Saturday, November 19, 2005
If your character is such that have to ask, you morally cannot afford it
Recently the Commandant of the Marine Corps testified before congress. He was asked directly "Do you tell possible recruits that they may be sent to Iraq?" He responded in a straight forward manner I would expect of any Marine, "Yup, and more. We tell them and their parents that if you join the Marine Corps you will do a tour of duty in Iraq, and they still sign up..."
The war is going so badly according to the MSM and Democrats an yet Recruitment in all Armed Services is up:
August 2005 shows military recruitment is up substantially obtained from dcmilitary.com show that total military recruiting has exceeded all set goals.Air Force recruitment is at 104% of quota, the Air Force National Guard stands at 108%, the Air Force Reserve at 101%, Navy recruitment is at 103% and the combined Army and Marine Corps stand at 102% of goal.
It is harder than ever to get into the U.S. Armed Services. Under the current standard, 58% of age eligible youths don't qualify for other reasons (medical, academic, character issues to name a few). It is also been reported recently that 85% of the enlistments come from households with a income between 30 and 85K per year. That's as middle America as it gets, folks!
It is not what people who have no other options do. The people without options are the 42% who cannot qualify because they did not graduate high school, are already a single parent, have a drug or alcohol problem, have a physical limitation (this isn't how good an athlete you are, it is your basic health), because they have committed a criminal offense (the services do not care if you were convicted or not and your records as a minor are not "sealed" to them, they want to know what you did, why and what is says about your character), have a mental disability, chronic antisocial behavior... And the list goes on and on.
It is not for money. After training a basic soldier makes about $300 a week in base pay. Congress estimates, that with benefits included, the average service person only makes 6% less than their civilian counter part.
It is not what people do to avoid jail or criminal conviction. All services adhere to the policy of "Applicants may not enlist as an alternative to criminal prosecution, indictment, incarceration, parole, probation, or other punitive sentence. They are ineligible for enlistment until the original assigned sentence would have been completed." Once the sentence is completed they typically are disqualified for the criminal conviction.
At this point if you do not understand why men and women volunteer to serve in the U.S. Armed forces, you never will. Maybe it is more accurate to say: If your character is such that have to ask, you morally cannot afford it.
The war is going so badly according to the MSM and Democrats an yet Recruitment in all Armed Services is up:
August 2005 shows military recruitment is up substantially obtained from dcmilitary.com show that total military recruiting has exceeded all set goals.Air Force recruitment is at 104% of quota, the Air Force National Guard stands at 108%, the Air Force Reserve at 101%, Navy recruitment is at 103% and the combined Army and Marine Corps stand at 102% of goal.
It is harder than ever to get into the U.S. Armed Services. Under the current standard, 58% of age eligible youths don't qualify for other reasons (medical, academic, character issues to name a few). It is also been reported recently that 85% of the enlistments come from households with a income between 30 and 85K per year. That's as middle America as it gets, folks!
It is not what people who have no other options do. The people without options are the 42% who cannot qualify because they did not graduate high school, are already a single parent, have a drug or alcohol problem, have a physical limitation (this isn't how good an athlete you are, it is your basic health), because they have committed a criminal offense (the services do not care if you were convicted or not and your records as a minor are not "sealed" to them, they want to know what you did, why and what is says about your character), have a mental disability, chronic antisocial behavior... And the list goes on and on.
It is not for money. After training a basic soldier makes about $300 a week in base pay. Congress estimates, that with benefits included, the average service person only makes 6% less than their civilian counter part.
It is not what people do to avoid jail or criminal conviction. All services adhere to the policy of "Applicants may not enlist as an alternative to criminal prosecution, indictment, incarceration, parole, probation, or other punitive sentence. They are ineligible for enlistment until the original assigned sentence would have been completed." Once the sentence is completed they typically are disqualified for the criminal conviction.
At this point if you do not understand why men and women volunteer to serve in the U.S. Armed forces, you never will. Maybe it is more accurate to say: If your character is such that have to ask, you morally cannot afford it.
Timelines for Democracy
Here is a timeline for Democracy that was down right discouraging but worked out to be worth the wait:
July 3, 1775 - Washington takes command of Continental Army.
July 4, 1776 - Declaration of Independence.
December 26, 1776 - Washington crosses the Delaware and achieves the FIRST colonial victory of the entire war (Nearly a year and a half after taking command).
