Go Figure

Exclusive: Dubai ports firm enforces Israel boycott [JPost]

The parent company of a Dubai-based firm at the center of a political storm in the US over the purchase of American ports participates in the Arab boycott against Israel, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

Do the words "Hell in a Handbasket" mean anything to you, America?

Tags: Bush Dubai ports Israel boycott

The Safest Place to be a Jew

French anti-Semitism is so bad (sadly enough, this is not new) that French Jews are making aliyah in record numbers, so much so that entire towns in Israel have been forced to go bilingual to service the new immigrants. The Cheif Rabbi of Britain has openly discussed growing anti-Semitism in the country, and cites it as a major cause for increased aliyah among British Jews. European anti-Semitism in general is on the rise.

Israel is on the brink of war. In fact, Arutz 7 is already referring to the IDF movements in palestinian areas as the Terror War. Iran, Syria, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and assorted other terrorist governments are supporting Hamas and the PLO in Gaza and the West Bank and Hizbullah in Lebanon. Jordan is nothing more than a landing pad and refueling center for Arab terror. In short, Israel's enemies are closing in-- fast.

Yet, aliyah continues, unabated.

What does that say about being a Jew in this world?

Tags: Israel Judaism Jewish Identity anti-Semitism

First Things First

Lileks: "Instinctively Wrong" [LGF]

And it certainly doesn’t matter once the President gets all stern on the topic and insists he’ll veto any attempt to keep the deal from going through. At that point, millions of previously resolute supporters stand there with their mouths open, uttering a soft confused moan of disbelief.

That moan was a lot louder, and it came straight from Gaza in August of 2005.

First They Came for the Jews

First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.

Pastor Martin Niemöller

Better re-think asking for the kosher meal when you book your next flight out of Newark or your passage on the QE2.

Tags: America Gaza Israel Bush terrorism Dubai

Phobia or Phed Up?

Arabs see phobia behind uproar over ports deal [via Drudge]

DUBAI (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers' strident opposition to a Dubai company controlling major seaports reflects a Western phobia of Arabs which could scare off other Middle East investors, Arab analysts said.

That's not a biased study at all.

Phobia: an anxiety disorder characterized by extreme and irrational fear of simple things or social situations

Islamics are simple, but I'm not afraid of them. How could I be afraid of anything or any one that stupid? Hey, Mr. Islam, kiss my Jewish tuchus. Nanny, nanny, boo boo. Quick, where are my colored pencils? I feel a sketch of Mohammed coming on!

The best part is, they'd love it if we were afraid of them. Western fear is a jihadist's wet dream; it is better and more satisfying than 72 celestial virgins. Fear from our side would indicate to them that they were in control, which is exactly what they want. They couldn't achieve that after murdering over 3,000 of us nearly five years ago, so now they're opting for the cheaper route and using the power of suggestion. First, the President claims that Congress is Islamophobic/Arabphobic when he throws out the veto threat yesterday afternoon. Now, Al-Reuters prints an article in which Arab "analysts" declare that the United States on the whole is Islamophobic. That article is going to get syndicated around the globe; by tomorrow, analysts will be all over prime-time news, discussing "Islamophobia in America." Before you know it, we'll be paying reparations to the families of the 9/11 bombers as an act of apology for this non-existent phobia.

Discredit, discredit, discredit. Don't argue, don't discuss, don't present a panel of opposing viewpoints to fill a segment or two. Call it for what it is; diagnose the problem before it kills us all.

Tags: Islamophobia Bush ports media Arabs Dubai

Three Cheers for Common Sense

Any port in the terrorist storm Cal Thomas [Townhall.com]

The Department of Homeland Security says it is legally impossible under CFIUS rules to reconsider approval of the sale without evidence the Dubai company gave false information or withheld vital details from U.S. officials. Congress should change that law.

Last year, Congress overwhelmingly recommended against the Bush administration granting permission to a Chinese company to purchase the U.S. oil services company UNOCAL. Six years ago, when a Chinese company took control of the Panama Canal from the United States, retired U.S. Admiral and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Thomas H. Moorer warned of a "nuclear Pearl Harbor."

Congress must stop this sale of American ports to foreign interests and, in an era of terrorism, prevent any more potential terrorist targets from falling into the hands of those who wish to destroy us.

