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May 31, 2006
Hillary Clinton: Dead Candidate Walking?Noel Sheppard
For Hillary Clinton and her terminally unfaithful husband, last week must have seemed like a Wes Craven version of an old musical comedy reworked and entitled 'A Ghastly Thing Happened on the Way Back to the White House.'
With Hillary leading in most polls as the prohibitive favorite to be the... More
May 31, 2006
Al Gore ReduxRosslyn Smith
When I read that Al Gore was riding high on the consulting circuit and putting together a glossy documentary on global warming, I thought back to the night in early 1992 when I was in the audience with about 100 other members of the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations listening to the... More
May 31, 2006
Kerry's Catch-22Russ Vaughn
[Catch—22: A situation in which a desired outcome or solution is impossible to attain because of a set of inherently illogical rules or conditions.]
John Kerry may fancy himself a war hero and an old hand at armed combat but somehow, in spite of all his self—filmed heroics, he doesn't... More
May 30, 2006
Evangelicals and Israel: An Interview with David BrogEd Lasky
David Brog is the author of the book Standing with Israel: Why Christians Support the Jewish State. He attended Princeton University and Harvard Law School, served as an executive at America Online, and practiced corporate law. He has recently been the Chief of Staff for Senator Arlen Specter... More
May 30, 2006
Shameful resolutionsMatthew May
You've got to hand it to the anti—war zealots on the left: No matter the venue, no matter the inappropriateness of time and place, they manage to show up and bark at the moon or the sun or anyone who will listen.
The weekend before last, the Detroit Conference of the United Methodist Church... More
May 27, 2006
Just One Old Ernie PyleRuss Vaughn
As a boy of four in '44 I missed out on his style;
But at thirty—six in '76 I learned more of Ernie Pyle.
To read his tributes to our troops always brought the question why,
That my own war's correspondents didn't hold our troops as high.
I'd witnessed acts of bravery as great as World War... More
May 27, 2006
The Eloquent DeadJohn B. Dwyer
It was originally called Decoration Day. In 1868 the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans led by Major General John A. Logan, established it as a day set aside for placing flowers at the graves of war dead. The first major observance of what came to be known as... More
May 27, 2006
River Rats RememberDennis Sevakis
Ordinarily, being named 'Rat of the Year' would seem a dubious honor. However, members of the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association, also known as the Red River Valley Association or RRVA, call themselves 'River Rats.' To be named River Rat of the Year and get a standing ovation from this... More
May 26, 2006
Kharijism and Cultural WarJ.R. Dunn
Five years into the War on Terror, the debate on our relationship with Islam remains on the level of 'Nuke 'em all' on one hand or 'Islam is the religion of peace' on the other. It never gets beyond those two points. Muslims are either soulless, robotic killers or big—eyed PC waifs. There is... More
May 26, 2006
Restore History and Theory to Military EducationJames Holmes
Strategic thinking —— roughly speaking, the art of using history and theory to grapple with today's security challenges —— is in decline in the U.S. defense community. Cutbacks in military education only compound the problem. Last year, in fact, Secretary of Defense Donald... More
May 26, 2006
Long-term Vision, Short-term BlindnessSteve Feinstein
Conventional wisdom says that the Republicans are in real danger of losing one, if not both Houses of Congress this November. There has been a never—ending stream of bad political news for the President and his party since last year—the Libby—Plame affair (with the real target... More
May 25, 2006
God Bless America: Olmert speaks to CongressEd Lasky
A few days ago, I was fortunate to receive an invitation to hear Israeli Prime minister Ehud Olmert address a rare joint session of Congress. (the full text of the speech can be found here)
Occasions that merit a joint session of Congress are very rare: the President's annual State of the Union... More
May 25, 2006
The Ugly Underside of the Nanny StateChrisopher G. Adamo
In a stunning act of treachery against the American people, the Senate has set the stage to plunder America's Social Security system and give the spoils to illegal immigrants. The phony 'compassion' of liberalism is on display and the dive—by media and its allies remain silent.
