin initially refused to back down, charging that right-wing media misrepresented him.

He insisted he wasn't criticizing service personnel but pointing out abusive treatment of prisoners was something more likely in "repressive regimes" than the United States.

"The administration should apologize to the American people for abandoning the Geneva Conventions," Durbin said.

Sorry boys and girls, but I'm not buying it! He should resign. I'm embarrassed that the second senator in a month has cried on the senate floor showing our enemies and allies alike that we may very well have the weakest batch of senators in the history of this once great United States of America. The senate is shameful...democrats and republicans alike. The dems for habitually trashing the administration while we are at war, and the republicans (the majority party, remember?) for their cowardice and lack of leadership. Shame on all of them!

The video of Durbin's "apology" can be seen here.

The Quintessential piece on Durbin

A lot of the republicans are asking the rhetorical question; "where are all the dems when it comes to denouncing the seditious antics of Dick Durbin on the Senate floor?" My question is, where are all the republicans demanding that he be censured? Wasn't Trent Lott censured for far less?? What gives here? There doesn't seem to be much outrage among the republicans and those who are raising a marginal ruckus are only asking for an apology and that Durbin's words be stricken from the Congressional record. What????? Those outrageously seditious words need to STAY on the Congressional record so that people can see what the dems of 2005 are all about. Why in the world are the republicans coddling Durbin? Why do they coddle ANY of the outrageously outspoken dems? When will the majority party start acting like the majority? The republicans are as culpable here as the democrats in the nonresponsive manner that they are dealing with this.

Mark Steyn has one of the best pieces on this issue. Be sure to read it. Here it is!

Prager: "Nature must not be worshipped"

Dennis Prager is writing a book online and this post is chapter XVI. It's an important chapter/column because it relates to the much vaunted environmental movement. Extreme environmentalism isn't about a clean environment as so many casual observers may think. Far more is involved and this Prager piece goes right to the core of the issue. Be sure to read it.

Prager doesn't mention this, but a few verses in the Book of Romans come to mind. This are a pretty apt description of society today:

Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.
Rom 1:24 Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves:
Rom 1:25 for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Rom 1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature:
Rom 1:27 and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working unseemliness, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was due.
Rom 1:28 And even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
Rom 1:29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Rom 1:30 backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Rom 1:31 without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, unmerciful:
Rom 1:32 who, knowing the ordinance of God, that they that practise such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practise them.

Update: Parade Magazine Cover Article 6-12-05

The June 12th, 2005 issue of Parade Magazine is now available online. It's the inspriring story of the USNS Mercy and it's mission in and around the countries effected by the tsunami. A must read! To refresh your memory, here's my original post.

Our Dad's Day Movie of Choice

It's a little late in the day to recommend a Father's Day flick, but we went to an early showing of Cinderella Man and all of us loved it. I didn't really have much desire to see it; maybe it was the title, but I hadn't heard much about it. I had totally forgotten that it was a Ron Howard movie with Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger in it.

After seeing it, I can't think of a better movie to see, on this, of all days. It wasn't just a boxing movie, it was a strong family values movie without being patronizing or goody two shoes. James Braddock (whom Crowe portrayed), epitomized love of country, love of family and the literal hunger to do whatever he had to do for the very survival of family and even community. He was not only the heroic hope for his family, but the iconic hope of the struggling community (and nation) as well. It's a feel good movie. One that makes you want to do better and be better for your family, community and country.

I hope those aren't the reasons it hasn't done well. If you haven't yet seen it, by all means do see it. Two thumbs up with me, my bride and college age kids...that would be eight thumbs, actually.

Quotes for Dad's Day

Here are some quotes worthy of your perusal on Dad's special day!

Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a Daddy.
Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father! (Lydia M. Child)
By profession, I am a soldier and take pride in that fact. But I am prouder, infinitely prouder, to be a father. (General Douglas MacArthur)
By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right -
he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong! (Charles Wadsworth)
A Dad is someone you never outgrow your need for
A Dad is someone to look up to no matter how tall you've grown.
A Daddy is a man who has photos in his wallet where his money used to be.
A Dad is your biggest fan, even when you strike out.
Dad, your guiding hand on my shoulder will remain with me forever.
A father is neither an anchor to hold us back, nor a sail to take us there,
but a guiding light whose love shows us the way.
A father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow.
The father who does not teach his son his duties is equally guilty as the son who neglects them. (Confucius)
Fathers are men who give daughters away to other men who aren't nearly good enough...
so they can have grandchildren who are smarter than anybody's.
Happy is the father whose child finds his attempts to amuse it, amusing. (Robert Lynd)
I could not point to any need in childhood as strong as that for a father's protection. (Sigmund Freud)
I never had a chance to choose the man to be my Dad -
But I sure thank my lucky stars for the taste my Mother had.
I'm as lucky as can be, for the world's best dad belongs to me.
It doesn't matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was. (Anne Sexton)
Mommy would never divorce Daddy. He's just like one of the family. (Bil Keane)

Jonah Goldberg's Tribute

Be sure to read Jonah Goldberg's loving tribute to his Dad who died just last week. Sidney Goldberg was the husband of Lucianne of Lucianne.com fame.

The Need for Dads

Rich Lowry sites the societal need for dads in his National Review Online piece:

Dad is countercultural. If he is responsible, loving, and married, he might seem boring and a constant provocation to his eye-rolling teenage children, but he stands at the ramparts of a movement to save the country from the most destructive trend of the past 30 years: father absence.

