THE RADICAL MODERATE

A Terrorist Greeting Card

2011-11-27T09:38:00.001-05:00

Wednesday evening. Grand Central Terminal, New York. Two New York City police officers, dressed in tactical black and carrying Heckler and Koch automatic weapons, overlook the main hall as passengers try to get home for Thanksgiving. What a cheery holiday scene!

(Count in about 8 panels from the right on the bottom of the sign for the first officer and another four for the second.)

Tis The Season To Be ...

2011-11-25T18:27:00.001-05:00

INSANE

I see that everyone is getting into the holiday spirit. Nothing says "Merry Christmas" like the gift of pepper spray!

Is it me or is there a high correlation between Walmart and acts of shopping violence?

Evacuation Day- November 25th, 1783

2011-11-25T17:36:00.001-05:00

November 25, 1783-EVACUATION DAY

Evacuation Day has nothing to do with post Thanksgiving biological functions.

Once, Evacuation Day was one of the most celebrated days in America, and certainly in New York City. It's the day in 1783 that the British left New York City after occupying it from the beginning of the Revolutionary War in 1776, and wreaking destruction during that entire period.

I was pleased to see this in today's NY Daily News:

It's funny how time shifts the focus of history and this day is lost in the past.

Also forgotten is the fact that New York harbor was filled with British prison ships and more than 11,000 Revolutionary War soldiers, Americans all, died in those ships. As the author in the Daily News notes, the 11,000 dead is a number that exceeds the number of Americans who died in battle during that war.

A day worth noting , i believe.

Some Thoughts on Veterans Day 11 11 2011

2011-11-11T23:01:00.001-05:00

VeteransDay

It was a strange day.

I was standing in line at a coffeecart in midtown. I was in line behind a young Latino who was wearing hisMarines warm up track suit. He turned to me and said “Happy Veterans day.Hoo-ah!” Uh, yeah. I had no idea what that was about. I was dressed, well,about as normal as I get. Black jeans, my civilian flight jacket withabsolutely no military insignia- it does have an American flag on the leftshoulder and a small brass pin on my collar “New York Aviation Alliance”. I hadon my USS New York baseball cap that I bought when I attended the ship’scommissioning. And I can’t tell you how many of those baseball caps were soldto civilians on that day! So I wasn’t passing myself off as a war veteran oreven as a military man.

I had come to Manhattan on my day offto attend the Veterans Day parade. I got there early but even then there was anice crowd. I remember those Veterans Day parades of not too many years pastwhen the marchers outnumbered the spectators and the day after the tabloidswould decry the lack of patriotism. That was a long time and two wars ago.

I’m standing on Fifth Avenuewaiting for the parade proper to start. It’s a typical New York scene. Commerce above all. A coupleof guys walking around selling American flags, “Flags, who needs a flag?Everyone needs a flag, Three dollars.” One young mother stops him and starts tobuy one, “Two flags for five dollars.” She is relived. She gets one flag for eachof her kids. She knows she will be preventing a lot of distress during the nextfew hours.

So I’m standing there along Fifth Avenue,taking in the scene on this cold but clear day when a Marine colonel in dressblues, who was walking up the middle of the avenue, veers directly towards me,sticks out his hand and says “Thank you for your service”. I am stunned. Imumble “You too”. That’s all I could think to say. Why in the world would hecome over to me and say that? I wear no military insignia. I hate people whowear insignia or ribbons which they are not entitled to wear. I claim no statusas a result of my less than minuscule service in the Coast Guard reserve. Whyme?

Anyhow, it was a greatparade, I suppose. Not one but two Medalof Honor winners! Tons of colorful flags. Marching bands from across the country. Veterans taking in all the acclamation theycould absorb. Civilians praising their heroes. Stirring sights of wounded veterans. God Star mothers. Kitsch with theAndrews Sisters-type singers. Morepipers than in England, Ireland, and Scotland combined! Military units!Marching bands! Politicians who needed to be seen! More than 20,000 marchers inall!

I didn’t stay for the wholething. I sort of felt there was too much commercialism with the walkingadvertisements for Chase bank and American Airlines. I felt the unseemliness ofthe NYC Department of Corrections hauling out and parading their white paintedarmored personnel carrier. Why? What did it have to do with Veterans Day?

I went to Grand Central Terminalto catch the train home and to attend a smaller ceremony at the Bronx VA. AtGCT I bought a cup of chili and the guy behind the counter said “Happy VeteransDay, but I guess you can’t really call it happy.” Uh, yeah, right. What do yousay to that?

On the train ride home, chiliin hand, I wondered what had turned the veterans parade around from the point nottoo many years ago where people thought about cancelling it to the behemoth ithad become. Yes, there were two wars. Yes, we had been attacked on 9/11, but itdidn’t seem to explain the turn out.