According to... More
May 25, 2006
Iran's Ahmadinejad is not UnhingedAmil Imani
The world is captivated by the sudden rise of a relatively unknown to the presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran, for his torrent of outrageous statements and claims. He has, thus, in a short time acquired great many appellations. He is viewed as zealot, fascist, fanatic, anti—Semitic,... More
May 24, 2006
Border Towns Under SiegeDouglas Hanson
In its plan to station National Guard troops on the border to help stem the tide of illegal immigration, the Bush administration is ignoring a decades—old problem in the southwestern US. Part and parcel of the chaos in the desert is the transnational narco—terrorist threat. ... More
May 24, 2006
The 55 Mile Per Hour QuestionAndrew Sumereau
In late summer of the year 1912, after much heated debate, Congress finally passed the comprehensive 'Aquatic Safety Law.' The legislation was developed in response to the horrific sinking of the British steamship Titanic after it collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic. The bill outlawed... More
May 23, 2006
Why Mahmoud may be madder than MaoJames Lewis
It is very scary to think about the unthinkable. Liberals are therefore all over the media trying to rationalize the nuclear threat coming from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his merry Mullahs. Paul Starobin just had such an article in the National Journal called "Experts Consider Ability to Deter... More
May 23, 2006
The Yellow Badge of DenialAndrew G. Bostom
Controversy still swirls over allegations that Iran's government plans to require non—Muslims to wear identifying clothing. The Canadian National Post has retracted its May 19, 2006 report about a putative Iranian Law requiring non—Muslim minorities—Jews, Christians, and... More
May 23, 2006
A Reply to Jimmy CarterRachel Neuwirth
In recent years, former President Jimmy Carter has shown a growing animosity toward Israel. Just this past January, at the Herzliya Conference, President Carter must have astounded his audience when he declared that 'you can't have a Palestinian state living in peace and dignity if it is... More
May 22, 2006
Is Left-Leaning Google Censoring Right-Leaning Websites?Noel Sheppard and Marc Sheppard
Something frighteningly ominous has been happening on the Internet lately: Google, without any prior explanation or notice, has been terminating its News relationship with conservative e—zines and web journals.
At first blush, one can easily ignore such business decisions by the most powerful... More
May 22, 2006
Tectonic Plates Moving on Madison StreetRichard Baehr
Chicago, the most ebulliently American of our big cities, is seeing a great reversal of fortune in baseball, the American national pastime. The White Sox, scandalized as the "Black Sox" almost a century ago, the team of the downscale Southside, has emerged from the doghouse and won a World... More
May 22, 2006
The Worst Vice Presidential Candidate in History?Bob Weir
There have been many political candidates who were willing to say or do just about anything to get elected. It's one of the reasons why politicians are so often rated below used car salesmen in public opinion surveys.
On Sunday's This Week program, ABC's George Stephanopoulos interviewed John... More
May 21, 2006
Jesus and Muhammad: Major Differences (2)James Arlandson
Part One may be read here.
[If readers would like to see multiple translations of the Quran, they should click on this website. This article uses the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible, but multiple translations may be read here.]
Eight: аMarriage
One allowed polygamy and had many wives.... More
May 20, 2006
Badging Infidels in IranAndrew G. Bostom
The Iranian Majlis or Parliament has reportedly passed (now disputed) a law requiring that, 'Jews would have to sew a yellow strip of cloth on the front of their clothes, while Christians would wear red badges and Zoroastrians would be forced to wear blue cloth.' An outraged... More
May 20, 2006
Migrations: a Socio-Political ParableC. MacLeod Fuller
You live at Number 1 Constitution Street. It is a lovely white house, quite something more than the cottage you had when first wed. There are no barriers between you and your peaceful neighbors.
