Ethiopia Takes on the Islamists... West Predictably Complains

Fortunately they aren't a powerful western country so the Media and the UN can't come out against them as aggressively as they would against the Americans or the Israelis.

Even so, our oh so useful diplomats are busy mewling and whining about returning to the "negotiating table". What the hell are they supposed to negotiate about? the UN recognized government of Somalia wants to create soverignity in the face of an Islamist milita, and Ethopia wants a secure neighbor instead of lunatic terrorists (and yes access to ports for strategic interests). Butthe Islamists want to decapitate anyone who doesn't pray five times a day. Why do we rush to stop everyone who is busy killing our declared enemies?

The problem with diplomats is that they are always struggling to maintain the status quo. It's in their nature. They continue to maintain to status quo, even when the status quo is not in our favor.

Sweet... Recognized on MKH

Mary Katherine Ham, of Townhall, recognized me!!

How sweet to get the nod from one of those amidst the top of the blogosphere.

Treason: It used to be a crime

According to Wikipedia, this is the list of people who have been convicted of Treason in the United States.

John Brown, convicted of treason against the state of Virginia
Iva Toguri D'Aquino, who is frequently identified with "Tokyo Rose." Subsequently pardoned by President Ford.
Governor Thomas Dorr 1844, convicted of treason against the state of Rhode Island; see Dorr Rebellion
Mildred Gillars, "Axis Sally"
Hans Max Haupt, convicted of treason and sentenced to life in prison for aiding his son who was a spy for Germany during the Second World War
Tomoya Kawakita, sentenced to death for treason, but eventually pardoned by President Kennedy and deported to Japan
Martin James Monti, USAAF pilot, convicted of treason for defecting to the Waffen SS in 1944.
Sandy Berger, National Security Advisor to President William Jefferson Clinton.


Okay... I added that last one. But explain to me how you can get away with community service for stealing classified documents and hiding/destroying them, in an effort to undermine a congressional investigation into the deadliest attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor? What records of Clinton's presiding over the growth of Islamic-Fascism was worth prison to try and destroy? And it's not like it was an accident, the man stuffed the documents down his pants, and than hiding them under a construction trailer. The suprise to me was that there even WERE documents about Al-Qaeda and terrorism during the Clinton Administration, since its hard to keep records about things you DIDN'T bother to do. Not that Clinton can get all the blame, since Islamic terrorism has been festering since at least the 70s, but still.

Sandy Berger, you are a liar, a thief, and a traitor. If there was any justice in the world a nice man in a black hood would be kicking a stool out from under you right about now.

A most Craven Cowardice...

At a recent city council meeting I was covering, I was disgusted by a level of political cowardice I saw. The issue on hand was a re-zoning request that a domestic abuse shelter had made which would allow them to put a domestic shelter within a city neighborhood which, while presently zoned R-1, (single family residential) is surrounded by a number of commerical, and multi-family (apartment style) buildings. The proposal of the shelter would keep the "house" style appearance, of the property, in fact only adding a wing to the additional house, similar to what a family might do if it had they had their elderly parents moving in with them.

They met 2 out of the 5 city councilmen, and the mayor, at a worksession, where they discussed the proposal, and explained that there was a possibility of some resistance from neighbors, who, for the most part, had unfounded concerns about their neighborhood's safety. The shelter pointed to its quality alarm system, its special relationship with the local police and sheriff's agencies, and that the property was monitored 24 hours a day by a supervisor. Women and young children staying at the shelter, who were, or feared they would be, abused, were not allowed to have guests over, few if any had transportation of any kind. In short a more meek and untroublesome home could not be asked for.

The council members expressed some concerns that after the shelter turned over ownership of the property at some time in the distant future, it would be used to create apartments or commerical, or similarly unsuitable property. The shelter agreed to a conditional variance which would prevent this. The Council seemed pleased with this. I have not seen an issue at a work session I thought was more likely to sail to approval in the full council.

Well I was wrong.

At the Council meeting last night, not more than 10 or 12 individuals from the neighborhood were on hand, expressing concerns about property values going down, and an increase in crime coming to the area. One woman proceeded to complain about the area as it stood, even before any changes were made.

The city council sat there, unwilling to make a motion, for more than 15 mintues. The representatives of the shelter explained the situation, the improved relationship with police which would increase rather than decrease security to the area. And the people refused to budge. The City practically begged the the two groups to come together to some how compromise. The neighbors refused... And still the council sat there, clearly, with absolutely no intention of accepting the re-zoning request for fear of the crowd, but equally unwilling to deny the request because they knew it was the wrong thing to do. So they just sat there. Finally, in what must have been a great relief to the council , the shelter's director agreed to withdraw the request.

Shameful. If the city council couldn't come up with the stones to allow a domestic abuse shelter to reside in a secluded neighborhood, they, in my mind, have given up any moral authority to ever issue another zoning change ever.

Absolutely and utterly shameful.

You Miserable Little Crook

Don't be pissy just because we finally got your hand out of the cookie jar.

U.S. "appears to abandon its own ideals and objectives, its friends abroad are naturally troubled and confused," Says Annan.