“Thank you for your service.”“Thank you for your service”. That was the day’s mantra, yet it seemed so odd.It felt wrong in concept. It didn’t sound right, and I don’t mean as it was improperlydirected towards me. It was like an ill fitting suit. It looks nice butsomething is wrong.

Then, well, it hit me. “Your service.” “Your service.”

No “Band of Brothers” thing here. You went to war. "Your.""Your." Not mine, not ours. "Your".

With the end of the draft themilitary had become a separate caste, a cohort of nobles, or incompetents whocouldn’t find a way to get rich, who volunteered to do society’s dirty workwhile everyone else went shopping or celebrated or wept over the stock market,as appropriate. Hell, they were only doing what President Bush (the Second)told them to do, “Go shopping or the terrorists win.” So they did. And sowithout a draft to provide a unifying force that spread the pain across allsegments and sections of society, the new, heroic military caste was born, a casteseparate from “us”. No more a part of us than characters in a popular videogame.

The truth is that the pain ofthe last decade of war has been borne by less than 1% of the American public. Themen who endured, and with luck survived 6, 7, 8, even 9 deployments to combatzones were mostly invisible to the rest of our society. The families whosimilarly bore their burdens were likewise unseen.

I then went to the Bronx VeteransAdministration hospital for a remembrance ceremony put together by the ReverendWilliam Kalaidjian, Staff Chaplin at that facility. It was a small ceremony whichwas held in the lovely chapel on the grounds of the VA facility. There was alone piper who played the five service hymns (why does everyone forget theCoast Guard?). 50 maybe 75 veterans representing World War 2, Korea, and Vietnamshowed up. The older guys were bent with age. Some had to be wheeled in. It seemed that the Vietnam guys consisted of mostlyblack men as opposed to the white guys from the previous wars. Our politics wasshowing.

I guess the guys from Iraq (I and II) and Afghanistan will show up in thefuture.

There was a Boy Scout color guard. We recitedthe Pledge of Allegiance. A chamber music quartet played Mozart and Debussy.Some words were spoken. We sang “God Bless America” then retired to the backof the chapel for some punch and cookies.

In this small ceremony, Ifelt that more honor was paid, and more respect shown, and with more honestythan in the big parade downtown. It was a quiet and dignified affair thatmatched the quiet and dignified manner of the veterans. It was solemn withoutbeing maudlin. It was altogether fitting and proper for those of us inattendance to give up a few minutes of our time in this place to honor andremember those who gave up their lives.

So “Thank you for yourservice,” sounds so cheap when it comes from someone who has not served. It ischeap praise for your mercenary, your hired hand, your long term servant ingood standing. But from someone who has been there, done that, and got thet-shirt (or at least a DD 214N), it is an acknowledgment of being in thebrotherhood, and the sharing of an experience that no one else could possiblyunderstand.

As I said, it was a strangeday.

Occupy Wall Street- There's Something Happening Here

2011-11-09T21:09:00.000-05:00

I spent part of yesterday at Zucotti Park,observing, talking to some of the inhabitants. As with any population, therange of opinions, political positions, etc. varies. Along Broadway you couldfind protesters and their signs. I think the political spectrum ran frommiddle-of -the road- to extreme left, but everyone had a place and the respectof others. I think the salient point was the presence of those "middle ofthe roaders". Well dressed, holdingsigns that addressed real economic issues, these people weren't the anarchistinternets hackers.

Around the back on the Church Street side were the drummers,beggars, anarchists. Yes, they are loud and noisy, but this is New York and in a way,we all make a little extra room for them.

I interviewed one woman who wore a two tone Mohawk, tatteredpatterned stockings and had just finished rolling a cigarette (well, thecontents came from a bag indicating that it contained tobacco). She said shewas from Baltimoreand just had to "hit the road". She was headed for Bostonbut wound up in New York.She had absolutely no political agenda. I don't think she had any agendas atall.

The "comm center" had police scanners, computers,and a joint being passed around. There was a lending library. There was a groupengaging in a discussion of the impacts of celebrities visiting the site.

Itwas an interesting discussion because David Crosby and Graham Nash were about ahalf hour away from an acoustic performance. Anyone- everyone- was welcome tospeak. Yes, the place was messy, andcrowded. Some people got into arguments protecting their little piece of realestate. Other folks engaged in -gasp-capitalism by selling buttons for $2. I asked one seller how much they cost ."I don't know, I'm working for the guy who made them."

Pure democracy may not be working .The OWS crowd hasdeveloped its own Security crew to keep troublemakers at bay or to escort themout of the grounds. They also have their own Sanitation Crü (yes, with anumlaut). NYPD officers ringed the park. Each officer carried enough of thosezip-tie plastic handcuff to arrest a battalion. One police officer told me thatthey are prepared for anything and that there had been some trouble earlier inthe day. I did see one clearly emotionally disturbed man shouting, cursing andthreatening others. The internal OWS security was called to quiet him down. Idid not see how he was handled.

