Right Truth

What are you willing to fight for?

What are you willing to fight for?

By R.J. Godlewski
© April 30, 2009, All Rights Reserved
(Right Truth Exclusive)

    What does America mean to you? Is it simply a country where you live or work or does it represent something far greater than any of us mere mortals could possibly understand? Are you familiar with the history of this great nation or have you simply acquiesced to what you have been told, or heard, or assumed without challenge? Does being called an American simply come with the territory or does it represent a badge of honor, earned after years of toil and commitment and personal responsibility unheard of within the context of international sovereignties?

    Two hundred and thirty-three years ago, a group of colonists decided that being “American” meant more to them than anything on the planet. They had grown tired of taxation without representation. They were infuriated whenever their government decided where and how they could live – a government as remote to their care and concerns as possibly any within the context of history. Even the mighty and notorious Spanish Empire left exploration of the New World to commercial enterprise. Not Great Britain.

    King George III could not leave well enough alone. Unlike Philip of Spain, who was content to control mercury production as his means to partake of the vast riches offered by his colonies, King George sought to micromanage his territories. He felt that the simple farmers and outdoorsmen who made up the new lands were insufficiently knowledgeable and experienced to trust on their own so British government was everywhere.

    Most of what the colonists produced went to pad the coffers of the British government. The reach of their leader did not end with commerce, however, for the King’s intrusion brought British soldiers into their homes and mandates on religion into their minds. Being British meant simply being enslaved to the State above all else. Fortunately, for us, the American colonists had a different take on life.

    They were a tough breed, bred upon the hardships and discipline imposed upon them by reality. Unlike their overseas brethren who were isolated on a little rock of a country, the colonists over here were consumed with the breadth of the North American continent. The awe-inspiring natural beauty and resources of America infused upon their minds the magnificent work of an all-powerful, all-existing Creator. Yet, why exist all of this splendor?

    If the colonists wanted to eat and be clothed, they found that they could readily hunt and fish for their wares. When they wanted to store food and provisions for the significant winters they experienced, they did not need any government official to tell them to settle down and build shelter upon the land they possessed. When marauding natives threatened their security, they could elect to negotiate or fight; they did not need to rely upon a slow-responding and much distant government.

    Slowly, the American colonists began to realize that Creation was meant to benefit all humankind irrespective of their place in society or their nationality of origin. All that it took to succeed in life was hard work, self-discipline, resilience, and a great deal of common sense. It did not require government intrusion or licensing. Success was based upon competitive evolution and not bureaucratic oversight.

    If Creation was to benefit all, the colonists rationalized, then it could only mean that it was the individual human person, created in the image of their God, that reigned supreme. Not some distant and unapproachable monarch. They knew that Christ Himself ate with the lepers and forgave the prostitutes. They knew that their Lord was the One who sacrificed His own life so that the lowliest amongst us could live in everlasting peace. King George lorded over them so that his throne would have everlasting power. God, they knew, was on the side of the farmer, the fisherman, the carpenter, and the homeless. God was on the side of those whom He created.

    Empowered with the knowledge that it was the individual person who received God’s blessings, the colonists took the natural next step in rationalization and realized that God granted every human person on the planet certain inalienable rights – first and foremost was the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. Until this revelation, people had simply forfeited to being slaves of the State. What King George said had to be correct for, well, King George was King. Not anymore.

    The colonists first sent their grievances to the King through official channels. It did not work. Next, they chose to organize an impromptu rebellion by turning Boston Harbor into one big cup of Earl Grey. It did not work. Finally, the colonists gathered about themselves, decided that life was not worth living under the watchful eyes of a tyrant, and so chose to make their next shot one “heard around the world”. If they were going to suffer, then they were going to suffer for a purpose.

    Under unimaginably bitter odds and conditions, the American colonists declared themselves independent of Britain and fought tooth and nail – sometimes more tooth than nail, sometimes more nail than tooth – for freedom. They lost battles, but kept on fighting. They lost men and supplies, but they kept on fighting. They sometimes lost their will, but still, somehow, they kept on fighting. Then the miraculous occurred – they won.

    Their triumph over impenetrable odds set the stage for nearly every global revolution since. Most did not parallel the American’s concern for individual freedom and liberty. The next revolution on the docket came within our former ally in France. Here, however, monarchy had been simply replaced by anarchy. Everyone suffered. The rich, the poor, the bureaucrats, the clergy. Revolutionary France was not Revolutionary America. We fought for Paradise. They fought for Hell.

    Observing this, Thomas Jefferson orchestrated an addendum into our newly crafted Constitution. He realized that liberty did not mean very much if government could always trample upon the individual. Not desiring a repeat of French chaos back home, Jefferson penned our Bill of Rights to ensure that tyranny would never, ever again visit American soil. First amongst these, was the right to speak and worship freely. Jefferson realized that government could not interfere upon an individual’s right to worship God in their own way. Nor could government create its own religion and deity.

    Equal to this right to worship God without fear of recrimination, Jefferson ensured that all people were permitted to freely and responsibly speak their mind. No longer need people fear calling their leaders out for failure to uphold their basic human rights. To ensure that the first change to the Constitution would always remain intact, Jefferson included within the very next modification the individual’s right to keep and bear arms. He knew that those within power invariably seek greater power and the only way to ensure their legitimacy and modesty was through having an armed population ready and capable of taking their country back from any tyrant.