The proportion of out-of-wedlock births rose 600 percent from 1960 to 2000, and the divorce rate more than doubled between 1965 and 1980. Roughly 24 million children now live in homes where the biological father is absent — about one out of every three children. This is a social disaster. Children need their fathers, and they need them in the home, which, as a practical matter, means their fathers have to be married to their mothers.

A good read for Father's Day.

Paul Harvey's Tribute to Dad

Paul Harvey's famous essay,"What are Fathers Made of?" is always best when you can hear the author's oration, but in case you missed it on his Saturday broadcast, here 'tis:

A father is a person that is forced to endure childbirth without an anesthetic
A father is a person that growls when he feels good...and laughs out loud when scared half to death
A father never feels worthy of the worship in a child's eyes.
He's never quite the hero his daughter thinks...never quite the man his son believes him to be...and this worries him
So he works too hard to try and smooth the rough places in the road for those of his own who will follow him
A father is a person who gets angry when the first school grades aren't as good as he thinks they should be
He scolds his son...though he knows it's the teacher's fault
Fathers are persons that give daughters away to other men who aren't nearly good enough...
so they can have grandchildren who are smarter than anybody's
Fathers make bets with insurance companies about who'll live the longest
One day they lose...and the bet's paid off to the part of them they leave behind
I don't know where a father goes when he dies
But I've an idea that after a good rest...
he won't just sit on a cloud and wait for the girl he loved and the children she bore
He'll be busy there, too...repairing the stairs...oiling the gates...improving the streets...smoothing the way."

Durbin Warfare

David Limbaugh's new column is the perfect companion piece to this Cox & Forkum cartoon:

If they truly understood the nature of the enemy, would they coddle them as if they were their pet criminal defendants on the mainland of the United States? Would they insist on mischaracterizing -- to the detriment of America's image and the demoralizing of our troops -- the conditions at the prison camp at Guantanamo?

It is hard to overstate the egregiousness of Dick Durbin's suggestion that we are torturing and abusing prisoners comparable to the Soviet Gulags, and worse, implying that we are doing so as a matter of Bush administration policy.

Bulletin to Dick Durbin and like-minded America-bashing appeasers: These enemy combatants are not criminal defendants; they are not criminals at all. They are part of an incorrigible war enemy. But they are unlike any enemy we've faced before, because they are unattached to any nation state that could be made to surrender. Their cause transcends rationality and will survive the fall of any nation.

Be sure to read the entire piece!

The Anchoress has a powerful piece regarding the shameful Durbin comparison. She asks, "Gitmo soldiers are Nazis?" Be sure to see it.

In Case You Missed These...

There were some excellent "must read" columns this week. Here are a few of my faves:

Daniel Henninger wonders if Americans have lost the will to fight the war against terrorism in his Opinion Journal piece.

Did the Senate apology for failing to enact federal anti-lynching legislation decades ago make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside? If so, wake up and read Mona Charon's thoughtful piece, On apologies, Democrats and conscience. Right on, Mona!

I particularly liked George Neumayr's piece "what iffing" Terri Schiavo's brutal death happened to a member of "Club Gitmo." His musings are found at The American Spectator, but here's a tantalizing morsel:

If Terri Schiavo had been dehydrated to death at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, Dick Durbin would be reading her autopsy report from the Senate floor. It would be an occasion for great moral anguish. How did the U.S. sink so low as to adopt such Nazi-like callousness toward disabled prisoners of war? one could imagine him saying. Instead, Democrats -- even as they spent part of the week crassly celebrating, with news of Schiavo's autopsy report in hand, the human rights abuse of euthanasia against the disabled -- are in a moral lather over the paucity of proper air conditioning terrorists receive at Guantanamo Bay.

Paul Johnson's piece, What Europe Really Needs in the OpinionJournal, is essential reading for those who watch Europe. A one time registration may be required, but here is an excerpt of Johnson's piece:

The EU's economic philosophy, insofar as it has one, is epitomized by one word: "convergence." The aim is to make all national economies identical with the perfect model. This, as it turns out, is actually the perfect formula for stagnation. What makes the capitalist system work, what keeps economies dynamic, is precisely nonconformity, the new, the unusual, the eccentric, the egregious, the innovative, springing from the inexhaustible inventiveness of human nature. Capitalism thrives on the absence of rules or the ability to circumvent them. Hence it is not surprising that Europe, which grew rapidly in the 1960s and 1970s, before the EU got going, has slowly lost pace since Brussels took over its direction and imposed convergence. It is now stagnant. Growth rates of over 2% are rare, except in Britain, which was Thatcherized in the 1980s and has since followed the American model of free markets. Slow or nil growth, aggravated by the power of the unions, fits well with the Brussels system and imposes further restraints on economic dynamism: Short working hours and huge social security costs that have produced high unemployment, over 10% in France and higher in Germany than at any time since the Great Depression which brought Hitler to power.

It is natural that high and chronic unemployment generates a depressive anger which finds many expressions. One, in Europe today, is anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism. Another is exceptionally low birthrates, lower in Europe than anywhere else in the world except Japan. If present trends continue, the population of Europe (excluding the British Isles) will be less than the United States by midcentury--under 400 million, with the over-65s constituting one-third of that.

The rise of anti-Americanism, a form of irrationalism deliberately whipped up by Messrs. Schroder and Chirac, who believe it wins votes, is particularly tragic, for the early stages of the EU had their roots in admiration of the American way of doing things and gratitude for the manner in which the U.S. had saved Europe first from Nazism, then (under President Harry Truman) from the Soviet Empire--by the Marshall Plan in 1947 and the creation of NATO in 1949.