CFIUS, the acronym for Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States is, according to the Treasury Department, "an inter-agency committee chaired by the Secretary of Treasury. CFIUS seeks to serve U.S. investment policy through thorough reviews that protect national security while maintaining the credibility of our open investment policy and preserving the confidence of foreign investors here and of U.S. investors abroad that they will not be subject to retaliatory discrimination." According to Wikipedia, "...it is important to note that the vast majority of transactions submitted to CFIUS (including the preceding example) are approved without difficulty."

Gorgeous. Ham for lunch, anyone?

Tags:
CFIUS
UAE
Bush
global economy
ports

The Laughter of Insanity

Carter backs Bush's stand on seaport-operations deal [Miami Herald via Drudge]

Former President Jimmy Carter downplayed criticism of White House support of an Arab-owned company's purchase of a major seaport-operations firm. ...''The overall threat to the United States and security, I don't think it exists,'' Carter said on CNN's The Situation Room. ``I'm sure the president's done a good job with his subordinates to make sure this is not a threat.''

On the next episode of Jimmy & George, the Presidents help plant the first Palestinian peanut farm in Gaza. "You've heard of Mexican Jumping Beans," G.W. quips, "now there's Palestinian Exploding Nuts!" [All puns intended.]

Economists are already coming out in favor of the port deal, in the spirit of "global economy."

The WSJ disappoints on the “ports” [Israpundit]

Yes, some of the 9/11 hijackers were UAE citizens. But then the London subway bombings last year were perpetrated by citizens of Britain, home to the company (P&O) that currently manages the ports that Dubai Ports World would take over. Which tells us three things: First, this work is already being outsourced to “a foreign-based company”; second, discriminating against a Mideast company offers no security guarantees because attacks are sometimes homegrown; and third, Mr. Graham likes to talk first and ask questions later.”

First, why are we outsourcing work when people in places like Detroit and all over the country are losing jobs akin to the work being done every day at seaports you feel like selling to foreign entities, who will most likely staff them with foreigners looking for green cards and a job to pay for flight school?

Second, the Islamic nutcase with a U.S. passport didn't get his dark complexion at Hollywood Tans. If you really think the threat is "home grown" try staffing our massive Immigration and Naturalization bureaucracy with people whose qualifications stretch a tad beyond a G.E.D. and a desirable racial profile suitable for filling a quota.

Third, questions are for therapy, not business. If you feel the need to ask yourself any questions about why this is a bad deal, get a blankie, suck your thumb, and re-birth yourself at Dr. Garry's office-- maybe VH1 will give you your own show.

Besides, the notion that the Bush Administration is farming out port “security” to hostile Arab nations is alarmist nonsense. Dubai Ports World would be managing the commercial activities of these U.S. ports, not securing them. There’s a difference. Port security falls to Coast Guard and U.S. Customs officials.

And the European Union will be monitoring the situation to make sure that U.S. soldiers aren't interfering with port commerce, right? Wait, let me guess, we're going to be bringing over some Israeli soldiers from the Gaza border to give the Coast Guard "sensitivity training."

As a side note, I'd like to mention that I went to graduate school with a kid from Dubai. He told me once that the Protocols of the Elders of Zion was so popular there that you could get a copy at any government office in the country. He also cornered me once in an empty room and tried to force me to admit that Israeli soldiers massacred Palestinians in the now famously debunked Jenin incident. Interesting fact: Muslims aren't supposed to drink alcohol. So, anytime this kid wanted to get drunk, he'd drink with the hippie kids, some of whom were Jews. When the Jewish kids would claim to be friends with him, he'd deny it, of course, as if they were lunatics. He was also avidly against the War on Terror, and, no, his tan did not come from sitting in a booth for 30 minutes, either.

Want further proof as to the true character of the UAE? Check out LGF.

Michelle Malkin, who I admire quite a bit, declares that, The tone-deafness of the White House is bad. The craven political opportunism of the Democrats is worse. Why are we getting lost in politics right now? I know that a lot of these opinion writers get paid to comment on political happenings, but holy hell, we're talking about ethics here! Political opinions and legal opinions aside, common sense tells you that giving control of our ports over to the people who want to kill us is A BAD IDEA. But, hell, who cares about ethics; it's election season. Let's just play this up for as many votes as it's worth.



Think about it:

She's a woman.
She's American.
She's a pig.

What better way to offend Muslims while getting something done in Congress? She may not be kosher, but so far, my vote's with the pig.

Tags: ports UAE Bush Congress Islam politics Dubai

New Levels of Treason

So, Bush kisses Arab tuchus by pulling out the veto card? I suppose that means the President doesn't even need to read the Constitution anymore.