You live a quiet life with the wife and children, a lazy cat, and a playful drooling golden... More
May 20, 2006
Jesus and Muhammad: Major Differences (1)James Arlandson
Aggressive Islam is on the march. Terror attacks; violent protests over cartoons; many pushes to establish Islamic courts in Europe and Canada; demands to silence free speech, to criminalize criticism of the messenger of Allah; the President of Iran threatening to wipe Israel off the map, and... More
May 19, 2006
The Case Against Libby WeakensClarice Feldman
The Libby case has always tantalized the left with its imagined scent of corruption in the White House. Libby himself was a highly—placed target, but the blood lust raged for a bigger name. The left was gnawing their paws at the growing realization that Karl Rove probably won't be indicted,... More
May 19, 2006
Hamstringing IntelligenceRick Moran
The hearings to confirm General Michael Hayden as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency have had some unintentional effects. The culpability of Congress in what almost all observers agree is the dysfunctional nature of our intelligence community is on view. It is evident that Congressional... More
May 19, 2006
Hirsi Ali is Your Problem Now, AmericaFrederik H. Coppes
Hirsi Ali has become a cause celebre among American conservatives as a refugee from Islamic oppression. Sympathy has led to an uncritical assignment to her of virtue. Please consider the facts.
Yes, the Dutch politician Hirsi Ali is a charming personality who excels in candid outspokenness,... More
May 18, 2006
Red Ken and Red ChinaThomas Lifson
The Mayor of London, fresh from palling around with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, 'dropped a clanger' yesterday, as the Brits say. 'Red Ken' Livingstoneаis defending the memory of Chairman Mao, usually reckoned to be the deadliest dictator in history, with the blood of about 70 million of his people on... More
May 18, 2006
Letter to Dan Brownanonymous
[Editor's Note: the following unsignedаletter came into our hands by accident. We do not sympathize with or takeаresponsibility for its content or the views expressed therein. We are publishing this letter because of the world—wide interest in the opening of the movie The Da Vinci Code,... More
May 18, 2006
Bush on Immigration: Repackaging the Trojan HorseChristopher G. Adamo
Among the tiny handful of Americans who still clung to the illusion that President Bush might want to truly address and correct the illegal immigration crisis, it only took the first moments of his May 15 speech to dispel all hope. Though conceding, seemingly for the first time, that the invasion... More
May 17, 2006
The Earle of DukeClarice Feldman
We have two fine literary examples of trials occasioned by charges of interracial rape: To Kill a Mockingbird and Passage to India. Both involve false claims of women against men of other races, accompanied by seething rage in the defendants' communities and unscrupulous politicians exploiting that... More
May 17, 2006
Hamas and the Killing of InnocentsEdward Bernard Glick
Why should Hamas care if its irredentist terrorism kills or causes Israel to kill innocent civilians?
If one looks at the existential Palestine—Israel struggle as Hamas looks at it, it is obvious that Hamas is winning. Not only did it prevail in the Gaza elections, but it watches with glee as... More
May 17, 2006
The Strange Partner of Brandeis UniversityLori Lowenthal Marcus
Brandeis University has created a special relationship with the Arab Palestinian al—Quds University, a partnership which it says will 'make the world a better place.' This is a pathetic gesture, one which blinds the recognition of evil.
Al—Quds University honors the murderers... More
May 16, 2006
Zarqawi and the Company of BloodJ.R. Dunn
There are two distinct types that end up on top after a revolutionary—insurgency victory: intellectuals who can double as men of action, and thugs.
The first —— the thinkers who can handle themselves in a brawl —— are typified by Lenin, Hitler, and Mussolini. The... More
May 16, 2006
Preserving Self-PreservationSeth Cooper
This month the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that there is a fundamental right of self—preservation protected by the U.S. Constitution. In Abigail Alliance v. Eschenbach (D.C. Cir. 2006), the D.C. Circuit faced a due process challenge to Food & Drug Administration (FDA)... More
May 16, 2006
The Sky is Falling AgainBob Weir
Let me ask you a question: are you making phone calls that you would be ashamed of if the government knew about them? Think about the phone calls you make every day and ask yourself if you really believe someone in the National Security Agency would be able to use those calls against you.
First of... More
May 15, 2006
Fitzgerald and Plame's Covert StatusDouglas Hanson
Lost in all of the legal analysis by the punditry involving the Plame case is the fact that operational security terminology is being used by Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald to deliberately muddy the waters concerning Plame's covert status. This is what lies at the heart of the case; not some... More
May 15, 2006
"You Must Suggest an Alternative"Christopher Chantrill
It's one thing to complain about the problems of the welfare state. But what are you going to do about it?