Europe's founding fathers--Monnet himself, Robert Schumann in France, Alcide de Gasperi in Italy and Konrad Adenauer in Germany--were all fervently pro-American and anxious to make it possible for European populations to enjoy U.S.-style living standards. Adenauer in particular, assisted by his brilliant economics minister Ludwig Erhardt, rebuilt Germany's industry and services, following the freest possible model. This was the origin of the German "economic miracle," in which U.S. ideas played a determining part. The German people flourished as never before in their history, and unemployment was at record low levels. The decline of German growth and the present stagnation date from the point at which her leaders turned away from America and followed the French "social market" model.

Please read the entire piece; it's important, especially in light of the fact that domestic leftists and so-called liberals aspire to the elitist machinations of Europe which result in ever burgeoning bureaucracies and totalitarianism. Just because the socialist ideology has failed wherever it has been tried is no reason for the leftists to abandon it. They will never abandon their failed sacrosanct ideals.

A perfect companion piece to Paul Johnson's, is Robert J. Samuelson's WaPo piece titled, The End of Europe. Again, there are lessons to be learned here about Europe's demise and why it would be foolish to incorporate her failed policy in this country. This is and was the model for John Kerry (and so many others), if you will recall. Check it out.

Aid for Africa

Africa might have a fighting chance if they could get rid of the corrupt, marxist thugs, and adopt a Western style, capitalistic, freedom based constitution. Oh, and flip off the U.N.!

On a Personal Note

As impossible as it is to grasp, today is our 31st wedding anniversary. We just got home from a delightful evening of dining at one of our favorite restaurants, St. Martin's on lower Greenville Ave...you need to go there...outstanding cuisine, wonderfully intimate atmosphere, jazz piano...and you must ask for James to wait on your table...he'll make your date, wife, daughter and maybe even you, feel like a goddess. He's a long time Dallas foodie and he can tell you a thing or two about the local food scene...go there...we can't afford to lose this Dallas bistro.

Our kiddos bought us tickets to see and hear the Dallas Symphony Orchestra perform and though my wife and kids have been to the Myerson Symphony Center many times, this was the first time I've been able to attend the Dallas Symphony. It was great!

For those of you who live in Dallas and haven't been to the Myerson to hear the DSO, by all means, attend one of their summer presentations. Very enjoyable! Andrew Litton, conductor, may not be in Dallas much longer and he's world reknown. The summer series is light, informal and very reasonably priced, so take advantage of an incredible local resource and enjoy the Dallas Arts District while you're there.

"Liberalism means never having to say 'I'm sorry'"

Durbin refuses to apologize for comparing Gitmo interrogations to those of the Nazi's, and Soviets in the gulags.

Where are the demands for his immediate removal from the Senate? Where's the outrage among senators on both sides of the isle ? There's plenty of outrage in "flyover" country. Do the leftists really think this kind of behavior is good for their cause?

How long will the senate "leadership" allow this seditious behavior on the senate floor or will they let the implosion continue. How much further will the dems go in siding with the enemy?

It's unimaginable that elected officials can spew such vitriol on the senate floor with the cameras rolling and the mics on. They have to know it's going to spread across the fruited plain at the speed of light regardless of whether or not the MSM reports it.

The sad truth is, with the almost daily leftist diatribes from virtually every visible democrat official, including McCain, the republicans still can't seem to get it together when it comes to getting a conservative agenda passed. While the dems seem to be having nervous breakdowns en masse, the republicans are suffering from impotence.

The "S" Word is Being Used More Often

Editorial page editor, Colin McNickle, of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has boldly gone where few mainstream editors have dared go. Published today, McNickle knocks a grandslam out of the park with his piece titled, Socialism, not republicanism, is the real extremism.

How about that? It's not groundbreaking news, but it breaks new ground because everyone who has accused the left of being socialists have been routinely marginalized and relegated to the nether regions of the extreme right wing (and who could ever survive that moniker? heh heh!).

With a far more strident tone, but no less accurate, are two pieces by WorldNetDaily columnist, Devvy Kidd: she doesn't mince words. She goes right for the "C" word when writing about the ACLU. An even more politically incorrect companion piece fingers socialists, communists serving in Congress.

Michael Savage wrote a best seller, and continually talks about the "enemy within." He doesn't get any acolades for his observations, but when he talks about the "enemy," he's right on.

Maybe more people are recognizing the leftist agenda for what it is...anti-american and destructive to the principles on which our country was founded. To the uninitiated (and those educated in government schools), these articles may seem to be over the top. What's over the top is the ease with which radical leftists have become mainstream.

(One of) America's Gift(s) To the World

Today's PARADE Magazine, a supplement included in many Sunday newspapers, has an outstanding cover article on the United States Navy Ship, Mercy, which was sent to the tsunami damaged areas of Indonesia. If Parade is included with your local paper, don't miss it. It won't be online until June 20th, after which I will post here.

FOXNews also covered the piece this morning and you can see video on the Fox's link categorized under, "Act of 'Mercy'."

It's an inspiring piece! Despite all the problems and shortcomings in America, we do so much for world, that's it's hard to imagine what the world would be like without our generosity, technology and ability to give. While, much of what we do may go unappreciated, at home and abroad, it's extremely rewarding when the recipients express gratitude.

