The Noble Pundit

Syria's Knitting A Wool Cap

Our friends in Damascus are up to their old tricks again. These guys are not exactly subtle in their actions. Once again they are trying to pull the wool over Colin Powell's eyes by "closing" terrorist offices in Damascus.

This is rich. Closing a terrorist office. Is this evicting a corner grocery store? Maybe shutting down an illicit press? What are these organizations doing having offices in the first place?

Baby Bashar is operating in under a worldview where he thinks that half-measures and little white lies are good enough. Everyday it seems like he is doing something to show that he does not understanding the paradigm shift that has now occurred with the regime change in Iraq. Just because they are staying at the "Iraqi governmental retreat" in Syria doesn't mean that they are still in power.

But I think we're learning. They are knitting the wool cap, but Powell has essentially already pointed out that it has eyeholes.

Baby Bashar I don't think will have much more opportunity to grow into his job.

Labor Relations UN Style

Labor unions and the UN are my two least favorite organizations. Apparently the unions at the UN walked out and the diplomats, in their zeal to prove that they are equal to everyone else, proceeded to loot the cafeterias and bars of the UN headquarters. The losses are being estimated somewhere between $7,000 and $9,000.

And these are the same guys that many of our "allies" want to put in charge of Iraq? They can't control themselves in New York, how we can really expect them to behave properly in Baghdad? Or am I to understand that one person's thief is another person's wealth redistributionist?

I do love the horrors described in the article:

Kofi Annan, who had a private lunch previously scheduled with the members of the Security Council in the Delegates Dining Room, found they were only served the main course. After that, they were on their own — no desserts, no cleanup, no coffee for Kofi.

Starving kids in God only knows how many countries around the world, and Kofi gets no coffee. Millions of people living without adequate sanitation and Kofi has no one to clean up after him.

I say that we let the UN attempt to run its own nation as soon as it can run its own headquarters. Oil for food failed and now so has vacation time for food. What a track record!

RIAA Stupicide

The RIAA is bound and determined to commit stupicide, not matter how difficult it may be for them to do so. First they sent the instant message spam and now, they are openly discussing software that can cause great problems by establishing the RIAA as judge, jury and executioner.

I've said before that the RIAA has a right to enforce their copywrites. The law provides for remedies for proven violations. If the RIAA chooses to take individuals to court, one by one, that's fine (not bright, but they've already proven that they're not bright).

But the law does not allow them to determine what is and what is not a copyright violation. The law does not allow the RIAA to arbitrarily engage in enforcement.

Yet arbitrary, selective enforcement without the protection of due process is exactly what the RIAA is proposing with these new software packages. The RIAA may see copyright violations, but they cannot impose punishments without going through the proper legal channels - just as I cannot legally write someone a ticket for speeding.

I also want to know what the RIAA is going to do to compensate people or corporations for improper (and illegal) sanctions. One of these programs is designed to lock up the target computer for several hours, unless it is rebooted with a correspondent loss of data.

Here's a scenario to think about:

A broker at a major Wall Street brokerage firm downloads a new peer-to-peer file sharing system before IT bans access to the site. The said broker then downloads a single .mp3 file and is subjected to the RIAA freeze program, which then searches the network computers and finds the companies CEO speaking to the employees in an .mp3 file. The freeze software then locks up every network computer bringing trading at the firm to a halt as they switch over to manual backup systems.

Think it can't happen? It can. The RIAA has admitted that their sanction software can't distinguish between legal and illegal .mp3s. When I worked for a large Wall Street brokerage the CEO would frequently send messages to the employees across the company network. All it would take was one breach and whole system would tank, as several viruses proved to us.

Will the RIAA reimburse the company for the loss of revenue from such a crash? Will the RIAA reimburse each affected client? I'm guessing not as to compensate a large corporation for one improper enforcement action could become almost enough to bankrupt the RIAA.

So to compensate, the RIAA would have to increase the royalties it collects on each and every CD sale. This in turn would raise the price of CDs at a time when the market is obviously demanding that the price drop. Piracy is a problem simply because the cost of a new CD is simply too high.

When we examine our basic microeconomics, when the price of a product goes up, demand goes down. CDs were already priced above the intersection of the two curves. Each price increase from here will actually reduce the amount of money flowing into the RIAA coffers as piracy increases.