    These simple words, embedded into our national government, are what make America extraordinary within the eyes of the world. We can worship our God, our way, and there will be hell to pay for any person or institution who tries to prevent us from freely expressing our thoughts. If our voices are forced into silence through abusive government then we are quite capable of physically removing those offenders from our government. This is what our founding fathers fought and died to uphold.

    Unfortunately, today, we are at a crossroads in American evolution. Already, there are many amongst us who challenge our freedom to worship God as we see fit. Our Christian heritage is being torn from our midst as institutions challenge our concept of freely expressing our faith. Environmentalists have begun to replace this faith with a government-mandated religion in the form of “Global Warming” induced hysteria. Government has begun to intrude within our lives in a manner that would make King George green with envy.  Our Constitution, designed to shield us from foreign influence, has been chiseled into pieces through transnationalism. The most innocent amongst us, the unborn, those who until birth represent no race, no creed, no nationality, have been dehumanized through mere interpretation without representation. Yet we remain silent.

    How long before we realize that we cannot always rest upon the shoulders of others? We have allowed ourselves to become like Don Knotts in the movie The Shakiest Gun in the West. Before long, someone will call our bluff and it will be then that we learn how much we are willing to fight for. If we cannot defend humanity, if we cannot defend our rights, if we cannot defend America, then what are we doing partaking of these same benefits? We can only chose between Constitutional America and Washington as we know it. There can be no compromise with this. Where do your loyalties lie?

   

What if???

Sure, real torture happens, but not by the United States.  Say what you will about George W. Bush, but our enemies feared him.  You can't say that about Barack Obama.  Let's say "what if" we have another attack on a famour US landmark?  What if we lose a city, or two or three?  What if we nab Osama bin Laden?  Say it's Osama and he won't talk???

In surprisingly good English, the captive quietly answers: 'Yes, all thanks to God, I do know when the mujaheddin will, with God's permission, detonate a nuclear weapon in the United States, and I also know how many and in which cities." Startled, the CIA interrogators quickly demand more detail. Smiling his trademark shy smile, the captive says nothing. Reporting the interrogation's results to the White House, the CIA director can only shrug when the president asks: "What can we do to make Osama bin Laden talk?"  (Michael Scheuer, Washington Post)

As Ann Coulter says, "The president's release of the Department of Justice interrogation memos undoubtedly hurt America's image abroad, as we are snickered at in capitals around the world, where they know what real torture is."  US politicians who were informed ahead of time, now want to claim the enhanced interrogation techniques are 'illegal'.  That boat has sailed folks, move along.  The guidelines were carefully considered by all involved, including attorneys, and as Wolf Howling states, those words have meaning:

The bottom line is that when words are put in law, each and every word must be given its plain meaning. If Congress or the UN wanted to provide a very limited definition of the word "torture," then they would have dropped the word "severe" from the definition. Indeed, they could have easily refined the definition of torture by making it unlawful to use "physical coercion" designed to solicit information or perhaps "physical coercion that could reasonably be expected to cause any discomfort." Then there really would be a bright line that the use of waterboarding has crossed. And, in fact, that is the way Rick and everyone on the left is portraying this. They are pretending the word "severe" is meaningless.

The word "severe," as it modifies pain and suffering, must be given a plain and reasonable meaning and that meaning must be satisfied before an act can be called "torture" within the contemplation of the law.  (continue)

It seems that the Left considered the Right and Conservatives the true enemy, not al-Qaeda et al -- you know, those nasty "clingers", clinging to guns and religion and having TEA parties.  We are reviewing the first 100 days of the Obama administration, described as "100 days, 100 mistakes", and the 100 day assault on America:  "  ... aided by an eagerly compliant Democratic-controlled Congress, a sycophantic media, and a bunch of squishy Republicans, President Obama has taken the country on a radical, mind-boggling leap into collectivism."  And all in just 100 days.  Which begs the question... What will the US look like by 2012?

Thanks to President Barack Hussein Obama, a videotape of a heinous torture session showing an Afghan grain dealer being tortured by a member of the royal family, Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan, of Abu Dhabi,  one of the UAE’s seven emirates, is delaying the ratification of a civil nuclear deal between the United Arab Emirates and the United States, senior U.S. officials familiar with the case said.  We are not told precisely what the torture was.

The Smoking Gun has images of what real torture is, how Al-Qaeda tortures innocents.  Here's a sample:

Let's look into our crystal ball and see what the future mighth look like under Barack Obama,  Obama in 2012, after he fails to deal with Iran:

The first signs that something was wrong had already appeared at the end of that first year of grace. Nevertheless, Washington was astounded when, in the summer of 2010, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that he was expelling international inspectors and galloping full-tilt toward the production of nuclear weapons. The shock turned to horror on the eve of Christmas 2010, when Iran's spiritual leader, Ali Khamenei, stated that his country had its first three nuclear warheads - aimed at Riyadh, Cairo and Tel Aviv.

Spring 2011 was dramatic. First a mutual defense treaty and an agreement to collaborate on oil exports were signed between Tehran and the fragile Baghdad government. Then Kuwait, Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai bowed their heads and signed treaties that made them protectorates of the rising Shi'ite state. Saudi Arabia took the opposite approach: In May 2011, it announced that it had purchased nuclear weapons from Pakistan both for itself and for its ally Egypt. But Egypt's sudden nuclearization failed to appease the Muslim Brotherhood. Mass demonstrations forced President Hosni Mubarak to resign shortly after he suspended the peace agreement with Israel.