The "mic check" call and response bit made methink of "Lord of the Flies" meets "Twitter" by way of"Animal Farm."

It was interesting to see all of the tourists andneighborhood people who came to check out the scene. It’s not too often thatyou see Wall Street suits wearing rainbow peace symbols. Yarmulka’d Jewish menwere talking to some of the demonstrators. Some people obviously here for theweekend’s marathon were taking pictures and mixing with the crowd. So far, theOWS crowd seems to have a handle on the importance of images. A couple of US flags were flying.

Therewas one tent when had a table supporting some apparently communist/Marxistliterature, but that seemed rather limited. I remember that during the 1960sthe anti-war left committed a grave political error by flying Viet Cong andNorth Vietnamese flags and chanting “Ho, Ho, Ho Chi Minh. NLF is gonnawin.” Not too far from where Zucotti Park is now located, hard-hatted unionconstruction workers clashed with anti-war protesters on Wall Street. Now, thehard hats and other union members are marching with the OWS crowd. As long asOWS remains non-violent, and the majority of the media portray it as such, ithas the potential to grow.

It was hippie, political, anarchist, middle class, workingclass anger. Everyone with a grievance, real or imagined, found a place at OWS.But as it is constructed, or rather as it developed, OWS is amorphous, withoutform or purpose or goal. And when youattack everything, you attack nothing. So it has yet to be determined whetherOccupy Wall Street is a significant movement or merely a tantrum.

As Buffalo Springfield sang: "There's somethinghappening here/ What it is ain't exactly clear."

Flower Power 2011

Yep, it's a bit of a mess

Getting into "Better Homes and Teepees"

This guys has been working here for decades! He won't do a deal with this crowd!

OK, The demonstrators do try to keep things clean . They have no resources but this trash can was full..

Economy Blues

2011-11-05T20:12:00.000-04:00

Much , or something has been made of the fact that the latest jobs report indicates that 80,000 jobs were created last month, here: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Job-market-improves-modestly-apf-365785889.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=8&asset=&ccode= ., with a concomitant but minuscule decrease in the unemployment rate from 9.1 % to 9.0%. The report also states that:

"The number of people considered long-term unemployed, meaning they have been looking for work for at least six months, fell by 366,000, to 5.9 million. That is the fewest since April."

Unfortunately , the job creation numbers were lower than the 100,000 jobs that were expected to be created plus these numbers do not account for those who have become discouraged and shave stopped looking for work.

The old saying, " A recession is when your friend is out of work. A Depression is when you are out of work." applies. The number of hidden unemployed is far greater than the 9.0% that the government wants you to believe. Modern unemployment benefits and other progressive government actions have prevented this depression from looking like the Great Depression of the 1930s. Unfortunately, the Republicans would love to turn back the clock to eliminate all of those protections. In fact they would love to eliminate everything that protects the middle and working classes. And they have the audacity, the pure chutzpah, to suggest that the implementation of a fairer progressive tax, as well as rolling back the Bush era tax cuts for the rich, constitutes "class warfare". I submit that it is the Republicans who have engaged in aggressive class warfare against the middle class, the working class, and the poor. Liars without shame!

A Vist to Occupy Wall Street - New York

2011-11-05T17:31:00.000-04:00

Regarding "Occupy Wall Street"-i walked through the Zucotti Park site around lunch time, just to observe: people smoking dope. begging for money,banging on drums, the overly-vigorous wild-eyed harangue, selling buttons (for a profit, i must add!), kids playing guitar in their expensive techno-tents..Then it all came back to me... Thompkins Square park circa 1969, with a touch of 5th grade "recess:"

I did not detect anything resembling a health emergency, just crowds noise and mess. So welcome to New York. Eh! But if the protesters would take the time to clean up and organize their areas, I think they would project the image of a more disciplined and credible force. But a movement that claims it has no leaders also has no authority to impose such discipline, and so they may just dissolve into their own amorphous blob of hyper-democracy.

It seemed that a lot of people came from elsewhere and just sort of find their own home here. One gent apparently took it upon himself to whip out a pair of gardening shears and get some of the shrubbery into shape for the winter.