This Day in History

The New Testament Church officially began on this day approximately 1974 years ago (circa 31 AD). It happened in Jerusalem 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ and marked the day when the Holy Spirit was given, as was promised, to those who followed Christ and obeyed His teachings. The full account is found in the 2nd chapter of the book of Acts. Happy Pentecost!

Some Wise Advice for Recent Grads

From my friend, Allie Dart, of Christian Education Ministries:

If you are a 2005 graduate, you’ve probably received stacks of cards congratulating you. They’ve told you the sky’s the limit, success awaits you, and your future couldn’t look brighter. The speaker at your commencement exercise may have left you feeling that you can conquer the world. And we certainly hope you do.

Along with receiving your diploma or degree, you’ve received a lot more freedom. You’ll likely move out of your parents’ home and into a college dorm, or into your own apartment. This is what you’ve been waiting for. Isn’t it? So where do you go from here?

King Solomon, had some words of wisdom for his sons and daughters that any graduate would benefit from hearing. He told those royal princes and princesses to “Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” Solomon saw the need for even a young person of royal descent to live disciplined lives. Why? Because, among other things, it was their duty? Yes, duty! And life would work better for them.

Why was it Solomon’s sons and daughters duty to take only firm ways and not swerve to the right or left, and keep their feet from evil? Maybe if you understand what “duty” means, you’ll understand its importance. Duty means, “Conduct due to parents and superiors: RESPECT. Obligatory tasks that arise from one’s position. . . A moral or legal obligation.”

Since 1898 West Point has understood the importance of one performing his duty. The legend in their code of arms says, “Duty, Honor, Country.”

You’re not likely a prince or princess, and probably don’t have any royal blood in your veins. So does that get you off the hook of fulfilling your duty? Probably not. So think about this. You’ve attained a certain “position” as a 2005 graduate. The Bible says, “To whom much is given, much is required.” You have been given what only a small percentage of this world’s population has received – a high school and/or a college education. Wouldn’t that qualify you as one who has been given much?

Theodore Roosevelt understood well the importance of Americans performing their duty. He said “The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich theory of life.” In other words, an undisciplined people who do not recognize their responsibility and perform their duty will destroy our nation. When you look at our society, does that give you chills down your spine?

You may not be able to control or have much influence on the soft living or the attitude of a person who wants peace at any price. But you can control yourself and not be a “free spirited,” scatterbrained nomad who never does much with his life. As you move out of your parents’ home keep in mind that the following things are still your duty:
Remember your high school friends and keep them for life
Choose your new friends carefully
Carry out your responsibilities
Pick up your clothes
Be on time
Give every job that extra effort
Guard against sexual temptations
Avoid alcohol – it’s involved in most young people’s deaths and promiscuous actions
Read your Bible daily and obey its teachings
Give thanks to God daily
Never forget what Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 12:13
“Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty, of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (NIV).

May this achievement mark the beginning of a lifetime of dreams come true for every graduate.

(Welcome Radio Equalizer readers.)

Condolences for Lucianne and Jonah

Husband of Lucianne and father of Jonah Goldberg, Sidney Goldberg, died Wednesday night after a long illness. John Podhoretz and Kathryn Jean Lopez of National Review Online have some thoughts about him:

SIDNEY GOLDBERG [John Podhoretz]
Kind, friendly, amusing, amused, thoughtful, loving, clever, dapper, jaunty, principled, intellectually engaged, politically astute, wise.

Sid was the ultimate mensch.

I loved him, my wife loved him, our baby daughter loved him, everybody loved him, and the world is a smaller and colder and meaner place today without him.
Posted at 10:15 AM

A GOOD MAN WE'RE ALL GRATEFUL FOR [Kathryn Jean Lopez ]
After a long illness, Sidney Goldberg (a.ka. Poppa Goldberg, Jonah's Dad) passed away last night. That's why Jonah hasn't been around much lately. Please don't feel obliged to send e-mail condolences and know that if you do he probably won't be able to respond. He knows so many of you wish him and his family well and appreciates that. On behalf of all of us here at NR broadly: Rest in peace, Poppa G. The world is a richer place for your years here. Thanks.
Posted at 09:44 AM

Lucianne's letter of thanks to her friends, fans and supporters is here.

Noonan Nails It

In case you missed today's must read by Peggy Noonan, you can find it at OpinionJournal. Whenever a leftist spews forth, just imagine someone else doing the very same thing. Noonan shows you how.

Rednecks--Ya Gotta Love 'Em

These pics are priceless! Check them out, one by one. Courtesy of our redneck buddy, Boortz.

A Brilliant Question

Hugh Hewitt asked this question at the beginning of his show today: (paraphrased)

Why is it that those who are ready to give up our cause in Iraq aren't ready to give up the cause in the Palestinian fight against Israel?

The Israeli/Palestinian fight has been going on much longer, but no one on the left is ready to concede the battle to Israel. On the contrary...they want the Palestinians to be victorious over that pesky Israel. Likewise, in Iraq, the left doesn't want the U.S. to be victorious over the terroristic "insurgents." Curious, isn't it?

An Oldie, but Goody

Over heard on the Savage Show:

When politicians borrow from Peter to pay Paul, they always receive the support of Paul.

Ah... if they only were in the borrowing business...Unfortunately, they take it at the point of a gun and we don't even get a thank you note!

Ben Stein at his Best--MSM at their Worst

Ben Stein continues to outdo himself from week to week in his columns. His current piece exposes the MSM for their lack of shame and begs the repeatedly asked question; whose side are they on anyway? This piece in the The American Spectator pretty well sums up the answer. Anyone in the MSM wish to repent?