By Thanksgiving 2011, the situation was clear. Jordan's King Abdullah left for exile in London. Hezbollah took control of Beirut and a bloody war of attrition erupted between Israel and the Palestinians. The unrest in western Asia had repercussions on the rest of the international arena: Afghanistan went up in flames, Pakistan collapsed and Russia raised its head. In view of Washington's helplessness, some European states began to lean increasingly toward China. When the price of oil rose above $200 a barrel, the American economy plunged into another deep recession.

Obama had no chance in the snows of Iowa in 2012. So with Oprah Winfrey wiping a tear at his side, the most promising president ever announced he would not run for a second term.  (continue at Haaretz)

And it all started with a stimulus package:

From  "Mother Goose and Grimm" strip by Mike Peters, thanks to David:

Gratuitous Newbie

Gratuitous Newbie

By R.J. Godlewski
© April 29, 2009, All Rights Reserved
(Right Truth Exclusive)

    Often, when someone finally breaks the bonds of a horrible relationship, they soon find themselves trapped within an even more brutal partnership. That is, for example, a wife who divorces her alcoholic spouse might very well end up with a new partner who is even more abusive – perhaps physically – than her ex ever was. Sadly, the new relationship is far shorter, far more destructive than the original situation. I have witnessed this too many times to dismiss the theory as mere coincidence.

    A strange facet of the new relationship often centers upon greater tolerance for abuse and hope that “it will be different this time around”. Perhaps the victim is simply experiencing denial. That, somehow, the more abusive spouse – being new – might be tamed into civility.  Frequently, the victim imagines their previous marriage as the root cause of their life’s difficulties and this transcends into excuse for the horrible behavior of the new partner. That as long as he or she believes that the past was far worse than the present, then tomorrow could only be better.

    In the dozens of cases that I have personally witnessed, the victim quickly found out that they were simply fooling themselves on several accounts. They discovered that their previous spouse was quite tame in comparison with subsequent partners but that as they grew older they had simply capitulated to the fear of not having anyone available and so launched into the new relationship without much forethought. They quickly forfeited security – and sanity – solely because they “thought” that life had been unbearable. Only when they discovered their ultimate breaking point did they come to realize how quickly they had jumped the gun in the past.

    Today, our nation is experiencing a similar period of denial and blame. For eight long years we’ve conditioned ourselves to blame the previous president for all our society’s ills and, hoping for the better, we have turned towards a dashing and handsome new partner who promised to offer a brighter and more hopeful future. Unfortunately, in doing so, we have simply allowed ourselves to fall into the trap that “anyone” would be better than what we had in the past.

    In just one hundred days of the Obama Presidency, we have seen our national security physically tank, our proud heritage verbally abused, and our hard earned money siphoned away on excessive pleasures. While we remain at home diligently working to improve our life’s lot, President Obama has been jet setting around the world engaging in photo ops with the strangest sort of people imaginable. Instead of taking your children and grandchildren into consideration, he has spread your savings around to his friends. Far more egregious, however, he has convinced you that it was President Bush, your presidential ex, who was the far more abusive partner.

    Without stepping back to consider our options beforehand, we have thrust our future into the arms of the very first body we came across. We cared less about his psychological profile, his ability to handle money, even his employment history than the fact that he was not our ex. His associations make us cringe, he’s rarely home to tend to domestic responsibilities, cannot ever speak in public without being prompted, and apparently never pays much attention to gift registries. So why are we so infatuated with the “new guy”?

    Did we fall for his Ivy-league credentials over real world experience? Did he look more pleasing to the eye than the one we first chose? Is he simply more “hip” and makes us feel younger and more attractive? You tell me – I’ve never been involved within a bad relationship. Troublesome, yes. Chaotic, definitely. Bad? Never. Sara and I worked through our problems until we solved them to the benefit of all concerned. In return, I had become a rather good judge of character.

    At some point in the future, the vast majority of Americans are going to discover that life under President Bush was not all that bad. Sure, he did some things that drove us mad, but nothing like what we’re going to see during the next four years. Yes, the world hated President Bush, but they also feared him and it was this fear that kept us safe for seven years. President Obama is too fixated upon “image” to safeguard us. Perhaps it behooves us to remember that two of our most “unprepossessing” presidents – Washington and Lincoln – were also two of our greatest.

    Culture and education are piss poor qualities to possess during a period of war. Neither Generals Grant, Sherman, nor Patton would have been desired company within a formal gathering, yet they secured our freedoms admirably. They replaced people who were well versed in academics and management, but could not make decisions when decisions were all that stood between our country and slavery. Whatever your political views, our nation is now married to an administration that just might make us reflect upon the good ol’ Bush Doctrine. Unfortunately, divorce is getting harder and more expensive by the minute.

Me Live at The Peabody

Here I am at The Peabody Hotel in Memphis Tennessee.  We lived, worked and attended school in Memphis years ago, my how downtown has changed.  When we checked in for some reason we were comped and upgraded to the special floor, with complimentary breakfast in the morning; complimentary coffee and tea mid-morning;  complimentary hors-d'oeuvres, fruits, cheeses, in the evening; not only chocolates on our pillow at night, but  petite fours, chocolate covered strawberries, and other dainties with a note containing the next day's weather forecast; our own fluffy robes;  a 38 inch flat screen TV plus the TV in the bathroom.  Wow, could we get used to this! 