The amorphous nature of the complaints voiced by the "occupiers" means that they are a Rorschach of protest, so that you can come under their "big tent" of leftist non-ideology. Although I saw a table or two with outright communist literature, they Occupiers, as a whole had not yet made the mistake made by anti-war demonstrators in the 1960s by marching under the enemy flag, although in this case, does the enemy have a flag? Does the Wells Fargo Bank even have an identifiable symbol? I saw more than a few US flags flying form the OWS site. The visuals are important in our post -literate, video-brained society.So what are you against? High bank profits? Join the march! Accumulation of wealth by the richest 1%? Join the march! Halitosis? Join the march.The lack of a center of gravity for the protests , the lack of focus, makes the process intriguing but inevitably unsuccessful as a fulcrum for political change, unlike the Tea Party, which radicalized the Republican Party into a bunch of right wing ideologues who would have made Barry Goldwater proud.

I'm guessing that the mayor's strategy is to let the winter cold take care of the problem. but the petulant , the crazy, or the zealous might just make it through a mild winter ( every hear of "Valley Forge"?)Let's see what the winter brings, and whether the sunshine soldiers" of OWS will melt away at the first frost.

Suicide is Painless ???

2011-08-14T19:54:00.002-04:00

if you are old enough to remember the Movie M*A*S*H, then you will remember the theme song- "Suicide is Painless" meant to be delivered with a sense of comic irony.

Today's overstretched, undermanned Army saw a record number of suicides in July here.

And here is the story of a soldier who had been deployed EIGHT TIMES and was facing round NINE.

So with the military facing major cutbacks, you can be sure that staffing will be reduced along with mental health care and benefits programs for those who need them.

We all fail to live up to the promises that we make to our soldiers if we allow that to happen.

OBL Still Dead!

2011-05-10T22:07:00.002-04:00

So the sons of the mastermind of mass murder (circa 2000) says we violated international law and should have captured and tried his daddy here. let's see: 3,000 people killed 9/11, various suicide murderers, danny pearl , etc. OBL et. al. had no trouble violating any and all laws as it suited him. I say the kids have no standing.

Osama bin Laden

2011-05-08T15:31:00.002-04:00

Here is one of the 72 dark eyed virgins waiting to pleasure Osama bin Laden

The Nightmare of Boeing's "Dreamliner"

2010-11-05T19:03:00.003-04:00

Bad fasteners, delays in production, quality control problems, all of these brought about because Boeing tried to outsource on a world wide basis the fabrication of pieces of the 787 Dreamliner. Now, even more delays.

Will this bird EVER get off the ground?

Politics as Blood Sport

2010-11-05T18:24:00.002-04:00

People who bemoan the state of politics don't know politics. Politics is about disagreements. It's a nasty business. Always has been. Always will be. There has been a shootout on the senate floor and more than one duel over political disagreements.

Politics ain't sitting down by a stream with your opponents and singing "Kumbaya" until you all achieve common agreements. So, Democrats, next time come to a political knife fight "armed" with something better than a flower bouquet. But you probably wont because you are against violence. Losers.

WTC Mosque

2010-11-05T18:15:00.002-04:00

Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens some some sobering thoughts on the controversy here.

Joe Sestak Ad

2010-10-16T11:42:00.002-04:00

Here's a pretty cute ad from Democrat Joe Sestak, who is running for the Senate from Pennsylvania.

As Homer Simpson would say, "It's funny cause it's true!"

Here's a link

and this

A Reader Responds

2010-08-22T08:51:00.003-04:00

From a reader:

"Frankly, I had assumed that this whole thing would be forgotten by now. Boy was I wrong!

Like you, I wish they would build somewhere else, but there is no legitimate reason for the government to stop Park51.

Ironically, some "conservatives" have advocated that the government bury the project in red tape or try to exercise eminent domain and seize the property. That is ironic because conservatives are normally in the forefront of protecting property rights. I guess it's a classic case of "whose ox is being gored.""

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's always a case of "whose ox is being gored" !!

I find it fascinating that the right wing loves to attack the First Amendment and defend the Second Amendment while the left loves to defend an expand the First Amendment (and the 14th) but it has no compunction about trying to so narrowly define the Second Amendment as to render it null and void.

Why have these two amendments become locked in a death-fight for the extremists?

Your Radical Moderate

When is a New York City Mosque not a Mosque?

2010-08-21T16:06:00.008-04:00

When it is a commercial space. When it is a community center. And most important, when it is a political football.

I speak, of course, of the planned development located in Lower Manhattan at 51 Park Place called Cordoba House.

The facts in this case are simple. On September 11, 2001, two passenger jets were hijacked by a number of men, Muslims all, and they crashed these jets into 1 World Trade Center and 2 World Trade Center, setting the buildings ablaze. Trapped by the fires, many people jumped to their deaths. Approximately one hour after each building was struck by a jet, they collapsed onto themselves. Several buildings surrounding the trade center towers were also destroyed. Almost three thousand people were killed.

Now, almost 10 years later, significant reconstruction is taking place on the World Trade Center site. Two blocks north, on Park Place, stands a sealed and vacant building that formerly housed the Burlington Coat Factory, a discount clothing store. The building was purchased by a Muslim developer with the intention of constructing a cultural center, named Park 51, based on its address of 51 Park Place. Part of that development is to include a mosque.