October 19, 1781 - Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown (Over 6 years after Washington took to the field of battle and we would not have made if a foreign power, the French, had not stuck with us and put their soldiers and sailors on the line!).
January 14, 1784 - Official end of war with Britain.
September 7, 1787 - Final draft of constitution. 12 years after Washington took to the field.
April 30, 1789 - George Washington sworn in as first president.
Lets see, a year and half before even one military victory, 6 years to achieve overall military victory, 12 years to get to a final draft constitution. 14 years from when one make took up arms until the day he could lead a nation free and at peace.
I cannot see how you can look at our history and not stand by the Iraqi effort. That's why it is un-American to call off our effort before a free, democratic, peaceful Iraq exist.
July 3, 1775 - Washington takes command of Continental Army.
July 4, 1776 - Declaration of Independence.
December 26, 1776 - Washington crosses the Delaware and achieves the FIRST colonial victory of the entire war (Nearly a year and a half after taking command).
October 19, 1781 - Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown (Over 6 years after Washington took to the field of battle and we would not have made if a foreign power, the French, had not stuck with us and put their soldiers and sailors on the line!).
January 14, 1784 - Official end of war with Britain.
September 7, 1787 - Final draft of constitution. 12 years after Washington took to the field.
April 30, 1789 - George Washington sworn in as first president.
Lets see, a year and half before even one military victory, 6 years to achieve overall military victory, 12 years to get to a final draft constitution. 14 years from when one make took up arms until the day he could lead a nation free and at peace.
I cannot see how you can look at our history and not stand by the Iraqi effort. That's why it is un-American to call off our effort before a free, democratic, peaceful Iraq exist.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Finally!
Finally a politician says it right ( it is enough to make me want to move to Florida):
Our mission in Iraq is clear: Peace through strength, and victory through resolve. Those who would have us withdraw immediately have forgotten what appeasement does to madmen and murderers.
Withdrawing our troops from Iraq while our mission is not yet achieved will send a chilling message to freedom-loving peoples across the globe about the intentions of our great country. It will not only put into question our resolve to stand up to these fanatical Islamist extremists who wish to destroy our way of life, it will also set a terrible precedent by letting every Islamist militant know that we can be terrorized into retreat. Our mission in spearheading freedom and democracy in the Middle East is critical, and we must not let any set of circumstances thwart it.
My stepson and his fiancée are proud Marines currently serving in Iraq — and I can tell you that they feel privileged to take part in this mission. And they fully understand that what they are doing will affect their children and grandchildren.
That’s why I am voting these evening to stay the course in Iraq. Thank you for your tremendous support of this mission — and thank you for honoring those who stand with America today.
NO END BUT VICTORY.
Sincerely,Congresswoman Ileana Ros-LehtinenFlorida, 18th Congressional District
Our mission in Iraq is clear: Peace through strength, and victory through resolve. Those who would have us withdraw immediately have forgotten what appeasement does to madmen and murderers.
Withdrawing our troops from Iraq while our mission is not yet achieved will send a chilling message to freedom-loving peoples across the globe about the intentions of our great country. It will not only put into question our resolve to stand up to these fanatical Islamist extremists who wish to destroy our way of life, it will also set a terrible precedent by letting every Islamist militant know that we can be terrorized into retreat. Our mission in spearheading freedom and democracy in the Middle East is critical, and we must not let any set of circumstances thwart it.
My stepson and his fiancée are proud Marines currently serving in Iraq — and I can tell you that they feel privileged to take part in this mission. And they fully understand that what they are doing will affect their children and grandchildren.
That’s why I am voting these evening to stay the course in Iraq. Thank you for your tremendous support of this mission — and thank you for honoring those who stand with America today.
NO END BUT VICTORY.
Sincerely,Congresswoman Ileana Ros-LehtinenFlorida, 18th Congressional District
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Canadian by Birth, American by Choice
I know that in many circles it is not popular to be partiotic but I am very proud to be an American by choice. This is a famous broadcast from a Canadian journalist on June 5th, 1973. I think we are still the same people this speech describes. I hope we always will be. (notably, over 3.5 millions recordings of this speech were sold by a Canadian celebrity; he donated every penny to the American Red Cross).
Here it is:
The Americans" The United States dollar took another pounding on German, French and British exchanges this morning, hitting the lowest point ever known in West Germany. It has declined there by 41% since 1971 and this Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least-appreciated people in all the earth.