Article I Section VII
aka the Two Thirds Clause

"If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law."

And while we're on the subject of the Constitution...

Article I Section X

"No State shall, without the Consent of Congress ...enter into any Agreement or Compact ...with a foreign Power..."

Article II Section IV

"The President ...shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."

Article III Section III

"Treason against the United States, shall consist only in ...adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort."

Article IV Section III

"The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or any particular State."

And, let's not forget the Constitutional argument the State of New Jersey is presenting to the Federal government:

Amendment X

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

Now, what's going to piss me off the most? Watching Bush kiss Arab butt, watching die-hard Republicans support the President's treasonous rantings, or watching Bush get impeached by Hillary "My husband smoked the cigars in the Oval Office" Clinton? Either way, this is just another case of the tail wagging the dog. So Congress blocks the sale-- does that mean Congress is going to do something about illegal immigration? Close down the Jamaat ul-Fuqra bases hidden around the country? Admit that Islam is a religion of death? Have we actually hit into the tumor, or just come across another metastasized cell? Only time will tell. But if the blogosphere wants to do anything valuable, they'll start screaming loudly and without ceasing, before we're all subject to being asked, "Are you Jewish?" before boarding a ship or a plane bound for anywhere. Don't think that's as creepy as the ever-present notion of being blown up?

Think again.

Tags: Islam ports United Arab Emirates Congress Bush veto United States

Democracy, G-d, and the Arabs

I have been bothered for some time now with the neoconservative approach towards democracy.

One of the greatest arguments of the Bush administration is that if people are given the choice, they will choose democracy and, in so doing, they will choose leaders who will act for the good of the people. This is a simple and logical notion to those of us living in the western world. How, though, can we expect entire nations of people raised to murder in the name of religion to comprehend the complex concept of democracy, when they cannot even understand the notion of a G-d whose plan and purpose is solely for the good of mankind?

According to the Bush administration, the Religion of False-Peace really does believe in a loving god; they just have a hard time showing it. Israpundit quotes the Secretary of State in Islam now a “religion of love” according to Rice :“We in America,” Rice effused, “know the benevolence that is at the heart of Islam.”

The reason democracy is a success is not because man is eternally good, but because it is a governmental system that recognizes that G-d is eternally good. Moreover, democracy succeeds because it is a governmental system that empowers the individual while, simultaneously, recognizing that no individual can succeed alone. With its separation of powers, democracy is a humbling political concept that affords the recognition of free will as well as the acceptance of human imperfection. Imperfection is handled through a two-pronged strategy: separation of powers and prayer for Divine wisdom. Hence Congress meets. Hence, before Congress meets, Congress prays.

Despite the dearest wishes of the Bush neocons, democracy is not man's new god. Democracy is a brilliant system because it is based on the recognition of G-d as the Absolute Creator and Governor of the universe. Democracy succeeds because it views G-d through Biblical principles; G-d is not a character who demands death, but a benevolent entity who has "plans for you, plans for a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11) Democracy, therefore, cannot replace G-d. Democracy also cannot be slapped onto a society that does not recognize the true character of G-d.

Tags: God democracy Islam Hamas Bush

Weekly I Love Ann Coulter Declaration Time

MUSLIM BITES DOG
Ann Coulter

If you don't want to get shot by the police, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, then don't point a toy gun at them. Or, as I believe our motto should be after 9/11: Jihad monkey talks tough; jihad monkey takes the consequences. Sorry, I realize that's offensive. How about "camel jockey"? What? Now what'd I say? Boy, you tent merchants sure are touchy. Grow up, would you?

Someone elect this woman for President. Now.

Tags: Ann Coulter Mohammed Cartoons Islam

Disengage Now!

Now that is disengagement [Israpundit]

Israel’s defense chiefs recommend administrative steps to separate from Hamas-governed Palestinian areas

DEBKAfile reports: Thursday, Feb. 16, defense minister Shaul Mofaz and top officials of the national security and military branches assembled a package of recommendations for acting prime minister Ehud Olmert to put into effect.

The recommendations are nothing short of brilliant. It is time for Israel to bring the battle to the palestinians. Baruch haShem.