The march of the Peabody Ducks to and from the Grand Lobby is one of the highlights for visitors.  They don't appear to be afraid or frightened by the huge crowds of people or the flash from numerous cameras and phones.

The ducks and the hotel have a long, interesting and very historic history.  Named for George Peabody, as in George Peabody College for Teachers in Nashville Tennessee, there are some amazing facts:

Hubby and I took a stroll down to world famous Beale Street after our delish dinner at one of the hotel restaurants.  The street was blocked off to cars and people were everywhere, enjoying the great sounds of Blues and Rock-n-Roll coming from most of the eclectic establishments.  What a great evening, warm weather, no rain, great music, and the best hubby in the world.  Life truly is good and treats like this are to be savored.

From Wiki:

The original Peabody Hotel was built by Robert Campbell Brinkley in 1869. Before it opened, Brinkley found out about the death of George Peabody. Out of respect for Peabody, who contributed much to the South, he named his new hotel "The Peabody".^[1]

The original Peabody Hotel, located at the corner of Main and Monroe streets, was highly successful. The former President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis resided there in 1870 when he worked in Memphis as president of an insurance company.^[2]. The original Peabody Hotel closed in 1923^[1]. The current Peabody Hotel building, on Union Avenue, was built in 1925 on the previous site of the Fransioli Hotel, which looked just like the original Peabody Hotel^[3]. Designed by Chicago architect Walter W. Ahlschlager, the Italian Renaissance building holds historical and cultural significance;^[4] it has been said that the Mississippi Delta "begins in the lobby of the Peabody Hotel (in Memphis) and ends on Catfish Row in Vicksburg".^[5]

Prior to the mid-1960s, alcoholic beverages were sold in Tennessee only as sealed bottles in licensed liquor stores. The Hotel Peabody had a bar, The Creel, for its patrons on those days. Patrons would bring a bottle, acquired elsewhere, into The Creel, and the bartender would tag the bottle for later retrieval. The bartender would then mix drinks from the patron's bottle on request.

The Peabody again closed in the early 1970s, generally a era of urban blight for many American cities. The Jack Belz family purchased the hotel from the county in 1975 for $400,000 and spent the next several years and $25,000,000 renovating the landmark structure. The grand reopening in 1981 is widely considered in Memphis as a major stimulus and inspiration for the downtown revitalization that followed and still continues.

Similar Peabody Hotels are operated by the Peabody Hotel Group in Little Rock, Arkansas and Orlando, Florida. The Peabody Hotel Group Brand Management Division owns and operates properties under different brand names in Massachusetts, Tennessee, South Carolina and Arkansas.

The Peabody Hotel in Memphis is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Peabody Ducks

Inside the Peabody

The Peabody is probably best known around the world for a custom dating back to the 1930s. The General Manager of the time, Frank Schutt, had just returned from a weekend hunting trip in Arkansas. He and his friends found it amusing to leave their live decoy ducks in the hotel fountain. The guests loved the idea, and since then, ducks have played in the fountain every day.^[1]

In 1940, a Bellman by the name of Edward Pembroke volunteered to care for the ducks. Pembroke was given the position of "Duckmaster" and served in that position until 1991. As a former circus animal trainer, he taught the ducks to march into the hotel lobby, which started the famous Peabody Duck March^[1]. Every day at 11:00 a.m., the Peabody Ducks are escorted from their penthouse home, on the Plantation Roof, to the lobby via elevator. The ducks, accompanied by the King Cotton March by John Phillip Sousa, then proceed across a red carpet to the hotel fountain, made of a solid block of Italian travertine marble. The ducks are then ceremoniously led back to their penthouse at 5:00 p.m.^[6]

Over the years, The Peabody Ducks have gained celebrity status with television appearances (along with their Duckmaster) on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Sesame Street, and the Oprah Winfrey Show. They have also appeared in People magazine. ^[7]

The position of "Duckmaster" at the Peabody Memphis is one of only three such positions in the world, the other two being the Duckmasters in the Orlando and Little Rock Peabody Hotels. Celebrities have also assumed the role of Honorary Duckmaster from time to time, including Paula Deen, Joan Collins, Molly Ringwald, Kevin Bacon, Emeril Lagasse, Patrick Swayze, Queen Noor of Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, and Gayle King. ^[7]

The custom of keeping ducks in the lobby fountain may date back even further than the 1930s. A pre-1915 postcard highlights the ducks playing in the fountain, and one source claims the custom goes back to the hotel's opening in 1869.^[8]

However, the Peabody itself claims the duck tradition to have started in 1933, as on December 3rd, 2008 they unveiled a new "Duck Palace" located on the rooftop, for the 75th anniversary of the duck tradition. The 24 by 12 foot enclosure features granite flooring, ceiling fans, a scale replica of the hotel, a fountain decorated with a pair of bronze ducks, and a large viewing window for guests to see them in their new home. The Duck Palace cost approximately $200,000 to construct. ^[9]

United States Motors

United States Motors

by William F. Shughart II
The Independent Institute
(posted here at the request of The Independent Institute)

If you are an owner, an investor, a supplier, or an employee of General Motors Corp., I am willing to bet that you are now sorry GM was not forced into Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings when its dire financial straits first made headlines months ago. You probably regret even more that it accepted tens of billions of dollars in bailout money from the federal government, providing the company with a taxpayer-financed capital infusion that only delayed the inevitable and predictably came with onerous bureaucratic strings attached.