Two Excellent Pieces on the "Gulag" Gaffe

Two of my favorite columnists have great pieces today on the fallacious notion put forth by the leftist Amnesty International organization last week comparing Gitmo to the Soviet Gulags. First up is Dennis Prager and then check out David Limbaugh's piece.

A good companion piece to these, in The New Republic, was posted here yesterday. Check it out if you missed it.

Radio Equalizer-Brian Maloney: On the Air Tonite

Blogging buddy, The Radio Equalizer-Brian Maloney is filling in tonite for Rusty Humphries on WBDO. Check out Brian's link to get the stream feed. Break a leg, Brian!

Jesse Jackson at Gloved One's Trial

Jesse Jackson arrives at court house to read the part of the Bible to Michael Jackson that says not to sleep with little boys. And to get his picture taken.

Hat tip to Lucianne.com.

So Much for the "New Tone!"

It doesn't matter how nice President Bush is to the Clintons, they always reciprocate with mean spirited criticism as is chronicled in this WorldNetDaily piece, Hillary uncorks Bush onslaught. Go there if you wish, but it's the same old drill. Ho hum!

Keep in mind, if you DO happen to read this, that whatever they accuse others of doing is exactly what they are guilty of.

The New Republic: Gitmo vs. Gulag

Hat tip to Dennis Prager for bringing this to our attention. The not exactly conservative New Republic made an exemplary comparison between the gulags of Stalin, where millions died, to the prison at Gitmo, where we bend over backwards and forwards to comply to politically correct standards of respect for the Muslim religion. Here's the crux of the piece:

Individuals Detained:

Gulag: Approximately 20 million passed through the Gulag. The population at any one time was generally around two million.

Guantánamo: 750 prisoners have passed through the camp. The current population is about 520.

Number of Camps:

Gulag: 476 separate camp complexes comprising thousands of individual camps. By the end of the 1930s, camps were located in each of the Soviet Union's twelve time zones.

Guantánamo: Five small camps on the U.S. military base in Cuba.

Reasons for Imprisonment:

Gulag: Opposition to the Soviet regime's forced collectivization, including efforts to hide grain in cellars; owning too many cows; need for slave labor to complete massive industrialization and mining projects; political opposition to the Soviet system; being Jewish; being Finnish; being religious; being middle class; being in need of reeducation; having had contact with foreigners; refusing to sleep with the head of Soviet counterintelligence; telling a joke about Stalin.

Guantánamo: Fighting for the fundamentalist Taliban in Afghanistan; being suspected of links to Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups.

Judicial Review:

Gulag: None. "Trials" of those sent to the Gulag often lasted only a few minutes.

Guantánamo: The Bush administration has argued that detainees are unlawful combatants, not prisoners of war. The Supreme Court ruled in June 2004 that prisoners must receive hearings on their legal status. One hundred and fifty have decided to challenge their detention, and dozens of lawyers have been arriving at the base to represent them. Human rights groups and lawyers for detainees have argued that the military hearings are inadequate.

Red Cross Visits:

Gulag: None that I could find.

Guantánamo: Regular visits since January 2002. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has reportedly complained to the U.S. government about several aspects of prisoner treatment, including occasional beatings and other interrogation tactics. Per its standard practice, the ICRC does not make its complaints public.

Deaths as a Result of Poor Treatment:

Gulag: At least two to three million. Mass burials were often employed to keep death rates secret (camp commanders sometimes received permission to remove gold fillings before burial). In some particularly brutal periods, camp commanders simply executed thousands of prisoners. But deaths due to overwork were much more common. It is estimated that 25,000 gulag laborers died during the construction of the White Sea Canal in the early '30s. One convoy of "backward elements" destined for the Gulag in 1933 included about 6,000 prisoners; after three months, 4,000 were dead. "The survivors had lived because they ate the flesh of those who had died," according to an account cited by Applebaum.

Guantánamo: No reports of prisoner deaths.

Typical Treatment:

Gulag: For the most part, Gulag prisoners provided labor for the Soviet system. Treatment varied widely, but most prisoners lived in overcrowded barracks, and prisoners occasionally killed one another in an effort to find space to sleep. Deadly dysentery and typhus outbreaks were common. Prisoners often had inadequate clothing to protect themselves from the elements, and most camps lacked running water and heat.

Guantánamo: A recent Time magazine report found that "the best-behaved detainees are held in Camp 4, a medium-security, communal-living environment with as many as 10 beds in a room; prisoners can play soccer or volleyball outside up to nine hours a day, eat meals together and read Agatha Christie mysteries in Arabic. Less cooperative detainees typically live and eat in small, individual cells and get to exercise and shower only twice a week." Human Rights Watch and other watchdog groups have collected firsthand testimony from prisoners alleging abuses, including the use of dogs, extended solitary confinement, sexual humiliation, and "stress positions." An official investigation uncovered only minor abuses, and most detainee accusations have not been verified.

Religious Observance:

Gulag: Prisoners were occasionally able to smuggle bibles into the camps and hold religious observances, including Christmas and Easter, in secret. Being caught conducting services, however, could be grounds for further punishment. Applebaum records a prisoner's description of a priest creeping through a camp, trying to say mass without being detected.

Guantánamo: Prisoners are provided copies of the Koran and daily time for prayer. Arrows on the floor of each cell point to Mecca. Meals are made in accordance with Muslim religious restrictions. Several prisoners, however, reported delays in receiving their copies of the Koran and that guards mistreated the Koran on multiple occasions. For its part, the Pentagon has documented five instances of Koran mishandling though it denies that a Koran was ever flushed down the toilet, as one detainee alleged.