The Capitalist Commodification of Communist Chic

Why Gen Y Thinks Che is Cool, Even Though They Don't Know Jack About Cuba

Everyone has witnessed this scene at some point in their life: A teenage punk with bedhead who smells like he sleeps in a dump walks by, bedazzled by a series of spikes and chains wrapped around his neck, wrists, and other parts of his lanky frame that is shrouded in a red T-Shirt that declares, "VIVA LA REVOLUCION" in bright, white letters underneath a silhouette of communist rebel Che Guevara. The ultimate non-poser has proven himself to be yet another member of that "undifferentiated ego mass that demands conformity" as the Family Guy line goes. Whether he knows it or not, Mr. Punk is as commodified as the tube-top-clad Britney Spears imitators that sit next to him in study hall, chatting on their cell phones and calling everything "hot."

A recent article, The Che Cachet [Washington Post] uses the opening of a new exhibit in New York titled "Che: Revolution and Commerce" to discuss the capitalist commodification of this communist rebel icon. Tainted with the usual amount of PC lingo (statements comparing Marxists to "freedom fighters"-- in the probable words of Katie Couric and the staff of CNN, "that's so hot") the article reveals, unintentionally, I would assume, the brilliant strategy honed by communists the world-over in their continuing battle with freedom.

The strategy is generally termed Orwellian for those in-the-know, but for anyone who hasn't read Animal Farm, suffice to say that today's communist has learned that the best way to forge revolution is to convince the people that the revolution has already been won. How so? By pretending that history's losses didn't really happen at all. What better way to take advantage of today's postmodern couture than to become kitschingly self-referential? After all, self-effacing humor got the Jews out of the ghetto and into every living room across the country. So, why not mock-homage yesterday's rebels in order to get into the minds of tomorrow's revolutionaries?

How does the Washington Post writer describe the Che display? "It's the story of a single photograph and its flukey journey from contact sheet to international ubiquity and then into the farcical maw of commercial kitsch." Right now, alarm bells should be going off in unbrainwashed minds over the use of the words "ubiquity" "farcical" and "kitsch." Tsk, tsk, Mr. Washington Post, too many buzzwords in one sentence is NOT hot. It is, however, functional. The modern lingo is buzz, as one online merchant of Che-wear explains: "Our other big seller is beer pong shirts," says Shayn Diamond, a college student in London, Ontario, who a few months ago started selling Che-wear with some friends at Cheguevarashirts.com. "He's a rebel, and along with rebel comes the cool factor and trendiness."

Communism is now "cool" and "trendy." Wouldn't Stalin be proud? Actually, he probably wouldn't mind the snide way Red merchants explain the popularity of commie chic among the capitalist masses: "The U.S. has always had the ability to appropriate rebels," says Meyer, on the phone from his studio in Mexico. "It's a cheap way to deal with your urge to be rebellious. You buy a T-shirt and you don't have to do anything more." In other words, capitalism is such an exhaustive force that it renders you useless to act, let alone react to the world around you. Consumer culture isn't about free choice as much as it is about satisfying your urges by following the latest trend. Who said free markets led to free thought?

The undifferentiated ego mass theory goes a step further when the actual facts of Che Guevara aren't brought to light: "But at least the Cubans know whom they're glorifying. In the United States, Che's life story and ambitions seem beside the point, or maybe they've just been reduced to caricature. The guy's face is shorthand for "I'm against the status quo." ... It makes you part of the thrift-store intelligentsia, even if your real focus is beer pong." Translation for the non-college crowd: Here's my statement that someone else made for me. I don't need to know what it means; I just need to look good wearing it. How do I know I'm looking good? Because other kids like it. Not that I care what they think, because I'm an individual and I don't need their trendy crap.

The writer's thesis says it all: "This, in brief, is why capitalism won. It's the only system that understands that we'd all like to change the world, but we are way too lazy for that sort of thing." A lie repeated often enough passes for the truth. The communist strategy is simple: The ultimate goal in commodifying the rebel image is to quell the idea of rebellion against communist principles. Instead of encouraging young minds to question the ideals placed before them, teens and young adults are trained to literally buy into the thought process without thinking about what they are doing. Modern-day Leninists don't need brochures, pamphlets, or soapboxes any more; they're using pop culture to lead the next generation "by the hand into Revolution."

How do they justify this lack of thought and personal responsibility? By claiming that a free market society, with its commercialization of everything under the sun, doesn't allow its citizens to think freely for themselves. Go ahead; wear that T-Shirt-- the sales clerk, the shop owner, the big white guy in the corporate office made you do it. It's okay, it isn't your fault you're unwittingly supporting mass murder and a freedomless society, c'mon-- here, come here, it's hug time. There, there, the fatherland will make it all better.