As long as sixty years ago, when I first started to read newspapers, I read of floods on the Yellow River and the Yangtse. Who rushed in with men and money to help? The Americans did. They have helped control floods on the Nile, the Amazon, the Ganges and the Niger. Today, the rich bottom land of the Misssissippi is under water and no foreign land has sent a dollar to help.
Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy, were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of those countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States. When the franc was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it.
When distant cities are hit by earthquakes, it is the United States that hurries into help... Managua Nicaragua is one of the most recent examples. So far this spring, 59 American communities have been flattened by tornadoes. Nobody has helped. The Marshall Plan .. the Truman Policy .. all pumped billions upon billions of dollars into discouraged countries.
Now, newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent war-mongering Americans. I'd like to see one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplanes. Come on... let's hear it! Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tristar or the Douglas 107? If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all international lines except Russia fly American planes? Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or women on the moon? You talk about Japanese technocracy and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy and you get automobiles. You talk about American technocracy and you find men on the moon, not once, but several times ... and safely home again. You talk about scandals and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everyone to look at. Even the draft dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our streets, most of them ... unless they are breaking Canadian laws..are getting American dollars from Ma and Pa at home to spend here.
When the Americans get out of this bind ... as they will... who could blame them if they said 'the hell with the rest of the world'. Let someone else buy the Israel bonds, Let someone else build or repair foreign dams or design foreign buildings that won't shake apart in earthquakes. When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both are still broke.
I can name to you 5,000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake. Our neighbours have faced it alone and I am one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles. I hope Canada is not one of these. But there are many smug, self-righteous Canadians.
And finally, the American Red Cross was told at its 48th Annual meeting in New Orleans this morning that it was broke. This year's disasters .. with the year less than half-over has taken it all and nobody...but nobody... has helped.
Here it is:
The Americans" The United States dollar took another pounding on German, French and British exchanges this morning, hitting the lowest point ever known in West Germany. It has declined there by 41% since 1971 and this Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least-appreciated people in all the earth.
As long as sixty years ago, when I first started to read newspapers, I read of floods on the Yellow River and the Yangtse. Who rushed in with men and money to help? The Americans did. They have helped control floods on the Nile, the Amazon, the Ganges and the Niger. Today, the rich bottom land of the Misssissippi is under water and no foreign land has sent a dollar to help.
Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy, were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of those countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States. When the franc was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it.
When distant cities are hit by earthquakes, it is the United States that hurries into help... Managua Nicaragua is one of the most recent examples. So far this spring, 59 American communities have been flattened by tornadoes. Nobody has helped. The Marshall Plan .. the Truman Policy .. all pumped billions upon billions of dollars into discouraged countries.
Now, newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent war-mongering Americans. I'd like to see one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplanes. Come on... let's hear it! Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tristar or the Douglas 107? If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all international lines except Russia fly American planes? Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or women on the moon? You talk about Japanese technocracy and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy and you get automobiles. You talk about American technocracy and you find men on the moon, not once, but several times ... and safely home again. You talk about scandals and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everyone to look at. Even the draft dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our streets, most of them ... unless they are breaking Canadian laws..are getting American dollars from Ma and Pa at home to spend here.
When the Americans get out of this bind ... as they will... who could blame them if they said 'the hell with the rest of the world'. Let someone else buy the Israel bonds, Let someone else build or repair foreign dams or design foreign buildings that won't shake apart in earthquakes. When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both are still broke.
I can name to you 5,000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake. Our neighbours have faced it alone and I am one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles. I hope Canada is not one of these. But there are many smug, self-righteous Canadians.
And finally, the American Red Cross was told at its 48th Annual meeting in New Orleans this morning that it was broke. This year's disasters .. with the year less than half-over has taken it all and nobody...but nobody... has helped.
Nov 2 Protest by Duped High School Studens
In Batavia on this past November 2nd, a bunch of high school students protested the election of President Bush. The evil school board had them issued citations for truancey because they left the school grounds and did not properly notify the school of there "event." I have a friend who says it was just wonderful to see these students become politically active.
Here is the real scoop:
This protest was organized by a group called "The World Can't Wait - End the Bush Regime". On there website they openly state that "Supporters of the Revolutionary Communist Party helped initiate thier cause." Both these organizaitons celebrated the recent riots in France (I guess you could say it is just wonderful to see the students of France becoming politically active). If you are a decent, law abiding American, they have nothing but contemp for you.
Sadly, even a cursory view of websites and association to "the world cant wait" and "the revolutionary communist party" reveals that the only ones following these folks are the vulnerable youth of our society and the sadly, ill informed.