Friends like these... Kofi Annan's ideals come in suitcases with wrapped stacks of $100s. I've talked about his complete lack of credibility before Http://www.thedkrepublic.com/2006/02/kofi-kowers.htmlOthers have reported on his son's 30,000 dollar car, the Oil for Food Scandal and a host of other credibility issues.

The Genocide in Rwanda, was on his watch. Somalia, his watch, The Genocide in Darfur is STILL happening on his watch. The violation of the various UN agreements with Iraq, including firing on US and British warplanes patrolling the UN instituted No Fly zone took place on his watch. The utter failure to enforce non-proliferation treaties against Iran took place on his watch. UNFIL helping to target Israelis for Hezbollah, on his watch.

Where, exactly, did the USA act unilaterally? In Iraq? with our coalition which included the British, the Spanish, the Czechs, the Danes, the Hungarians, the Monglians, Japan, the Georgians? After we sought, and recieved a UN mandate threatening action unless Saddam showed evidence of disarming?

Truman "believed strongly that henceforth security must be collective and indivisible. That was why, for instance, that he insisted when faced with aggression by North Korea against the South in 1950, on bringing the issue to the United Nations," Annan said.

An act which only passed because the Soviet Union and its allies stupidly staged a walk out that day. And if it hadn't of passed, because the UN was loaded with dictatorships (just as it is today?) We'd have done what needed to be done in Korea regardless.

That ultimately, You miserable little crook, is America's ideal. We come to do the right thing, preferably in concert with others, but if not, irrelevant. What is popular in your little gentlemen's lounge for dictators and what is right, are almost always opposite. Regardless of what you, and your international mafia think.

Our friends have been there with us always.

You sir, are not our friend.

Sacrificial Lambs

Over the air today, we read a survey from Men's Health magazine, where only 44% of people (and I presume the audience was primarily male) indicated that they would give their life for a principle. Yegads. We're in trouble folks. We're up against enemies who aren't only willing to die for a principle, but just to make a bang (no pun intended).

I've been working with The 910 Group to formulate a Public Relations policy. But how do you draw media attention to your group, when your opposition is willing to blow himself up in a crowded market. In the it bleeds it leads world of news, who do you think is going to get the attention? It's sad but true.

And in a survey, which holds absolutely no consequences, a majority of western men couldn't find the stones to say they'd lay down their life for something they believe. You know the number who'd actually do it are even lower.

This is all the result of years of the spread of what is ultimately nihilism, where we have trouble fathoming the idea that we should care about anything but our individual selves, and perhaps our loved ones. In the words of Warren Zevon:

"You get what pay for

From me, my friend,

Nothing for nothing

Forever, amen"

Pakistani Rape Rally... Cue Outrage

Thousands of Islamists Rallied in Karachi yesterday, after the Musharraf's government continued efforts to end the death penalty for rape.

No. Not the death penalty for being a rapist. The death penalty for being raped. The one which requires at least four witnesses on behalf of the assaulted woman, who is otherwise at risk of being charged with sex outside of marriage, at present a capital crime.

Of course the legal innovators in Pakistan are seeking to lower the punishment for sex outside of marriage to 5 years in prison or $165.

Of course the great feminist minds of the west are nowhere to be found. Too busy organizing next year's annual "orgasm day" or perhaps having a monologue with some other body part. who knows.

I will never understand this about the left. The theo-cons they are so terrified off have little to lose from the jihad. If they pay the Jizya, they'll still get to keep their christmas tree. (which is more than the ACLU is willing to allow now anyway). Its the progressives who are going to end up on the wrong end of a stoning. (at least not the kind they are used to anyway). Yet preciously few of them can be brought to understand that. If you dislike the American way of life because its not progressive enough for you, okay. But explain to me how it becomes logical that you should ally yourself with those whose ideas of "too progressive" are doing 5 years in prison for being raped instead of being killed?

Friday Funny

Trying to take myself out of the doldrums today. The Nose on your Face Helps Out.

Elite Surrender

"It’s a fine distinction as to whether this is political calculation or moral cowardice; the end result is the same. The jihad will advance."Says Baron Bodissey.

As I said around this same time last month before the ISG group even came out. "We don't need a strategy to exit, pretty much any piece of white clothe will do the trick."

In the Lion and the Unicorn, Orwell writes, "Somehow the ruling class decayed, lost its ability, its daring, finally even its ruthlessness.." He goes on to describe how the elites of England could not comprhend the reality of fascism, finally adding, "Clearly there was only one escape for them—into stupidity. "

So too the elites of our present age, who simply cannot comprehend that the damage done by Jihadism is the end result of their short sighted "realism", where the annhiliation of whole peoples, dissidents in plastic shredders, rape rooms, can be tolerated in the name of "stability", in combination with the ignorant multi-culturalism, victim-mongering and moral equivalency of the Left.

In Animal Farm, the dictatorial swine famously create the formulation, "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others." and while all men (and yes women) are equal, all cultures, and all societies are not. The undeniable fact is that some cultures value human life more than others. Some value freedom more than others. The refusal to not view the world just in terms of Black and White were fine, but the refusal by our cultural elite to do so much as recognizes that some societies are a lighter shade of grey has led to our present condition.