This is from the Park 51.org website:

Park51 will grow into a world-class community center, planned to include the following facilities:

* outstanding recreation spaces and fitness facilities (swimming pool, gym, basketball court)
* a 500-seat auditorium
* a restaurant and culinary school
* cultural amenities including exhibitions
* education programs
* a library, reading room and art studios
* childcare services
* a mosque, intended to be run separately from Park51 but open to and accessible to all members, visitors and our New York community
* a September 11th memorial and quiet contemplation space, open to all

The developer has followed all applicable rules and regulations. The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission has found the site to be of no architectural significance. The local community board voted overwhelmingly in support of the project. Finally, the use of this space for Muslim prayer services is not a new development, as the 51 Park web site reports,

Daily Muslim prayer services have been held at 51 Park Place since late 2009. We hope to expand services and facilities in the coming months, although a firm date has not yet been set for the opening of Park51

So why do many people object to this development. Moreover, who are these people who so vocally and vociferously object?

There are the hate mongers, the people for whom anything Islamic is anathema. For them the issue of he Park 51's proximity to the World Trade Center is convenient camouflage for their anti-Islamism. They wouldn't be happy if Park 51 were moved 5 blocks, 5 miles, or 500 miles.

There are those who believe that this is a deliberate poke in the eye from Islamists who are following an old tradition. They say that this planned development is nothing less than a Muslim victory marker, similar to the construction of the Dome of the Rock on the site of the Temple in Jerusalem or by changing the Sancta Sophia in Constantinople to Hagia Sophia. From Wikipedia:

In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks and Sultan Mehmed II ordered the building to be converted into a mosque.[6] The bells, altar, iconostasis, and sacrificial vessels were removed and many of the mosaics were eventually plastered over. The Islamic features — such as the mihrab, the minbar, and the four minarets outside — were added over the course of its history under the Ottomans. It remained as a mosque until 1935, when it was converted into a museum by the Republic of Turkey.

There are those who honestly believe that the site is too close to the World Trade Center. For them the wounds are still too raw and the Islamic beliefs of the murderers are impossible to sever from the Islamic beliefs of the Park 51 developers. To them, an Islamic center at this specific location is an insult and the development should be moved.

There are those I call the "perpetual mourners". For them, September 11, 2001 happened yesterday. Their losses are still immediate and fresh. They have not been able to either finish or diminish their grieving and to "move on".

There is even a movement among some of the city's construction tradesmen to boycott the site despite the high unemployment in the construction industry. See this story in the New York Daily News:

A growing number of New York construction workers are vowing not to work on the mosque planned near Ground Zero.

"It's a very touchy thing because they want to do this on sacred ground," said Dave Kaiser, 38, a blaster who is working to rebuild the World Trade Center site.

"I wouldn't work there, especially after I found out about what the imam said about U.S. policy being responsible for 9/11," Kaiser said.

The grass-roots movement is gaining momentum on the Internet. One construction worker created the "Hard Hat Pledge" on his blog and asked others to vow not to work on the project if it stays on Park Place.

And what of the supporters of the Park 51 development?

The developer, Sharif El-Gamal, is digging in his heels and rejecting any offers of alternative sites:

The developer of an Islamic cultural center that would include a mosque two blocks from Ground Zero appear to have rejected Gov. David Paterson's offer to help them find a different site but a meeting may still be in the works.

On Tuesday, Rep. Peter King said he learned the governor planned to speak with the imam and developers of the mosque and cultural center later this week. Both King and Paterson are scheduled to discuss the issue on Larry King Live tonight.

Lead developer Sharif El-Gamal told NY1 yesterday no meeting had been scheduled yet. Since Paterson first offered to help broker a new location for the mosque last week, however, El-Gamal has insisted the subject was not up for debate, stressing the proximity of the planned center to Ground Zero was not an issue.

"Park51 is a community center. It is two blocks north of the World Trade Center site,” El-Gamal told NY1. “In New York City, two blocks is a great distance. There are some buildings in New York that have their own zip codes. There is such a scarcity of space in New York, especially in Lower Manhattan. Keep in mind this is a small island, so we are nowhere near the World Trade Center site."

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has become more and more strident in his support of Park 51. See this Daily News story:

“We may not always agree with every one of our neighbors. That's life. And it's part of living in such a diverse and dense city. But we also recognize that part of being a New Yorker is living with your neighbors in mutual respect and tolerance. It was exactly that spirit of openness and acceptance that was attacked on 9/11, 2001.