That is what author and journalist James Bartholomew confronted on May 10 when he presented a copy of his book The Welfare State We're In to Baroness Thatcher. Writes... More
May 15, 2006
Rush Limbaugh and Liberalism's Fatal FlawVasko Kohlmayer
One of the Left's great agonies and frustrations of the past fifteen years has been its abortive quest to field a counterpart to Rush Limbaugh. Fully cognizant of the massive damage inflicted on it by talk radio, a number of contenders placed bids to mount a counterattack. To their bitter dismay,... More
May 14, 2006
The Good Ship Fitzgerald Is ListingClarice Feldman
While the media focuses on handwritten notations by the Vice President on a newspaper article, there is much more to be gleaned from late Friday's court filings in the Libby case. The spin says that damaging new evidence has surfaced. But the filings by Fitzgerald reveal how rapidly his case is... More
May 14, 2006
The Joy Of Her Life, The Grace Of Her DaysJohn B. Dwyer
The sweet, soft airs of Spring flow across the field out back, playing a gentle song on the harp of the trees in the neighboring woods while a red—tailed hawk soars skyward, circling benediction from on high, ever upwards towards heaven where my Mom now resides. During recent years, coming... More
May 13, 2006
Jesus and Muhammad on WealthJames Arlandson
Both Jesus and Muhammad said that we should give to the poor (and so do most world religions). But beyond this basic generosity, they had very different attitudes and policies on money.
In Islam, the Third of Five Pillars, the zakat or alms tax, commands Muslims to give to the poor. In the... More
May 12, 2006
Airbus Loses AltitudeThomas Lifson
The largest and most technologically sophisticated companies in the world rarely surrender to the competition and admit they have made a poor decision about what to produce. That's why the leakаof Airbus' latest product plan is so significant. A state—supported Europrestige... More
May 12, 2006
GOP 'Moderates' Put Democrat Principles in ChargeChristopher G. Adamo
Were any anti—government 'militia' or separatist organization to consistently discuss Timothy McVeigh as merely a 'rental truck operator,' their underlying sympathies would become glaringly obvious. While such a description is not absolutely inaccurate, it clearly misrepresents the overall... More
May 12, 2006
Black Death II?Seth Abrahams
There are 3 startling differences between the waves of Black Death that first ravaged Europe in the 14th Century and the AIDS epidemic which is now being called its modern equivalent, in some quarters.
The first distinction is speed.
People got sick and died quickly from the plague. From the... More
May 11, 2006
Take Off the 9/11 Tinfoil HatsRick Moran
One of the many eye—popping statements made by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in his letter to the President was a curious passage about 9/11 that has gone largely unnoticed by the press:
September eleven was not a simple operation. Could it be planned and executed without... More
May 11, 2006
Energy: The GOP's Issue for 2006Jonathan D. Strong
Many on the Left are eagerly awaiting the elections in November with the perception, or delusion, that the Republicans in the House and the Senate have been weakened by the Iraq War and multiple budget deficits. Although many conservatives are equally outraged at the reckless spending that... More
May 11, 2006
Goodbye, Ancient Past.. Hello, Muslim Future.Dennis Sevakis
Sometimes, when America can be blamed, the media seem to care a great deal about the preservation of antiquities.