If you are in high school and want to be a real rebel then speak respectully of the President whether you agree with him or not, stand when your countries flag goes by and become poltically active by using your own mind. It appears that will qualify you as one in one hundred.
Here is the real scoop:
This protest was organized by a group called "The World Can't Wait - End the Bush Regime". On there website they openly state that "Supporters of the Revolutionary Communist Party helped initiate thier cause." Both these organizaitons celebrated the recent riots in France (I guess you could say it is just wonderful to see the students of France becoming politically active). If you are a decent, law abiding American, they have nothing but contemp for you.
Sadly, even a cursory view of websites and association to "the world cant wait" and "the revolutionary communist party" reveals that the only ones following these folks are the vulnerable youth of our society and the sadly, ill informed.
If you are in high school and want to be a real rebel then speak respectully of the President whether you agree with him or not, stand when your countries flag goes by and become poltically active by using your own mind. It appears that will qualify you as one in one hundred.
Appeasement in The U.S. Senate
As we all saw yesterday, the Republican Senators once again ran from the fight and appeased the Democratic Senators. The vote on the war on Iraq gave the Democrats, and the terrorist in Iraq, the encouragement to continue on in the effort to destroy our way of life. When will some politician say "Enough is Enough."
The effort to create a free, peaceful and democratic Iraq is the first real effort toward "Peace in the Middle East" in 60 years. The people of the Middle East deserve this chance. The Iraq people deserve this chance. My children deserve this chance.
God help us all!
The effort to create a free, peaceful and democratic Iraq is the first real effort toward "Peace in the Middle East" in 60 years. The people of the Middle East deserve this chance. The Iraq people deserve this chance. My children deserve this chance.
God help us all!
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Any "Exit Strategy" is a Losing Strategy
Although clear to any 12 year old who has played capture the flag that pronouncing an "Exit Stategy" is the surest way to lose, I feel the need to illustrate.
Lets suppose that I am head of a relatively small group trying to take over a country by "terrrorizing" (beating, raping, gasing, beheading, burning alive, etc.) the population. This works out great until "occupying" forces from large, powerful nation with a crazy notion that all people want to be free decides that they have had enough of my regional bully tactics and my "support" of fellow bullies worldwide. These freedom nuts move in and start to destroy everything I have worked so hard to take by force. They keep killing everyone I can convince to fight them. This is really bothersome because to get people to fight, I have to promise a huge reward in the next life and provide plenty of drugs in the current life. The only strategy I can hope for is to get the freedom nuts to leave of thier own will while I am still alive ('cause, damn them, I cannot kill hardly any of them - I have had 2 years and over 100,000 targets everyday and I have barely killed 2,000) . Luckily, they are not too smart and some of them want to tell me when they are leaving. Once I know when they are leaving I can just lay low, wait for them to leave and then take over. Even if they do not set a date, but just tell me what needs to happen before they'll leave I am O.K. with that. I can stop beheading folks or blowing up cars for a few months if I need to, after all, I will need my rest if I am going to fill the gap when they leave.
Giving any emeny the timetable or conditions under which we will withdraw is giving our enemy a monumental strategic advantage. In the past 7,000 years of warfare, countries have killed to keep secrets that gave a 1/100th of the advantage that this would give them.
Explain to me why this is not so?
Lets suppose that I am head of a relatively small group trying to take over a country by "terrrorizing" (beating, raping, gasing, beheading, burning alive, etc.) the population. This works out great until "occupying" forces from large, powerful nation with a crazy notion that all people want to be free decides that they have had enough of my regional bully tactics and my "support" of fellow bullies worldwide. These freedom nuts move in and start to destroy everything I have worked so hard to take by force. They keep killing everyone I can convince to fight them. This is really bothersome because to get people to fight, I have to promise a huge reward in the next life and provide plenty of drugs in the current life. The only strategy I can hope for is to get the freedom nuts to leave of thier own will while I am still alive ('cause, damn them, I cannot kill hardly any of them - I have had 2 years and over 100,000 targets everyday and I have barely killed 2,000) . Luckily, they are not too smart and some of them want to tell me when they are leaving. Once I know when they are leaving I can just lay low, wait for them to leave and then take over. Even if they do not set a date, but just tell me what needs to happen before they'll leave I am O.K. with that. I can stop beheading folks or blowing up cars for a few months if I need to, after all, I will need my rest if I am going to fill the gap when they leave.