So, how do we loyal capitalists respond to the commie chic? You could buy a "Viva La Reagan Revolucion" t-shirt and do your part to over mediate the argument and "represent." Or, better yet, you could use your voice. Call the communists out into the public square for exactly who they are and what they really mean. Don't argue their doublespeak-- denounce it, loudly. We can scream conservatism all we want, but until and unless we stand firmly and proclaim the truth, nothing will ever change. More symbols will be created, more martyrs will be honed, more t-shirts will be sold, and no one will be the wiser.

We can't rely on standard authority figures to teach us right from wrong anymore. Already, an entire generation has been unleashed upon the world without the ability to think analytically and critically about the necessities of daily life. We have two choices: to start teaching (and, in some cases re-teaching) basic analytical comprehension by exposing the lies, or we can start printing up T-shirts reading "Viva La Reading Writing and 'Rithmatic Revolucion" to counter the bumbling idiocy that will completely consume us in the very near future.

Tags: conservative liberal communism Che Guevara pop culture

Just the Facts, Ma'am

BEHIND THE MAD RUSH TO BOMB IRAN [Israpundit]

But Iran’s new oil bourse could oust the dollar as the world’s reserve currency, stampede central banks to shift a trillion dollars into the euro and other currencies, and implode US stock price and real estate bubbles.

Until we start bombing these nutcases because their looney ideology is a physical threat to our existence, nothing will ever change. Think about it: The United States didn't get into World War 2 until we were physically attacked. FDR knew about the concentration camps and the Final Solution, but the ravings and actions of an anti-Semitic lunatic bent on mass murder and world conquest weren't enough to make him fight for America. Six million lives later (12 million in total) nothing has really changed-- the world still hates the Jews who are forced to fight tooth and nail for their survival in their own country. Until we call this battle for what it is, a fight against radical ideologies bent on mass murder and world domination (sound familiar?), nothing will change.

Tags: Israel Iran America Islam economy oil European Union sanctions

Happy Valetine's Day

In the spirit of a holiday based on greeting card sales slumps, I give you the Top Twenty Truths No One Wants to Admit To:

1. Calling someone "gay" isn't an insult if they really are homosexual.
2. Islam really does teach its followers to kill Jews.
3. A vote for Hamas was really a vote to kill Jews and destroy Israel.
4. The only truthful axiom to come from communism is: A lie told often enough becomes the truth.
5. The reason academia is fixated with the idea of citation is because they don't want to teach students to think for themselves.
6. 99% of the world population is composed of followers, not leaders.
7. A person's faith belongs to G-d alone; everyone you meet will inevitably fail you at some point in your life, most likely when you need them the most.
8. The reason you have to email your resume is because it is easier for that guy in HR to click "delete" than it is to actually walk the paper to the trash.
9. There really is a difference between being honest and giving a value judgment.
10. Just because you reference an entire racial group when giving a statistic doesn't mean you're stereotyping every single member of that racial group.
11. People are far too easily offended for their own good.
12. We live in a blame culture that focuses too much time on finger pointing and not enough time on solving problems.
13. Despite the claims of the MSM, the biggest news story right now really is: Iran wants to blow the crap out of Israel and the United States ASAP.
14. Someone, somewhere, is always going to hate America.
15. Nobody likes the Jews. Even the Jews don't like the Jews.
16. The reason American college students can't complete simple tasks is because they're taught not to care.
17. Everyone you know between the ages of 15 and 50 has done drugs at some point in their life.
18. There's no getting around it: this world is nuts.
19. You know you're on the right side when the truth, as painful as it may be, thrills you to your fingertips.
20. You don't ever have to like or do what everyone else does, ever.

Tags:
Valentine's Day
valentine
truth
Iran
Islam
Israel
Judaism
America
And, what the heck: sex

Today's Watercooler Wisdom

"There are always a million reasons not to do something."

--Jan Levinson, The Office

Where Our Fault Really Lies

Now, Iran feels the need to add "Mohammed Cartoons" to the list of things labeled "The Jews' Fault." As a Jew, I feel the need to clarify exactly what has and hasn't been our fault over the past 3,000 or so years.

