First posted at Causes of Interest.
U.S. Could Take 200 North Korean Refugees in 2006
The United States could process asylum claims for up to 200 North Koreans this year, a U.S. source tells RFA's Korean service, despite the unique difficulty of conducting required background probes into refugees from the world's most tightly closed country. “We will consider any North Koreans brought to our attention by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, by U.S. embassies and consulates, and by reputable nongovernmental organizations,” one U.S. source said...
China Releases Mao Portrait Protester After 17 Years
The last of three protesters jailed by the Chinese authorities for defacing the portrait of Mao Zedong during the 1989 demonstrations on Tiananmen Square is released after serving 17 years in jail. Former newspaper editor Yu Dongyue left Chishan Prison, Yuanjiang city in the central province of Hunan, under police escort, his mother Wu Pinghua told RFA’s Cantonese service. Asked about Yu Dongyue’s physical condition, his sister, Yu Rixia, told RFA's Mandarin service: “His health is not very good. He can not manage his own personal chores. The priority now is for him to adjust to the current situation and hope that his health can be gradually improved.”...
My apologies. This article is dated March 4, 2006.
Two weeks ahead of a new round of voting for Tibet's exile government, RFA's Tibetan service has begun a series of live broadcasts of election-related coverage. Thousands of exiled Tibetans are expected to cast ballots on March 18. Go to www.RFA.org/Tibetan for detailed program guides.
Burma Blocks Humanitarian Prison Visits.
Burma’s military junta is blocking regular visits by representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and putting pressure on them to work in tandem with local groups approved by officials, RFA's Burmese service reports...
North Korean Refugees Head For Europe.
Increasing numbers of defectors from North Korea are finding their way to Europe, often after a marathon journey spanning several years and tens of thousands of miles—the result of a complex network of people-smugglers, defectors, and South Korean missionaries...
Turkey-based Publisher Keeps Uyghur Letters Alive.
A modest publishing house in Turkey is increasingly keeping the Uyghur language and culture alive from its place of exile, sending out volumes of poetry, history, and Islamic scholarship free of charge even as Beijing clamps down on the millions of Uyghurs under its control...
Vietnamese Journalist Questions 'Socialist Economy'.
A prominent Vietnamese journalist has called on the ruling Communist Party to do more to overhaul the country’s massive bureaucracy and "disoriented”economy and to clarify who runs Vietnam—party or state...
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Iranian Woman to be Executed: Call Congress!
Labels:
anti-Liberty
Calling all people who care about human rights and just plain decency. There is an issue at hand that the Iranian government is trying to slip under the eyes of the world community. They are planning to execute a woman for protecting her 15 year old daughter from being raped by her 'temporary' husband. This is going to happen on or before April 1, 2006.
They have already yielded to outside pressure once in this matter. Now, with our eyes on their nuclear program and interference in Iraq, they have raised this issue again. They have raised it to make a point to all women in Iran: You demonstrate for freedom, human rights, etc, this will happen to you! We must act.
Please call your Congressperson and Senators immediately. (Toll free877-762-8762, President's comment line: 202-456-1111.) Make as much noise as you can. We cannot allow this to stand. Let us ban together in prayer and voice to free this woman. In turn, we will be on the side of all the women in Iran.
Here is one report I have received, and I was also alerted to this tragedy by Right Truth. Thank you.
A Daily Briefing On Iran:
Iran Press News: Translation by Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has yet again slated Fatemeh Haghighat-Pajooh for execution. Haghighat-Pajooh murdered her “temporary husband” for attempted rape of her 15-year-old daughter, from her first marriage and in 1997 was charged with murder, by the misogynist Mullah judiciary and sentenced to death.
Haghighat-Pajooh was originally scheduled for execution in 2002 however due to international pressure the execution was stayed. Once again however, the Islamic Republic of Iran's high tribunal has reinstated the ruling and has every intention of seeing the execution through.
Her execution, is reportedly scheduled to take place by or before April 1st, which is the last day of the Persian New Year.
According to various received reports, the Islamic regime is planning to execute her quietly so that any pressure from the international human rights groups can be foiled. The Islamic regime, fearing any further protests and challenges by Iranian women, plans to use Haghighat-Pajooh’s case in order to strike more fear and intimidation in the hearts of Iranian women.
Fatemeh’s daughter appeals to all freedom-loving people around the world as well as international human rights groups for immediate attention to her mother’s case.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Cross-posted @ Rosemary's Thoughts. Rosemary's News and Ideas.
They have already yielded to outside pressure once in this matter. Now, with our eyes on their nuclear program and interference in Iraq, they have raised this issue again. They have raised it to make a point to all women in Iran: You demonstrate for freedom, human rights, etc, this will happen to you! We must act.
Please call your Congressperson and Senators immediately. (Toll free
Here is one report I have received, and I was also alerted to this tragedy by Right Truth. Thank you.
A Daily Briefing On Iran:
Iran Press News: Translation by Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has yet again slated Fatemeh Haghighat-Pajooh for execution. Haghighat-Pajooh murdered her “temporary husband” for attempted rape of her 15-year-old daughter, from her first marriage and in 1997 was charged with murder, by the misogynist Mullah judiciary and sentenced to death.
Haghighat-Pajooh was originally scheduled for execution in 2002 however due to international pressure the execution was stayed. Once again however, the Islamic Republic of Iran's high tribunal has reinstated the ruling and has every intention of seeing the execution through.
Her execution, is reportedly scheduled to take place by or before April 1st, which is the last day of the Persian New Year.
According to various received reports, the Islamic regime is planning to execute her quietly so that any pressure from the international human rights groups can be foiled. The Islamic regime, fearing any further protests and challenges by Iranian women, plans to use Haghighat-Pajooh’s case in order to strike more fear and intimidation in the hearts of Iranian women.
Fatemeh’s daughter appeals to all freedom-loving people around the world as well as international human rights groups for immediate attention to her mother’s case.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Cross-posted @ Rosemary's Thoughts. Rosemary's News and Ideas.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
The worshippers of death and the camel's nose
Labels:
anti-Liberty
Please forgive me. I have had this one for a while, so I really should get around to publishing! This is another one by Jack Lewis, and it will outrage you. That is, if you think about it.
SUMMARY: British courts saved the life of a young boy whose doctors had tried to kill. The boy is not in a persistent vegetated state, but the doctors simply determine him to be "suffering" due to his paralyses. Quite a large step the worshippers of death are taking from their victory in the torture and murder of Terri Schiavo. They are serious about taking more ground in their war against life. But how much ground have they really won? The truth may amaze you.
TEXT: March 16, 2006
From the London Telegraph:
When calling one of my state legislatures about legislation that would prevent the murder of the disabled, I was told, "We don't need the government interfering in family decisions" The legislator said it with enough conviction that I knew I wouldn't get anywhere arguing with him. Sure I could have pointed out that the state meddles with family decisions all the time when it comes to children, why would the disabled be of less concern? What I've learned since then is that the idea of quietly helping someone, who is perceived to be suffering, to die is an idea that has already by and large been accepted by most Americans. It was a chilling realization. We are that far along the slippery slope toward another Nazi regime.
When Hitler came to power he wasn't enthusiastically endorsed by the German people—he was tolerated out of perceived necessity. As he slowly gained more power, they continued to tolerate it, since he also brought economic stability and a sense of national pride. He allowed them to shift their anger and resentment toward a scapegoat (the Jews) and by the time they realized the price they were expected to pay for his insanity was too high, it was far too late.
People like Boenhoffer and Niemoller tried to warn the German people, but were silenced permanently in the case of Boenhoffer, who was executed after Hitler accused him of attempting to assassinate him (an accusation curiously accepted as truth by historians, in spite of the lack of any evidence to support it). Niemoller escaped, which took him out of the position to further influence the German people.
Voices are crying today, warning of the dangers of belittling the value of human life, but those voices are being ignored and laws are being twisted, warped or just plain ignored in an effort to quietly remove those people whose existence most find inconvenient, just as the Germans found the Jews' existence inconvenient.
Martin Niemoller offered this warning to people everywhere...
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas.
SUMMARY: British courts saved the life of a young boy whose doctors had tried to kill. The boy is not in a persistent vegetated state, but the doctors simply determine him to be "suffering" due to his paralyses. Quite a large step the worshippers of death are taking from their victory in the torture and murder of Terri Schiavo. They are serious about taking more ground in their war against life. But how much ground have they really won? The truth may amaze you.
TEXT: March 16, 2006
From the London Telegraph:
An 18-month-old terminally ill boy with an incurable condition should be kept alive, a High Court judge ruled.They might have lost this one, but the fact that they even tried shows they are on the move and looking to expand the types of people they can murder. Last year it was Terri Schiavo. This year they attempted more, and were turned back. They'll be back. [Continue reading.]
Mr Justice Holman concluded in a 29-page judgment that it was not in the boy's best interests to withdraw life-saving ventilation. The boy, known only as MB, suffers from spinal muscular atrophy. He cannot breathe, chew or swallow and has been in intensive care since he was seven weeks old.
His doctors had gone to the court to seek to withdraw ventilation. It was the first time a court had been asked to make a life-or-death ruling on a patient who was not in a persistent vegetative state. The doctors had argued that the boy's life was "intolerable". One said that he would lose his ability to open his eyelids, probably within the next few months and would have growing problems with heart rate and blood pressure.
The judge, while expressing his "great and genuine respect" for the medical team, said the pleasures the boy enjoyed outweighed the discomfort and distress he suffered every day.
When calling one of my state legislatures about legislation that would prevent the murder of the disabled, I was told, "We don't need the government interfering in family decisions" The legislator said it with enough conviction that I knew I wouldn't get anywhere arguing with him. Sure I could have pointed out that the state meddles with family decisions all the time when it comes to children, why would the disabled be of less concern? What I've learned since then is that the idea of quietly helping someone, who is perceived to be suffering, to die is an idea that has already by and large been accepted by most Americans. It was a chilling realization. We are that far along the slippery slope toward another Nazi regime.
When Hitler came to power he wasn't enthusiastically endorsed by the German people—he was tolerated out of perceived necessity. As he slowly gained more power, they continued to tolerate it, since he also brought economic stability and a sense of national pride. He allowed them to shift their anger and resentment toward a scapegoat (the Jews) and by the time they realized the price they were expected to pay for his insanity was too high, it was far too late.
People like Boenhoffer and Niemoller tried to warn the German people, but were silenced permanently in the case of Boenhoffer, who was executed after Hitler accused him of attempting to assassinate him (an accusation curiously accepted as truth by historians, in spite of the lack of any evidence to support it). Niemoller escaped, which took him out of the position to further influence the German people.
Voices are crying today, warning of the dangers of belittling the value of human life, but those voices are being ignored and laws are being twisted, warped or just plain ignored in an effort to quietly remove those people whose existence most find inconvenient, just as the Germans found the Jews' existence inconvenient.
Martin Niemoller offered this warning to people everywhere...
In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionists. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I am protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up.It's a much misused quote, which is to be expected, but in this case it is exactly what Niemoller was speaking to. I have two children with a congenital condition serious enough that some have felt it their duty to attempt to use the government to prevent us from having more children, even though it is doubtful those same people could tell which of our children actually have the condition, even if they were to watch them for hours on end. When people demand the power of life and death over others, without demonstrating a healthy respect for life in general, is Nazism far behind? They came for Terri Schiavo, tortured her to death, and few spoke up because they found her uncomfortable to watch. They come for handicapped children, and most ignore it because it's not their child. But how long until it is your child? How long until it's you they come for?
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
JP's McCain 2008 PRO & CON Analysis
JP's thoughts on McCain in 2008, the pros and the cons. He has done some analysis, and I am going to post them here for him. If you like them, I suggest you link to his site. He is a very good writer!
JP's McCain 2008 PRO & CON Analysis
PROS:
1. Has always been fiscally responsible, voting against pork, excessive spending, etc. He is currently working with Sen. Coburn to highlight each individual earmark.
2. Has consistently favored higher defense spending, favors a forward-leaning defense posture, and is one of the strongest defenders and communicators of our Long-War & War on Terror strategy in Afghanistan, Iraq and the rest of the Middle East. He agrees that advocating democracy and freedom can increase our peace and security over the long run. He understands the "neo-con" view of the world, of which I subscribe. This view holds that from 1945-2001, we supported dictators in the Middle East, which linked the US with those dictators, and caused the people to slowly turn against us because of the inherent corruption, poverty & joblessness that always results from dictatorships. This bad economic, political and social environment then fostered hatred & intolerance.
3. He has generally been pro-life, but much like my view, is not completely intolerant to the view that the woman should have control of her own person when there are mitigating circumstances. However, I believe strongly that states and the people within them should have the power to set their own laws when it comes to this issue and NOT judges, and he has recently said that he would sign the SD bill.