“On that day, 3,000 people were killed because some murderous fanatics didn't want us to enjoy the freedoms to profess our own faiths, to speak our own minds, to follow our own dreams, and to live our own lives. Of all our precious freedoms, the most important may be the freedom to worship as we wish. And it is a freedom that even here -- in a city that is rooted in Dutch tolerance -- was hard-won over many years.

So what might a radical Moderate make of this issue?

I must address those whom I called "constant mourners".

I was in the area of the World trade center on September 11, 2001. I witnessed people jumping from those buildings to their ultimate ends. I witnessed the collapse of those two towers and the destruction of the buildings that surrounded them. I breathed the acrid air of Lower Manhattan for three months as the rubble on the site continued to burn until just before Christmas. At that time, I was in discussions with two entities that operated in those buildings and had they been concluded just a bit earlier, I might have been in one of those two buildings on that unforgettable morning. Those are my bona fides. I am fortunate that I did not know anyone who died on that day. But my words should have no greater or lesser weight than the words of those who did suffer a grievous loss.

To the "perpetual mourners" I understand that your grief is deep, and fresh, and personal. I can not tell you to "get over it" and to "move on". Only you can decide that. But I resent your imposing your grief on me. And I resent your desire to prevent me from living in the present. Yes, I was there and yes, I remember. But remembering does not mean living in a frozen moment in time. I prefer to look to the future.

Truth is something that ultimately is unknowable. Whether the various charges being thrown against the Park 51 developers are true is irrelevant. What is relevant is that the developers have followed all of the rules and regulations of the City of New York regarding site location. What is relevant is that the developers, too, are covered and protected by the concepts of our Constitution and Bill of Rights which guaranty freedom of worship. I find it ironic that those on the political right who so easily attack the Park 51 development, and by doing so trammel the First Amendment at the same time stand as vigorous guardians to the Second Amendment. A consistency of philosophy is not their strong point. I think in this case it is called "hypocrisy".

I, too, am sensitive to the emotional context of this situation. I was there.

So what is the solution?

I have a cartoon posted in my office. It shows a man at a crossroads with a directional sign for each road. One sign says "Legally Right". The other sign says "Morally Right". The carton perfectly frame this issue.

The Park 51 developers legally purchased the property. They followed all rules and regulations. It is not the government's position to protect the sensitivities of those who might be offended by the construction of this facility. The laws must be upheld, even for those with whom we might harbor differences. Perhaps especially for those we have differences, when they are in full compliance with laws.

Several years ago a group of nuns wanted to build a convent on or relatively close to the site of the infamous Auschwitz death camp. Outrage emanated from the Jewish community as this was considered an affront to the particularly Jewish connection to this horrible site. Pope John Paul II, sensitive to the needs of the Jewish community, prevailed upon the nuns to move the site of their proposed convent, reportedly telly them" What you plan to do is good, but if you were to move it, it would be better."

I believe that a position that would satisfy all is available. The Park 51 developers should say that they recognize their right to build the Cordoba House at 51 Park Place. But they also say that Cordoba House is planned to be a site of peace and harmony. It is clear that siting it on Park Place would cause it to inflame passions rather than to achieve its goals. They should say that they are willing to consider alternative sites several blocks away, such as north of Canal Street, so that all may enjoy Cordoba House it peace.

But you know that's not gonna happen.

Exquisite!

2010-02-20T10:54:00.000-05:00

I recommend this wonderful story from Esquire magazine here.

Army Alledged Murderer ( "Alleged" because my Legal Dept. requires it!)

2010-01-19T22:00:00.002-05:00

Do you have one bit of doubt that the army pushed alleged murderer Maj. Nidal Hasan along because of a fear of a claim of racial/religious discrimination? As the reports come it it appears that incompetence and fear on the part of his superiors and supervisors protected Hasan. See the latest report.

Rating Obama- Part 3 International Relations

2010-01-17T13:19:00.002-05:00

The one word that could sum up the first year of the Obama administration is "naive". This administration believes that rational thinking and professorial reserve are effective traits in dealing with the entire world. They are not. Sure, Western Europe can fall in love with him, but their support, if it is present to any degree, is minimal and ineffective. When it comes to dealing with our enemies, specifically radical Islamists, rational 21st Century cool will not prevail.

Let's briefly look at some areas.

Afghanistan:

The Obama administration to add 30,000 troops over the next year is a half baked measure in light of the President's announced plan to begin withdrawing them in 2011 and 2012. First, the president has cut off at the knees his own on scene commander, Gen. McChrystal, who asked for 40,000 troops. Second, he has given the Taliban and al Queda a timetable for them to resume their operations.

Counterinsurgency operations are long term commitments. Obama has demonstrated that he is not willing to make this commitment. For his failure to define an effective strategic position , Obama earns an "F". For their failure to effectively engage the enemy in their assigned areas of operation, our allies earn an "F".