On April 13, 2003, the New York Times seemed mortified when it reported ($) "Pillagers Strip Iraqi Museum Of Its Treasure." The Washington Post quoted workers at the Baghdad... More
May 10, 2006
A Break in the ChainJ.R. Dunn
No less an authority than Pope Benedict XVI has pointed out that since the Koran is taken as the very word of God —— as opposed to the Bible, which is the work of men inspired by God — no interpretation is possible. (That this in itself is a form of interpretation is something... More
May 10, 2006
A Case for Forced InterrogationVasko Kohlmayer
Glad the administration has one less 'scandal' to deal with, many on our side welcomed with relief the recent conclusion of the EU's antiterrorism chief that the CIA has no secret interrogation facilities in Europe. I, for one, am troubled by this news, since it was my hope that such centers did in... More
May 10, 2006
The Morass of Middle East DiplomacyRachel Neuwirth
Since 1993 a sustained diplomatic effort has been devoted to solve what is commonly known as the Arab—Israeli conflict.а This conflict, reframed as the 'Israeli—Palestinian' conflict, is no closer to resolution.а Political leaders, diplomats, media pundits and think tank analysts of... More
May 9, 2006
The Politics of Anger on the LeftThomas Lifson
America's Left and the political party it calls home, the Democrats, have been seized by anger ever since the disputes of the 2000 presidential election, with its razor—thin margin, judicial intervention called forth by Gore, and the ultimate victory for President Bush. Intoxicated by the... More
May 9, 2006
Children of Lightning or Children of Terror?Thanos
Mankind is ingenious at tapping the energy bounty provided by nature. From the first fire, to windmills, to water wheels, to today's electric generating plants we have progressed from superstitious awe and deification of nature to harnessing it to our every need.
Today however we have several... More
May 9, 2006
Harry Potter and the War On TerrorBookworm
Not too long ago, there was a lot of giggling on the right side of the blogosphere when it learned about a book called Why Mommy is a Democrat, which its publisher proudly boasts is "A Different Kind of Children's Book." The book's point is that, just as a child views Mommy in a saintly... More
May 8, 2006
Moussaoui's GiftJ.R. Dunn
The Moussaoui sentencing verdict should come as a surprise to no one. A legal system adept at trivializing all forms of criminal behavior was not going to be stopped by anything as grave as 9/11. Between incompetent prosecutors, over—officious judges, and jurors uncertain of what... More
May 8, 2006
Shocking News from NPR: No Oil Company GougingNoel Sheppard
For months, the media have blamed virtually anything but free market forces for the rise in oil and gas prices. NBC's Lisa Myers attributed these increases to greed on a recent Nightly News report stating almost disgustedly
'Exxon earned 9.5 cents on every dollar of gasoline and oil sold, cashing... More
May 8, 2006
But Does Freud Matter to Conservatives?Christopher Chantrill
To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sigmund Freud, the Wall Street Journal on Friday hauled out Harold Bloom to explain to us all "Why Freud Matters."
Bloom told us that Freud was not so much a scientist but a "moral essayist" like Montaigne. He advised that "Freud maps our minds by... More
May 7, 2006
What is the California Corrections Dept. Thinking?Bookworm
The California Department of Corrections shipped twelve paroled high risk sex offenders to San Quentin on Thursday. The key word is paroled. Since they're out of prison, while they'll be housed on the SQ grounds, they'll be free to come and go as they please for 12 hours a... More
May 7, 2006
Taking care of his ownMatthew May
Obviously, Rep. Patrick Kennedy should resign his seat in the House of Representatives.
Regardless of what one may think of the Kennedy clan and the ridiculous cut—and—paste articles that have been flitting about describing Rep. Kennedy's dangerous cocktail of prescription medicine and... More
May 6, 2006
Not Quite the Whole StoryJohn B. Dwyer
[Reviewing COBRA II: The Inside Story of The Invasion and Occupation of Iraq by Michael R. Gordon & General Bernard E. Trainor, Pantheon Books, New York, 2006. 603 pages, maps, photos, chapter notes, appendices, index]
COBRA II is a comprehensive, thoroughly—researched... More
May 6, 2006
Were Jesus and Muhammad sinless?James Arlandson
It is a cherished doctrine among devout Muslims that Muhammad had achieved sinlessness or (even more) was always sinless after his birth. Some believe that Muhammad had merely negligible faults, brief forgetfulness, small errors, or superficial weaknesses, but this does not mean that he should be... More
May 5, 2006
The Counter-insurgency BugabooDouglas Hanson
The First Gulf War should have exorcised the old Vietnam War ghosts out of our military psyche. But to listen to the generals on the media circuit and in think tank seminars talking about the Iraqi 'insurgency,' it seems we are suffering from a huge national—level flashback. The... More
May 5, 2006
Green Piece of Junk ScienceMarc Sheppard
Kermit the Frog once avowed in song that 'It isn't easy being Green.'аа Well, Kermie, it appears that you're not the only dummy with such problems — Not surprisingly, it isn't easy being Greenpeace either!