4. McCain has become much more of a party-supporter over the last 2 years. He campaigned vigorously for the President and many colleagues in 2004, and will do so again in 2006. I believe he has learned that bucking the party only gains him Dem friends, and he'll never be President without 85% of the GOP votes. It seems as though he has mended fences with the Bush administration and is also gaining in key-politicos and donor personnel. This will take time, but must be a focus.
CONS:
1. McCain voted against the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts in both the budget and separate votes. Although he supported the tax cuts in 2005, his view on this critical item is suspect and I demand more from a GOP Presidential candidate, especially when these cuts have been proven to both grow tax revenues and the economy over time. McCain may have some "evolving" to do on this issue, which it looks like he is trying to do, and this is critical for him to gain GOP votes. He has to get out in front of any potential tax reform efforts and lead to have any credibility, but CPR is possible here.
2. Freedom of speech issues are a problem as well. The campaign finance reform issue was a big one for McCain, and I am fully against limiting individual contributions. However, McCain Feingold was a boon for the GOP in that it did double the hard-dollar limits. My view is that both corporate and union money should be banned completely, and that individual limits should be doubled again, but this will never happen. This issue is a problem for McCain, and I don't see him fixing GOP opinion much here.
3. Judges is the 3rd problem for McCain. He brokered the "gang of 14" which did help to confirm some of the blocked appeals court nominees, and ensured Alito and Roberts passage, but the agreement appeared to many GOP faithful to be another cave to the left. He needs to be a forceful advocate for "judicial restraint" and come out aggressively against any liberal judicial rulings over the next 2 years.
4. Because he has bucked GOP orthodoxy so many times over the past 5 years, there is little trust in McCain from the GOP grassroots. This can be overcome, but must be a long-term effort that is consistent and visible.
GOP Competitors:
Rudy Giuliani has a shot, but McCain is much more socially conservative. Head to head, John would win 2-1.
George Allen is a popular, gregarious fellow, but I think he's probably just a bit too much like President Bush in personality & communication style. Now matter how much I like GWB, I think the broader electorate will probably be looking for something a bit different.
Sam Brownback and Mike Huckabee are good conservatives but would need $1 Billion apiece just to get the Name Recognition that McCain already has. Both will lose to most DEMs.
Governor & former Olympics coordinator Mitt Romney is probably the most likely competitor down the stretch, although he is also a bit unknown. However, his strong showing at the SRLC in Tennessee opened a lot of eyes. He is socially conservative, balanced a huge budget deficit in Massachusetts without a tax hike, and has pretty good organization already set. He is running, and I think will be the conservative challenger to McCain.
Condi Rice or JEB Bush would be fantastic Presidents, both, but I believe neither are running. Both might be running for VEEP, and both would make fantastic running mates.
Pataki and the rest of the also-rans should drop their thoughts of running. They don't have a shot at beating any one of the above names. Oh I forgot Bill Frist, sorry. That should give you some idea of what I think of his chancesssssszzzzzzzz
GOP Nomination Summary:
I think McCain has the best shot right now at winning the GOP nomination in 2008. Independents love him, and he gain win back most of the GOP, if he works consistently & patiently over the next 2.5 years to show that he has both learned that some of his prior positions were incorrect and that he is a more Conservative politician than the GOP grassroots think he is.
DEM Competitors:
Hillary is most likely the nominee, but Mark Warner wil be her credible challenger from the "center-left", Russ Feingold will be the competitor from the liberal quarter, and a DEM Latino governor from the southwest (New Mexico) named Bill Richardson gives me the willies, but it seems as though he is too disorganized and childish (read: Bill Clinton) to have a credible shot at anything but VEEP. Any one of these candidates will get 48% guaranteed in the General, and Hillary or Warner could get 49%. 2008
GENERAL Conclusion:
McCain will win if he runs a credible campaign, and could win by more than GWB in 2004. If Romney is the nominee, the race is closer, he has to run a perfect campaign, and any other GOP candidate could likely lose.
Editors Note: I hope not! ;)
Update: (6/6/09) Boy, wasn't this a crock? Who wrote this? JP, how could you! *sigh*
JP's McCain 2008 PRO & CON Analysis
PROS:
1. Has always been fiscally responsible, voting against pork, excessive spending, etc. He is currently working with Sen. Coburn to highlight each individual earmark.
2. Has consistently favored higher defense spending, favors a forward-leaning defense posture, and is one of the strongest defenders and communicators of our Long-War & War on Terror strategy in Afghanistan, Iraq and the rest of the Middle East. He agrees that advocating democracy and freedom can increase our peace and security over the long run. He understands the "neo-con" view of the world, of which I subscribe. This view holds that from 1945-2001, we supported dictators in the Middle East, which linked the US with those dictators, and caused the people to slowly turn against us because of the inherent corruption, poverty & joblessness that always results from dictatorships. This bad economic, political and social environment then fostered hatred & intolerance.
3. He has generally been pro-life, but much like my view, is not completely intolerant to the view that the woman should have control of her own person when there are mitigating circumstances. However, I believe strongly that states and the people within them should have the power to set their own laws when it comes to this issue and NOT judges, and he has recently said that he would sign the SD bill.
4. McCain has become much more of a party-supporter over the last 2 years. He campaigned vigorously for the President and many colleagues in 2004, and will do so again in 2006. I believe he has learned that bucking the party only gains him Dem friends, and he'll never be President without 85% of the GOP votes. It seems as though he has mended fences with the Bush administration and is also gaining in key-politicos and donor personnel. This will take time, but must be a focus.
CONS:
1. McCain voted against the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts in both the budget and separate votes. Although he supported the tax cuts in 2005, his view on this critical item is suspect and I demand more from a GOP Presidential candidate, especially when these cuts have been proven to both grow tax revenues and the economy over time. McCain may have some "evolving" to do on this issue, which it looks like he is trying to do, and this is critical for him to gain GOP votes. He has to get out in front of any potential tax reform efforts and lead to have any credibility, but CPR is possible here.
2. Freedom of speech issues are a problem as well. The campaign finance reform issue was a big one for McCain, and I am fully against limiting individual contributions. However, McCain Feingold was a boon for the GOP in that it did double the hard-dollar limits. My view is that both corporate and union money should be banned completely, and that individual limits should be doubled again, but this will never happen. This issue is a problem for McCain, and I don't see him fixing GOP opinion much here.
3. Judges is the 3rd problem for McCain. He brokered the "gang of 14" which did help to confirm some of the blocked appeals court nominees, and ensured Alito and Roberts passage, but the agreement appeared to many GOP faithful to be another cave to the left. He needs to be a forceful advocate for "judicial restraint" and come out aggressively against any liberal judicial rulings over the next 2 years.
4. Because he has bucked GOP orthodoxy so many times over the past 5 years, there is little trust in McCain from the GOP grassroots. This can be overcome, but must be a long-term effort that is consistent and visible.
GOP Competitors:
Rudy Giuliani has a shot, but McCain is much more socially conservative. Head to head, John would win 2-1.
George Allen is a popular, gregarious fellow, but I think he's probably just a bit too much like President Bush in personality & communication style. Now matter how much I like GWB, I think the broader electorate will probably be looking for something a bit different.
Sam Brownback and Mike Huckabee are good conservatives but would need $1 Billion apiece just to get the Name Recognition that McCain already has. Both will lose to most DEMs.
Governor & former Olympics coordinator Mitt Romney is probably the most likely competitor down the stretch, although he is also a bit unknown. However, his strong showing at the SRLC in Tennessee opened a lot of eyes. He is socially conservative, balanced a huge budget deficit in Massachusetts without a tax hike, and has pretty good organization already set. He is running, and I think will be the conservative challenger to McCain.
Condi Rice or JEB Bush would be fantastic Presidents, both, but I believe neither are running. Both might be running for VEEP, and both would make fantastic running mates.
Pataki and the rest of the also-rans should drop their thoughts of running. They don't have a shot at beating any one of the above names. Oh I forgot Bill Frist, sorry. That should give you some idea of what I think of his chancesssssszzzzzzzz
GOP Nomination Summary:
I think McCain has the best shot right now at winning the GOP nomination in 2008. Independents love him, and he gain win back most of the GOP, if he works consistently & patiently over the next 2.5 years to show that he has both learned that some of his prior positions were incorrect and that he is a more Conservative politician than the GOP grassroots think he is.
DEM Competitors:
Hillary is most likely the nominee, but Mark Warner wil be her credible challenger from the "center-left", Russ Feingold will be the competitor from the liberal quarter, and a DEM Latino governor from the southwest (New Mexico) named Bill Richardson gives me the willies, but it seems as though he is too disorganized and childish (read: Bill Clinton) to have a credible shot at anything but VEEP. Any one of these candidates will get 48% guaranteed in the General, and Hillary or Warner could get 49%. 2008
GENERAL Conclusion:
McCain will win if he runs a credible campaign, and could win by more than GWB in 2004. If Romney is the nominee, the race is closer, he has to run a perfect campaign, and any other GOP candidate could likely lose.
Editors Note: I hope not! ;)
Update: (6/6/09) Boy, wasn't this a crock? Who wrote this? JP, how could you! *sigh*
Monday, March 6, 2006
Should the Axis of Evil be Extended to Chavez?
Labels:
Asia,
S America,
SW Asia,
war things
Chavez has been going to NK and has a 'Friendship and Cultural Association' pact with NK, Iran, and Hizbollah. He has ambitions for nuclear proliferations, and I hope he is stopped before it is too late.
Iran already has plans to ship missles to Chavez in oil tankers so as not to be suspected. If Iran is going to do this, wouldn't that mean they have them to ship? Hmm.
This information can be found in an article written by Kenneth Rijock, Investigative Report, La Nueva Cuba, March 6, 2006.
This was first posted at My Newz 'n Ideas.
Iran already has plans to ship missles to Chavez in oil tankers so as not to be suspected. If Iran is going to do this, wouldn't that mean they have them to ship? Hmm.
This information can be found in an article written by Kenneth Rijock, Investigative Report, La Nueva Cuba, March 6, 2006.
This was first posted at My Newz 'n Ideas.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Olympics 2006
Labels:
sports
I don't care what anyone says, I LOVE those ice skaters! They are so handsome and beautiful. They put a lot of hard work into their skating, and it shows. They make it look so easy,but I guarantee you--it is not. Gotta go, someone's on the rink.
Saturday, October 8, 2005
Transcript: Bush Discusses War on Terrorism
Labels:
general
Washington Post: Transcript of President Bush' speech at the National Endowment for Democracy Thursday, October 6, 2005.
Hat tip to Jenny over at For the Freedom of Iran.
BUSH: Thank you for the warm welcome.
I'm honored once again to be with the supporters of the National Endowment for Democracy.
Since the day President Ronald Reagan set out the vision for this endowment, the world has seen the swiftest advance of democratic institutions in history. And Americans are proud to have played our role in this great story.
Our nation stood guard on tense borders. We spoke for the rights of dissidents and the hopes of exiles. We aided the rise of new democracies on the ruins of tyranny.
BUSH: And all the costs and sacrifice of that struggle has been worth it because from Latin America to Europe to Asia we've gained the peace that freedom brings.
In this new century, freedom is once again assaulted by enemies, determined to roll back generations of democratic progress. Once again, we're responding to a global campaign of fear with a global campaign of freedom. And once again, we will see freedom's victory.
(APPLAUSE)
Again, I want to thank you for inviting me back. Thank you for the short introduction.
(LAUGHTER)
I appreciate Carl Gershman.
I want to welcome former Congressman Dick Gephardt, who is a board member of the National Endowment for Democracy.
It's good to see you, Dick.
BUSH: And I appreciate Chris Cox, who's the chairman of the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission and a board member for the National Endowment of Democracy, for being here as well.
And I want to thank all the other board members.
I appreciate the secretary of state, Condi Rice, who has joined us. Alongside her, our secretary of defense, Donald Rumsfeld.
Thank you all for being here.
I'm proud as well that the newly sworn-in chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the first Marine ever to hold that position, is with us today, General Peter Pace.
(APPLAUSE)
And I thank members of the diplomatic corps who are here, as well.
BUSH: Recently, our country observed the fourth anniversary of a great evil and looked back on a great turning point in our history.
We still remember a proud city covered in smoke and ashes, a fire across the Potomac, and passengers who spent their final moments on Earth fighting the enemy. We still remember the men who rejoice in every death, and Americans in uniform rising to duty. And we remember the calling that came to us on that day and continues to this hour.
We will confront this mortal danger to all humanity. We will not tire or rest until the war on terror is won.
(APPLAUSE)
The images and experience of September the 11th are unique for Americans.
BUSH: Yet the evil of that morning has reappeared on other days in other places -- in Mombasa and Casablanca and Riyadh and Jakarta and Istanbul, in Madrid, in Beslan, in Taba and Natanya and Baghdad and elsewhere.
In the past few months, we've seen a new terror offensive with attacks in London, Sharm el-Sheikh and a deadly bombing in Bali once again.
All these separate images of destruction and suffering that we see on the new can seem like random and isolated acts of madness. Innocent men and women and children have died simply because they boarded the wrong train or worked in the wrong building or checked into the wrong hotel.
