DEMOCRATIC FASCISM
Lying to a Grand Jury is a very serious crime. We know this because when Bill Clinton lied under oath to a Grand Jury, he was sentenced to 30 years in a federal penitentiary. His fellow Democrats, putting patriotism before party, all agreed that perjury and obstruction of justice were inexcusable violations of law, and that no one, not even the President of the United States, was “above the law.” What’s that? Bill Clinton willfully perjured himself and impeded the special prosecutor’s investigation but got off scot-free? And the Democrats celebrated, rather than condemned, his evasion of justice? Oh…. I guess, like Bogart in Casablanca, I was misinformed. With the farce of a goody-two-shoes prosecutor named Patrick Fitzgerald spending $20 million to indict a ham sandwich named Scooter Libby for a crimeless crime, it’s time we all stopped misinforming ourselves about what form of government America has today. That form is one of Democratic Fascism.
THE CERTAINTY OF CORRUPTION
Transparency International recently released their Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2005. It may surprise some that China is seriously corrupt with a score of 3.2. It scored worse than Egypt, Laos and Syria. This brings to light a real dilemma. China is one of the most seriously corrupt countries in the world. To get our trade deficit under control we must quickly sell more American products to China. However, American exporters must deal each day with corrupt government agencies and practices. At the same time, American businessmen must contend with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). This makes it against U.S. law to give any sort of bribe, kick back or “facilitation fee” to a government official of a foreign country to obtain business or gain some advantage. With the extent of corruption in China, it is impossible to avoid this reality to win contracts or to run China-based subsidiaries that sell U.S. made products. To make significant progress for American exports to China, it will be impossible to stay within U.S. law. Meanwhile, more American jobs are lost each day while our manufacturing industry is being hollowed out by the unfair and corrupt practices of one of our most important trading partners
IS PARIS BURNING?
Hitler’s infamous question is being asked anew by Moslem immigrants, characterized by French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy as “thugs” and “scum,” now into their eighth day of violence in Parisian slum suburbs. French President Jacques Chirac promptly condemned Sarkozy rather than the Moslem rioters. Such talk by Sarkozy – Chirac’s main political rival – showed a “lack of respect” for the rioters, which “could lead to a dangerous situation.” Further confirmation that France is doomed.
MAKERS OF MANNERS
The Kabuki Dance now underway between Soon-To-Be Justice Alito and Senate Democrats makes me think of Shakespeare’s Henry V.
The Democrats (and pro-abortion Republicans like Arlen Specter) will be desperately trying to get Alito to forswear any overthrow of sacred SCOTUS “precedents” such as Roe v. Wade, while Alito will genuflect before the precedent shrine and mellifluously commit to nothing.
Both sides will assiduously avoid any discussion of how these precedents were established in the first place – by overthrowing previous ones – what justified their establishment, and what would justify replacing them with new ones today.
Instead, there will be monotonous droning on about the legal concept of stare decisis (Latin for “to stand by that which is decided”), and how it makes Roe v. Wade set in unquestionable stone.
But Alito knows his Shakespeare...Chapter Fourteen: HORROR AND HEAVEN IN ZAUTLA
Cortez finally broke the silence to turn and say to Padre Bartholomew de Olmedo behind him, “It seems that there remains nothing more to do but set up a cross.”
The Padre quietly objected. “Captain, I think it would be rash to do so this soon. These people know nothing of our religion, and will commit sacrilege against any cross we leave here, and we intend not to tarry here long. It would be best to wait until they have learned more of our holy faith.”
Cortez nodded. “I shall heed your wise advice, Padre. Let us retire, gentlemen.” He stood, together with the officers accompanying him, bowed to King Olintecle still sitting in a daze, and left for the quarters provided him. “It has been a long day – a long week,” he said to his officers. “It will be good to have a roof over our heads for the night.” They dispersed. Malinali stayed. Cortez’s eyes invited her to step inside his room.