Giving any emeny the timetable or conditions under which we will withdraw is giving our enemy a monumental strategic advantage. In the past 7,000 years of warfare, countries have killed to keep secrets that gave a 1/100th of the advantage that this would give them.
Explain to me why this is not so?
Monday, November 14, 2005
Imagine You're a Woman
I found this of MEMRI and I thought it was inspired.
Al-Bishr is "a lecturer in social sciences at King Saud University" who "recently published an article titled "Imagine You're a Woman" in the London Arabic-language daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat" (excerpts by MEMRI):
"Imagine you're a woman. When your brother is born, people say: 'It's a boy, how wonderful,' and when you are born they say: 'How wonderful, it's a little girl' , using the diminutive form. Your arrival is welcome if [you are] the first or second girl, but it's best if there are no more than two, so that nothing undesirable happens to the mother. On the other hand, your brothers' arrivals are welcomed, the more the merrier."Imagine you're a woman. You always need your guardian's approval, not only regarding your first marriage, as maintained by the Islamic legal scholars, but regarding each and every matter. You cannot study without your guardian's approval, even if you reach a doctorate level. You cannot get a job and earn a living without your guardian's approval. Moreover, there are people who are not ashamed to say that a woman must have permission to work even in the private sector. "Imagine you're a woman, and the guardian who must accompany you wherever [you go] is your 15-year-old son or your brother, who scratches his chin before giving his approval, saying: 'What do you think, guys, should I give her my permission?' Sometimes he asks for... a bribe [in return], heaven forbid! [But] your brother avoids taking such a bribe in 'cash' because his self-respect prevents him from touching a woman's money. So he prefers the bribe to be a car, a fridge, or an assurance of money that you will pay in installments [for him], until Allah gets him out of his financial straits..."Imagine you're a woman, and you are subject to assault, beatings, or murder. When the press publishes your photo [together with] the photo of the criminals and [descriptions] of their brutality, there are people who ask: 'Was the victim covered [by a veil] or not?' If she was covered up, [the question arises:] 'Who let her go out of the house at such an hour?' In the event that your husband is the one who broke your ribs, [people will say] that no doubt there was good reason for it."Imagine you're a woman whose husband breaks her nose, arm, or leg, and you go to the Qadi to lodge a complaint. When the Qadi asks you about your complaint, and you say, 'He beat me,' he responds reproachfully 'That's all?!' In other words, [for the Qadi], beating is a technical situation that exists among all couples and lovers, [as the saying goes]: 'Beating the beloved is like eating raisins.'"Imagine you're a woman, and in order to manage your affairs you must ride in a 'limousine' with an Indian or Sri Lankan driver... or that you [must] wait for a younger brother to take you to work, or that you [must] bring a man who will learn to drive in your car, and will practice at your expense... because you yourself are not permitted to drive."Imagine you're a woman in the 21st century, and you see fatwas [issued] by some contemporary experts in Islamic law dealing with the rules regarding taking the women of the enemy prisoner and having sexual intercourse with them. Moreover, you find someone issuing a fatwa about the rules of taking the women of the enemy prisoner even in times of peace, and you don't know to which enemy women it refers."Imagine you're a woman who writes in a newspaper, and every time you write about your [women's] concerns, problems, poverty, unemployment, and legal status, they say about you: 'Never mind her, it's all women's talk.'"
For those of you who have not seen the MEMRI site, it is as direct a source as any not Islamic/Arabic speaker can get. They track and translate the meida in the middle east. Notably they broke the Oil for Food scandal months prior to it making it to the mainstream press and they did not hesitate to name names.