And while the killers choose their victims indiscriminately, their attacks serve a clear and focused ideology, a set of beliefs and goals that are evil but not insane.
Some call this evil Islamic radicalism. Others militant jihadism.
BUSH: Still, others Islamo-fascism.
Whatever it's called, this ideology is very different from the religion of Islam. This form of radicalism exploits Islam to serve a violent political vision: the establishment, by terrorism and subversion and insurgency, of a totalitarian empire that denies all political and religious freedom.
These extremists distort the idea of jihad into a call for terrorist murder against Christians and Jews and Hindus and also against Muslims from other traditions that they regard as heretics.
BUSH: Many militants are part of global borderless terrorist organizations like Al Qaida, which spreads propaganda and provides financing and technical assistance to local extremists and conducts dramatic and brutal operations like September 11th.
Other militants are found in regional groups often associated with Al Qaida; paramilitary insurgencies and separatist movements in places like Somalia and the Philippines and Pakistan and Chechnya and Kashmir and Algeria.
Still others spring up in local cells inspired by Islamic radicalism but not centrally directed.
BUSH: Islamic radicalism is more like a loose network with many branches than an army under a single command. Yet these operatives fighting on scattered battlefields share a similar ideology and vision for our world.
We know the vision of the radicals because they've openly stated it in videos and audiotapes and letters and declarations and Web sites.
First, these extremists want to end American and Western influence in the broader Middle East, because we stand for democracy and peace and stand in the way of their ambitions.
Al Qaida's leader, Osama bin Laden, has called on Muslims to dedicate, quote, "their resources sons and money to driving infidels out of their lands."
BUSH: Their tactic to meet this goal has been consistent for a quarter century: They hit us and expect us to run.
They want us to repeat the sad history of Beirut in 1983 and Mogadishu in 1993, only this time on a larger scale with greater consequences.
Second, the militant network wants to use the vacuum created by an American retreat to gain control of a country, a base from which to launch attacks and conduct their war against non-radical Muslim governments.
BUSH: Over the past few decades, radicals have specifically targeted Egypt and Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and Jordan for potential takeover.
They achieved their goal for a time in Afghanistan. Now they've set their sights on Iraq.
Bin Laden has stated the whole world is watching this war and the two adversaries: It's either victory and glory or misery and humiliation.
The terrorists regard Iraq as the central front in their war against humanity, and we must recognize Iraq as the central front in our war on terror.
Third, the militants believe that controlling one country will rally the Muslim masses, enabling them to overthrow all moderate governments in the region and establish a radical Islamic empire that spans from Spain to Indonesia.
BUSH: With greater economic and military and political power, the terrorists would be able to advance their stated agenda: to develop weapons of mass destruction, to destroy Israel, to intimidate Europe, to assault the American people and to blackmail our government into isolation.
Some might be tempted to dismiss these goals as fanatical or extreme. Well, they are fanatical and extreme and they should not be dismissed.
BUSH: Our enemy is utterly committed. As Zarqawi has vowed, "We will either we achieve victory over the human race or we will pass to the eternal life."
And the civilized world knows very well that other fanatics in history, from Hitler to Stalin to Pol Pot, consumed whole nations in war and genocide before leaving the stage of history.
Evil men obsessed with ambition and unburdened by conscience must be taken very seriously, and we must stop them before their crimes can multiply.
Defeating a militant network is difficult because it thrives like a parasite on the suffering and frustration of others.
The radicals exploit local conflicts to build a culture of victimization in which someone else is always to blame and violence is always the solution.
They exploit resentful and disillusioned young men and women, recruiting them through radical mosques as the pawns of terror.
And they exploit modern technology to multiply their destructive power. Instead of attending faraway training camps, recruits can now access online training libraries to learn how to build a roadside bomb or fire a rocket-propelled grenade.
BUSH: And this further spreads the threat of violence, even within peaceful democratic societies.
The influence of Islamic radicalism is also magnified by helpers and enablers. They have been sheltered by authoritarian regimes: allies of convenience like Syria and Iran that share the goal of hurting America and moderate Muslim governments and use terrorist propaganda to blame their own failures on the West and America and on the Jews.
The radicals depend on front operations such as corrupted charities which direct money to terrorist activity. They are strengthened by those who aggressively fund the spread of radical, intolerant versions of Islam in unstable parts of the world.
The militants are aided as well by elements of the Arab news media that incite hatred and anti-Semitism, that feed conspiracy theories and speak of so-called "American war on Islam" with seldom a word about American actions to protect Muslims in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Somalia, Kosovo, Kuwait and Iraq.
BUSH: Some have also argued that extremism has been strengthened by the actions of our coalition in Iraq, claiming that our presence in that country has somehow caused or triggered the rage of radicals.
I would remind them that we were not in Iraq on September the 11th, 2001, and Al Qaida attacked us anyway.
The hatred of the radicals existed before Iraq was an issue and it will exist after Iraq is no longer an excuse.
The government of Russia did not support Operation Iraqi Freedom, and yet militants killed more than 180 Russian school children in Beslan.
BUSH: Over the years, these extremists have used a litany of excuses for violence: Israeli presence on the West Bank or the U.S. military presence in Saudi Arabia or the defeat of the Taliban or the crusades of a thousand years ago.
In fact, we're not facing a set of grievances that can be soothed and addressed. We're facing a radical ideology with unalterable objectives: to enslave whole nations and intimidate the world.
BUSH: No act of ours invited the rage of the killers, and no concession, bribe or act of appeasement would change or limit their plans for murder.
On the contrary, they target nations whose behavior they believe they can change through violence.
Against such an enemy there is only one effective response: We will never back down, never give in and never accept anything less than complete victory.
(APPLAUSE)
BUSH: The murderous ideology of the Islamic radicals is the great challenge of our new century. Yet in many ways, this fight resembles the struggle against communism in the last century.
Like the ideology of communism, Islamic radicalism is elitist, led by a self-appointed vanguard that presumes to speak for the Muslim masses.
Osama bin Laden says his own role is to tell Muslims, quote, "what is good for them and what is not." And what this man who grew up in wealth and privilege considers good for poor Muslims is that they become killers and suicide bombers.
BUSH: He assures them that this is the road to paradise, though he never offers to go along for the ride.
Like the ideology of communism, our new enemy teaches that innocent individuals can be sacrificed to serve a political vision. And this explains their cold-blooded contempt for human life.
We've seen it in the murders of Daniel Pearl, Nicholas Berg and Margaret Hassan and many others.
In a courtroom in the Netherlands, the killer of Theo Van Gogh turned to the victim's grieving mother and said, "I do not feel your pain because I believe you are an infidel."
And in spite of this veneer of religious rhetoric, most of the victims claimed by the militants are fellow Muslims.
BUSH: When 25 Iraqi children are killed in a bombing or Iraqi teachers are executed at their school or hospital workers are killed caring for the wounded, this is murder, pure and simple; the total rejection of justice and honor and moral and religion.
These militants are not just the enemies of America or the enemies of Iraq, they are the enemies of Islam and the enemies of humanity.
(APPLAUSE)
BUSH: We have seen this kind of shameless cruelty before, in the heartless zealotry that led to the gulags and the Cultural Revolution and the killing fields.
Like the ideology of communism, our new enemy pursues totalitarian aims. Its leaders pretend to be in an aggrieved party, representing the powerless against imperial enemies.
In truth, they have endless ambitions of imperial domination and they wish to make everyone powerless except themselves.
Under their rule, they have banned books and desecrated historical monuments and brutalized women.
BUSH: They seek to end dissent in every form and to control every aspect of life and to rule the soul itself.
While promising a future of justice and holiness, the terrorists are preparing for a future of oppression and misery.
Like the ideology of communism, our new enemy is dismissive of free peoples, claiming that men and women who live in liberty are weak and decadent.
Zarqawi has said that Americans are, quote, "the most cowardly of God's creatures," but let's be clear: It is cowardice that seeks to kill children and the elderly with car bombs and cuts the throat of a bound captive and targets worshipers leaving a mosque.
BUSH: It is courage that liberated more than 50 million people. It is courage that keeps an untiring vigil against the enemies of a rising democracy. And it is courage and the cause of freedom that once again will destroy the enemies of freedom.
(APPLAUSE)
BUSH: And Islamic radicalism, like the ideology of communism, contains inherent contradictions that doom it to failure.
By fearing freedom, by distrusting human creativity and punishing change and limiting the contributions of half the population, this ideology undermines the very qualities that make human progress possible and human society successful.
The only thing modern about the militants' vision is the weapons they want to use against us. The rest of their grim vision is defined by a warped image of the past, a declaration of war on the idea of progress itself.
BUSH: And whatever lies ahead in the war against this ideology, the outcome is not in doubt: Those who despise freedom and progress have condemned themselves to isolation decline and collapse.
Because free peoples believe in the future, free peoples will own the future.
(APPLAUSE)
We didn't ask for this global struggle, but we're answering history's call with confidence and a comprehensive strategy.
Defeating a broad and adaptive network requires patience, constant pressure, and strong partners in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Asia and beyond.
BUSH: Working with these partners, we're disrupting militant conspiracies, destroying their ability to make war, and working to give millions in a troubled region of the world a hopeful alternative to resentment and violence.
First, we're determined to prevent the attacks of terrorist network before they occur. We're reorganizing our government to give this nation a broad and coordinated homeland defense. We're reforming our intelligence agency for the incredibly difficult task of tracking enemy activity, based on information that often comes in small fragments from widely scattered sources here and abroad.
We're acting, along with the governments from many countries, to destroy the terrorist networks and incapacitate their leaders.
Together, we've killed or captured nearly all of those directly responsible for the September the 11th attacks, as well as some of bin Laden's most senior deputies, Al Qaida managers and operatives in more than 24 countries: the mastermind of the USS Cole bombing who was chief of Al Qaida operations in the Persian Gulf, the mastermind of the Jakarta and the first Bali bombings, a senior Zarqawi terrorist planner who was planning attacks in Turkey, and many of Al Qaida's senior leaders in Saudi Arabia.
BUSH: Overall, the United States and our partners have disrupted at least 10 serious Al Qaida terrorist plots since September the 11th, including three Al Qaida plots to attack inside the United States. We've stopped at least five more Al Qaida efforts to case targets in the United States or infiltrate operatives into our country.
Because of the steady progress, the enemy is wounded. But the enemy is still capable of global operations.
BUSH: Our commitment is clear: We will not relent until the organized, international terror networks are exposed and broken and their leaders held to account for their acts of murder.
Second, we're determined to deny weapons of mass destruction to outlaw regimes and to their terrorist allies who would use them without hesitation.
The United States, working with Great Britain, Pakistan and other nations, has exposed and disrupted a major black market operation in nuclear technology led by A.Q. Khan.
Libya has abandoned its chemical and nuclear programs as well as long-range ballistic missiles.
In this last year, America and our partners in the Proliferation Security Initiative have stopped more than a dozen shipments of suspected weapons technology, including equipment for Iran's ballistic missile program.
This progress has reduced the danger to free nations, but it has not removed it.
BUSH: Evil men who want to use horrendous weapons against us are working in deadly earnest to gain them. And we're working urgently to keep weapons of mass destruction out of their hands.
Third, we're determined to deny radical groups the support and sanctuary of outlaw regimes. State sponsors like Syria and Iran have a long history of collaboration with terrorists, and they deserve no patience from the victims of terror.
The United States makes no distinction between those who commit acts of terror and those who support and harbor them, because they're equally as guilty of murder.
(APPLAUSE)
BUSH: Any government that chooses to be an ally of terror has also chosen to be an enemy of civilization. And the civilized world must hold those regimes to account.
Fourth, we're determined to deny the militant's control of any nation which they would use as a home base and a launching pad for terror.
For this reason, we're fighting beside our Afghan partners against remnants of the Taliban and their Al Qaida allies. For this reason, we're working with President Musharraf to oppose and isolate the militants in Pakistan. And for this reason, we're fighting the regime remnants and terrorists in Iraq.
The terrorists' goal is to overthrow a rising democracy, claim a strategic country as a haven for terror, destabilize the Middle East and strike America and other free nations with ever-increasing violence.
BUSH: Our goal is to defeat the terrorists and their allies at the heart of their power. And so we will defeat the enemy in Iraq.
Our coalition, along with our Iraqi allies, is moving forward with a comprehensive, specific military plan. Area by area, city by city, we're conducting offensive operations to clear out enemy forces and leaving behind Iraqi units to prevent the enemy from returning.
Within these areas, we're working for tangible improvements in the lives of Iraqi citizens. And we're aiding the rise of an elected government that unites the Iraqi people against extremism and violence.
This work involves great risk for Iraqis and for Americans and coalition forces.
BUSH: Wars are not won without sacrifice and this war will require more sacrifice, more time and more resolve.
The terrorists are as brutal an enemy as we've ever faced. They're unconstrained by any notion of our common humanity or by the rules of warfare.