I have already stopped buying new CDs because of the cost. $15.99 for a CD that has two, maybe three songs that I like is just way too much. If I really want the CD, I wait to find it in a pawnshop or at a used CD store. I don't really care for much of the new music out there so buying CDs this way really doesn't bother me.

I know several other people who buy their music the same way. Piracy isn't the true threat to the RIAA, it is people like me. It's been at least three, maybe as many as five, years since I bought a CD where any of the money I spent flowed to the RIAA.

The RIAA thinks that it is trying to develop a relationship with me. I have not once seen the RIAA do anything other than engage in threatening bluster. A relationship built on a threat is not a relationship, it is the equivalent of the protection schemes of the 1930's ("Give us money or something bad will happen to you.").

I also find it disturbing that the RIAA has found someone in Congress who is trying to introduce a bill to limit the liability of RIAA companies if they violate the law and people's rights in an improper attempt to enforce their copyrights. Just as the law proscribes sanctions for copyright violations, it also dictates penalties for hacking and destruction of information resources. It holds true even in cyberspace: two wrongs don't make a right.

The RIAA needs to get a grasp on reality. The problems of the music industry today come from poor business models that have been used since the introduction of the CD. DVDs with more information now sell for less than CDs. If I go to Wal-Mart, I can buy a new release DVD for about $15, maybe $20 if it is really, really highly anticipated. By contrast, a CD that was released a few years ago still costs about $15.

Someone needs to tell the music industry that they no longer have monopoly pricing power. A few years ago, I wanted to buy a piece of music. I bought the DVD instead of the CD because it was cheaper - and I got to see the concert along with getting the music.

If the RIAA wants to have a relationship with me, they had better start to understand the depth of my relationship with my wallet size portraits of Mr. Jackson.

Syrians Put On Notice

One of the phrases I hear quite a bit from my mother is "govern yourself accordingly." It's basically her way of putting me on notice that she's watching me closely for some reason and that I'll probably hear about real quick if I screw up (luckily I only hear the phrase maybe once a week now, used to be almost daily when I lived at home).

Colin Powell has basically put the Syrians on notice that they need to govern themselves accordingly.

Powell's main job as the Secretary of State is to be the chief negotiator for the country. He's supposed to be the one to bite his tongue and to talk to the weasels no matter how evil they are. And he's always supposed to be polite about it.

Publicly announcing that a nation and its leader have lied to you is not the most polite thing you can do, especially when you are enroute to deliver a stiff and probably uncomfortable message to that nation. Yet that is exactly what Powell did to Syria.

Baby Bashar needs to take heed of the change in tone here. He is no longer that mosquito who's annoying, but not bad enough to make a real attempt to kill. We just changed from gently swatting at it to taking out an industrial pest fogger. Baby Bashar has been put on notice.

It will be interesting to see how the Syrians react to this. I can see there being a culture clash and misunderstanding here. In the US we put truth on a pedestal as one of the most important virtues in our society. In Syria, and most Arab countries, truth is relative. If it's a relative, you tell the truth. If not, well anything is ok then.

Bashar made the mistake of lying to Powell once. He got caught and was publicly nailed. I'm thinking if he does it again, he may find himself negotiating with Rumsfeld instead of Powell.

Peace Activist Goes "BOOM!"

I am really starting to think that the bomber who blew up Mike's Place was working on someone else's orders. We'll know for sure when they find his wannabe-a-bomber friend and have a chance to politely question him.

I'm not terribly surprised that the bombers would disguise themselves as "peace protestors." They full well understood that being a peace protestor relieved them of having to meet normal expectations of civilized conduct. As a protestor they could obstruct, plot, and destroy property without much, if any, retribution. After all, they were supporting the noble cause of Palestinian statehood.

It also gave them a chance to acquire the parts of the explosive devices without any real suspicion falling on them. Being British would have also allowed them some more freedoms than if they had been residents of Gaza City.

Along the promenade, they could have escaped much suspicion by speaking English. No one would have looked twice at two men speaking with an English accent - even if they did look Palestinian. There is a certain degree of racial profiling in Israel. These guys wouldn't have been all too suspicious.

At least not until they tried to force their way into Mike's Place. Then one "peace activist" blows himself up while the other runs away when he discovers he is a dud in more ways than one.