* * * * *
For the very first time, Malinali was alone with Cortez. It was what she wasn’t feeling that surprised her. Instead of an emotional tumult of fear, anxiety, heart-thumping excitement, and all the rest she thought would overwhelm her when she dreamed of this moment, instead she felt as serene and calm as still water. They stood soundlessly looking at each other. Cortez, too, seemed filled with her serenity. Finally he spoke.ITALIAN COURAGE
In response to Iran's call for the elimination of Israel, tonight (Nov.2) in Rome, thousands, probably tens of thousands, will demonstrate in support of the Jewish state. The demonstration has been organized by Giuliano Ferrara, the larger-than-life editor of the feisty daily newspaper il Foglio, and the demonstrators will range from members of some Italian Islamic organizations to foreign minister Giancarlo Fini (long a bete noire of America's "leading" newspapers and networks), just back from a trip to the Middle East. It takes courage to stand up publicly for Israel against the world's leading sponsor of terrorism, especially in contemporary Europe, where anti-Semitism is on the rise, where the Jewish population is minuscule (there are slightly more than 40,000 in all of Italy, less than one percent of Italians), and where the Islamic population is expanding rapidly. I have not noticed any such demonstrations here, for example. But the Italians, as is their wont, have once again broken the stereotype most foreigners hold of them, and have directly challenged the mullahs.
NUKE THE WHALES
Tuan Le, "of Atlanta," according to this weekend's Washington Times, is accused of having smashed Nguyen Quoc Huy in the face last June 21, in the course of a protest at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel here in Washington. Le is the son of "a black U.S. soldier who was killed in action during the Vietnam war." He came to this country in 1993 from Vietnam and is a legal permanent resident. Huy is the vice chairman of the prime minister's office of Vietnam.
Le's lawyer, Kenneth Robinson, plans to present "a possible psychiatric defense," because he was tortured as a child in Vietnam. Among other things, Robinson says, Le was ordered to dance by Communist soldiers. When he refused, "the soldiers stuck bayonets through the backs of his heels." Le didn't walk for a year. And, still according to Robinson, some of Hy's security guards recognized Le and taunted him.
Le may be facing deportation from a court system that apparently has to find him insane or punish him. To which my question is, who's crazy here? Le seems to me to have taken reasonable, albeit somewhat undiplomatic, action. To call him insane seems totally nuts to me. Isn't he entitled to hit the guy in the face? But then, I'm not a lawyer…
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I do not have the words to adequately express the extent to which I think “Plamegate” is unadulterated tripe. I will next week, but not yet, since I’m writing this before the indictments (most likely for some fascist “obstruction-of-justice” drivel) have been announced.
With the Miers debacle thankfully behind him – remember that the day after Bush announced her nomination you read in That Tears It that her nomination would be withdrawn – GW can now mount a DeLay-type offensive against any fascist indictments, rally the whole conservative movement behind him to cut spending, throw illegal aliens outta here (yes, I know, it’s about time, but he’s finally getting religion), go after the crazies who run Syria and Iran – and prepare the way for his successor.
This is now the opportunity for me to divulge a tightly-kept White House secret.EASIER DIGITAL MEMORIES
Digital pictures get stored on a computer hard drive or CD, and can be backed up several times to ensure that they are preserved for time immemorial. Digital photos are also fungible; you can easily change them around to reflect a "better" reality (such as eliminating spilled coffee by either cropping it out or waving your digital photo editor's "magic wand" tool).
But that only works for people who are adept at using the somewhat-threatening looking tools in programs like Photoshop - assuming they are willing to shell out the big bucks to buy it. Not to mention the steep learning curve, that will discourage all but graphics artists.
There are cheaper and simpler alternatives that work just as well as Photoshop.IRAQIS AND AMERICANS ON ONE SIDE, TERRORISTS AND JOURNALISTS ON THE OTHER
Al Qaeda has claimed credit for a large, sophisticated attack Monday on the two hotels in Baghdad where most foreign journalists and many defense contractors stay. The attack failed, but it was a near run thing. The Palestine and Sheraton hotels are across a short street from each other, adjacent to Firdous Square, a traffic roundabout where the statue of Saddam Hussein was torn down on April 9th, 2003. The attack involved three suicide bombers and an unknown number of other fighters. The attack took place at dusk, over a span of four minutes. Several news organizations were tipped off in advance, and cameras were rolling. And we wonder which side the media is on?