No one should underestimate the difficulties ahead, nor should they overlook the advantages we bring to this fight.
Some observers look at the job ahead and adopt a self-defeating pessimism. It is not justified.
With every random bombing and with every funeral of a child it becomes more clear that the extremists are not patriots or resistance fighters. They are murderers at war with the Iraqi people themselves.
In contrast, the elected leaders of Iraq are proving to be strong and steadfast. By any standard or precedent of history, Iraq has made incredible political progress: from tyranny, to liberation, to national elections, to the writing of a constitution in the space of two and a half years.
BUSH: With our help, the Iraqi military is gaining new capabilities and new confidence with every passing month.
At the time of our Fallujah operations 11 months ago there were only a few Iraqi army battalions in combat. Today there are more than 80 Iraqi army battalions fighting the insurgency alongside our forces.
Progress isn't easy, but it is steady.
BUSH: And no fair-minded person should ignore, deny or dismiss the achievements of the Iraqi people.
Some observers question the durability of democracy in Iraq. They underestimate the power and appeal of freedom.
We've heard it suggested that Iraq's democracy must be on shaky ground because Iraqis are arguing with each other. But that's the essence of democracy: making your case, debating with those who disagree, building consensus by persuasion and answering to the will of the people.
We've heard it said that the Shias, Sunnis and Kurds of Iraq are too divided to form a lasting democracy.
BUSH: In fact, democratic federalism is the best hope for unifying a diverse population, because a federal constitutional system respects the rights and religious traditions of all citizens while giving all minorities, including the Sunnis, a stake and a voice in the future of their country.
It is true that the seeds of freedom have only recently been planted in Iraq but democracy, when it grows, is not a fragile flower. It is a healthy, sturdy tree.
(APPLAUSE)
As Americans, we believe that people everywhere -- everywhere prefer freedom to slavery and that liberty, once chosen, improves the lives of all.
BUSH: And so we're confident, as our coalition and the Iraqi people each do their part, Iraqi democracy will succeed.
Some observers also claim that America would be better off by cutting our losses and leaving Iraq now. It's a dangerous illusion refuted with a simple question: Would the United States and other free nations be more safe or less safe with Zarqawi and bin Laden in control of Iraq, its people and its resources?
Having removed a dictator and aided free peoples, we will not stand by as a new set of killers dedicated to the destruction of our own country seizes control of Iraq by violence.
BUSH: There's always a temptation in the middle of a long struggle to seek the quiet life, to escape the duties and problems of the world, and to hope the enemy grows weary of fanaticism and tired of murder.
This would be a pleasant world, but it's not the world we live in. The enemy is never tired, never sated, never content with yesterday's brutality.
The enemy considers every retreat of the civilized world as an invitation to greater violence.
In Iraq, there is no peace without victory.
BUSH: We will keep our nerve and we will win that victory.
(APPLAUSE)
The fifth element of our strategy in the war on terror is to deny the militants future recruits by replacing hatred and resentment with democracy and hope across the broader Middle East.
This is a difficult, long-term project, yet there's no alternative to it. Our future and the future of that region are linked.
If the broader Middle East is left to grow in bitterness, if countries remain in misery, while radicals stir the resentments of millions, then that part of the world will be a source of endless conflict and mounting danger for our generation and the next.
BUSH: If the peoples in that region are permitted to chose their own destiny and advance by their own energy and by their participation as free men and women, then the extremists will be marginalized and the flow of violent radicalism to the rest of the world will slow and eventually end.
By standing for the hope and freedom of others we make our own freedom more secure.
America is making this stand in practical ways. We're encouraging our friends in the Middle East, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia, to take the path of reform, to strengthen their own societies in the fight against terror by respecting the rights and choices of their own people.
We're standing with dissidents and exiles against oppressive regimes, because we know that the dissidents of today will be the democratic leaders of tomorrow.
BUSH: We're making our case through public diplomacy, stating clearly and confidently our belief in self-determination and the rule of law and religious freedom and equal rights for women; beliefs that are right and true in every land and in every culture.
(APPLAUSE)
As we do our part to confront radicalism, we know that the most vital work will be done within the Islamic world itself.
BUSH: And this work has begun.
Many Muslim scholars have already publicly condemned terrorism, often citing Chapter 5, Verse 32 of the Koran, which states that killing an innocent human being is like killing all humanity, and saving the life of one person is like saving all of humanity.
After the attacks in London on July the 7th, an imam in the United Arab Emirates declared, "Whoever does such a thing is not a Muslim, nor a religious person."
The time has come for all responsible Islamic leaders to join in denouncing an ideology that exploits Islam for political ends and defiles a noble faith.
Many people of the Muslim faith are proving their commitment at great personal risk. Everywhere we have engaged the fight against extremism, Muslim allies have stood up and joined the fight, becoming partners in a vital cause.
BUSH: Afghan troops are in combat against Taliban remnants. Iraqi soldiers are sacrificing to defeat Al Qaida in their own country.
These brave citizens know the stakes: the survival of their own liberty, the future of their own region, the justice and humanity of their own tradition. And the United States of America is proud to stand beside them.
(APPLAUSE)
With the rise of a deadly enemy and the unfolding of a global ideological struggle, our time in history will be remembered for new challenges and unprecedented dangers. And yet the fight we have joined is also the current expression of an ancient struggle between those who put their faith in dictators and those who put their faith in the people.
BUSH: Throughout history, tyrants and would-be tyrants have always claimed that murder is justified to serve their grand vision. And they end up alienating decent people across the globe.
Tyrants and would-be tyrants have always claimed that regimented societies are strong and pure until those societies collapse in corruption and decay.
Tyrants and would-be tyrants have always claimed that free men and women are weak and decadent until the day that free men and women defeat them.
We don't know the course of our own struggle, the course our own struggle will take, or the sacrifices that might lie ahead.
BUSH: We do know, however, that the defense of freedom is worth our sacrifice. We do know the love of freedom is the mightiest force of history. And we do know the cause of freedom will once again prevail.
May God bless you.
(APPLAUSE)
END
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas.
Hat tip to Jenny over at For the Freedom of Iran.
BUSH: Thank you for the warm welcome.
I'm honored once again to be with the supporters of the National Endowment for Democracy.
Since the day President Ronald Reagan set out the vision for this endowment, the world has seen the swiftest advance of democratic institutions in history. And Americans are proud to have played our role in this great story.
Our nation stood guard on tense borders. We spoke for the rights of dissidents and the hopes of exiles. We aided the rise of new democracies on the ruins of tyranny.
BUSH: And all the costs and sacrifice of that struggle has been worth it because from Latin America to Europe to Asia we've gained the peace that freedom brings.
In this new century, freedom is once again assaulted by enemies, determined to roll back generations of democratic progress. Once again, we're responding to a global campaign of fear with a global campaign of freedom. And once again, we will see freedom's victory.
(APPLAUSE)
Again, I want to thank you for inviting me back. Thank you for the short introduction.
(LAUGHTER)
I appreciate Carl Gershman.
I want to welcome former Congressman Dick Gephardt, who is a board member of the National Endowment for Democracy.
It's good to see you, Dick.
BUSH: And I appreciate Chris Cox, who's the chairman of the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission and a board member for the National Endowment of Democracy, for being here as well.
And I want to thank all the other board members.
I appreciate the secretary of state, Condi Rice, who has joined us. Alongside her, our secretary of defense, Donald Rumsfeld.
Thank you all for being here.
I'm proud as well that the newly sworn-in chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the first Marine ever to hold that position, is with us today, General Peter Pace.
(APPLAUSE)
And I thank members of the diplomatic corps who are here, as well.
BUSH: Recently, our country observed the fourth anniversary of a great evil and looked back on a great turning point in our history.
We still remember a proud city covered in smoke and ashes, a fire across the Potomac, and passengers who spent their final moments on Earth fighting the enemy. We still remember the men who rejoice in every death, and Americans in uniform rising to duty. And we remember the calling that came to us on that day and continues to this hour.
We will confront this mortal danger to all humanity. We will not tire or rest until the war on terror is won.
(APPLAUSE)
The images and experience of September the 11th are unique for Americans.
BUSH: Yet the evil of that morning has reappeared on other days in other places -- in Mombasa and Casablanca and Riyadh and Jakarta and Istanbul, in Madrid, in Beslan, in Taba and Natanya and Baghdad and elsewhere.
In the past few months, we've seen a new terror offensive with attacks in London, Sharm el-Sheikh and a deadly bombing in Bali once again.
All these separate images of destruction and suffering that we see on the new can seem like random and isolated acts of madness. Innocent men and women and children have died simply because they boarded the wrong train or worked in the wrong building or checked into the wrong hotel.
And while the killers choose their victims indiscriminately, their attacks serve a clear and focused ideology, a set of beliefs and goals that are evil but not insane.
Some call this evil Islamic radicalism. Others militant jihadism.
BUSH: Still, others Islamo-fascism.
Whatever it's called, this ideology is very different from the religion of Islam. This form of radicalism exploits Islam to serve a violent political vision: the establishment, by terrorism and subversion and insurgency, of a totalitarian empire that denies all political and religious freedom.
These extremists distort the idea of jihad into a call for terrorist murder against Christians and Jews and Hindus and also against Muslims from other traditions that they regard as heretics.
BUSH: Many militants are part of global borderless terrorist organizations like Al Qaida, which spreads propaganda and provides financing and technical assistance to local extremists and conducts dramatic and brutal operations like September 11th.
Other militants are found in regional groups often associated with Al Qaida; paramilitary insurgencies and separatist movements in places like Somalia and the Philippines and Pakistan and Chechnya and Kashmir and Algeria.
Still others spring up in local cells inspired by Islamic radicalism but not centrally directed.
BUSH: Islamic radicalism is more like a loose network with many branches than an army under a single command. Yet these operatives fighting on scattered battlefields share a similar ideology and vision for our world.
We know the vision of the radicals because they've openly stated it in videos and audiotapes and letters and declarations and Web sites.
First, these extremists want to end American and Western influence in the broader Middle East, because we stand for democracy and peace and stand in the way of their ambitions.
Al Qaida's leader, Osama bin Laden, has called on Muslims to dedicate, quote, "their resources sons and money to driving infidels out of their lands."
BUSH: Their tactic to meet this goal has been consistent for a quarter century: They hit us and expect us to run.
They want us to repeat the sad history of Beirut in 1983 and Mogadishu in 1993, only this time on a larger scale with greater consequences.
Second, the militant network wants to use the vacuum created by an American retreat to gain control of a country, a base from which to launch attacks and conduct their war against non-radical Muslim governments.
BUSH: Over the past few decades, radicals have specifically targeted Egypt and Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and Jordan for potential takeover.
They achieved their goal for a time in Afghanistan. Now they've set their sights on Iraq.
Bin Laden has stated the whole world is watching this war and the two adversaries: It's either victory and glory or misery and humiliation.
The terrorists regard Iraq as the central front in their war against humanity, and we must recognize Iraq as the central front in our war on terror.
Third, the militants believe that controlling one country will rally the Muslim masses, enabling them to overthrow all moderate governments in the region and establish a radical Islamic empire that spans from Spain to Indonesia.
BUSH: With greater economic and military and political power, the terrorists would be able to advance their stated agenda: to develop weapons of mass destruction, to destroy Israel, to intimidate Europe, to assault the American people and to blackmail our government into isolation.
Some might be tempted to dismiss these goals as fanatical or extreme. Well, they are fanatical and extreme and they should not be dismissed.
BUSH: Our enemy is utterly committed. As Zarqawi has vowed, "We will either we achieve victory over the human race or we will pass to the eternal life."
And the civilized world knows very well that other fanatics in history, from Hitler to Stalin to Pol Pot, consumed whole nations in war and genocide before leaving the stage of history.
Evil men obsessed with ambition and unburdened by conscience must be taken very seriously, and we must stop them before their crimes can multiply.
Defeating a militant network is difficult because it thrives like a parasite on the suffering and frustration of others.
The radicals exploit local conflicts to build a culture of victimization in which someone else is always to blame and violence is always the solution.
They exploit resentful and disillusioned young men and women, recruiting them through radical mosques as the pawns of terror.
And they exploit modern technology to multiply their destructive power. Instead of attending faraway training camps, recruits can now access online training libraries to learn how to build a roadside bomb or fire a rocket-propelled grenade.
BUSH: And this further spreads the threat of violence, even within peaceful democratic societies.
The influence of Islamic radicalism is also magnified by helpers and enablers. They have been sheltered by authoritarian regimes: allies of convenience like Syria and Iran that share the goal of hurting America and moderate Muslim governments and use terrorist propaganda to blame their own failures on the West and America and on the Jews.
The radicals depend on front operations such as corrupted charities which direct money to terrorist activity. They are strengthened by those who aggressively fund the spread of radical, intolerant versions of Islam in unstable parts of the world.
The militants are aided as well by elements of the Arab news media that incite hatred and anti-Semitism, that feed conspiracy theories and speak of so-called "American war on Islam" with seldom a word about American actions to protect Muslims in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Somalia, Kosovo, Kuwait and Iraq.