Both of the men involved attended the university in Damascus. Damascus is known, of course, for its amazing ability to convert people. And those who fail to convert on the road to Damascus are now converted and indoctrinated by that peace loving organization, Hizbollah.

Things are just adding up too funny here. Two bombers who are British. They both attended school in Damascus. The bombing happens hours after Abu Mazan vows to end terrorism. The peace organizations like Hizbollah, the Al Asqa Martyr's Brigade, and the militant components of the Palestinian Authority needed a miracle to justify the continuance of the intifada. A third party national who blows himself would be just perfect if it led to retribution against Palestinians living in the territories. And praise be to Allah, they got not one, but two.

They say the road to hell is paved in good intentions. I hope that our road map to peace isn't paved in the blood of a thousand (or more) stupicide bombers.

Freedom, It's So.....Liberating

Freedom of the press is such a wonderful thing. It allows for the publication of ideas as opposite as those of Adam Smith and Karl Marx. It let's me publish this blog. It protects the NY Times when they attack the current Administration. It is one of the most powerful ideas that we hold dear. And now it is spreading to Iraq.

It's great to hear that one of the most popular businesses in the Baghdad market is one that sells previously banned books. 30 years of oppression has retarded the education of an entire generation of Iraqi intellectuals, but the fact that they will go out and buy these banned books as soon as they are available is a sign that the generation has not been lost.

This generation will be the most important in modern Iraqi history. We have provided them with a basic structure for their new government: democratic, free, and responsive to the people. Beyond that it is the responsibility of the Iraqis to determine their own governmental fate.

Freedom of the press will be a key part of ensuring that there is a national debate in Iraq about the form their new government will take.

The next key test will be to see how long it takes before they start publishing self-critical books. Constructive criticism on a national level will be very important for the progress of the new nation. Only a rational and reasoned introspection will allow them to correct their inevitable mistakes as they move forward.

Dissidents and porn. Probably not the press envisioned by Jefferson and Franklin, but it is a good start nonetheless. Acceptance of offensive ideas as valid (if wrong) is the first step to a true national liberation. Sounds to me like Iraq is making some pretty good progress.

Rewrite Eminent Domain

The right of eminent domain is one of the potentially most dangerous rights given to government. For many years we were able to survive with minimal abuse of the right, but it seems that in recent years, the number and severity of the abuses of eminent domain have been increasing.

There are actually very few legitimate reasons for the use of eminent domain. The laws are specifically written to supposedly ensure that land is taken only for the "common good" which has traditionally been defined as something supporting a Constitutional mandate of government: education, roads, government offices, etc. Never was it supposed to be used by a private corporation for private gain.

But now it is being used for just that. Governments have started to cede their rights of eminent domain to organizations that are not responsible to the people of the town, city, or state.

Why are municipalities being allowed to do this? The government should not be allowed to give away its Constitutional powers. A city cannot contract its law enforcement out to Joe's Cop Shop. Why should the New London Development Corporation be allowed to enforce eminent domain any more than Joe is allowed to enforce state law?

Eminent domain was put in the legal codes to allow a government to acquire needed land without having to suffer an undue burden. Schools, fire stations, police stations are all recognized as being important and necessary to the government being able to fulfill its Constitutional mandate.

But eminent domain is also set up to protect the landowner. He is supposed to receive fair market value. He is also supposed to be able to take solace in the fact that his loss will provide for an expansion of governmental services that will help to support and better the community.

The landowner has a reasonable right, based on the language of the law, to expect that his land will be used for something to benefit everyone. But when a government comes in and condemns land to allow for the building of a shopping center, a golf course, or a hotel, then the landowner has a right to be upset.

The United States operates on a written contract between the government and the governed. It's called our legal system. When we violate our end of the bargain, there are consequences.

Unfortunately, the enforcement when the other side (the government) violates their end of the bargain is not anywhere near as swift or as sure. Many times, the government can get away with violations of the societal contract with impunity. That's not right.

The government has found a neat little tool of corruption that they can exploit for their benefit and the benefit of their friends. This has got to stop. A complete and total rewrite of the eminent domain laws is in order, before things get out of hand.

I'm starting to sense that there is getting to be a critical mass of abused citizens. Some of these governments need to be careful before the consequences of violating their citizens comes home very swiftly and very surely.

