Bowling a Strike Against Capitalism
Looking for a hip, stylish way to celebrate murderous totalitarianism? Look no further; the folks at Mother Jones are more than happy to supply you with a V. I. Lenin-themed bowling shirt. While your indie rock friends are busy finding gas station attendant shirts with the original names stitched in, you'll be way ahead of them on the coolness curve with the Father of the Revolution printed on your back. As Reason magazines remind us, if you can't afford the $39.50 purchase price, you can surely expropriate it from the kulaks next door before liquidating them and their surplus-value leeching ways. The great Soviet experiment has come to this at last - communist kitsch as capitalism commodity.
Monday, April 29, 2002
Good News for Rushdie
Is the Islamic Republic of Iran on the verge of collapse? Michael Leeden seems to think so. There do seems to be some cracks in the facade of the nation's repressive theocracy. Despite an official pro-suicide bombing stance in sympathy with the Palestinians, a leading Iranian cleric has issued a fatwa denouncing such attacks. A situation to watch.
Is the Islamic Republic of Iran on the verge of collapse? Michael Leeden seems to think so. There do seems to be some cracks in the facade of the nation's repressive theocracy. Despite an official pro-suicide bombing stance in sympathy with the Palestinians, a leading Iranian cleric has issued a fatwa denouncing such attacks. A situation to watch.
Friday, April 26, 2002
The Voice of our Saudi Allies:
Allah Commands You to Pillage Israeli Women
As President Bush is hosting a delegation of Saudi officials at his home in Crawford, Texas, there is this. Saudi propaganda can get pretty bad at times, but this surpasses even the even the broadest of diplomatic excuses:
"The Saudi Information Agency has obtained a tape by prominent government official cleric Shaikh Saad Al-Buraik calling for enslaving Jewish women. The tape is called 'a Monkey Desecrates Mosque,' and was delivered in a Riyadh government mosque. The monkey refers to Jews.
"Al-Buraik was the host of the two-day long telethon raising funds for Palestinians, which raised $109 million. He is also the host of 'Religion and Life,' a program on government television Channel One and on MBC television owned by Prince Abdul Aziz Ben Fahd. Al-Buraik said on the tape that the money raised would go to Palestinian fighters.
An excerpt of the tape:
"Muslim Brothers in Palestine, do not have any mercy neither compassion on the Jews, their blood, their money, their flesh. Their women are yours to take, legitimately. God made them yours. Why don't you enslave their women? Why don't you wage jihad? Why don't you pillage them?"
With allies like this, who needs enemies?
Listen to the entire tape.
Thanks to National Review Online.
Allah Commands You to Pillage Israeli Women
As President Bush is hosting a delegation of Saudi officials at his home in Crawford, Texas, there is this. Saudi propaganda can get pretty bad at times, but this surpasses even the even the broadest of diplomatic excuses:
"The Saudi Information Agency has obtained a tape by prominent government official cleric Shaikh Saad Al-Buraik calling for enslaving Jewish women. The tape is called 'a Monkey Desecrates Mosque,' and was delivered in a Riyadh government mosque. The monkey refers to Jews.
"Al-Buraik was the host of the two-day long telethon raising funds for Palestinians, which raised $109 million. He is also the host of 'Religion and Life,' a program on government television Channel One and on MBC television owned by Prince Abdul Aziz Ben Fahd. Al-Buraik said on the tape that the money raised would go to Palestinian fighters.
An excerpt of the tape:
"Muslim Brothers in Palestine, do not have any mercy neither compassion on the Jews, their blood, their money, their flesh. Their women are yours to take, legitimately. God made them yours. Why don't you enslave their women? Why don't you wage jihad? Why don't you pillage them?"
With allies like this, who needs enemies?
Listen to the entire tape.
Thanks to National Review Online.
No Oil for Blood
The government of Egypt has apparently gotten tired of the 23 years of relative peace they've enjoyed with Israel and has begun to shop the nation around as a pan-Arab mercenary tool. When challenged by an Abu Dhabi newspaper on why Egypt hadn't attacked Israel on behalf of the Palestinians, Egypt's prime minister said "If you want to undertake an action and be ready to face up to challenges, you need at least $100 billion," going on to add "Let the Arab world give $100 billion from Arab funds deposited around the world. Let it say to Egypt: 'This is a budget for confrontation. This budget is at your disposal. Undertake confrontation.'" I can see the future of Arab panhandlers: sitting on a sidewalk with a cardboard sign reading "Will Invade Israel for Food."
The government of Egypt has apparently gotten tired of the 23 years of relative peace they've enjoyed with Israel and has begun to shop the nation around as a pan-Arab mercenary tool. When challenged by an Abu Dhabi newspaper on why Egypt hadn't attacked Israel on behalf of the Palestinians, Egypt's prime minister said "If you want to undertake an action and be ready to face up to challenges, you need at least $100 billion," going on to add "Let the Arab world give $100 billion from Arab funds deposited around the world. Let it say to Egypt: 'This is a budget for confrontation. This budget is at your disposal. Undertake confrontation.'" I can see the future of Arab panhandlers: sitting on a sidewalk with a cardboard sign reading "Will Invade Israel for Food."