BUSH: Some have also argued that extremism has been strengthened by the actions of our coalition in Iraq, claiming that our presence in that country has somehow caused or triggered the rage of radicals.
I would remind them that we were not in Iraq on September the 11th, 2001, and Al Qaida attacked us anyway.
The hatred of the radicals existed before Iraq was an issue and it will exist after Iraq is no longer an excuse.
The government of Russia did not support Operation Iraqi Freedom, and yet militants killed more than 180 Russian school children in Beslan.
BUSH: Over the years, these extremists have used a litany of excuses for violence: Israeli presence on the West Bank or the U.S. military presence in Saudi Arabia or the defeat of the Taliban or the crusades of a thousand years ago.
In fact, we're not facing a set of grievances that can be soothed and addressed. We're facing a radical ideology with unalterable objectives: to enslave whole nations and intimidate the world.
BUSH: No act of ours invited the rage of the killers, and no concession, bribe or act of appeasement would change or limit their plans for murder.
On the contrary, they target nations whose behavior they believe they can change through violence.
Against such an enemy there is only one effective response: We will never back down, never give in and never accept anything less than complete victory.
(APPLAUSE)
BUSH: The murderous ideology of the Islamic radicals is the great challenge of our new century. Yet in many ways, this fight resembles the struggle against communism in the last century.
Like the ideology of communism, Islamic radicalism is elitist, led by a self-appointed vanguard that presumes to speak for the Muslim masses.
Osama bin Laden says his own role is to tell Muslims, quote, "what is good for them and what is not." And what this man who grew up in wealth and privilege considers good for poor Muslims is that they become killers and suicide bombers.
BUSH: He assures them that this is the road to paradise, though he never offers to go along for the ride.
Like the ideology of communism, our new enemy teaches that innocent individuals can be sacrificed to serve a political vision. And this explains their cold-blooded contempt for human life.
We've seen it in the murders of Daniel Pearl, Nicholas Berg and Margaret Hassan and many others.
In a courtroom in the Netherlands, the killer of Theo Van Gogh turned to the victim's grieving mother and said, "I do not feel your pain because I believe you are an infidel."
And in spite of this veneer of religious rhetoric, most of the victims claimed by the militants are fellow Muslims.
BUSH: When 25 Iraqi children are killed in a bombing or Iraqi teachers are executed at their school or hospital workers are killed caring for the wounded, this is murder, pure and simple; the total rejection of justice and honor and moral and religion.
These militants are not just the enemies of America or the enemies of Iraq, they are the enemies of Islam and the enemies of humanity.
(APPLAUSE)
BUSH: We have seen this kind of shameless cruelty before, in the heartless zealotry that led to the gulags and the Cultural Revolution and the killing fields.
Like the ideology of communism, our new enemy pursues totalitarian aims. Its leaders pretend to be in an aggrieved party, representing the powerless against imperial enemies.
In truth, they have endless ambitions of imperial domination and they wish to make everyone powerless except themselves.
Under their rule, they have banned books and desecrated historical monuments and brutalized women.
BUSH: They seek to end dissent in every form and to control every aspect of life and to rule the soul itself.
While promising a future of justice and holiness, the terrorists are preparing for a future of oppression and misery.
Like the ideology of communism, our new enemy is dismissive of free peoples, claiming that men and women who live in liberty are weak and decadent.
Zarqawi has said that Americans are, quote, "the most cowardly of God's creatures," but let's be clear: It is cowardice that seeks to kill children and the elderly with car bombs and cuts the throat of a bound captive and targets worshipers leaving a mosque.
BUSH: It is courage that liberated more than 50 million people. It is courage that keeps an untiring vigil against the enemies of a rising democracy. And it is courage and the cause of freedom that once again will destroy the enemies of freedom.
(APPLAUSE)
BUSH: And Islamic radicalism, like the ideology of communism, contains inherent contradictions that doom it to failure.
By fearing freedom, by distrusting human creativity and punishing change and limiting the contributions of half the population, this ideology undermines the very qualities that make human progress possible and human society successful.
The only thing modern about the militants' vision is the weapons they want to use against us. The rest of their grim vision is defined by a warped image of the past, a declaration of war on the idea of progress itself.
BUSH: And whatever lies ahead in the war against this ideology, the outcome is not in doubt: Those who despise freedom and progress have condemned themselves to isolation decline and collapse.
Because free peoples believe in the future, free peoples will own the future.
(APPLAUSE)
We didn't ask for this global struggle, but we're answering history's call with confidence and a comprehensive strategy.
Defeating a broad and adaptive network requires patience, constant pressure, and strong partners in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Asia and beyond.
BUSH: Working with these partners, we're disrupting militant conspiracies, destroying their ability to make war, and working to give millions in a troubled region of the world a hopeful alternative to resentment and violence.
First, we're determined to prevent the attacks of terrorist network before they occur. We're reorganizing our government to give this nation a broad and coordinated homeland defense. We're reforming our intelligence agency for the incredibly difficult task of tracking enemy activity, based on information that often comes in small fragments from widely scattered sources here and abroad.
We're acting, along with the governments from many countries, to destroy the terrorist networks and incapacitate their leaders.
Together, we've killed or captured nearly all of those directly responsible for the September the 11th attacks, as well as some of bin Laden's most senior deputies, Al Qaida managers and operatives in more than 24 countries: the mastermind of the USS Cole bombing who was chief of Al Qaida operations in the Persian Gulf, the mastermind of the Jakarta and the first Bali bombings, a senior Zarqawi terrorist planner who was planning attacks in Turkey, and many of Al Qaida's senior leaders in Saudi Arabia.
BUSH: Overall, the United States and our partners have disrupted at least 10 serious Al Qaida terrorist plots since September the 11th, including three Al Qaida plots to attack inside the United States. We've stopped at least five more Al Qaida efforts to case targets in the United States or infiltrate operatives into our country.
Because of the steady progress, the enemy is wounded. But the enemy is still capable of global operations.
BUSH: Our commitment is clear: We will not relent until the organized, international terror networks are exposed and broken and their leaders held to account for their acts of murder.
Second, we're determined to deny weapons of mass destruction to outlaw regimes and to their terrorist allies who would use them without hesitation.
The United States, working with Great Britain, Pakistan and other nations, has exposed and disrupted a major black market operation in nuclear technology led by A.Q. Khan.
Libya has abandoned its chemical and nuclear programs as well as long-range ballistic missiles.
In this last year, America and our partners in the Proliferation Security Initiative have stopped more than a dozen shipments of suspected weapons technology, including equipment for Iran's ballistic missile program.
This progress has reduced the danger to free nations, but it has not removed it.
BUSH: Evil men who want to use horrendous weapons against us are working in deadly earnest to gain them. And we're working urgently to keep weapons of mass destruction out of their hands.
Third, we're determined to deny radical groups the support and sanctuary of outlaw regimes. State sponsors like Syria and Iran have a long history of collaboration with terrorists, and they deserve no patience from the victims of terror.
The United States makes no distinction between those who commit acts of terror and those who support and harbor them, because they're equally as guilty of murder.
(APPLAUSE)
BUSH: Any government that chooses to be an ally of terror has also chosen to be an enemy of civilization. And the civilized world must hold those regimes to account.
Fourth, we're determined to deny the militant's control of any nation which they would use as a home base and a launching pad for terror.
For this reason, we're fighting beside our Afghan partners against remnants of the Taliban and their Al Qaida allies. For this reason, we're working with President Musharraf to oppose and isolate the militants in Pakistan. And for this reason, we're fighting the regime remnants and terrorists in Iraq.
The terrorists' goal is to overthrow a rising democracy, claim a strategic country as a haven for terror, destabilize the Middle East and strike America and other free nations with ever-increasing violence.
BUSH: Our goal is to defeat the terrorists and their allies at the heart of their power. And so we will defeat the enemy in Iraq.
Our coalition, along with our Iraqi allies, is moving forward with a comprehensive, specific military plan. Area by area, city by city, we're conducting offensive operations to clear out enemy forces and leaving behind Iraqi units to prevent the enemy from returning.
Within these areas, we're working for tangible improvements in the lives of Iraqi citizens. And we're aiding the rise of an elected government that unites the Iraqi people against extremism and violence.
This work involves great risk for Iraqis and for Americans and coalition forces.
BUSH: Wars are not won without sacrifice and this war will require more sacrifice, more time and more resolve.
The terrorists are as brutal an enemy as we've ever faced. They're unconstrained by any notion of our common humanity or by the rules of warfare.
No one should underestimate the difficulties ahead, nor should they overlook the advantages we bring to this fight.
Some observers look at the job ahead and adopt a self-defeating pessimism. It is not justified.
With every random bombing and with every funeral of a child it becomes more clear that the extremists are not patriots or resistance fighters. They are murderers at war with the Iraqi people themselves.
In contrast, the elected leaders of Iraq are proving to be strong and steadfast. By any standard or precedent of history, Iraq has made incredible political progress: from tyranny, to liberation, to national elections, to the writing of a constitution in the space of two and a half years.
BUSH: With our help, the Iraqi military is gaining new capabilities and new confidence with every passing month.
At the time of our Fallujah operations 11 months ago there were only a few Iraqi army battalions in combat. Today there are more than 80 Iraqi army battalions fighting the insurgency alongside our forces.
Progress isn't easy, but it is steady.
BUSH: And no fair-minded person should ignore, deny or dismiss the achievements of the Iraqi people.
Some observers question the durability of democracy in Iraq. They underestimate the power and appeal of freedom.
We've heard it suggested that Iraq's democracy must be on shaky ground because Iraqis are arguing with each other. But that's the essence of democracy: making your case, debating with those who disagree, building consensus by persuasion and answering to the will of the people.
We've heard it said that the Shias, Sunnis and Kurds of Iraq are too divided to form a lasting democracy.
BUSH: In fact, democratic federalism is the best hope for unifying a diverse population, because a federal constitutional system respects the rights and religious traditions of all citizens while giving all minorities, including the Sunnis, a stake and a voice in the future of their country.
It is true that the seeds of freedom have only recently been planted in Iraq but democracy, when it grows, is not a fragile flower. It is a healthy, sturdy tree.
(APPLAUSE)
As Americans, we believe that people everywhere -- everywhere prefer freedom to slavery and that liberty, once chosen, improves the lives of all.
BUSH: And so we're confident, as our coalition and the Iraqi people each do their part, Iraqi democracy will succeed.
Some observers also claim that America would be better off by cutting our losses and leaving Iraq now. It's a dangerous illusion refuted with a simple question: Would the United States and other free nations be more safe or less safe with Zarqawi and bin Laden in control of Iraq, its people and its resources?
Having removed a dictator and aided free peoples, we will not stand by as a new set of killers dedicated to the destruction of our own country seizes control of Iraq by violence.
BUSH: There's always a temptation in the middle of a long struggle to seek the quiet life, to escape the duties and problems of the world, and to hope the enemy grows weary of fanaticism and tired of murder.
This would be a pleasant world, but it's not the world we live in. The enemy is never tired, never sated, never content with yesterday's brutality.
The enemy considers every retreat of the civilized world as an invitation to greater violence.
In Iraq, there is no peace without victory.
BUSH: We will keep our nerve and we will win that victory.
(APPLAUSE)
The fifth element of our strategy in the war on terror is to deny the militants future recruits by replacing hatred and resentment with democracy and hope across the broader Middle East.
This is a difficult, long-term project, yet there's no alternative to it. Our future and the future of that region are linked.
If the broader Middle East is left to grow in bitterness, if countries remain in misery, while radicals stir the resentments of millions, then that part of the world will be a source of endless conflict and mounting danger for our generation and the next.
BUSH: If the peoples in that region are permitted to chose their own destiny and advance by their own energy and by their participation as free men and women, then the extremists will be marginalized and the flow of violent radicalism to the rest of the world will slow and eventually end.
By standing for the hope and freedom of others we make our own freedom more secure.
America is making this stand in practical ways. We're encouraging our friends in the Middle East, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia, to take the path of reform, to strengthen their own societies in the fight against terror by respecting the rights and choices of their own people.
We're standing with dissidents and exiles against oppressive regimes, because we know that the dissidents of today will be the democratic leaders of tomorrow.
BUSH: We're making our case through public diplomacy, stating clearly and confidently our belief in self-determination and the rule of law and religious freedom and equal rights for women; beliefs that are right and true in every land and in every culture.
(APPLAUSE)
As we do our part to confront radicalism, we know that the most vital work will be done within the Islamic world itself.
BUSH: And this work has begun.
Many Muslim scholars have already publicly condemned terrorism, often citing Chapter 5, Verse 32 of the Koran, which states that killing an innocent human being is like killing all humanity, and saving the life of one person is like saving all of humanity.
After the attacks in London on July the 7th, an imam in the United Arab Emirates declared, "Whoever does such a thing is not a Muslim, nor a religious person."