NOT THE JEWS' FAULT
(the short list)

1. The Holocaust
2. Cartoons depicting Islam, Mohammed, et.al.
3. The Crusades
4. The Inquisition
5. That bunt cake you tried to make in 1982 that collapsed in the oven
6. Nuclear war
7. The extinction of the dinosaurs
8. Suicide bombers
   
9. 9/11
10. 3/11
11. 7/11
12. Slavery or the slave trade
13. Disco
14. The Irish Potato Famine
15. The Black Plague
16. The crap coming out of Hollywood
17. The execution of Jesus Christ
18. Global Warming
19. Bill Clinton
20. Vietnam

THE JEWS' FAULT
(an abbreviated list)

1. The Torah
   
2. The Messiah
3. Monotheism
4. Freedom
   
5. Democracy
6. Individualism
   
7. The Theory of Relativity
8. The concept of philanthropy
   
9. The American film industry
10. The Discovery of America
11. Seinfeld
12. Vaudeville
13. The Revolutionary War
14. The Civil Rights Movement
15. Israel
16. Kosher food
17. Political Economy and the rule of free trade (David Ricardo)
18. The character of Rebecca in Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe
19. Solving the Y2K problem
    
20. The Polio vaccine
    

Technorati Tags:
Israel
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Iran
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mohammed

More Than a Cartoon

So I turn on the news to hear some Muslim declaring that all they want is respect. A chorus carrying "END ISLAMOPHOBIA" signs cheered on. Yeah. Right. Here's what I say to that:



Technorati Tags:
Islam
cartoons
Mohammed
Israel
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Standing Ovation

Somewhere, 40 million souls are clapping.

SD House Approves Abortion Ban [via Drudge]

The South Dakota House has passed a bill that would nearly ban all abortions in the state, ushering the issue to the state Senate.

Supporters are pushing the measure in hopes of drawing a legal challenge that will cause the US Supreme Court to reverse its 1973 decision legalizing abortion. ...

Tags: abortion feminism Roe v. Wade right to life

So True

The Virtue Of Courage [All Things Beautiful]

"Look to yourself, not to others. Don't ever rely on others to fight for YOUR freedom. They never will. They will always fight for their own version of it, which is relevant to their own little world. Very few people in history have truly fought for the good of mankind."

Alexandra's father was a brilliant man. She also includes insights from another brilliant man, C.S. Lewis:

"There are times when something needs to be done, and yet we know that if we step up and do this needful thing, we will pay a heavy personal price. Courage is the virtue that makes us willing to pay that price; cowardice makes us say, “The price is too high; I will not pay it.”

...When we accuse somebody of cowardice, we also, I think, are implying not just that he should have paid the price, but that he knew that he ought to. For if he sincerely believed that the cost outweighed the usefulness, then our true complaint is with his judgment, not his courage."

Tags: courage cowardice philosophy freedom conservative

Pass It On...Cartoon Contest

ISRAPUNDIT Cartoon Contest

Israpundit is sponsoring a contest for the most disgusting Cartoons denigrating Islam and the Prophet.

Remember the cartoons must be as disgusting as the ones Muslims publish denigrating the Jews and Israel.

Remember also that I want them to be as disgusting as the cartoons on the Holocaust, which will be submitted to Iran in the contest they are sponsoring.

Spread the word.

Technorati Tags:
cartoons
muslims
Islam
Mohammed
contest
Israel
Jews

A Bit of Cat Scratch Fun

Thanks to the beauty of SIRIUS radio, I can listen to all the Right-Wing Talk I want to in the morning. It just so happens that while I'm getting ready for work, Cam & Company reruns are on one channel, while some guy who hosts the Red, White & Dude Network is on the other. Both talk about guns ceaselessly, which is a fascinating topic to me for a number of reasons.

1. I'm from the liberal northeast where guns are scaaary, dangerous things that drug dealers point at whitey at impossible-to-shoot-rap-star-angles. (One guy told me once that if anyone shot a gun with their hand twisted over like that, they'd break their wrist.) Average, middle class suburbanites just didn't fit into the gun demographic around here.

2. Gun control runs rampant in this area of the country. You can't sell a toy gun unless it has one of those stupid orange caps on the end of the barrel, and if a kid so much as makes a hand gesture in the form of a gun in a public classroom, he's going to get "time out." (I'm not kidding.)

3. I played with toy guns when I was a kid. At one point, my big career choice was between being a federal agent/spy or being a cowboy. (Oh, for the sweet days of youth.) I never had a problem with guns, but at the same time, I never really felt the need to own one, either. Shooting rocked, though.