I do not agree with those who point to James Baker's firm recieving Saudi money as evidence that he has been bought and paid for by Pan-Islamist forces. The group in the Baker-Hamilton Commission are doing what they believe to be the right thing. Indeed it would be the right thing, if reality mirrored the "realist" assumptions about the world.

How did we get so lost, that we went from "I regret that I have but one life to lose for my country" to "I regret that I have but one Israel to sell out to the Islamists"

The NY Post frontpage headline for the ISG read, "Surrender-Monkeys", but I've come to the conclusion that its unfair to slander innocent primates so. Any other primate would see the risk to its safety, and the safety of it's band. Only we humans are capable of the feats of rationalization and self-delusion which is required to surrender our lives and way of life.

Sale Today: Lebanon,Iraq,Israel, Price: Peace... Or best offer!

As the Baker-Hamilton Commission submits its Terms of Surrender to the White House today, I'm anxious to see if we have to throw anyone else under the bus (to use the meme) in order to buy "peace" in Iraq. Besides, you know, the thousands of Iraqis who celebrated their liberation and served in the government, and will be murdered for their trouble, or the Lebanese, who with the inspiration from a free Iraq, threw off the yoke of the Syrian military.

To purchase "peace" the Baker-Hamilton commission will seek negotiations with Iran and Syria, the two actors, without which we would have peace in Iraq already. Syria has already put Lebanon on Lay-away , in preparation for the pre-Christmas sale. Don't expect much progress at anti-proliferation efforts against Iran either. So the Holocaust-denying Iranian Regime will continue its efforts at arming with nuclear weapons. Good luck dealing with that one Israel. We're not sure what recommendation the Baker-Hamilton Commission has for the Israel-Palestinian peace process. but it's likely to be at least conceptually the same, if more elegeant phrased than Baker's famous middle east peace proposal, "F**k the Jews... They didn't vote for us."

Update: The Report is out. A winning quote:

"Given the ability of Iran and Syria to influence events within Iraq and their interest in avoiding chaos in Iraq, the United States should try to engage them constructively."

What were they smoking while they wrote this thing, and more Importantly where do I go to buy some?!

Interest in avoiding chaos in Iraq! Iran and Syria are the one's causing the chaos in Iraq. Their interest is in creating chaos. In Iraq, in Lebanon, in Israel, in Saudi Arabia, in France, in New York city.

The rest of the report basically says do what we are already doing, which is pressure the Iraqis to take more control, and training security and police forces.

If this is what passes for experts in foreign relations we're screwed.

"On Civil Society"... or "Why Iraq needs More Boy Scouts"

I spent the weekend working with my mom and dad, as they attempted to work to put together a community group to deal with a subdivision variance being proposed on their road. When i wasn't working on issuing a press release for their new group, I was hanging out with my new found friends at the 910 Group.

What struck me is how rare across the world a simple association of citizens is. The trouble we have had in Iraq I believe, comes from a lack of civil society. So too in Palestine, where the people proceeded to elect a terrorist group to political power. Democracy alone is not the answer. For democracy to survive and flourish, there must be civil society. Free and independent organizations of people, organized together for... well for any reason. The Red Hat Society of retired women is an enormous threat to the totalitarian state, perhaps a greater threat then the armed band. We are seeking to create modern democracy in an area where there has never been so much as a bake sale without State approval. It will take time.

When the Israel-Hezbollah battle was going on, all we heard from the MSM was about how the Hezbollah side was carrying out social services and building projects, as if this some how mitigated their nature as a terrorist group. Fools. Hezbollah provides social services, because it must. To be the ultimate power over your subjects, whether a state, or a neighborhood, all carrots, as well as sticks, must come from your hands, as though manna (or Lightening bolts) from heaven. Al-Sadr, Nasarallah, and Al Capone have recognized this fact.

The ultimate mistake made by the communists in the Polish Solidarity movement came when the Pope came to visit. The Pope having been outspoken against the communists, but also a world leader, the communists responded by saying, "Fine, the Pope can come, and he can speak, but we will not help him. You must provide his transportation, the speakers, the porta-potties, the food and drink, the crowd control." The coup de grace was struck when the people of Poland were able to provide these things, without the help of their oppressors. In the totalitarian state, the government must be the provider, the organizer of all things. There may not be boy scouts meeting in a parent's basement (where my mom and dad taught children the finer points of bluebird house making), there must be meetings of the "Young Pioneer's League Group 5518" which reports directly to the League Group Supervisor, which reports to the Commissioner on Youth Activites.

In Iraq, though they have successfuly voted on an elected government for the first time in their history, there has not been enough work on civil society. If it is still the government, or the US military, or the Iranian backed militas, from which all good things flow, we will still see trouble.

I think these things will occur, by simple human nature, if they are allowed to. It is the nature of humans to come together in groups for the performance of tasks, or simply for social enjoyment. If there are civil groups who can come together simply out of good will, and not require their members to sign away their first born sons (literally in some cases) to the State, or Mahdi Army, or Hezobollah, we can see freedom and peaceful democracy in a region where it has never been before.