The time has come for all responsible Islamic leaders to join in denouncing an ideology that exploits Islam for political ends and defiles a noble faith.
Many people of the Muslim faith are proving their commitment at great personal risk. Everywhere we have engaged the fight against extremism, Muslim allies have stood up and joined the fight, becoming partners in a vital cause.
BUSH: Afghan troops are in combat against Taliban remnants. Iraqi soldiers are sacrificing to defeat Al Qaida in their own country.
These brave citizens know the stakes: the survival of their own liberty, the future of their own region, the justice and humanity of their own tradition. And the United States of America is proud to stand beside them.
(APPLAUSE)
With the rise of a deadly enemy and the unfolding of a global ideological struggle, our time in history will be remembered for new challenges and unprecedented dangers. And yet the fight we have joined is also the current expression of an ancient struggle between those who put their faith in dictators and those who put their faith in the people.
BUSH: Throughout history, tyrants and would-be tyrants have always claimed that murder is justified to serve their grand vision. And they end up alienating decent people across the globe.
Tyrants and would-be tyrants have always claimed that regimented societies are strong and pure until those societies collapse in corruption and decay.
Tyrants and would-be tyrants have always claimed that free men and women are weak and decadent until the day that free men and women defeat them.
We don't know the course of our own struggle, the course our own struggle will take, or the sacrifices that might lie ahead.
BUSH: We do know, however, that the defense of freedom is worth our sacrifice. We do know the love of freedom is the mightiest force of history. And we do know the cause of freedom will once again prevail.
May God bless you.
(APPLAUSE)
END
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
The Federalist: Founders' Daily Quote 9/13/2005
Labels:
daily quote
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
"As riches increase and accumulate in few hands, as luxury prevails in society, virtue will be in a greater degree considered as only a graceful appendage of wealth, and the tendency of things will be to depart from the republican standard. This is the real disposition of human nature; it is what neither the honorable member nor myself can correct. It is a common misfortunate that awaits our State constitution, as well as all others." -- Alexander Hamilton (speech to the New York Ratifying Convention,June 1788); Reference: The Works of Alexander Hamilton, Henry Cabot Lodge,ed., II, 26.
Originally posted at My Newz 'n Ideas.
"As riches increase and accumulate in few hands, as luxury prevails in society, virtue will be in a greater degree considered as only a graceful appendage of wealth, and the tendency of things will be to depart from the republican standard. This is the real disposition of human nature; it is what neither the honorable member nor myself can correct. It is a common misfortunate that awaits our State constitution, as well as all others." -- Alexander Hamilton (speech to the New York Ratifying Convention,June 1788); Reference: The Works of Alexander Hamilton, Henry Cabot Lodge,ed., II, 26.
Originally posted at My Newz 'n Ideas.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Iran's Interest in Venezuela
Labels:
current events,
S America,
SW Asia,
war things
President Hugo Chavez has decided to move forward with his ambitions to build nuclear plants despite warnings from his neighbors about his relationship with Iran. They are very uncertain about this alliance with a nation that is not very trusted in the world community, and see it as a threat to their very security.
I do not care which side of the aisle you are on, you must be aware for the life of this country. Surrounded by China, Mexico, Venezuela, the Carribians, and God only knows who else, we need to stay alert. Wake up, everyone! We are at war, or haven't you noticed?
This post was first written at My Newz 'n Ideas.
Here are the links to the comments: Comment 1, Comment 2, Comment 3, Comment 4, Comment 5, Comment 6, Comment 7.
"It could be used for industry and for continued medical uses, which the country needs to support hospitals... and the third element is for energy for the oil industry," she said.So, they want to go down that road? Notice they are NOT included in the CAFTA, but they are communists. We know what happens when commies come to town...remember!
Venezuela has backed Iran in its dispute with the United States and Europe over Tehran's nuclear program. U.S. officials accuse Iran of secretly working to produce nuclear arms, but Tehran says the program is only for civilian energy uses.
Chavez, a former soldier who has promised to fight poverty, says his "new socialism" counters U.S. policies in Latin America and he has strengthened ties with Iran, Russia and Cuba to move away from a traditional reliance on Washington. [read more]Let us also be aware that he has increased his army, increased pay, and has long-term plans to come against the USA.
I do not care which side of the aisle you are on, you must be aware for the life of this country. Surrounded by China, Mexico, Venezuela, the Carribians, and God only knows who else, we need to stay alert. Wake up, everyone! We are at war, or haven't you noticed?
This post was first written at My Newz 'n Ideas.
Here are the links to the comments: Comment 1, Comment 2, Comment 3, Comment 4, Comment 5, Comment 6, Comment 7.
Friday, May 20, 2005
Update: Spain Train Bombing Investigation
This was first posted at My Newz 'n Ideas.
Since I reported yesterday, there has been more disturbing news about the police officer, Agent Maussili Kalaji. Fausta from The Bad Hair Blog has continued to translate El Mundo into English for those of us in America (or other English speaking countries.)
Even Arthur Chrenkoff has a few questions. He also has some links to very good articles covering this issue.
There is a fabulous chart over at The Adventures of Chester which ties together all the links that we know of so far. Please remember, they may not mean a thing. Then again, they may.
I would like to thank Fausta, who also wrote this and this. I would also like to thank Arthur Chrenkoff, Frank Gaffney, The Adventures of Chester, and BarcePundit, also who wrote this, this, and this. Have a great day, everyone!
Since I reported yesterday, there has been more disturbing news about the police officer, Agent Maussili Kalaji. Fausta from The Bad Hair Blog has continued to translate El Mundo into English for those of us in America (or other English speaking countries.)
According to today's story in El Mundo [available by subscription only], the apartment belongs to Syrian brothers Mouhannad and Moutaz Almallah, jailed for the Madrid attacks. In Moutaz's case, the police considers him a very important operative within Al Qaeda, and speculates that he might have worked as liaison between the terrorist organization and the actual terrorists in the attacks. The police agent who “liberated” the 3/11 cell phones [i.e., Kajali] has explained that the document [the sale of property from the Agent to the terrorist, my addition] originates from the 1998 sale of a different apartment to Moutaz.Frank Gaffney has a more cautious take on this. Is it possible that it wasn't either one of those groups that set off the bomb? Why didn't they hand over the x-ray of the "lost" backpack for 3 months after the Judge asked for it? Why was his (ex-)wife the first officer on the scene of an investigation he was going to investigate? Many questions, not enough answers yet to come to ANY conclusion.
Even Arthur Chrenkoff has a few questions. He also has some links to very good articles covering this issue.
There is a fabulous chart over at The Adventures of Chester which ties together all the links that we know of so far. Please remember, they may not mean a thing. Then again, they may.
I would like to thank Fausta, who also wrote this and this. I would also like to thank Arthur Chrenkoff, Frank Gaffney, The Adventures of Chester, and BarcePundit, also who wrote this, this, and this. Have a great day, everyone!
Coalition for International Justice 5/20/2005
Labels:
Africa,
war crimes
Posted first at Causes of Interest.
Coalition for International Justice has released their report about the deaths that are occurring in Darfur. This survey includes not just the deaths from violence, but also the deaths from starvation, exposure, and disease.
Don't explain to me how hard it is to save the world. I am well aware of that. What is the cost to you to pick up the phone and make a toll free number to the Congress and Senate? Hmm? (877 866) 762-8762 340-9281 (waiting on info of the new number). Let them know that is not okay to declare genocide, and then do nothing. We said never again. Did we mean it? Well? Did we?
Hat tip: Coalition for International Justice.
Coalition for International Justice has released their report about the deaths that are occurring in Darfur. This survey includes not just the deaths from violence, but also the deaths from starvation, exposure, and disease.
Hagan and his colleague University of Toronto researcher Patricia Parker reviewed data culled from 1,136 interviews of refugees from Darfur conducted by the Coalition for International Justice last summer, as well as data presented in the World Health Organization's survey of deaths in refugee camps last year. Based on their analysis of the combined data, they estimate that the number of persons who have died or disappeared between February 2003 to April 2005 is close to 400,000.I recall it being said that one death is a tragedy, 400,000 deaths is a statistic. I do not agree with this assumption. Each of these people had dreams and hopes, just as you have. Maybe their's were not as luxurious, but they were still worth our consideration and care. They still deserved to live, and all we are doing is nothing.
Don't explain to me how hard it is to save the world. I am well aware of that. What is the cost to you to pick up the phone and make a toll free number to the Congress and Senate? Hmm? (
Hat tip: Coalition for International Justice.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Update: Charles Taylor's money trail
Labels:
Africa,
current events,
war crimes
First posted at My Newz 'n Idea..
Hat tip: Counter-Terrrorism Blog.
Douglas Farah has been working overtime to prove that Charles Taylor is continuing to violate the political assylum he was given by Nigeria. Taylor is funding terrorist groups such as al Qaeda, Hezbollah, and many others through bribes from businessmen who want to rape the country of diamonds and timber. (I have not bought nor worn a diamond since the early 80's when I first heard of the atrocities done to children to mine them.)
This is a chart of the companies Viktor Bout owns. What does this have to do with Charles Taylor? Viktor Bout has front companies which he is laundering money and is a
Viktor Bout is involved with Chichakli-controlled
This is a flow chart of Taylor's involvement in the diamond and timber sales that made him an estimated $105 Million dollars, although it is believed he had to spend at least 80% for the weapons he gave to outlawed groups to continue wars (page 10.)
This link is a copy of the Coalition of International Justice's report from following Charles Taylor’s money path of war and destruction.
This is Douglas' blog where he comes right out and explains the reaction of the Nigerian government at the UN.
Hat tip: Counter-Terrrorism Blog.
Douglas Farah has been working overtime to prove that Charles Taylor is continuing to violate the political assylum he was given by Nigeria. Taylor is funding terrorist groups such as al Qaeda, Hezbollah, and many others through bribes from businessmen who want to rape the country of diamonds and timber. (I have not bought nor worn a diamond since the early 80's when I first heard of the atrocities done to children to mine them.)
This is a chart of the companies Viktor Bout owns. What does this have to do with Charles Taylor? Viktor Bout has front companies which he is laundering money and is a
provider of weapons to Taliban and most sides of most wars in sub-Saharan African in violation of U.N. embargos.He can do this because he owns many companies. One of the reasons this was kept so close to the chest is because one of his partners is a citizen of the USA. American citizens need much more scrutiny than other citizens. (Remember that the next time you want to trash America, will ya.)
Viktor Bout is involved with Chichakli-controlled
30 companies and four individuals designated, he is clearly the most important and newsworthy.Bout was very active financially in the USA.
For years Chichakli, the son fo a former Syrian president and self-proclaimed childhood friend of Osama bin Laden, has helped Bout on many fronts, while happily residing in Richardson, Tx.There are a few links with more information for those so inclined.
This is a flow chart of Taylor's involvement in the diamond and timber sales that made him an estimated $105 Million dollars, although it is believed he had to spend at least 80% for the weapons he gave to outlawed groups to continue wars (page 10.)
This link is a copy of the Coalition of International Justice's report from following Charles Taylor’s money path of war and destruction.
Excerpt (page 18 of "Path of War and Destruction"): "As president, Taylor controlled access to the country, allowing him to host a variety of international criminal syndicates and terrorist organizations, ranging from Israeli, Lebanese, Russian and Ukrainian organized crime groups, to al Qaeda and Hezbollah. Each of these groups, as well as scores of businessmen seeking to enter the diamond or timber business, were obligated to pay Taylor directly, in cash...This is the appenices where all the documents, proof, records, and other data you would expect to find. It is very good.
This is Douglas' blog where he comes right out and explains the reaction of the Nigerian government at the UN.
At the press conference at the UN Correspondents seat in New York yesterday, a senior Nigerian diplomat made the most unequivocal statement to date that Taylor will be turned over if he is found to have violated his terms of assylum.Hat tip: Andrew Cochran from Counter Terrorism.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Daily Quote 5/18/05
Labels:
daily quote
This post was first posted at My Newz 'n Ideas..
Monday, May 9, 2005
"Liberty is to faction what air is to fire, an aliment without which it instantly expires. But it could not be less folly to abolish liberty, which is essential to political life, because it nourishes faction, than it would be to wish the annihilation of air, which is essential to animal life, because it imparts to fire its destructive agency." --James Madison, Federalist No. 10
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
"It has ever been my hobby-horse to see rising in America an empire of liberty, and a prospect of two or three hundred millions of freemen, without one noble or one king among them. You say it is impossible. If I should agree with you in this, I would still say, let us try the experiment, and preserve our equality as long as we can. A better system of education for the common people might preserve them long from such artificial inequalities as are prejudicial to society, by confounding the natural distinctions of right and wrong, virtue and vice." --John Adams
Imagine that...if we were to provide schools they would be to preserve the the distinctions of right and wrong, virtue and vice. Wow! What a far right winger. I guess maybe he wasn't qualified to participate in the writing of the Constitution of the United States under which we pledge we pledge our allegience? Hmm.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
"[W]hereas, to preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them; nor does it follow from this, that all promiscuously must go into actual service one very occasion. The mind that aims at a select militia, must be influenced by a truly anti-republican principle; and when we see many men disposed to practice upon it, whenever they can prevail, no wonder true republicans are for carefully guarding againstit." --Federal Farmer Antifederalist Letter
No draft, and everyone is armed. I guess these people knew what some of us still believe...if the government can overtake you and your rights belong to them, you are indeed no longer free.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
"There are certain social principles in human nature, from which we may draw the most solid conclusions with respect to the conduct of individuals and of communities. We love our families more than our neighbors; we love our neighbors more than our countrymen in general. The human affections, like solar heat, lose their intensity as they depart from the center.... On these principles, the attachment of the individual will be first and for ever secured by the State governments. They will be a mutual protection and support." --Alexander Hamilton
It is for this principle the central government should be the least intrusive, and it shall not overstep that which is written in Article I Section 8.