In any case, one fun thing I picked up from listening to the morning gun chat on SIRIUS right wing radio is that Ted Nugent, aka recording sensation known for such great albums as Cat Scratch Fever is apparently a hardcore gun-toting patriot. At this point, I would like to make note of the fact that I have been a serious Ted Nugent fan since the Beth Littleford days of The Daily Show, when she interviewed Ted in his school-bus-turned-bunker in the desert of the American west. I may not have identified myself as a conservative back then, but I sure as heck knew what was cool-- and bunkers built out of old junk housing former rock stars-turned-pseudo-militia-men are cool.

So, here's to you, Ted Nugent. Rock on with your bad self.

Technorati Tags:
music
Ted Nugent
conservative
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NRA

How do you say WAR in Arabic?

Iran to publish Holocaust cartoons

IRAN'S largest selling newspaper announced today it was holding a contest on cartoons of the Holocaust in response to the publishing in European papers of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.

"It will be an international cartoon contest about the Holocaust," said Farid Mortazavi, the graphics editor for Hamshahri newspaper - which is published by Teheran's conservative municipality.

He said the plan was to turn the tables on the assertion that newspapers can print offensive material in the name of freedom of expression.

"The Western papers printed these sacrilegious cartoons on the pretext of freedom of expression, so let's see if they mean what they say and also print these Holocaust cartoons," he said.



There's some freedom of cartoonage for you, Farid.Image courtesy globalsecurity.org

Technorati Tags: Iran cartoons muslims Holocaust Islam

This Jew's for Denmark

The victors in any battle are the ones who remember their history as a living force, not a dead fable. European muslims beware: the freedom fighters of this world will not be silenced.

Christian X, King of Denmark during World War 2

King Christian X became a prominent figure for the real views of the majority of the Danish population. The King made it his practice to ride his horse alone through Copenhagen every morning to underline his continuing claims for national sovereignty, unarmed and without escort. He became a national symbol for rich and poor alike, a positive contrast to German militarism and to the cult of the Fuhrer. In fact King Christian rejected many aspects of the occupation, made speeches against the occupying force and became known as a protector of the Jews.

In December 1941, after an arson at the synagogue in Copenhagen, he sent a letter of sympathy to Rabbi Marcus Melchior. The welfare of the Danish Jews was of great importance to the king and the Danish government. "There is no Jewish question in Denmark" were the words of Foreign Minister Erik Scavenius to the German top Nazi Hermann Goring in autumn 1941.

Image courtesy Drudge

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Re-Thinking George W.

A few days ago, I quoted George W. Bush's strong defense of Israel and said I wanted proof before I could believe him. Why? Well, why not? This was the man who promised Sharansky he'd be a hard-liner when it came to dealing with the palestinians, and then proceeded to hand the job over to the State Department who, of course, sided with the Arabs every step of the way.
While I'm still hesitant to put my trust in W's strong stand for Israel, I do put my trust in the fact that there are tons of us real, honest-to-G-d Americans out there who do support Israel and believe in the President's words. I don't know where the President's heart really is when it comes to Israel-- how much of the Road Map, the negotiations, the pro-palestinian stance is his, and how much of it belongs to the powers behind the scenes? Classically, the President has been the figurehead with the least amount of power in the federal government. Is that still true today? Is George W. Bush just going with the flow, even if it means compromising on his own values?

I was recently talking with a fellow blogger whose political opinions I greatly respect and have come to trust a good deal. Something in our conversation on the President really hit home: "He's a man who means what he says, and he sticks by his words." It was said with all of the confidence that comes from knowing and believing in absolute truth, sans spin, academic analysis, or pomp and circumstance. Hearing it made me want to believe so badly that, even if some of the bureaucracies and branches of our government are corrupt, at least the leader of our country hasn't totally given in.

Mulling this all over, I was reminded of an old news story I had come across over the holidays. It was an event that was barely spoken of in the MSM, and had garnered little attention even in the blogosphere:

Menorah Lighting at the White House [White House Press Release - Dec 2001]

Celebrating the holidays with light is a custom common to people of faith. Many Presidents have participated in lighting ceremonies marking Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights.

This year marks the first year a Hanukkah lamp (a menorah) was lit in the White House residence.

We celebrate Hanukkah as a season of hope, victory, miracles and redemption. Is there still hope for the President? Is there still hope for the country? Abraham once pleaded with HaShem to spare the most evil of cities if there were but ten righteous within their walls. I pray for the leader of my country, and while I may not trust him, I do trust that HaShem puts leaders on their thrones and also removes them in His own perfect time. Whether the President will actually be able to act upon his powerful words, only time will tell, but this much I do know: As long as she has solid allies out there who believe in the words and not the spin, Israel has nothing to fear.