Friends And The Not So Friendly

I thought that we would begin redeploying our military forces in the not too distant future, but eh speed with which it is happening is incredible.

We've had substantial Air Force assets in both Saudi Arabia and Turkey since 1991. Yesterday, a significant draw down was announced in Saudi Arabia and now we are apparently all by shutting down in Turkey where we are abruptly going home calling the mission obsolete.

Germany is just now learning that the 1st Armored Division may not be coming back anytime soon. Apparently it will be deployed to new homes in some of our Eastern European allies like Poland, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.

The repercussions of these moves should be interesting to watch.

Turkey is already on the brink of an economic implosion and the Turkish Army - the real power in the country - is skittish about the new Islamic government. As we pack up and go home, Turkey will lose the money that all those soldiers supplied, which will certainly not be good for the economy. If things start heading south, which is prime time for the demonic clerics to try to take over, I really wouldn't be surprised to see the Army declare new elections - regardless of the wishes of the government.

In Germany, 1st Armored going away should almost certainly seal Gerhard's fate. This will weaken an already hobbled German economy. It will also point out to the German people just how seriously Gerhard's liaison with Jacques, has damaged German-American relations. And they will start to realize that France never took the risks of Germany. France has no US bases to lose. Both nations risked US trade boycotts and such. Only Germany risked a not insignificant part of their economic base. Gerhard will soon be going into involuntary retirement.

I honestly expected this to happen (South Korea will be the next to see redeployments, just as soon as North Korea goes back into their little crazy cave), I just didn't see it happening so fast. I though that we would go through the base closing commissions and negotiations that we did when we closed so many of the domestic bases a few years back. I really didn't expect us to just back up the U-Hauls one day and say "Bye!"

Bob Irsay has nothing on Rumsfeld and Bush.

Bob Irsay was the owner of the Baltimore Colts football team. He literally moved the team to Indianapolis in the middle of the night one night. The people of Baltimore still don't like him

Punish France? - II

I've been following the "Punish France" brigade since I first posted a piece on it. It would appear that our government is going to take the wrong approach with turning the screws on Paris.

Staying out of the Paris Air Show is an acceptable idea. Sure, it puts as at a disadvantage with countries that only buy at Paris, but you got to admit, the Baghdad Air Show had some pretty successful sales demonstrations of our aviation capabilities. Anyone who wants to know how good our aircraft are need only ask Saddam.

Same with the Iraqi Desert Tank Trials. They produced an excellent sales campaign for both the Abrahms and the Bradley. How many third world despots are scrambling around trying to raise money for some used Soviet T-55s or T-72s? Probably not too many with aspirations of tweaking the US.

So, why after such a great example of our equipment's capabilities are we pressuring nations to buy the Abrahms over the French LeClerc? Why are we trying to convince them of the superiority of the F-15 and F-16 over the Mirage?

All of the potential buyers in the world know the capabilities and features of each tank. The Abrahms is battle tested and survivable in the event that someone gets lucky. The LeClerc comes with a built in "quick surrender" flag, ready to be deployed at the push of a button. The Abrahms has a motion-stabilized gun that can hit a target while rolling over sand dunes at 40 mph. The LeClerc has a gun that is permanently mounted facing down and to the rear - for safety reasons. The Abrahms is great for taking the fight to the enemy. The LeClerc is great for taking the fight to the weasels (also works great on fire ants and moles!).

A similar list of comparisons could be made for the aviation products, but I really don't want to take up that much space.

We need to be careful who we let buy French military products. If the Saudis want to buy the LeClerc, let them. We're probably going to have a little skirmish with them at some point anyway. If they have Abrahms, the risk of friendly fire casualties goes way up. If they have the LeClerc there is at least a differentiation of looks. Plus, our soldiers can pretend that they're fighting against the French Army. If we can't invade France for "geo-political" reasons, this could be the next best thing.

Unfortunately our government has failed to recognize the opportunity to quietly punish the French. A few pictures could have made a more powerful, and less inflammatory, statement than that made by Evan Galbraith or even Colin Powell.

Sometimes subtlety is the best offense.

So What Are We, Already?

Just a few short months ago, the UN and Kofi Annan were decrying our "unilateralism" in opposition to the "international community." Today, he is complaining about Israel violating the "road map" put forth by the "international community."