Iran:

Obama has offered a open hand of friendship to the Iranian administration. His efforts have garnered repeated slaps in the face from the Iranians. In dealing with Iran's clear efforts to develop nuclear weapons, Obama is hampered by European weakness and the outright antipathy of both Russia and China. As a result of the positions taken by the latter two countries, it will be impossible to implement effective sanctions. Absent either covert mechanisms to destroy or disrupt the Iranian effort or a massive bombing campaign to destroy nuclear facilities, for the first time nuclear weapons will be in the hands of religious radicals with a 7th century mindset. For his failure to engage the issue effectively and vigorously from the beginning of his administration, Obama earns the grade of "F".

Israel-Palestine:

"Naive". It is the word that best fits the Obama approach to this area of the middle east. Obama has failed to appreciate several realities. Israel is under real and significant threats from entities sworn to her destruction-from the North in the form of Iran back Hezbollah; from the East, with a corrupt and lawless Palestinian Authority and Iran; and from the South, from Hamas controlled Gaza. At this point, Obama might have learned that the Palestinians believe that they can gain everything that they want by continuing to say "no" to any overture from Israel. The initial American position of trying to be an honest broker can not achieve any tangible improvements when one of the parties on the other side believes that it can accomplish more by refusing to negotiate. It is the tactic of the souk. And it can be very effective for them. For its part, Israel fails to play its strongest had, by making life for the Palestinians on the West bank easier, richer and more successful at a faster rate than it has been moving in this direction. There are intractable issues. Israel will never give up Jerusalem and failure of Western powers to understand that the holiest location for Israel-the Western Wall- lies in what would otherwise be Arab Jerusalem. Another non-starter is the idea of making Jerusalem an " international city". Nowhere has this idea worked. Nor will Israel allow the Palestinian refugee families to return whence they came.

Overall, I an tempted to give the Obama administration an "F" , but with the hope that a great degree of learning has taken place this year, I'll raise the grade to "D".

Russia:

After hearing the yapping from Russia, Obama decided to scrap a defensive nuclear missile program that would have placed radars in the Czech Republic and Anti-missile weapons in Poland. In return for undermining our allies, who took undertook a great degree of risk in allowing these facilities to be placed in their respective countries, the Obama administration received nothing in return from Russia. Since these defensive weapons were designed to deter an Iranian threat, one might reasonably expect that the Obama administration would tie the removal o the weapons with Russian support for strong measure to prevent an Iranian nuclear weapon. However, the Obama administration failed in achieving that simple goal. It can be fairly said that the administration surrendered a bargaining chip without securing anything in return. Grade "F".

Rating Obama- Part 2- Economics/ Domestic

2010-01-03T14:53:00.004-05:00

In late 2008, the United States economy, and by extension , the world economy, was at the brink of the abyss. The risky business practices of banks and brokerages had caused a collapse in the credit markets and bank failures were at their highest rates since the Great Depression. Home mortgages were unpaid at near record rates. Foreclosures and bankruptcies exploded. The famous Lehman Brothers brokerage house failed. AIG Insurance failed. Fear flooded Wall Street as the media broadcast news of an imminent Great Depression II and the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost almost half its value from its high point. In the last days of the Bush administration, the Republican President was forced to step in and inject money into the banks and brokerage houses to keep the nation solvent. The Great Bailout of 2008 had begun.

When Barack Obama took office, national economic failure was still an option. He quickly put together an economic stimulus package designed to get money flowing into the economy in the form of public works projects. Obama's supporters on the left felt that the almost one trillion dollar stimulus package was too little to do the job of turning the economy around. His opponents on the right felt that the stimulus would burden future generations with crippling debt. The future may prove that both sides were correct.

Along with the failures of the economic markets, the nation's automobile manufacturers were also near collapse. Decades of poor business practices and their collective failure to bring to market the products that the public wanted, and which needs were satisfied by Japanese and European manufacturers, all resulted in a downward spiral of sales and earnings. General Motors, the nation's largest car maker had run out of cash. Chrysler had nothing left in its tank. Ford was still solvent, but its products had not been selling either. These factors,combined with the lack of credit from the 2008 meltdown, meant that cars weren't moving off lots, manufacturing ceased, and the American car industry, along with its plethora of independent suppliers, was about to die, and if they did millions would be unemployed.

Against a background of Republican charges of Socialism, the Obama administration forced bankruptcy on General Motors and a subsequent sale of Chrysler to Italy's FIAT Corporation. In return for these measures, as well as product restructuring plans and union contract givebacks, the administration pumped needed cash into both companies to keep them solvent. Ford alone eschewed government intervention as the corporate leaders felt that they had enough cash on hand to weather the storm.