The detention center at Guantánamo is legally dubious and has been a public relations disaster for the United States. The treatment of certain prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan has been far worse. Amnesty's president Irene Kahn says that these practices are "undermining human rights in a dramatic way." Her outrage is valuable and essential. If only she could express it without employing obscene moral parallels.

Case closed! What an embarrassment these leftists are. Aren't there plenty of attrocities going on in Africa to keep them busy? They need to get real! And where are the dems on this issue? Do they automatically come down on the side of our enemies and thereby keep silent. I guess so!

D-Day...61 Years Ago Today

One of the most momentous days in history occurred 61 years ago today. God bless the families whose loved ones gave their life on that fateful day:

June 6, 1944 D-Day

On this day in 1944, Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower gives the go-ahead for largest amphibious military operation in history: Operation Overlord, code named D-Day, the Allied invasion of northern France.

By daybreak, 18,000 British and American parachutists were already on the ground. At 6:30 a.m., American troops came ashore at Utah and Omaha beaches. At Omaha, the U.S. First Division battled high seas, mist, mines, burning vehicles-and German coastal batteries, including an elite infantry division, which spewed heavy fire. Many wounded Americans ultimately drowned in the high tide. British divisions, which landed at Gold, Juno, and Sword beaches, and Canadian troops also met with heavy German fire, but by the end of the day they were able to push inland.

Despite the German resistance, Allied casualties overall were relatively light. The United States and Britain each lost about 1,000 men, and Canada 355. Before the day was over, 155,000 Allied troops would be in Normandy. However, the United States managed to get only half of the 14,000 vehicles and a quarter of the 14,500 tons of supplies they intended on shore.

Three factors were decisive in the success of the Allied invasion. First, German counterattacks were firm but sparse, enabling the Allies to create a broad bridgehead, or advanced position, from which they were able to build up enormous troop strength. Second, Allied air cover, which destroyed bridges over the Seine, forced the Germans to suffer long detours, and naval gunfire proved decisive in protecting the invasion troops. And third, division and confusion within the German ranks as to where the invasion would start and how best to defend their position helped the Allies. (Hitler, convinced another invasion was coming the next day east of the Seine River, refused to allow reserves to be pulled from that area.)

Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, commander of Britain's Twenty-first Army Group (but under the overall command of General Eisenhower, for whom Montgomery, and his ego, proved a perennial thorn in the side), often claimed later that the invasion had come off exactly as planned. That was a boast, as evidenced by the failure to take Caen on the first day, as scheduled. While the operation was a decided success, considering the number of troops put ashore and light casualties, improvisation by courageous and quick-witted commanders also played an enormous role.

The D-Day invasion has been the basis for several movies, from The Longest Day (1962), which boasted an all-star cast that included Richard Burton, Sean Connery, John Wayne, Robert Mitchum-and Fabian, to Saving Private Ryan (1998), which includes some of the most grippingly realistic war scenes ever filmed, captured in the style of the famous Robert Capa still photos of the actual invasion.

Embryonic Stem Cell Research and What You Need to Know

An important piece on embryonic stem cell research titled, The Myths of the Stem Cell Debate by Steve Chapman is a must read. I know, I know, the very subject causes you to glaze over what with the constant banter which serves to muddy the water, and besides, it doesn't really concern you does it? Like abortion, murder, theft, child abuse, same sex marriage, and every other transgression against society, it does concern you and all of us who wish to live in a civil society.

The embryonic stem cell issue is a total misdirective. Embryonic stems cells have shown no effectiveness or promise in what the proponants purport! Adult stem cell research, on the other hand, which is completely in accord with President Bush and the Pro-Life Movement, show far more promise in the fight against debilitating diseases. Check out the link. Those on the embryonic side of the argument silently see this issue as a way to proliferate abortion and the potentiality of harvesting fetuses. The end result seems to be far less important than how it comes about. Think about that! The proponents of embryonic stem cell research, when all is said and done, seem to be more interested in seeing that more abortions take place than cures for which they are aborted! How horrifying is that?

Playing the "Sick" card

The "Gloved One" is playing the "sick card"...or so it seems. So what would YOU do if you were Michael Jackson? Leave the country? Kill yourself? Start sleeping with girls? Or become ill? Oh, he's ill alright! There's nothing healthy about him or his way of life from what I can see, but then, maybe he's only showing his odd side and depriving us of his normal side.

Can we be surprised by ANYthing that might happen from here on out in the Michael Jackson Trial? Pity his poor children!

Quote of the Day

By David Limbaugh in a Q & A with Stan Guthrie in Part 2 of a 2 part interview:

Christians and other social conservatives must remain vigilant and engaged, or we will lose ground in the culture war. Christians, above all, must learn not to be paralyzed into inaction by the intimidating forces of political correctness. They must realize that they, not the people who advocate godlessness and the murder of babies in the womb, hold the moral high ground. They must hold their heads high and engage in the political and cultural arenas. They must be unafraid to be stigmatized by the secular Left as "intolerant," especially when you consider that leftists wrote the book on intolerance, particularly toward Christians.

Be sure to read both parts available at Stan Guthrie's Blog, linked above. Excellent!

Has It Been One Year Already?