Shame: A Post
I like Salman Rushdie, but in his op-ed today on the apathy of the French Left, he runs into trouble. His premise is that the sensible (leftist) part of the French public has become so uninterested in politics that they've allowed the right-wing forces of Jean-Marie Le Pen to gain an unsettling amount of influence. But the only reason Le Pen came in second (defeating socialist prime minister Lionel Jospin) in the first round of presidential elections was that the left-leaning parties fielded a dozen different candidates while right-leaning parties ran only a few. How can a larger number of candidates seeking power be a reflection of apathy? It seems the real problem is over-confidence, not disinterest.
Worse is Rushdie's application of the same logic to the Thatcher revolution in Britain and the results of the 2000 U.S. presidential election: "Every so often, an electorate will shrug its shoulders and decide there isn't much difference between the main contenders for office. The day after the election, reality bites, but by then it's too late. When it last happened in Britain, the consequence was Margaret Thatcher's long, damaging reign. Voter apathy was also a crucial factor, perhaps the crucial factor, in the Bush-Gore presidential election; as a result, the fiasco in Florida turned into the decisive event it should never have become."
So the only reason Lady Thatcher was Prime Minister of Great Britain for eleven years was that voters thought there wasn't much difference between her and her main opponents for power? That might come as a surprise to a lot of people who opposed the policies of her government. And Bush and Gore indistinguishable? The fact that they had opposing opinions on abortion alone is enough to make up the minds of a large segment of the U.S. electorate. Gore supported extending government health coverage, Bush supported a large tax cut. Gore likes environmental restrictions on energy production, Bush favors greater domestic oil exploration. Where is the mass of voters Rushdie refers to that couldn't tell the candidates apart?
One final fact: neither Thatcher nor Bush are even remotely comparable to Le Pen. Neither are xenophobes or racists, the sins Le Pen is most frequently castigated for. That Rushdie would attempt to implicitly put them all in the same category is insulting.
I like Salman Rushdie, but in his op-ed today on the apathy of the French Left, he runs into trouble. His premise is that the sensible (leftist) part of the French public has become so uninterested in politics that they've allowed the right-wing forces of Jean-Marie Le Pen to gain an unsettling amount of influence. But the only reason Le Pen came in second (defeating socialist prime minister Lionel Jospin) in the first round of presidential elections was that the left-leaning parties fielded a dozen different candidates while right-leaning parties ran only a few. How can a larger number of candidates seeking power be a reflection of apathy? It seems the real problem is over-confidence, not disinterest.
Worse is Rushdie's application of the same logic to the Thatcher revolution in Britain and the results of the 2000 U.S. presidential election: "Every so often, an electorate will shrug its shoulders and decide there isn't much difference between the main contenders for office. The day after the election, reality bites, but by then it's too late. When it last happened in Britain, the consequence was Margaret Thatcher's long, damaging reign. Voter apathy was also a crucial factor, perhaps the crucial factor, in the Bush-Gore presidential election; as a result, the fiasco in Florida turned into the decisive event it should never have become."
So the only reason Lady Thatcher was Prime Minister of Great Britain for eleven years was that voters thought there wasn't much difference between her and her main opponents for power? That might come as a surprise to a lot of people who opposed the policies of her government. And Bush and Gore indistinguishable? The fact that they had opposing opinions on abortion alone is enough to make up the minds of a large segment of the U.S. electorate. Gore supported extending government health coverage, Bush supported a large tax cut. Gore likes environmental restrictions on energy production, Bush favors greater domestic oil exploration. Where is the mass of voters Rushdie refers to that couldn't tell the candidates apart?
One final fact: neither Thatcher nor Bush are even remotely comparable to Le Pen. Neither are xenophobes or racists, the sins Le Pen is most frequently castigated for. That Rushdie would attempt to implicitly put them all in the same category is insulting.
Real Energy Reform Runs Out of Steam
The Senate energy bill passed last evening with the overwhelming support of 88 Senators. This is disappointing for a number of reasons. The Senate version does nothing to increase domestic energy production, but does contain provisions that would make appliances (efficiency mandates) and gasoline (ethanol mandates) more expensive. While the House energy bill, passed last year, attempts to make greater amount of affordable energy available to consumers, its Senate counterpart seems content to do nothing grander than continue subsidies for the same inefficient alternate fuels.
The Post this morning emphasizes how far apart the two sides will be when the two bills come to conference committee. House conferees will fight to have Arctic drilling in the final bill, but that seems unlikely. I have even less hope that Bush will end up brushing the cobwebs away from the Veto stamp, as he should.