Greenpeace continues to beat one drum to the tune ofа 'the Pentagon's report warning... More
May 5, 2006
Illegal Immigration: Mexico's ShameJohn Mendez
Even as activists attempted to redefine this very heated, latest debate on illegal immigration with the misnamed 'Day Without Immigrants,' the two issues apparently lost are ultimately the most critical:
1. The responsibility of Mexico to its citizens.
2. Their government's complete disregard for... More
May 4, 2006
More Land, Less PeaceRichard Baehr
Caroline Glick, columnist for the Jerusalem Post, аhas written a serious paper exposing the risks inherent in Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's 'Convergence ' plan for the West Bank.ааThat plan calls for an Israeli withdrawal from most (90% or more) of the West Bank (all but the areas... More
May 4, 2006
Washington Offers No SolutionsChristopher G. Adamo
The nation's capital has been shaken by the recent Rasmussen poll indicating that a significant portion of Americans would support a third—party candidate for President in 2008. Perhaps most alarming to Washington's current ruling class is the fact that such rampant discontent with the likely... More
May 3, 2006
Scooter Libby Meets the PressClarice Feldman
We have just been granted a window on the struggle between Lewis 'Scooter' Libby and the elite media over his access to their internal documents. Libby is charged with federal crimes because his versions of conversations with reporters differ from the accounts of the media people. He seeks evidence... More
May 3, 2006
Canada's Conservative Change of CoursePaul Jackson
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who won a minority government in the Jan. 23 federal election, has ignored adviceаtoаtake a cautionary course and quickly is steering the nation inа a new direction. Harper's Conservative government rolled out its first budget on Tuesday with widespread... More
May 3, 2006
Centrifugal SeparationDennis Sevakis
On Tuesday the Wall Street Journal published a letter—to—the—editor by Bill Keller, executive editor of the New York Times. Mr. Keller had written to respond to the Journal editorial, "Our Rotten IntelligenCIA,"dated April 26th. That editorial had roundly criticized CIA agents who... More
May 2, 2006
Negotiations Theory Goes to War -- AgainJames Holmes
With apologies to Mark Twain, rumors of the North Korean bomb's demise have been greatly exaggerated. Hope flared briefly last fall when the protagonists in the "six—party talks" announced that they had agreed in principle on a nuclear—free Korean Peninsula. But last month's unofficial... More
May 2, 2006
The Lesson of Uno de MayoJ.R. Dunn
Uno De Mayo has come and gone with none of the predicted effects — no drastic plunge in retail sales, no nationwide economic earthquake, the only businesses shut down the ones that agreed to do so beforehand. But still we're assured the marchers have 'made their... More
May 2, 2006
All the News that Fits Our PoliticsDavid Yerushalmi
A few days ago the New York Times provided yet another lesson in how to mislead readers without actually publishing anything untrue. Journalist Jo Craven McGinty published a 1500 word statistical look at murders in New York City that is more notable for what it omitted than what it actually... More
May 1, 2006
Venezuela's Chavez and the "Day Without Immigrants"Thomas Lifson and A.M. Mora y Leon
Hugo Chavez of Venezuela does not lack for ambition. Sitting atop billions of petrodollars, closely allied with Fidel Castro (whose life span soon is nearing its natural end), Chavez is already sticking his nose in the business of other Western Hemisphere nations, supporting leftist... More
May 1, 2006
Gaseous Hypocrisy and Political ShameChristopher Chantrill
There's a difference between the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The Democrats are completely shameless, but the Republicans are only mostly shameless.
So the pandering to angry American gas guzzlers over the past week committed by shameless Republican officeholders was at least... More
May 1, 2006
Party Abominations: Who Are YouNoel Sheppard
It's May 2006...do you know who your party is? Not that easy to tell anymore, is it?
After all, if you're a Republican, your representatives have increased federal spending by an amazing 45 percent in the past five years — something you might support for its Keynesian stimulus, or just... More