Friday, May 13, 2005
"A fondness for power is implanted, in most men, and it is natural to abuse it, when acquired." --Alexander Hamilton
Would someone please explain this to the Republicants.
Monday, May 9, 2005
"Liberty is to faction what air is to fire, an aliment without which it instantly expires. But it could not be less folly to abolish liberty, which is essential to political life, because it nourishes faction, than it would be to wish the annihilation of air, which is essential to animal life, because it imparts to fire its destructive agency." --James Madison, Federalist No. 10
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
"It has ever been my hobby-horse to see rising in America an empire of liberty, and a prospect of two or three hundred millions of freemen, without one noble or one king among them. You say it is impossible. If I should agree with you in this, I would still say, let us try the experiment, and preserve our equality as long as we can. A better system of education for the common people might preserve them long from such artificial inequalities as are prejudicial to society, by confounding the natural distinctions of right and wrong, virtue and vice." --John Adams
Imagine that...if we were to provide schools they would be to preserve the the distinctions of right and wrong, virtue and vice. Wow! What a far right winger. I guess maybe he wasn't qualified to participate in the writing of the Constitution of the United States under which we pledge we pledge our allegience? Hmm.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
"[W]hereas, to preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them; nor does it follow from this, that all promiscuously must go into actual service one very occasion. The mind that aims at a select militia, must be influenced by a truly anti-republican principle; and when we see many men disposed to practice upon it, whenever they can prevail, no wonder true republicans are for carefully guarding againstit." --Federal Farmer Antifederalist Letter
No draft, and everyone is armed. I guess these people knew what some of us still believe...if the government can overtake you and your rights belong to them, you are indeed no longer free.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
"There are certain social principles in human nature, from which we may draw the most solid conclusions with respect to the conduct of individuals and of communities. We love our families more than our neighbors; we love our neighbors more than our countrymen in general. The human affections, like solar heat, lose their intensity as they depart from the center.... On these principles, the attachment of the individual will be first and for ever secured by the State governments. They will be a mutual protection and support." --Alexander Hamilton
It is for this principle the central government should be the least intrusive, and it shall not overstep that which is written in Article I Section 8.
Friday, May 13, 2005
"A fondness for power is implanted, in most men, and it is natural to abuse it, when acquired." --Alexander Hamilton
Would someone please explain this to the Republicants.
Monday, May 16, 2005
Zarqawi's bombmaker captured
Posted first at My Newz 'n Ideas.
With all the fighting and bloodshed in Iraq, we never hear the good news. Well, here is some from .Evan Kohlmann over at Counter Terrorism.
With all the fighting and bloodshed in Iraq, we never hear the good news. Well, here is some from .Evan Kohlmann over at Counter Terrorism.
"Security Forces conducted a raid in Mosul May 13 resulting in the capture of Salim Yussef Ghafif Huseyn, aka Abu Daoud. Abu Daoud [who] is the chief facilitator of the majority of terrorist suicide car bombings in Mosul, for the terrorist group of Abu Talha associated with Zarqawi terrorist network. Intelligence sources have placed Abu Daoud as a very close confidant and terrorist cell leader of Abu Talha [Zarqawi's lieutenant in charge of Mosul -see Al-Qaida leadership chart]; together they are directly responsible for numerous attacks against innocent Iraqi citizens.I highly recommend this site if you are interested in unbiased news about the war against terrorism. They usually know about things before the White House or Capitol Hill does! How? They keep their eyes and ears open, and they do not let political correctness get in the way. They are not running for any office, so they are not confined to any constituency except one--the truth.
Abu Daoud was responsible for obtaining vehicles and converting them into car bombs by packing them full of explosives. In previous incident, Security Forces have captured in April Abu Fateh, a financier for Abu Talha. With the capture of Abu Daoud, Multi-National forces continue to make considerable progress against terrorists in the Mosul area."
News: 5/16/2005
Labels:
g-News
The site from where this post came is no longer available.
USA Today:
USA Today:
Kuwait approves women's political rights.Okay, I am insulted. How about you?
KUWAIT CITY (AP) — Kuwaiti lawmakers approved political rights for women Monday, clearing the way for females to participate in parliamentary elections for the first time in the Gulf nation's history. [read more.]
Cuba wants airline bomb suspect arrested.Are you ready for this one?
The result is remarkably like a televised version of an Internet blog — references to outside news sources tightly wrapped in personal commentary. [read more.]
Fox defends comments.Here we go again. I hope this time they mean it, seeing as it is a new government.
MEXICO CITY — President Vicente Fox refused to apologize Monday for saying Mexicans in the United States do the work that blacks won't a comment widely viewed as acceptable in a country where blackface comedy is still considered funny and nicknames often reflect skin color. [Story.]
Iraq vows crackdown.I am not going to say what I really think about this, because I am a Christian lady and it wouldn't be polite. I will say, however, I want to see some heads roll. Not literally, just fired.
BAGHDAD — At least eight Iraqis were found shot near a Baghdad dam and a slain Iraqi Kurd was left in a garbage dump in northern Iraq, police said Monday, raising the number of bodies recovered in recent days to 50. The government vowed to track down those responsible, saying insurgents were seeking to exploit sectarian rivalries. [Story.]
'Newsweek' issues apology.This has been going on for almost a week. If someone could explain to me who are the good guys, I would appreciate it.
NEW YORK — In an apology to readers this week, Newsweek acknowledged errors in a story alleging U.S. interrogators at Guantanamo Bay desecrated the Koran. The accusations, which the magazine vowed to re-examine, spawned protests in Afghanistan that left 15 dead and scores injured. [Story.
Uzbek violence continues.I sure hope this is good and lasting news.
ANDIJAN, Uzbekistan — Gunfire rang out Monday in the eastern city where Uzbek security forces fired on protesters last week — a clash that reportedly left as many as 500 people dead — and reports emerged that violence in nearby towns killed hundreds more, further threatening the stability of the government in this key U.S. ally in Central Asia. [Story.]
Ethiopians overwhelm pollsThank you. Have a great day.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — After a stunning 90% turnout that indicated voters were optimistic Ethiopia was headed toward greater democracy, officials on Monday began counting ballots in the parliamentary race. [Story.]
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Genocide is on the Rise. Do You Care?
Labels:
Liberty,
rant,
war crimes
This is from a site I no longer have. Sorry. :)
The UN talks, the USA declares, the African Union watches, and the people of Darfur, Sudan die. Have we not had enough yet? Are we too busy? Is their skin color too dark? You all ought to be ashamed of yourselves.
How long? How many talks? Are you aware that over 400,000 people have perished while we sit around talking? That is one half the number of the people lost in Rwanda, and we said it would never happen again.
I seem to remember another time when we said, "Never again." We just honored the people who FOUGHT that war 60 years ago. Some never made it home. We knew from the beginning some would not. It is a very hard thing, but the fascists and genocide had to be stopped. (I understand that noone knew, at least to what extent, the genocide had occured.)
The horror is great, I still cannot look directly at it. The evil, I am afraid of it. It haunts me. Does it have no effect on you? Are you satisfied with your life to the point that you don't care about anyone else?
Okay. That is your choice, but do not get in my way as I beg President Bush to go in there and put a stop to this with our Military. I do not want to hear a peep out of you against me. Your silence, now, is deafening as it is.
I have written, I have called, and I happen to know that Senator Brownback has been working on a bill to help those in Darfur, Sudan. He needs our support. This is not a partisan issue. People, innocent men, women, and children, are dying because they are black, they are Christian, they are not the right Muslim, and just because. It has to stop. Now.
I will post more information on the bill so you can pressure your Senators and Congressperson. I am waiting for a call back as I type. I just feel very strongly about this. We can do this if we stick together.
Maybe if I describe to you what they do... Are you aware they are enslaving black Africans? They mutilate the young girls private area without anastesia. They rape, kidnap, pillage, murder, beat, torture, and this is all for fun? They are beyond sick.
It has been allowed to rise in April. This is why I am so angry. I can only pray that enough of you will see the truth about what is happening, and join me. Please read this article. Thank you.
Hat tip: Passion of the Present, (Darfur).
The UN talks, the USA declares, the African Union watches, and the people of Darfur, Sudan die. Have we not had enough yet? Are we too busy? Is their skin color too dark? You all ought to be ashamed of yourselves.
How long? How many talks? Are you aware that over 400,000 people have perished while we sit around talking? That is one half the number of the people lost in Rwanda, and we said it would never happen again.
I seem to remember another time when we said, "Never again." We just honored the people who FOUGHT that war 60 years ago. Some never made it home. We knew from the beginning some would not. It is a very hard thing, but the fascists and genocide had to be stopped. (I understand that noone knew, at least to what extent, the genocide had occured.)
The horror is great, I still cannot look directly at it. The evil, I am afraid of it. It haunts me. Does it have no effect on you? Are you satisfied with your life to the point that you don't care about anyone else?
Okay. That is your choice, but do not get in my way as I beg President Bush to go in there and put a stop to this with our Military. I do not want to hear a peep out of you against me. Your silence, now, is deafening as it is.
I have written, I have called, and I happen to know that Senator Brownback has been working on a bill to help those in Darfur, Sudan. He needs our support. This is not a partisan issue. People, innocent men, women, and children, are dying because they are black, they are Christian, they are not the right Muslim, and just because. It has to stop. Now.
I will post more information on the bill so you can pressure your Senators and Congressperson. I am waiting for a call back as I type. I just feel very strongly about this. We can do this if we stick together.
Maybe if I describe to you what they do... Are you aware they are enslaving black Africans? They mutilate the young girls private area without anastesia. They rape, kidnap, pillage, murder, beat, torture, and this is all for fun? They are beyond sick.
It has been allowed to rise in April. This is why I am so angry. I can only pray that enough of you will see the truth about what is happening, and join me. Please read this article. Thank you.
Hat tip: Passion of the Present, (Darfur).
Friday, April 29, 2005
Meet Cpt. Brian Chontosh
I came across this in the comment section of American Soldier. I felt compelled to reproduce it here, with few grammatical edits. I hope it brings as much pride to you as it does to me.
Cross-posted from My Newz 'n Ideas. (It is no longer there.)
Maybe you'd like to hear about a real American, somebody who honored the uniform he wears. Meet Brian Chontosh. Churchville-Chili Central School class of 1991. Proud graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology. Husband and about-to-be father.First lieutenant (now Captain) in the United States Marine Corps. And a genuine hero. The secretary of the Navy said so yesterday.Thank you, and have a wonderfully free, safe and blessed life.
At 29 Palms in California Brian Chontosh was presented with the Navy Cross, the second highest award for combat bravery the United States can bestow. That's a big deal. But you won’t see it on the network news tonight, and all you read in Brian's hometown newspaper was two paragraphs of nothing.
The odd fact about the American media in this war is that it's not covering the American military. The most plugged-in nation in the world is receiving virtually no true information about what it's warriors are doing.
Oh, sure, there's a body count. We know how many Americans have fallen. We see those same casket pictures day in and day out, and we're almost on a first-name basis with the jerks who abused the Iraqi prisoners. We know all about improvised explosive devices and how we lost Fallujah and what Arab public-opinion polls say about us and how the world hates us. We get a non-stop feed of gloom and doom, but we don't hear about the heroes.
The incredibly brave GIs who honorably do their duty. The ones our grandparents would have carried on their shoulders down Fifth Avenue. The ones we completely ignore. Like Brian Chontosh.
It was a year ago on the march into Baghdad. Brian Chontosh was a platoon leader rolling up Highway 1 in a humvee when all hell broke loose. Ambush city. The young Marines were being cut to ribbons. Mortars, machine guns, rocket propelled grenades. The kid out of Churchville was in charge. It was do or die and it was up to him.
So he moved to the side of his column, looking for a way to lead his men to safety. As he tried to poke a hole through the Iraqi line, his humvee came under direct enemy machine gun fire. It was fish in a barrel and the Marines were the fish. Brian Chontosh gave the order to attack.