Al-Bishr is "a lecturer in social sciences at King Saud University" who "recently published an article titled "Imagine You're a Woman" in the London Arabic-language daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat" (excerpts by MEMRI):
"Imagine you're a woman. When your brother is born, people say: 'It's a boy, how wonderful,' and when you are born they say: 'How wonderful, it's a little girl' , using the diminutive form. Your arrival is welcome if [you are] the first or second girl, but it's best if there are no more than two, so that nothing undesirable happens to the mother. On the other hand, your brothers' arrivals are welcomed, the more the merrier."Imagine you're a woman. You always need your guardian's approval, not only regarding your first marriage, as maintained by the Islamic legal scholars, but regarding each and every matter. You cannot study without your guardian's approval, even if you reach a doctorate level. You cannot get a job and earn a living without your guardian's approval. Moreover, there are people who are not ashamed to say that a woman must have permission to work even in the private sector. "Imagine you're a woman, and the guardian who must accompany you wherever [you go] is your 15-year-old son or your brother, who scratches his chin before giving his approval, saying: 'What do you think, guys, should I give her my permission?' Sometimes he asks for... a bribe [in return], heaven forbid! [But] your brother avoids taking such a bribe in 'cash' because his self-respect prevents him from touching a woman's money. So he prefers the bribe to be a car, a fridge, or an assurance of money that you will pay in installments [for him], until Allah gets him out of his financial straits..."Imagine you're a woman, and you are subject to assault, beatings, or murder. When the press publishes your photo [together with] the photo of the criminals and [descriptions] of their brutality, there are people who ask: 'Was the victim covered [by a veil] or not?' If she was covered up, [the question arises:] 'Who let her go out of the house at such an hour?' In the event that your husband is the one who broke your ribs, [people will say] that no doubt there was good reason for it."Imagine you're a woman whose husband breaks her nose, arm, or leg, and you go to the Qadi to lodge a complaint. When the Qadi asks you about your complaint, and you say, 'He beat me,' he responds reproachfully 'That's all?!' In other words, [for the Qadi], beating is a technical situation that exists among all couples and lovers, [as the saying goes]: 'Beating the beloved is like eating raisins.'"Imagine you're a woman, and in order to manage your affairs you must ride in a 'limousine' with an Indian or Sri Lankan driver... or that you [must] wait for a younger brother to take you to work, or that you [must] bring a man who will learn to drive in your car, and will practice at your expense... because you yourself are not permitted to drive."Imagine you're a woman in the 21st century, and you see fatwas [issued] by some contemporary experts in Islamic law dealing with the rules regarding taking the women of the enemy prisoner and having sexual intercourse with them. Moreover, you find someone issuing a fatwa about the rules of taking the women of the enemy prisoner even in times of peace, and you don't know to which enemy women it refers."Imagine you're a woman who writes in a newspaper, and every time you write about your [women's] concerns, problems, poverty, unemployment, and legal status, they say about you: 'Never mind her, it's all women's talk.'"
For those of you who have not seen the MEMRI site, it is as direct a source as any not Islamic/Arabic speaker can get. They track and translate the meida in the middle east. Notably they broke the Oil for Food scandal months prior to it making it to the mainstream press and they did not hesitate to name names.
An American Conservative
A Promise To Myself
Lately, I have come to realize that I am guilty of being a silent American conservative. Like too many, I have fallen silent when people call the President names, when people make unpatriotic pronouncement, when people twist the truth. Sadly, these people, easily found under the heading of democrat, have no back ground to qualify to make the judgements they prounounce, no facts to back up what they say and not enough commensense to remain civil. As an American Conservative, I pledge to myself:
1. I will respond immediately to anyone who insults the President of the United States. I will not let my silence be taken as consent. I demand respect for the leader of our county.
2. I will respond immediately to anyone who makes unpartiotic pronouncements. This includes any statement any statement that being with "I support the troops but...", name calling of public officials, belittling of our governments efforts, or giving aid and comfort to our enimies.
3. I will respond immediately to "pronuoncements" of truth that come without fact, without background, with commonsense.
I will remain civil but firm until civil no longer works, then I will be uncivil.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
-Edumnd Burke
Lately, I have come to realize that I am guilty of being a silent American conservative. Like too many, I have fallen silent when people call the President names, when people make unpatriotic pronouncement, when people twist the truth. Sadly, these people, easily found under the heading of democrat, have no back ground to qualify to make the judgements they prounounce, no facts to back up what they say and not enough commensense to remain civil. As an American Conservative, I pledge to myself:
1. I will respond immediately to anyone who insults the President of the United States. I will not let my silence be taken as consent. I demand respect for the leader of our county.
2. I will respond immediately to anyone who makes unpartiotic pronouncements. This includes any statement any statement that being with "I support the troops but...", name calling of public officials, belittling of our governments efforts, or giving aid and comfort to our enimies.
3. I will respond immediately to "pronuoncements" of truth that come without fact, without background, with commonsense.
I will remain civil but firm until civil no longer works, then I will be uncivil.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
-Edumnd Burke
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Wylie is my dog. He has quiet a life and understands how lucky he is. That makes him smart than many Americans and certianly smarter than any Democrats I know.
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