Years of mismanagement, reinforced by lavish compensation for its unionized workforce and by national fuel economy standards that oblige US automakers to produce vehicles that few consumers want to buy as long as gas remains cheap, raised GM’s production costs to levels unsustainable in a globally competitive marketplace. Rather than making the tough decisions that could have restored profitability if implemented in time, company executives fiddled while a great American business enterprise burned.

Proving that one should be careful about what one asks for, GM’s top management went to Washington with tin cup in hand, first by private jet and then, after a firestorm of popular condemnation, by eco-friendly car. The pitiable spectacle of GM executives begging Congress for financial assistance represented a major reversal of fortune for a company that was once the world’s largest manufacturer. During the 1950s and 1960s, prior to being challenged seriously by foreign competitors and fearing that the U.S. Department of Justice would accuse it of unlawfully monopolizing domestic auto sales, GM purposely kept its prices high and bypassed other profit opportunities to keep its market share from exceeding 55 percent.

GM’s management got most of what it asked for—and more than it bargained for. In return for “temporary” loans and other forms of taxpayer “investment,” such as purchases of preferred stock, the federal government essentially took control of the company and began calling the shots. The first shoe dropped when CEO Rick Wagoner was forced out and replaced by the Obama administration’s fair-haired boy, Fritz Henderson. In so doing, bureaucrats assumed responsibility for a business decision that should have been delegated to GM’s board of directors. Washington has also imposed limits on executive compensation at the “new” General Motors, a function that in privately owned companies likewise falls, by majority vote, on the shoulders of the members of the board.

More recently we have learned that President Obama’s “car czar,” Steven Rattner, has proposed micromanaging GM’s product line. Arguing that the company’s Chevrolet division markets the very same vehicles, Mr. Rattner may substitute his judgment for that of consumers by ordering that GM stop producing SUVs and trucks carrying the GMC nameplate.

Not too surprisingly, following the embarrassments associated with revelations of income tax avoidance by Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and former Health and Human Services Secretary designee Tom Daschle, the car czar himself may be implicated in the Quadrangle Group’s “pay-to-play” kickback schemes, currently under investigation by New York’s attorney general.

An investor in a privately owned company who thinks that management means taking the business in a direction that will compromise its long-term profitability can sell out, even if at a capital loss, and avoid further reductions in wealth. The taxpayers who now “own” General Motors have no such option. They are stuck with the consequences of federal government control. Perhaps the car czar—or his successor—can resurrect GM and create a leaner company able to compete effectively in a brave new automobile world that survives the current economic downturn.

But any American who visited a post office recently and dealt with the long lines, rising postage, threat of reduced delivery, and overall poor service will not be so naive. It would have been far better to reconfigure GM under an orderly bankruptcy process, subject to the rule of law, than to hand its administration to bureaucrats, whose discretionary powers are more vulnerable to political influence than to the wishes of either consumers or the company’s many “stakeholders.”

In the operation of a robust private economy, the freedom to fail is just as important as the freedom to succeed. If GM cannot survive without handouts, painful as it might be, it should hit the road.

---

William F. Shughart II is a Senior Fellow at The Independent Institute, Frederick A. P. Barnard Distinguished Professor of Economics at the University of Mississippi, and editor of the Independent Institute book, Taxing Choice: The Predatory Politics of Fiscal Discrimination.

Also see Obama's First 100 Days:  A Mixed Record, by Ivan Eland at The Independent Institute

_____________________________________________

Watcher of Weasels submissions:

Council Submissions

• Bookworm Room - Torture, Real and Imagined
• The Razor - Why An Alcoholic Supports the Legalization of Illicit Drugs
• The Glittering Eye - Disease Vectors
• Right Truth - The next 1,360 days
• The Colossus of Rhodey - Did the NY Times bury an “inconvenient” torture memo story? And a torture question …
• Wolf Howling - Words Have Meaning Rick
• Soccer Dad - It’s easy being green. Not.
• The Provocateur - Is Commercial Real Estate Next?
• Joshuapundit - Exposing The Palestinian’s Phony ‘Demographics’ Threat Against Israel

Non-Council Submissions

• Submitted By: Bookworm Room - The Washington Times - Barack’s in the basement
• Submitted By: The Razor - NY Post - 100 Days, 100 Mistakes for Barack Obama
• Submitted By: The Glittering Eye - Right Wing Nut House - The Moral Parameters of Torture
• Submitted By: Right Truth - The Onion - Millions and Millions Dead
• Submitted By: The Colossus of Rhodey - The New Republic - Regift, Please!
• Submitted By: Wolf Howling - Michael Sheurer @ WaPo - Say Its Osama. What If He Won’t Talk?
• Submitted By: Soccer Dad - Legal Insurrection - Which city would you sacrifice?
• Submitted By: The Provocateur - The New Ledger - What Will the Stress Tests Mean
• Submitted By: Joshuapundit - Cheat Seeking Missiles - John And Teresa And Conflict

Where have all the Christians gone?

Christians disappearing, found dead, men, women and children:

Among the side effects of the war in Iraq is the deteriorating safety condition of the Christians in that country. The overthrow of Sadaam Husein unfortunately created a power vacuum has been filled by Muslims whose interpretation of Islam is dangerous to both political dissent and to religious minorities. The recent news coming out of Iraq is not encouraging. According to Associated Press, Iraq's Christian community is mourning the murder of three Christians killed in two separate incidents. The Associated Press reports as follows.