He told his driver to floor the humvee directly at the machine gun emplacement that was firing at them, and he had the guy on top with the 50 cal unload on them. Within moments there were Iraqis slumped across the machine gun and Chontosh was still advancing, ordering his driver now to take the humvee directly into the Iraqi trench that was attacking his Marines.
Over into the battlement the humvee went and out the door Brian Chontosh bailed, carrying an M16, a Beretta and 228 years of Marine Corps pride. He ran down the trench with its mortars and riflemen, machineguns and grenadiers, and he killed them all.
He fought with the M16 until it was out of ammo. Then he fought with the Beretta until it was out of ammo. Then he picked up a dead man's AK47 and fought with that until it was out of ammo. Then he picked up another dead man's AK47 and fought with that until it was out of ammo. At one point he even fired a discarded Iraqi RPG into an enemy cluster, sending attackers flying with it's grenade explosion.
When he was done Brian Chontosh had cleared 200 yards of entrenched Iraqis from his platoon's flank. He had killed more than 20 and wounded at least as many more, but that's probably not how he would tell it. He would probably merely say that his Marines were in trouble, and he got them out of trouble. Hoo-ah, and drive on.
"By his outstanding display of decisive leadership, unlimited couragein in the face of heavy enemy fire, and utmost devotion to duty, 1st Lt. Chontosh reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.â€That's what the citation says, and that's what nobody will hear. That's what doesn't seem to be making the evening news.
Accounts of American valor are dismissed by the press as propaganda, yet accounts of American difficulties are heralded as objectivity. It makes you wonder if the role of the media is to inform or to depress - to report or to deride. To tell the truth, or to feed us lies. I guess it doesn't matter. We're going to turn out all right. As long as men like Brian Chontosh wear our uniform.
If you are as proud of this Marine as I am, then send this to EVERYONE YOU KNOW!
Cross-posted from My Newz 'n Ideas. (It is no longer there.)
Monday, March 21, 2005
Mr. President: I told you so
I have been reading about Mr. Sean Treglia who used to work at Pew Charitable Trusts. You would think the press would be all over this. They are not. You would think the bloggers would be all over this. They are not. Oh, some have written a few sentences here and there, but nothing like Rathergate. Why or why not?
This is the feedback I wrote to them:
Mr. Sean Treglia gave a speech at USC, and he virtually confessed to fruad. It was all intended for the 535 people in power in Washington, DC. He also did much damage to you and me.
How did he do that? Ryan Sager of the New York Post online has obtained a video tape of a conference held at USC's Annenberg School for Communication in March of 2004 about how he got away with scamming the Congress and Senate into voting for Campaign Finance Reform, otherwise known as Incumbent Security Reform. See for yourself:
So what can we do? We can have Congress investigate this? Yeah right. They already look like fools to me. How about having the President tell the Justice Department to look at it? Yeah right. He's the one who signed it into law in the first place. I called so many times trying to reason with him, and he signed it anyway. No. We can't even go to the IRS, because Treglia was careful enough to disclose to them what he was doing.
So what now? We go to the Federal Elections Board? They are the ones trying to shut you and me down. I'm thinking, alright?! The next election is coming. We can make this a big issue. A law has been given, and a law can been taken away!
Campaign only for people who promise to fight illegal aliens and to repeal the campaign finance reform law. We have to come together. I don't believe Republicans or Democrats like being duped. Let us show the press that if they do not do their jobs, we will.
If the press had investigated this, PEW would have been laughed out of DC. The PEW has/had no credibility in Washington, according to Mr. Treglia. That is why the people who ran the ads did not include the fact that the PEW Trust fund had financed them.
This is illegal. This violates the transparency issues. Of $140 million dollars, $123 million was received from only 8 fundraising organizations. Yes, Soros was one of them. They want to silence us, so we must not let that happen. Keep this story alive. I want him behind bars. I'm pretty sure there will be updates to this.
My friend Jack of Clubs has been doing a very good job on keeping everyone informed about this. He has a list of everyone he knows who has written an article about this. Please visit his site to get more ideas. Thank you, and keep on blogging!
This is the feedback I wrote to them:
"Good afternoon. I have been reading articles that are stating that Mr. Sean Treglia "broke the spirit of the law" (his words) while giving a speech at USC. Is this true?I told them I am from the Americans for Truth and Justice, which is true. I am for truth, and I am for justice. I am also very American! So what is the big deal I am talking about?
This has to do with the Philadelphia-based branch and campaign finance reform. I would like to have your side of the issue before I go to print. If I do not hear from you, I will assume the NY Post and the Opinion Journal are correct in their statements. I would be very disappointed if this is the case.
Do you understand how much damage you have done? (If this is true.)
I understand he no longer works there. Was he fired because of this? I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible. It goes to print Tuesday evening.
Thank you for your time.
Mr. Sean Treglia gave a speech at USC, and he virtually confessed to fruad. It was all intended for the 535 people in power in Washington, DC. He also did much damage to you and me.
How did he do that? Ryan Sager of the New York Post online has obtained a video tape of a conference held at USC's Annenberg School for Communication in March of 2004 about how he got away with scamming the Congress and Senate into voting for Campaign Finance Reform, otherwise known as Incumbent Security Reform. See for yourself:
Charged with promoting campaign-finance reform when he joined Pew in the mid-1990s, Treglia came up with a three-pronged strategy: 1) pursue an expansive agenda through incremental reforms, 2) pay for a handful of "experts" all over the country with foundation money and 3) create fake business, minority and religious groups to pound the table for reform.Well, well. How about that? Do you realize the FEC is going after bloggers' free speech? Go ahead and sit pretty in your cubicles, but when that day comes and you've said and did nothing, I don't want to hear it.
"The target audience for all this activity was 535 people in Washington," Treglia says — 100 in the Senate, 435 in the House. "The idea was to create an impression that a mass movement was afoot — that everywhere they looked, in academic institutions, in the business community, in religious groups, in ethnic groups, everywhere, people were talking about reform."
So what can we do? We can have Congress investigate this? Yeah right. They already look like fools to me. How about having the President tell the Justice Department to look at it? Yeah right. He's the one who signed it into law in the first place. I called so many times trying to reason with him, and he signed it anyway. No. We can't even go to the IRS, because Treglia was careful enough to disclose to them what he was doing.
So what now? We go to the Federal Elections Board? They are the ones trying to shut you and me down. I'm thinking, alright?! The next election is coming. We can make this a big issue. A law has been given, and a law can been taken away!
Campaign only for people who promise to fight illegal aliens and to repeal the campaign finance reform law. We have to come together. I don't believe Republicans or Democrats like being duped. Let us show the press that if they do not do their jobs, we will.
If the press had investigated this, PEW would have been laughed out of DC. The PEW has/had no credibility in Washington, according to Mr. Treglia. That is why the people who ran the ads did not include the fact that the PEW Trust fund had financed them.
This is illegal. This violates the transparency issues. Of $140 million dollars, $123 million was received from only 8 fundraising organizations. Yes, Soros was one of them. They want to silence us, so we must not let that happen. Keep this story alive. I want him behind bars. I'm pretty sure there will be updates to this.
My friend Jack of Clubs has been doing a very good job on keeping everyone informed about this. He has a list of everyone he knows who has written an article about this. Please visit his site to get more ideas. Thank you, and keep on blogging!
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Some News I wrote and should have written
I wrote a about the Military Families Relief Bill on the 14 of March. I have linked it for you again, so you don't even have to go looking for it. Please find your state to see if you can participate in the program for our troops with your tax refund or return.
I know a great blogger by the name of Jack of Clubs who has provided many blogs who have written articles on this topic. This topic is about the scam that many and I have been screaming about: Incumbent Protection Reform, otherwise know as Campaign Finance Reform.
It is a scam, and it finally hit the New York Post, of all places. As I promised him, I will be writing my own article on this issue. I just had to put in down for a while due to high blood pressure, which I never had before! I don't have it now, I was just exaggerating.
Look forward to my taking this article to heart, and taking these people whom I will name to task. I will also give us a channel to place our rage. You will have some, if you care about reading any blogs. You will have some, if you care about your free speech.
I know a great blogger by the name of Jack of Clubs who has provided many blogs who have written articles on this topic. This topic is about the scam that many and I have been screaming about: Incumbent Protection Reform, otherwise know as Campaign Finance Reform.
It is a scam, and it finally hit the New York Post, of all places. As I promised him, I will be writing my own article on this issue. I just had to put in down for a while due to high blood pressure, which I never had before! I don't have it now, I was just exaggerating.
Look forward to my taking this article to heart, and taking these people whom I will name to task. I will also give us a channel to place our rage. You will have some, if you care about reading any blogs. You will have some, if you care about your free speech.
Wednesday, March 9, 2005
The Federalist: Founders' Daily Quote(s)
Labels:
daily quote,
republic
Monday, February 28, 2005
"Public opinion sets bounds to every government, and is the real sovereign in every free one." --James Madison
Oh really? Would you please tell that to the Supremes...!
Tuesday, March 1, 2005
"The regular distribution of power into distinct departments; the introduction of legislative balances and checks; the institution of courts composed of judges holding their offices during good behavior; the representation of the people in the legislature by deputies of their own election.... They are means, and powerful means, by which the excellences of republican government may be retained and its imperfections lessened or avoided." --Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 9
Is it good behavior to look at another country's laws to make your case for your decision? Hmm? What is our recourse when we have an inept legistature? How did we become a "safe" district for so many losers of both parties? Is party affiliation really all it's cracked up to be? Just a few thoughts. I'm tired of every year voting, and I know that no matter what-the majority of the same people will be returning. So why, do tell, do they spend their career raising money if they know they won't be defeated? Hmm. Disgusting.
Wednesday, March 2, 2005
"Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence, (I conjure you to believe me fellow citizens) the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake; since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of Republican Government." --George Washington
Wake up, Supremes! Beware!
Thursday, March 3, 2005
"But as the plan of the convention aims only at a partial union or consolidation, the State governments would clearly retain all the rights of sovereignty which they before had, and which were not, by that act, EXCLUSIVELY delegated to the United States." --Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 32
Try telling that to the Supremes. I guess I'm rather upset with the decisions, or lack thereof, this morning in particular. I have been holding off on writing this, because I have been upset. They can take Lawrence v. Texas, Supremes v. God, but they won't take business owners v. employees?
The 9th Circus said that employers cannot ask employees any discovery questions as to where a person was born, legality in this country, etc., because it would be discriminatory? Huh?
Friday, March 4, 2005
"They accomplished a revolution which has no parallel in the annals of human society. They reared the fabrics of governments which have no model on the face of the globe. They formed the design of a great Confederacy, which it is incumbent on their successors to improve and perpetuate." --James Madison, Federalist No. 14
Yes. Yes they did. I thank God for them not as often as I should, but I do. Thank you for bestowing upon us this great nation, even with the flakes that come with it. Hehehe. Have a great day everyone.
Originally posted at My Newz 'n Ideas.
"Public opinion sets bounds to every government, and is the real sovereign in every free one." --James Madison
Oh really? Would you please tell that to the Supremes...!
Tuesday, March 1, 2005
"The regular distribution of power into distinct departments; the introduction of legislative balances and checks; the institution of courts composed of judges holding their offices during good behavior; the representation of the people in the legislature by deputies of their own election.... They are means, and powerful means, by which the excellences of republican government may be retained and its imperfections lessened or avoided." --Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 9
Is it good behavior to look at another country's laws to make your case for your decision? Hmm? What is our recourse when we have an inept legistature? How did we become a "safe" district for so many losers of both parties? Is party affiliation really all it's cracked up to be? Just a few thoughts. I'm tired of every year voting, and I know that no matter what-the majority of the same people will be returning. So why, do tell, do they spend their career raising money if they know they won't be defeated? Hmm. Disgusting.
Wednesday, March 2, 2005
"Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence, (I conjure you to believe me fellow citizens) the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake; since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of Republican Government." --George Washington
Wake up, Supremes! Beware!
Thursday, March 3, 2005
"But as the plan of the convention aims only at a partial union or consolidation, the State governments would clearly retain all the rights of sovereignty which they before had, and which were not, by that act, EXCLUSIVELY delegated to the United States." --Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 32
Try telling that to the Supremes. I guess I'm rather upset with the decisions, or lack thereof, this morning in particular. I have been holding off on writing this, because I have been upset. They can take Lawrence v. Texas, Supremes v. God, but they won't take business owners v. employees?
The 9th Circus said that employers cannot ask employees any discovery questions as to where a person was born, legality in this country, etc., because it would be discriminatory? Huh?
Friday, March 4, 2005
"They accomplished a revolution which has no parallel in the annals of human society. They reared the fabrics of governments which have no model on the face of the globe. They formed the design of a great Confederacy, which it is incumbent on their successors to improve and perpetuate." --James Madison, Federalist No. 14
Yes. Yes they did. I thank God for them not as often as I should, but I do. Thank you for bestowing upon us this great nation, even with the flakes that come with it. Hehehe. Have a great day everyone.
Originally posted at My Newz 'n Ideas.
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