Nancy Reagan pays her respect to her beloved "Ronnie" on the first anniversary of his death at his tomb at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

Be sure to read what Michael Reagan has to say about his father as he looks back over the past year.

The U.S.S. RONALD REAGAN has an interesting website where you can buy mementos, but also features a good gallery of Reagan photos...the ship and the man.

See the local coverage of the anniversary in the L.A. Daily News - Simi Valley Sunday.

If you've not had the opportunity to visit the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Library, by all means, take a virtual tour.

Here's Trey Jackson's Remembrance of the Gipper.

Some of Today's Best Reads

Start here with Ben Stein's updated piece on the Watergate Media orgy. Stein is great. Conservative writers rule!

Ya gotta read Krauthammer today regarding Gitmo! Enough already!

Dennis Prager featured an article today from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which showed that a huge percentage of doctors admit to practicing "Defensive Medicine," which is to say that they treat patients as potential, if not probable litigants. The bottom line is that patients are given costly tests that might not be necessary just to cover the doctor's legal butt.

Read the article and think about the myriad other ways our lives have been forced to change because of the fear of lawsuits.

The ACLU is structured on the premise that people and organizations (even government) will fold at the threat of a lawsuit. Our entire society has been compromised over this threat.

Our buddy, Boortz, comprehensively covers the next big thing; the impeachment of George W. Bush. Read it!

Wish I'd observed this: Rush mentioned today that the U.N. has noticed via satelite imagery, that materials which could be used to make Weapons of Mass Destruction but were "never there are now missing!" Hmmmmm...a conUNdrum!

Be sure to read David Limbaugh's column on "The Irrationality and Recklessness of Appeasement." Why is it that the left instictively trusts terrorists over our military when questions arise over systematic torture of prisoners?

Dan Rather, on Larry King Alive last night admitted that "Whatever It Takes" is acceptable when it comes to bringing down a president with whom the left disagrees (Rather is somewhat more subtle than I am, but he said as much with different terminology). Breathtaking admission!

Do you think everyone is satisfied with our existing Constitution? Think again. There really is a large, powerful, and well funded group of leftists who are determined to change it (for the children, no doubt), not by congressional legislation, but by judicial mandate. You better read The New and Improved Constitution to see what we're up against.

There's more to the Gitmo story than what you'll hear

With all the hype about Gitmo "atrocities" and the inundation to come regarding the same, be sure to check out Michelle Malkin's post on the so-called Quran desecration. It's only just begun, boys and girls! The leadership of the majority party better get ready to fight hard for a change instead of laying down as they are wont to do. It's going to be an interesting summer!

In addition to her above blog and all its links, be sure to check out her column. She's so busy she forgot to link it in her blog. Here it is.

Failing Ideologies Abroad (and here)

David Brooks has an excellent piece titled Fear and Rejection, in today's New York Times. It's today's must read! Registration is required and even though it's free, it's a hassle, so I'm posting it here in its entirety:

Forgive me for making a blunt and obvious point, but events in Western Europe are slowly discrediting large swaths of American liberalism.

Most of the policy ideas advocated by American liberals have already been enacted in Europe: generous welfare measures, ample labor protections, highly progressive tax rates, single-payer health care systems, zoning restrictions to limit big retailers, and cradle-to-grave middle-class subsidies supporting everything from child care to pension security. And yet far from thriving, continental Europe has endured a lost decade of relative decline.

Western Europeans seem to be suffering a crisis of confidence. Election results, whether in North Rhine-Westphalia or across France and the Netherlands, reveal electorates who have lost faith in their leaders, who are anxious about declining quality of life, who feel extraordinarily vulnerable to foreign competition - from the Chinese, the Americans, the Turks, even the Polish plumbers.

Anybody who has lived in Europe knows how delicious European life can be. But it is not the absolute standard of living that determines a people's morale, but the momentum. It is happier to live in a poor country that is moving forward - where expectations are high - than it is to live in an affluent country that is looking back.

Right now, Europeans seem to look to the future with more fear than hope. As Anatole Kaletsky noted in The Times of London, in continental Europe "unemployment has been stuck between 8 and 11 percent since 1991 and growth has reached 3 percent only once in those 14 years."

The Western European standard of living is about a third lower than the American standard of living, and it's sliding. European output per capita is less than that of 46 of the 50 American states and about on par with Arkansas. There is little prospect of robust growth returning any time soon.

Once it was plausible to argue that the European quality of life made up for the economic underperformance, but those arguments look more and more strained, in part because demographic trends make even the current conditions unsustainable. Europe's population is aging and shrinking. By 2040, the European median age will be around 50. Nearly a third of the population will be over 65. Public spending on retirees will have to grow by a third, sending Europe into a vicious spiral of higher taxes and less growth.

This is the context for the French "no" vote on the E.U. constitution. This is the psychology of stagnation that shaped voter perceptions. It wasn't mostly the constitution itself voters were rejecting. Polls reveal they were articulating a broader malaise. The highest "no" votes came from the most vulnerable, from workers and the industrial north. The "no" campaign united the fearful right, led by Jean-Marie Le Pen, with the fearful left, led by the Communists.

Influenced by anxiety about the future, every faction across the political spectrum found something to feel menaced by. For the Socialist left, it was the threat of economic liberalization. For parts of the right, it was the threat of Turkey. For populists, it was the condescension of the Brussels elite. For others, it was the prospect of a centralized European superstate. Many of these fears were mutually exclusive. The only commonality was fear itself, the desire to hang on to what they have in the face of change and tumult all around.