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Weekend Fun

Best line on this week's episode of The Soup:

"Walk the Line got shut out of this week's Oscar nominations by Munich, proving that even though America won't negotiate with terrorists, the Academy will. Wow, Walk the Line really got Brokebacked."

So, who else is boycotting the Oscars after learning that Paradise Now, the film that glorifies palestinian suicide bombers, has been nominated for Best Foreign Film?

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Preach It, Jyllands-Posten

Most Hated Word of the Day: Tolerance

Why is it that people feel the need to get so incensed beyond all reason over absolutely nothing at all? You want something to really get offended about? Here: get offended. (And pardon me while I laugh.)

FYI for all those PC Americans out there, our nation was founded and formed on harsher press than this. Grow up!

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First Prize for Fatted Swine

I may be Jewish, but I know pork when I see it-- legal pork, that is.

Women Sue Wal-Mart Over Morning-After Pill [Washington Post via Drudge]

BOSTON -- Backed by abortion rights groups, three Massachusetts women sued Wal-Mart on Wednesday, accusing the retail giant of violating a state regulation by failing to stock emergency contraception pills in its pharmacies.

The lawsuit, filed in state court, seeks to force the company to carry the morning-after pill in its 44 Wal-Marts and four Sam Club stores in Massachusetts.

The plaintiffs argued that state policy requires pharmacies to provide all "commonly prescribed medicines."

Shouldn't it be scarier that the "Morning After Pill" can be dubbed "commonly prescribed medicine"? Actually, the scariest thing of all is that the Morning After Pill is second only to penicillin when it comes to the "commonly prescribed" list.

Frey Sparks a Million Little Lawsuits [FOXNews]

"I want my $14.95 back," said Karen Futernick, whose suit was filed Friday in federal court in Manhattan. "They have an obligation to check."

Readers also are suing in state and federal courts in Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle.

"How do you produce a book, call it nonfiction and sell it without checking out the stories in it?" said Futernick's attorney, Alan Ripka. "All they had to do was a little due diligence ... make a few phone calls."

Yeah, tell that to Dan Rather and Mary Mapes. Seriously, this is fantastic. We have reached new levels of litigation in this country-- does this mean I can sue Bill Clinton for My Life? If so, I'm gonna suggest all of us conservatives out there go whole hog (in a completely kosher fashion) and participate in a class-action lawsuit against the King of Sax. Who's in? Just think-- getting him into the limelight right before the '06 and into the '08 elections could do wonders to damage Hillary's already slim-chances of winning the Presidency. Maybe we'd even get on OPRAH!

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Israel-America Alliance?

Bush: US would defend Israel against Iran [Israpundit]

I want proof in the form of action. Now.

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Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain

Regarding yesterday's line of conversation this bit of news should be no shock:

Hamas: Western Diplomats Secretly Meeting With Us [Israel National News]

According to the PIC, there have been at least five meetings between Western diplomats and Hamas leaders in recent days. Specifically, it was claimed that three former American ambassadors to Middle Eastern countries took part in such meetings on Saturday.

Here's the greater question I have on my mind right now: Was the Road Map designed and implemented solely to distract the Israeli Army, demoralize the Israeli people, and cause derision within the nation of Israel in order to make it all the easier for Israel's enemies to swoop in for the kill?

Update 12:48pm See Disengagement of the Youth, Says Naveh [Israel National News] regarding the latest removal of Jews from "occupied" Amona. Looks like my hypothesis is rapidly testing true.

Update 3:22pm Brother on Brother [Israpundit] With tears in my eyes I watch brother on brother. The lines have been crossed in Israel.

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New Links

FYI: Check out the new blogs added to my blogroll in the sidebar.

Beautiful Atrocities combines pop culture with political commentary. Favorite recent posts include Ethel Rosenberg v. Ethel Mertz and Citizen Superstar.

All Things Beautiful illustrates savvy political commentary with sometimes creepy, always poignant photos. Favorite recent posts include, What's Up with Israel's Left and If You Believe in Nothing, You'll Fall for Anything.

Daled Amos provides a sharp, uncompromising analysis of Middle Eastern politics and affairs with an eye on Israel. Favorite recent posts include Hamas Improves on the Arafat Model and Pass the Bill-- Not the Buck.

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