"An Iraqi Christian leader told mourners Monday that the slayings of three Christians a day earlier was an act of religious terrorism that raised fears of more sectarian violence in the northern city of Kirkuk.

The attackers shot the victims at point-blank range in the head and chest at their homes.

"Innocent people who have no relation with politics and never harmed anyone were killed by terrorists in their homes just because they were Christians," said Chaldean Archbishop Louis Sako a day after gunmen attacked two Christian houses in separate attacks."

Two of the victims were reportedly Chaldean Christians and one was Assyrian. Chaldean Christians are loyal to the Pope in Rome. Assyrians are independent of the Pope in Rome. The two Chaldean Christians were a mother and daughter. The Assyrian was a 27 year old man.  (By Rudi Stettner, www.rantrave.com, continue reading at AINA)

Ten percent of Iraqis were Christians 6 years ago, according to the iraqi government. Under Saddam Hussein the Christians in Iraq were protected by the Baathist state and not harmed. Accordingly they were allowed to live, work and practice their religion free of official harassment subject only to the same constraints imposed by law on all Iraqis.

Now the Christian population of Iraq is down to about a fourth of what it was before the American invasion and occupation of Iraq. Christians are publicly harassed; their women are insulted for not dressing as Muslims; their businesses destroyed; and their churches are bombed, with the result that many are fleeing abroad.  (By Emma Khoury,
www.gainesville.com, continue reading AINA)

Two Christian families in the city of Kirkuk, Iraq, were attacked Sunday night in two separate incidences, according to the police.

The first attack on a Christian woman and her daughter resulted in the deaths of both, while the second attack left one man dead. Two others -- the father and the brother of the slain man -- in the latter attack were wounded.

Round-the-clock security patrols and check points have since increased around the area as fears that further attacks could spark a mass exodus of Christians from the area.

Last October, more than 15,000 Iraqi Christians were reportedly driven out of the northern city of Mosul after 13 local Iraqi Christians were killed within four weeks, including three within 24 hours.

Since 2003, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Christians have fled to neighboring countries and some 750 Christians have been killed in Iraq, according to Archbishop Louis Sako, the Chaldean Catholic Archbishop of Kirkuk.  (By Eric Young, Christian Post, continue reading at AINA) 

Shariah in the West: A Discussion with Andy McCarthy

Center for Security Policy | Apr 27, 2009
By David Reaboi

Last week, former Senator Rick Santorum and the Ethics & Public Policy Center's Program to Protect America's Freedom presented a symposium exploring the relationship between Shariah law and the West. The featured speaker was Andy McCarthy, author of Willful Blindness: A Memoir of the Jihad.

Mr. McCarthy famously served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where he was involved in the prosecution of both foreign and domestic terrorism-- including Omar Abdul-Rahman, the 'Blind Sheikh.' After September 11, he supervised the U.S. Attorney's Anti-Terrorism Command Post in New York City. Mr. McCarthy is a regular contributor at National Review Online and Commentary where he writes on a wide range of subjects including law, terrorism, and national security. Mr. McCarthy has long been a friend of the Center for Security Policy, and is the recipient of the 2008 Mightier Pen Award.

. .

Girl beheaded, 'sacrificed for good harvest' in India

New Delhi - A 10-year-old girl was beheaded by her grandfather in India's eastern Orissa state who believed that sowing seeds mixed with her blood would yield a bumper crop, a news report said Monday.

The incident, spurred by age-old superstitions, took place on Sunday in the tribal region of Sambalpur, 450 kilometres west of state capital Bhubaneshwar, the IANS news agency reported.

The barbaric crime was detected after the villagers caught the man Rajesh Hembram and handed him over to the police.

Hembram who owned three acres of farmland, planned in advance to sow seeds mixed with the blood of his granddaughter on Akshaya Tritya on Monday, a day considered auspicious by Hindus, police said.

"He cut off his granddaughter Bernaka Kandulana's head with an axe in a room when nobody was at home and drained her blood into a pot," PC Nayak, a local police inspector told IANS.

"We found some seeds in a steel pot that were mixed with blood," he said. Police said the man was arrested and had admitted to his crime.

India has a centuries-old tradition of human sacrifices to appease deities, gain prosperity or ward off evil. Some cases are still reported around the country.

In recent years, parents in Orissa sacrificed their two sons on advice of an occult practioner that it would please the gods and bring them prosperity.

Cases of such sacrifices have also been reported from other states such as Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. - Sapa-dpa   (iol.ca.za)

The next 1,360 days

Forget the first 100 days of the Obama administration, what will the next 1,360 days be like for America?  While the Obama administration is trying to devise a new strategy for Afghanistan, the Taliban have already implemented their next move -- into Pakistan.  Dr. Walid Phares thinks America needs "to look at Afghanistan, Pakistan and India as one regional battlefield where the “other side” is coordinating strategically, acting methodically and for sure beating the international coalition in speed."  Seeing the bigger picture is something I don't think the Obama administration is doing.

That big picture should also include the US getting serious about the so-called mosques and schools here inside our borders where hatred for America is not only preached and taught, but violence against Americans is encouraged.  Dave Gaubatz  conducted research in 50 states including at a Somali Islamic Center (Al Farooq) in Nashville, Tennessee.  He found the leadership advocating violence against America, bootleg [jihadi] DVD's, internet cafe, money transfer operations, and through the Nashville prosecutor's office and Nashville Child Services Department evidence that "included video/audio of a child crying because Islamic leaders had been “hitting” the children during Quran and Sharia lessons. This child had also mentioned having a husband (she is seven years old)."  See related sworn affidavits and images.