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but someone who is persona non grata cannot be part of the community. The UN leadership that fretted so about our neglect and disdain for the international community is now trying to hijack our ideas as their own, as though nothing ever happened.

We cannot allow this to happen. The United States is the only power with the will and the power to effective enforce the "road map." Why should we engage in the process and suffer the consequences only to let the French and the UN reap the rewards?

The peace process in the Middle East is going to be a long, arduous process, as proven by the various fits and false starts of the past 25 or so years.

The UN is completely incapable of seeing the process through. Europe (Britain excluded) hasn't got the power nor the will to back their words. Which leaves only us.

And the rest of the world knows it. We are the only nation willing to stare down the Arab street, while simultaneously leaning on Israel. The rest of the world knows that we are the only nation, that despite our closeness with Israel, will search for a truly just peace.

So, the UN, in a fit of trying to prove itself relevant again, is trying to hijack our road map to the peace process; they're trying to make it their own. If the bureaucrats of the UN can figure out to spin this into a great victory for transmultinationalism, then they can use it to attempt to beat future US Administrations into submission to the idols of the "international community."

So what are we? Are we a "member of the international community" as defined by Kofi Annan? Or, are we going to stand our ground and be the United States, free and independent - and unilateral when it is in our interests or it suits us? Kofi wants to control us; maybe we should remind him of our history and our government as described by Lincoln at Gettysburg:

"Government of the people, by the people and for the people"

Sorry, but the UN and the "international community" doesn't meet that standard.

Kofi and Company can try and try and try to steal our ideas and present them as our own. We should accept his help and criticism where it is valid, but we should not allow him to complain about violations of the road map as though they are a personal affront. It's not his map; it's not his idea. It is ours. And we need to keep it that way.

Daily Dose Of Humor/Fear

All depends on how you want to take this.

I think that it would really be a riot, if it weren't so close to the truth. It's a problem when I can actually visualize someone in the Democratic Party spewing this drivel. It's not so absurd as to be impossible. That's scary.

Why Don't Things Add Up?

I was just reading another editorial in the Arab News titled “It’s All Israel’s Fault.” The author of the article makes a (sort-of) plea to the Arab people to start looking introspectively and self-critically instead of simply blaming Israel for every problem, whether it be the Palestinian issue or a hole in the bottom of their water bucket.

And I’m thinking that maybe, just maybe, the Arabs are starting towards the Renaissance and Enlightenment that their culture so desperately needs if it is to join the twenty-first century.

Then I find this article that discloses that the bomber from last night was probably a British citizen.

And then I find this article in which it comes out that Yassar Arafat got a copy of the US “road map for peace.” The EU presented a copy to Arafat, despite the fact that he will formally have nothing to do with the peace negotiations.

And then I thought about Syria and Lebanon and how they interact with Iraq and the peace process.

And it hits me. Israel may be getting set up for a sucker punch here.

Think about the situation for moment.

Saudi Arabia, which publishes the Arab News, needs to make a favorable impression with the US and UK before they end up on the hit list. What better way to do that than to pretend to honor those great American traditions of freedom of the press and freedom of dissent? Saudi Arabia has no dog in this coming fight and they know it, as does everyone else in the Arab world. They can pretend to suck up to us without it having the usual negative effect among their peers.

The suicide bomber this time was most likely British. Why send a Brit to do what any “honorable” Palestinian would do? It keeps Israel from being able to retaliate. In the past, the IDF has gone in and razed the neighborhoods and family homes of the bombers. It wasn’t ever all that difficult. They would identify the bomber and where he was from. Then they’d go take care of business in his hometown. It was designed to send a message to other would-be bombers. And it was effective. The message got out. Now the Palestinians are using third country nationals to do their dirty work. Why? It’s much harder to convince the Brits to let the IDF level part of London than it is to convince them to not level part of Gaza City.

And why would the EU bring Yassar Arafat up to date on the latest details of the negotiations? Doesn’t that sound like a job for the Palestinian Authority? Or is the EU simply trying to convey a message that in their eyes, Arafat is still relevant? Arafat is a terrorist who knows nothing but murder and mayhem. Think there’s a chance that he might have instructed that last night’s operation be carried out by a Brit to exacerbate the split between the EU and the UK? The goal might have been partially to reign in the British and to get them to support the EU line, instead of the US.

And where do Arafat’s friends the Syrians fit into all this?