The Senate energy bill passed last evening with the overwhelming support of 88 Senators. This is disappointing for a number of reasons. The Senate version does nothing to increase domestic energy production, but does contain provisions that would make appliances (efficiency mandates) and gasoline (ethanol mandates) more expensive. While the House energy bill, passed last year, attempts to make greater amount of affordable energy available to consumers, its Senate counterpart seems content to do nothing grander than continue subsidies for the same inefficient alternate fuels.
The Post this morning emphasizes how far apart the two sides will be when the two bills come to conference committee. House conferees will fight to have Arctic drilling in the final bill, but that seems unlikely. I have even less hope that Bush will end up brushing the cobwebs away from the Veto stamp, as he should.
Thursday, April 25, 2002
Pay the Nerd Tax
Finally a House candidate with some fresh ideas. Michael Williams of Alabama's Fifth District wants to see the U.S. get back into serious space exploration, and he's got an innovative new financing plan - a tax on science fiction novels, comic books (sorry, graphic novels) and related merchandise. This 28-year old Publix Super Market employee is also taking the long view. He's already got a plan for holding a constitutional convention when the population of either the Moon or Mars exceeds 30,000. He has some homework to do, though, since he doesn't seem to have actually filed the necessary paperwork to join the current field of six candidates running is Alabama's fifth.
Finally a House candidate with some fresh ideas. Michael Williams of Alabama's Fifth District wants to see the U.S. get back into serious space exploration, and he's got an innovative new financing plan - a tax on science fiction novels, comic books (sorry, graphic novels) and related merchandise. This 28-year old Publix Super Market employee is also taking the long view. He's already got a plan for holding a constitutional convention when the population of either the Moon or Mars exceeds 30,000. He has some homework to do, though, since he doesn't seem to have actually filed the necessary paperwork to join the current field of six candidates running is Alabama's fifth.
Tuesday, April 23, 2002
From the Streets of Cambridge
Congratulations to the editors of The New Republic for seeing through Cornel West so completely. It seems not even a University Professorship at Harvard can console someone who has been "disrespected" by a bully like Lawrence Summers, in West's words, the Ariel Sharon of American higher education. Considering how West and his ideological compatriots no doubt feel about Sharon, that could be one of the most ludicrously inflammatory things he's ever said. And that itself is saying something. Too bad for Princeton, hiring a prickly opportunist with breathtakingly thin credentials. Could Provost Snoop Dogg be far behind?
Congratulations to the editors of The New Republic for seeing through Cornel West so completely. It seems not even a University Professorship at Harvard can console someone who has been "disrespected" by a bully like Lawrence Summers, in West's words, the Ariel Sharon of American higher education. Considering how West and his ideological compatriots no doubt feel about Sharon, that could be one of the most ludicrously inflammatory things he's ever said. And that itself is saying something. Too bad for Princeton, hiring a prickly opportunist with breathtakingly thin credentials. Could Provost Snoop Dogg be far behind?
Questioning the French: Have You Hugged An Arsonist Today?
The Washington Post, like everyone else, is editorializing about the outcome of the first round of the French presidential election. The "extreme rightist" Jean-Marie Le Pen won a surprisingly large number of votes, alarming the leftist elites both in France and across Europe. The Post sees this as a reason for France leaders, among other things, to undergo a self-criticism encounter on race: "France's leaders, beginning with President Chirac, ought to reexamine whether their government is doing enough to foster tolerance toward immigrants, particularly those from the Muslim world, while combating growing anti-Semitism." A balanced recommendation? If both groups were currently facing the same deadly peril, perhaps. If I were handing out recommendations to France's President, however, I'd suggest he spend more time prosecuting the Muslins that have burned down French (and Belgian) synagogues and worry about whether enough tolerance was being fostered toward Muslin immigrants some other day.
The Washington Post, like everyone else, is editorializing about the outcome of the first round of the French presidential election. The "extreme rightist" Jean-Marie Le Pen won a surprisingly large number of votes, alarming the leftist elites both in France and across Europe. The Post sees this as a reason for France leaders, among other things, to undergo a self-criticism encounter on race: "France's leaders, beginning with President Chirac, ought to reexamine whether their government is doing enough to foster tolerance toward immigrants, particularly those from the Muslim world, while combating growing anti-Semitism." A balanced recommendation? If both groups were currently facing the same deadly peril, perhaps. If I were handing out recommendations to France's President, however, I'd suggest he spend more time prosecuting the Muslins that have burned down French (and Belgian) synagogues and worry about whether enough tolerance was being fostered toward Muslin immigrants some other day.
Breaking a Few Eggs on Behalf of Wilderness
Deroy Murdock's syndicated column this week reminds us of the perils of trusting federal bureaucrats with an institutional agenda. This is especially true of green-leaning officials who want more land under federal control and more federal land off-limits to recreation and development.
Deroy Murdock's syndicated column this week reminds us of the perils of trusting federal bureaucrats with an institutional agenda. This is especially true of green-leaning officials who want more land under federal control and more federal land off-limits to recreation and development.