President Barack Hussein Obama sees himself not as a citizen of the United States of America, but as a citizen of the world.  He wants us to think that he reasons in a global way, but when you get right down to it, Obama reasons in a purely personal way -- what makes him look good at any given time.  The truth is that globalization has made us more vulnerable. 

In its 2007 report on global risks, the World Economic Forum imagined the consequences of a simultaneous pandemic and global liquidity crisis - a scenario that was purely speculative then but which now seems eerily prescient.

The result, it said, would be "a backlash against globalisation, which in turn compounds the hit on global demand". Across the world, it said, increased militarism and authoritarian tendencies would reshape global geopolitics.  --Andrew Marshall, The Independent.

Hillary may have pushed the 'reset'  button with Russia, but the truth is Russia has been assisting Iran to build and equip  their nuclear program and are now tipping the Iranians off to Israeli plans to destroy 140 fighter planes during a military exercise.  U.S. and Iraqi forces continue to arrest Iranian-backed Special Groups, some Mahdi Army militias loyal to radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, others Iranian Special Guard members, financiers, smugglers, all working to undermine democracy in Iraq as Obama pulls out US forces.

According to reports by Amnesty International, at least 346 people received the death ‎penalty in Iran in 2008, with the second highest number ‎of court-ruled death cases in the world, China occupies the first position with 1718 ‎capital punishment cases.  

The Palestinian- Israeli situation continues fragil, with Abbas refusing to recognize Israel as a Jewish State.  Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak  has  threatened Iran’s revolutionary regime and Hezbollah with harsh language.

The swine H1N1 flu outbreak is being billed as Obama's Katrina -- nothing could be further from the truth.  Without leadership in the Health and Human Services department of the US government, no Surgeon General, the Obama administration is again creating a crisis where none yet exists, with threats of a pandemic of swine flu on the horizon.  Don't panic people.  A container of swine flu virus samples (although a different strain than the H1N1 variety) packed in dry ice exploded on a Swiss train, -- yet virus specialists confirmed that the samples being transported posed no risks to humans. 

The Center for Terrorism Research,  has released its newest study, Homegrown Terrorists in the U.S. and U.K.: An Empirical Study of the Radicalization Process (pdf), by Daveed Gartenstein-Ross and Laura Grossman. The study is a product of over a year and half of research into the phenomenon of homegrown terrorists--Westerners who have chosen to take up arms against the society in which they were born or raised.  I suggest that during the upcoming days, Barack Obama and his administration read this and similar studies on both domestic and foreign terrorism, because it is obvious they don't have a clue what America is up against.

Survival Optional?  That does seem to be where we are headed.  "It used to be said that self-preservation is the first law of nature. But much of what has been happening in recent times in the United States, and in Western civilization in general, suggests that survival is taking a back seat to the shibboleths of political correctness." says Thomas Sowell in his discussion of the treatment of criminals, terrorists, laws, international laws, past and present wars and conflicts:

Bending over backward is a very bad position from which to try to defend yourself. Nobody in those days confused bending over backward with "the rule of law," as Barack Obama did recently. Bending over backward is the antithesis of the rule of law. It is depriving the people of the protection of their laws, in order to pander to mushy notions among the elite.  [snip]

President Obama can ban the phrase "war on terror" but he cannot ban the terrorists'   war   on   us.

The next 1,360 days may decide the future of not just America, but the entire world.  The result may not be something not even citizen Obama wants to live in.

Also see:

In Iran, ‘crackdown’ on Christians worsens

Al-Qaeda Threatens to Kill British Hostage

EU 'underestimates' Iran threat, Czech premier charges

Ebadi team denied access to U.S.-Iranian reporter

Information on ACORN whistleblower

Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union concerning the sentence of Miss Roxana Saberi

Millions and Millions Dead

The Tactical Citizen: Condition Red

The Tactical Citizen: Condition Red

By R.J. Godlewski
© April 28, 2009, All Rights Reserved
(Right Truth Exclusive)

 

Ladies and gentlemen, I was going to write another article on how I, R.J. Godlewski, fight terrorism. However, after much deliberate thought (basically a brief trip to the refrigerator), I decided that most of you already know how I fight terrorism. I use every means and every talent at my disposal to do “something” to make certain that future terrorist attacks come further and further apart. To paraphrase our former Commander-in-Chief, you either know what I represent and support me or you do not and try to persuade me from achieving this goal – sometimes vehemently.

    Regardless of whether you are an ally or an enemy, my actions and intent remain the same. Tens of thousands of people from around the planet already know where I stand on the issue of combating terrorism. They know that I believe that the only good terrorist is a dead terrorist. They know that I despise radical Islam and suspect “moderate” Islam. They also know that both my tolerance and my militancy are the direct result of my devout Christianity.  Repetition is therefore boring.

    Three years ago, I wrote a small book on combating terrorism from the common citizen’s perspective. Since the massacre at Virginia Tech, I had released the eBook version of Integrated Technical Warfare as a free public courtesy, and to date untold thousands of copies have been downloaded and sent by email amongst you. I am extremely grateful for this. If my words can benefit only one person, then I feel that ITW has been a success. Regardless, I feel that it is time to improve upon this book and with great pleasure (as well as a measure of trepidation), I would like to announce the forthcoming The Tactical Citizen: Condition Red.