Syria is generally a very vocal country. They spend an inordinate amount of time complaining about and railing against the US and Israel. Yet lately, they’ve been quiet.

There was much made of the saber rattling that went on between the US and Syria right after the fall of Iraq. There were accusations of Syria harboring top Iraqi leadership and WMDs. What if these accusations have more basis to them than even we think they do?

What if?

As I draw little lines between the dots, I can see a sinister picture forming.

Try this conspiracy theory on for size:

Saudi Arabia is talking sweet to distract us from the actual situation on the ground. They are hoping to keep us from noticing that the Palestinians have changed tactics to avoid retribution from the Israelis. The Terrorist-In-Chief for the Palestinians also knows the most intimate details of the peace plan, and therefore the best weak spots to exploit. He will continue to use third country nationals to keep up the pressure on the Israelis while he briefs the Syrians on the weaknesses of the road map.

Now here comes the really fun part:

The Syrians, with considerable prodding by the shamed Iraqi government in exile, will then use the intelligence provided by Arafat, and maybe the WMD provided by Iraq, to attack Israel when its resources are stretched most thin by attempting to comply with the peace process (do you really think the IDF won’t be needed to remove a few settlements?). This will be far enough into the future that the US military force in the region will be considerably smaller than it is now. Plus, Syria will be able to talk with Iran and will get the Iranians to tie down the US ground forces in Iraq, basically pitting the Syrian Army against the IDF. If Egypt or Jordan decided to join in the fray, we could have a replay of 1967.

It’s a slight reach to envision this all falling into place, but it isn’t so far a reach as to be out of the realm of possibility.

Things just don’t seem to be adding up right in the Middle East right now and that’s a concern to me. Saudi Arabia is talking peace and introspection; Syria isn’t talking at all. Brits are blowing up cafes while the EU briefs a terrorist on the peace process. What devious plans may be being concocted at this very moment?

Not that I think we should give up on the peace process. We shouldn’t. We just need to make sure that there are realistic goals in place. Peace in this region will not be achieved in 3 years; it might be achieved in 3 generations. But there has to be real reform on the part of the Palestinians. No more teaching of hatred. No more calls for the Jews to be thrown back into the sea. Real peace will require real effort – from both sides. Keep the carrot in front of them, but don’t be afraid to smack either of them with the stick if they get out of line.

We also need to reassess our draw down of military assets in the region. If there is any belief that this could be a viable scenario, we owe it to our Israeli friends to keep in place a force that can fight an offensive battle against Syria while still defending our Iraqi friends against Iranian incursion.

I do hope that I’m wrong.

The Music Wars

The RIAA seems to be one of the most self-destructive organizations I have ever seen. I can understand their opposition to .mp3s, butto send threats of legal action to users of Kazaa and Grokster is borderline lunacy.

The RIAA has every right to enforce copyrights on music, but sending a threatening instant message to users of the systems is not the most effective way to take care of the problem. I think that the industry is setting itself up for a series of "stunning setbacks" if they continue on this path.

I can see a jury somewhere engaging in "jury nullification" to let someone Kazaa user walk free. RIAA cannot possibly prosecute every case of copyright infringement, to do so would waste all of their resources. But by choosing a few people to make examples of, they are setting themselves up for a David vs. Goliath battle. And juries seem to like siding with the little guy.

The industry needs to understand that technology has fundamentally changed their business model. Education will be the key to changing consumer behavior, but the use of (mostly) idle threats is not the way to encourage people to pay attention to the message.

The RIAA has always struck me as an overbearing and arrogant organization. This story is doing nothing to help that impression.

Memories Of Israel

I’ve been watching with great interest the pictures coming out of Israel in the last hour. The bombing of Mike’s Place on the promenade really, really bothers me.

It bothers me not only for the usual reasons of needless human death, setback to the peace process, etc. It bothers me all the more because I have been there.

I have been to Israel. I have walked along that promenade. I have been in the buildings right around Mike’s. It is a series of pleasant memories. Now I look at the pictures on tv and see death and injury in those happy scenes.

There is a certain sense of loss that I feel. Kind of like that I felt while watching the Towers fall, although on a smaller scale. Another piece of my life, has been destroyed by uncaring, hateful thugs. Another happy memory has been forever marred and for what?

People died there tonight. People were forever scarred tonight. Why?