The core fact is that the European model is foundering under the fact that billions of people are willing to work harder than the Europeans are. Europeans clearly love their way of life, but don't know how to sustain it.

Over the last few decades, American liberals have lauded the German model or the Swedish model or the European model. But these models are not flexible enough for the modern world. They encourage people to cling fiercely to entitlements their nation cannot afford. And far from breeding a confident, progressive outlook, they breed a reactionary fear of the future that comes in left- and right-wing varieties - a defensiveness, a tendency to lash out ferociously at anybody who proposes fundamental reform or at any group, like immigrants, that alters the fabric of life.

This is the chief problem with the welfare state, which has nothing to do with the success or efficiency of any individual program. The liberal project of the postwar era has bred a stultifying conservatism, a fear of dynamic flexibility, a greater concern for guarding what exists than for creating what doesn't.

That's a truth that applies just as much on this side of the pond.

E-mail: dabrooks@nytimes.com

Shouldn't we be able to learn some lessons when ideologies fail as they are in Europe? But who do the liberal elitists look to when pontificating about the way things should be in a perfect world? Why, it's Europe in all of its politically correct splendor. In socialistic parlance I guess it doesn't matter when philosophies, policies and dogma fail. What's with that, anyway? How can the world's "most brilliant" people continue to engage in ideologies that are unworkable?

The problem isn't isolated to Europe. The U.S. engages in failed policies every day with wild abandon. Public education is one good (or bad) example. It's a failed system and there is no governmental solution in sight. More money isn't the answer. State of the art facilities sure are nice, but they don't teach kids to read and write. Teachers' unions don't offer solutions to better educated kids, they just insure job security for incompetent teachers. Public education has utterly failed. Will politicians admit this failure and dissolve the existing debacle? No. They will continue to spend more money when they shouldn't even be in the business of education.

The education problem is but one of the failures that continue to be perpetuated. Welfare and subsidized housing are on the "failed" list as well. Sadly, we are on the precipice of launching "new," devastatingly expensive programs, such as government health care, which have failed everywhere they've been tried. Why can't we learn from the failings of others?

Noonan: "Was Mark Felt really a hero?"

This Peggy Noonan piece about "Deep Throat" etc will probably be the last one I post (unless an exceptional one emerges) because of the irrelevancy of the story to the here and now. Noonan's piece is a must read of all that's out there on this subject today. But don't forget to read Ben Stein.

"Bill Clinton Takes Spot On Global Stage"-- Well, Duh!

He may be tired but he's still running! Don't mind my apparent obsession with Clinton campaigning for the Sec-Gen position at the U.N., I'm just cataloging these articles for my "I told you so" edition of this blog. Earlier, I blogged about Sec-Gen Clinton and I'm just trying to keep up with each new piece on this subject. It's just a matter of time, unless his health takes a turn for the worse. He's not looking so great lately.

Ben Stein's Brilliant Take on "Deep Throat"

Ben Stein's brilliant piece on the "Deep Throat" media orgy in The American Spectator is reprinted here in it's entirety. Hat tip to Rush for bringing this to my attention:

Re: The "news" that former FBI agent Mark Felt broke the law, broke his code of ethics, broke his oath and was the main source for Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward's articles that helped depose Richard Nixon, a few thoughts.

Can anyone even remember now what Nixon did that was so terrible? He ended the war in Vietnam, brought home the POW's, ended the war in the Mideast, opened relations with China, started the first nuclear weapons reduction treaty, saved Eretz Israel's life, started the Environmental Protection Administration. Does anyone remember what he did that was bad?

Oh, now I remember. He lied. He was a politician who lied. How remarkable. He lied to protect his subordinates who were covering up a ridiculous burglary that no one to this date has any clue about its purpose. He lied so he could stay in office and keep his agenda of peace going. That was his crime. He was a peacemaker and he wanted to make a world where there was a generation of peace. And he succeeded.

That is his legacy. He was a peacemaker. He was a lying, conniving, covering up peacemaker. He was not a lying, conniving drug addict like JFK, a lying, conniving war starter like LBJ, a lying, conniving seducer like Clinton -- a lying, conniving peacemaker. That is Nixon's kharma.

When his enemies brought him down, and they had been laying for him since he proved that Alger Hiss was a traitor, since Alger Hiss was their fair-haired boy, this is what they bought for themselves in the Kharma Supermarket that is life:

1.) The defeat of the South Vietnamese government with decades of death and hardship for the people of Vietnam.

2.) The assumption of power in Cambodia by the bloodiest government of all time, the Khmer Rouge, who killed a third of their own people, often by making children beat their own parents to death. No one doubts RN would never have let this happen.

So, this is the great boast of the enemies of Richard Nixon, including Mark Felt: they made the conditions necessary for the Cambodian genocide. If there is such a thing as kharma, if there is such a thing as justice in this life of the next, Mark Felt has bought himself the worst future of any man on this earth. And Bob Woodward is right behind him, with Ben Bradlee bringing up the rear. Out of their smug arrogance and contempt, they hatched the worst nightmare imaginable: genocide. I hope they are happy now -- because their future looks pretty bleak to me.

This was the MSM's last coup d' etat; but it happened without the scrutiny of the New Media...30 years ago. The spin machine of the MSM is in retrograde as they wallow in and relive and relive and relive this orgiastic chapter in their past.

Viet Nam and Watergate, the salad days of the leftwing, ah, yes, those were the days!

Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
Those were the days
Oh yes those were the days*

*(Those Were The Days, My Friend by Mary Hopkins)