    Like Integrated Technical Warfare, I plan to release the eBook version of this text for free distribution. There are some things in life a bit more important than making a profit. Unlike ITW, however, this book will focus entirely upon what you – the concerned citizen – can do to protect yourself and your friends and family.

    Let’s face it; we all know that the planet is going to hell in a handbag. Our own federal government now seems more concerned about taking over legitimate commercial enterprise than it does regarding removing terrorists from our midst.  There is, therefore, no one out there who has your best interests at heart. We’re seeing this every day. Our brave men and women on the frontlines of combating terrorism are consistently having their hands tied behind their backs. They no longer know whether their actions will ultimately result in criminal persecution against them. What this means, of course, is that you can no longer count on the “professionals” for they have been prostituted.

    The Tactical Citizen: Condition Red therefore highlights the concern of ours. That it is the average citizen on the street – not politicians – that holds our national security in hand. Already we have seen the very department charged with our safety lambaste us as being threats to our government. It is the government that is a threat to our national survival, not the people who they represent. We are not “right wing” – we are American-wing. People who believe in God, freedom, and inalienable rights.

    Granted, it’s going to be a battle. People will label you as an outcast simply because you want to survive. They will call you a radical, a villain, perhaps even a terrorist when all that you are is someone who wants to wake up again on another day. It will be a decision that only you can make – this deciding to protect yourself against any and all available threats.

    Today, as I write these words, we learn a bit more about how our government – the government that is supposed to be protecting you – works. We learn of a thirty-year senator switching parties in order to keep his job while millions of us are losing ours because of this wasteful handling of Washington. We learn that the 747 that terrified New Yorkers yesterday was spending millions on a photo op that could have been had for the cost of Photoshop®. This is simply government as usual and it never benefits us.

    More than just teaching you how to fight crime, The Tactical Citizen: Condition Red will teach you how to deal with competition for jobs, how to spend your money wisely, and how to judge your friends more adequately. I hope that it will be used to guide your future much like the ancient Book of the Five Rings teaches  modern era Japanese businessmen how to succeed within industry.

    Look around you today. Observe how many people place your life on the line talking upon their cell phones while freewheeling down the highway. Observe how the crowds walk into one another without as much as a glance upon their surroundings. Tune into the evening news and see whether Washington is acting upon your best interests or not. These are the kind of people that you may be forced to call upon for aid if you do not make the effort towards survival yourself.

    Because I am passionate about what I write, The Tactical Citizen: Condition Red will come at a price that everyone can agree with: FREE. Your only cost is the effort required to read its words and pay heed to their intent. It may not make you any safer, but the role in which you play within your future will. And that, my friends, is the true intent of my writing. Consider it my longevity stimulus package. ;o)

Day 99

Day 99

by Courtney, Great Satan's Girlfriend
April 27, 2009
Right Truth Exclusive

100 Days into the 'New Era' is really not enough time to be able to develop an accurate pic of 44's Grand Strategy.

Yet, the pic that is developing proportionally seems, well, neither Grand or Strategic. Systematically it seems suspect and kinda dumb.

Let's review:

Supreme Leader totally disses 44's "hello vid" -- a message that admittedly did NOT mention 'regime change' -- or 'democracy' either. Far from unclenching the mullahs collective fist, Iran's enrichment Extenz swells up and trucks along at high speed while an innocent American girl is held hostage.

Sudan's illegit intolerant Field Marshall President for Life disses ICC criminal indictments, practices genocide on his own people and expelled humanitarian organizations. Europa -- which supposedly was hot for 44 -- is not hot for ratcheting up sanctions on Persia or manning up to stand up in Af Pak land. NATO may unofficially be as dead as Uday and Usay.

Dear Leader test fired a live ballistic missile in a sales pitch (it may have been a bust - though not in Great Satan's favor), expells humanitarian orgs and suffers no consequences while holding innocent girls hostage.

Taliban is increasing power, influence and territorial control in Pakistan, surging almost to the gates of Islamabad -- even now in striking distance to Land of the Pure's super sensitive military industrial complex -- the massive Wah Cantonment at Rawalpindi.

Pakistan's military -- despite years of nothing but love from Great Satan bling wise -- seems frightened to engage Taliban in a real stand up fight.

Unfaithful? In fact, it could be said that one of the top 3 military beneficiaries of Great Satan for the last decade has significant support or sympathizers in PAK Army for the Taliban. Combat might force them to take sides.

The illegit regime in sunny sunny climes remains entrenched in Cuba, and tyrant lover, wanna be Pres for Life Hugo seems poised for another round of regional mischief-making.

Rowdy Red China disses Great Satan's navy in internat'l waters, lectures about pocketbooks and enjoys a human rights free environment.

Traditional and emerging allies such as Columbia, Taiwan, SoKo, Little Satan, Japan, Australia, and India are left wondering how much they still matter to Great Satan as 44 seemingly embraces, entertains and encourages frenemies and adversaries.

Talking Turkey without ever mentioning the "G" word -- atoning for sins of Manifest Destiny and equivicating Great Satan's American Exceptionalism while reversing nearly 2 decades of committment to maintain, develop and globally deploy a 30 years in the future fighting force. 100 Daze seems a systematic stall on a strategic level - - a roll back of democracy and democracy projection all around the world. 100 Daze advertises a scary underwhelming and not especially Exceptional future - - where Great Satan is neither feared nor loved. Art - "The Truth" by Michael D'Antuono