Is because some radical “kill the Jews” group decided to “protest” the confirmation of Abu Mazen? Is it to “protest” the Jewish settlements in the West Bank? Is it a “protest” against the peace process?

Or is it just another hateful act by an evil organization like Hamas or Hezbollah?

Does it really matter?

At least three people are dead. And the world has not changed. Israel still exists. America still stands proud. Abu Mazen is still the new Palestinian Prime Minister.

Only the lives of those killed or maimed have changed. Is that something to be proud of? The great martyrdom operation, well, it just wasn’t so great. It had no purpose.

Except to needlessly murder civilians.

I know that there is no real answer to this question, but why do some people feel a need to kill, maim, and destroy for no real purpose? The intifada has done nothing except to worsen the lives of the very people it was intended to help. It has allowed the opposing demagogues to portray all Palestinians as murderers and thugs. Is that the real goal of the bombers?

The terrorists should know that they are not creating terror among anyone save the most frightened among us. Their murderous activities are only serving to strengthen the resolve of the civilized world.

What have they achieved tonight? Death and injury. But that’s it. The world has not changed. They have not made any progress towards anything.

At least three dead. And all for nothing. What a shame.

Shaming Arabs?

I've never been real sure what to think of Paul Wolfowitz. Sometimes he seems like a genius; sometimes he seems like he's not on the same planet. His latest comments about a 'Shaming effect' on the Arab world fall into the "make me wonder" group.

Shame is a real emotion among Arabs - I won't debate that point. And I can see how the phenomenon of group shame among Arab leaders could play a part in future foreign relations. But how can we really think that shame among the Arab leadership is going to lead to peaceful regime change?

People will have one of two reactions to shame: they will either reform their behavior to avoid shame in the future or they will lash out in a fit of rage. The predisposition of the Arab population, by and large, is to lash out against the perceived slights of the two Satans. What makes Wolfowitz think that this time it will be any different?

And how does he really expect the populations of the Arab world to learn of the "shameful events" of Iraq? The media in these nations is more tightly controlled than Charles Manson. The people of these nations won't learn of the "shame" and therefore they won't be able to bring the reformist pressures that Wolfowitz thinks will come.

Most everything else that Mr. Wolfowitz says in the interview is pretty reasonable and well thought out, which leads me to wonder: is he a mad genius or just mad?

Yeah, Inpections Work

Didn't we learn/prove with Iraq that international inspections don't work? I thought that the efforts of Hans Blix and his Keystone Kops had proven that inspections do nothing to deter maniacal madmen from acquiring banned weapons. So why do we think that IAEA inspections will work to keep Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, if they so choose?

Perhaps it's time to let the Israelis work some of their nuclear non-proliferation magic. After all, as I saw someone post over at Free Republic, why does an oil rich nation (that doesn't really care about environmental concerns) need a nuclear power plant? It just doesn't make sense without there being a sinister reason behind the plant.

Don't send in the IAEA, let the Mossad go in. It's easier to just do it right the first time.

Let's Play Connect The Dots!

So what's up with this? An Egyptian sailor flies to Brazil and dies there, while on his way to Canada, after apparently managing to ingest anthrax. Why would this make me suspicious?

Let's look at the various factors involved here.

First, the sailor was Egyptian. Egypt is becoming the living, breathing proof the money doesn't buy happiness or friends. Several billion a year means nothing to them. The radical Muslims still hold sway in the nation, calling for the destruction of the "Great Satan." The fact that an Egyptian would be an anthrax mule doesn't really surprise me in the least. His actions do make you wonder about the real power of radical Islam though. It's pretty obvious from the autopsy report that this guy ingested or inhaled a white powdery substance. Anyone want to bet that he was just trying to "catch a little buzz" off heroin or coke?

Now this guy died apparently on April 11. The Brazilians just now released the findings of the autopsy. And their law enforcement spokesman can only "imagine that this is about bioterrorism?" That doesn't say much for the state of Brazilian law enforcement.

And Canada. Another attempt to smuggle terrorist materials into Canada? Is anyone, other than Cretian, really surprised? I seriously wonder if they ever point out to Jean the number of times that the phrases "terrorism" and "Canada" appear in close proximity. Perhaps he might start to view the world a little differently if he starts to get worried. The SARS epidemic should be his wake-up call. Bioterrorism can be a real problem in Canada, too.

I really think that Egypt and Canada need to reassess their commitments to the War on Terror. This article helps to reinforce the belief that neither government really has its heart in the fight.

Brazil, I think, is beginning to learn that they need to do two things: increase the efficiency of the police force and keep out a better eye for terrorists. But Brazil was just a transit point, as were probably 5 other nations that we don't know about. Brazil is really only even mentioned here because the genius hauling the anthrax decided to die there. Brazil actually did a fairly good job considering the circumstances.

So what happens when you commit stupicide on your way to a great martyrdom operation, especially when it was caused by your desire to indulge in the narcotic pleasures of the infidel? Do you get a prorated number of virgins? Or does Allah make you live your life with 72 prostitutes? Or maybe you're sent to a life in the purgatory known as Belgium. Anyway you look at it, it probably isn't too pleasant.

Next Stop - Belgium

I think I had this discussion before. The Belgians still aren't getting the message.

I think that we should file suit against the Belgian government for attempted subversion of the US Constitution. We can find them guilty in absentia, based on the text of their silly little "universality" law, and we can sentence them. I vote that we sentence them to a lifetime of living with Jacques Chirac.

We can then enforce our sentence by invading Belgium and removing the miscreants to the Presidential Palace in Paris to begin their serving their sentence. Then maybe we can replace the Belgian government with one that actually participates in the politics of this planet.

This would be a great opportunity for all involved. We'd get to inform the Belgians that they do not have sovereignty over us, no matter how much they wish it. And we'd get to prove to the French that the proposed European counterweight to NATO won't work without the US or UK.

Of course, we might get accused of trying to corner the world chocolate market. But then again it might be funny to watch the anti-warriors protesting Hershey’s. Let's see them work that name into an anti-war/anti-capitalist slogan!

Saudi Generosity

You got to give it to the Saudis.Their generosity knows no bounds. First they go and raise money for those oppressed Palestinians. Now they're raising money to give to the brutalized and oppressed Iraqis.

Kind Fahd gave $2.7 million. His kids gave over $500,000 more. Can someone remind me why we keep giving these "poor and oppressed" Saudis foreign aid? Perhaps we should encourage them to hold a telethon for the poor, oppressed and undereducated Saudis. It would be a whole lot cheaper for us. Maybe we can even loan them Jerry Lewis for the event.

Oh Happy Day - II

Oh, it could be a happy day yet! Albawaba.com is reporting that Comical Ali may still be trying to negotiate a surrender to the US forces. It would be such a joyful event if he were to come out of the war alive and ready for his new job of reporting the news for one of the major broadcast networks.

I do hope that the reports of his demise were greatly exaggerated. I can't wait to hear him reporting on how he got the entire US to surrender and give him his own news show right after that other paragon of truth, The Jerry Springer Show.

Another Brilliant Euroweenie Move

Well it looks like our friends Jacques and Gerhard are intending to create a new European defense organization to rival NATO. Apparently they have a great concern about the United States being such a key player in ensuring European security.

I don't think that they really understand what they're getting themselves into. I think that Jacques and Gerhard are thinking that the can create a counterweight to the US military and that they'll be able to gallivant around the world creating peace, harmony and European style love. Jacques and Gerhard almost seem to think that with a wave of their hands, the "new" European military will be.

They show no comprehension that the US (and UK for that matter) military is the result of 50+ years of dedication and discipline. They show no signs of understanding that our military is great because of training and effort. It isn't something that is created from a proclamation and a bureaucracy; it is created by a culture that values security and hard work.

Do Gerhard and Jacques really think that this will be a good idea? What kind of hardware do they really have right now? A few pitchforks, torches for night vision, and a couple of Sherman tanks left over from WWII? I know they've come a little way from then, but do they really think that within 10 or even 15 years that they'll even be in the same league as the Americans? To build just the infrastructure will be enough to bankrupt their socialist governments.

Jacques and Gerhard have got a lot to learn about how the real world works. The European Defense Organization will not be a real alternative to NATO or even the US until the member nations of the EU change their defense spending philosophies. If they are separate from NATO, they will no longer be able to get a free lunch from the Americans.

Should be interesting to hear Jacques trying to explain to the French Islamics how they are increasing defense spending to protect themselves from terrorist threats.