Today, the economy pulled back from the brink. Economists as talking about "green shoots of recovery". Following a period of severe layoffs, companies are stating to talk about hiring. A small glimmer of hope is on the horizon.

So how does one grade President Obama's performance? Within a short time after taking office, he had to have his team in place and form appropriate responses to the banking failures, the freezing of credit markets, job losses, and the potential failure of the entire automobile industry. Mr. Obama never set up false hopes of rapid recovery. He spoke calmly and honestly about the problems. Despite taking fire from both the left and the right, the President steered a course that was admirable in both its effectiveness and in its restraint, trying to do what had to be done, neither too little money nor too much government intervention.

In the category of "Economics/Domestic" President Obama earns a grade of "A".

Rating Obama- Part 1- The Line Up

2010-01-03T10:54:00.003-05:00

Technically, it is just under one year since Barack Obama took the historic oath of office on the west steps of the Capital, but it is time to hand out grades on his performance to date.

It is important to recognize that although his party holds majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, these majorities are far slimmer than they appear. In their efforts to take control of both houses, the Democrats enacted a big-tent strategy which allowed them to include a wide range of political philosophies under the Democrat label. As a result of this strategy, the Senate Democrats include more conservative members, such as Connecticut Independent Joseph Lieberman and Nebraska's Ben Nelson, along with left wing Independent Bernard Sanders of Vermont, and noted liberals Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein of California. The house includes a significant conservative democratic faction, the Blue Dog Coalition to go along with the usual liberal line up.

Neither the Senate nor the House contain a philosophically monolithic Democratic majority, willing to march in lock-step where ever the President points. As a result of these political realities, President Obama must satisfy to some degree the demands of these varied factions. Whether by his own political temperament, or as the result of political calculation, Barack Obama's Presidency has been marked by a more moderate approach than that which many of his liberal supporters hoped for and his conservative detractors feared. The result is that his most liberal supporters are currently disappointed on a number of issues and already are talking of betrayal, while his conservative opponents will never be satisfied with anything he does.

In several follow-up postings, I'll take a look at the President's record on a variety of issues, such as the economy, environment, terrorism, war, relations with other nations, and the middle east.

Turning Tide? Fighting Terrorism In Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen

2010-01-02T17:17:00.004-05:00

Two news articles today make me wonder if perhaps the Taliban have reached their high water mark and now are about to ebb back into the caves and crevices of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The New York Times reports that some Afghanis within their own country are starting to pick up arms against the religious extremists. Some "experts" claim that the formation of local militias weakens the central government. But with a central government that is not trusted by the citizenry, local action is an effective means of combating the Taliban push. Effective counter-insurgency requires the active cooperation and action from the locals in order to defeat the Taliban. Except for the British action in Malaysia against insurgent forces there, a 15 year battle which resulted in the uprooting and relocation of a major portion of the population, regular army actions against insurgents have all failed.

Taliban cruelty is becoming more well known then their supposed piety. And perhaps even in war-weary Afghanistan, there may be a limit to how much oppression people will tolerate.

Further evidence that Afghanis, may, just may, be finding a new path away from corrupt government comes in this NYTIMES story from Kabul:

KABUL, Afghanistan — In a clear signal to President Hamid Karzai that he cannot count on Parliament for support, lawmakers resoundingly rejected most of his nominees for cabinet posts and expressed discontent with the candidates’ competence.

From the eastern side of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border comes this story about Pakistani reaction to the recent car-bombing that killed almost 100 innocents. Said one Pakistani elder who is part of a still forming anti-Taliban council:

"The people are in severe grief and fear — it is a demoralizing thing," said Raham Dil Khan, a rifle-toting, 70-something member of the tribal council. "We want the government to provide security, but one thing is very clear: The committee will stand against every type of terrorism and despite this great loss we will continue our work."

If sufficient forces form to squeeze the Taliban simultaneously from the Afghan side of the border and also from the Pakistan side of the border, the Taliban will be hard-pressed to wage effective warfare in either country. And that which makes life difficult for the Taliban also makes life difficult for Osama Bin Laden's Al-Kaida, which has been sheltered by the Taliban for decades.

The question arises: Can NATO forces provide sufficient backing for the local anti-Taliban Afghanis without raising their own profile to the degree that they are considered foreign invaders, and thus targets of nationalistic, or tribal, Afghanis?

A second question arises. If the military and political pressures in the Afghanistan-Pakistan make life uncomfortable for Al-Kaida. Where will that group go next? Al-Kaida is an idea, it is a stateless, amorphous entity that thrives without traditional governmental forms and structures. It moves like quicksilver. Push it in one direction and it will flow in another. It needs neither a capital city nor a standing army. Offshoots can and have developed where they did not exist previously such as Iraq and Yemen. It thrives wherever Islamic governments are corrupt or weak or both. It thrives where there is a disaffected Muslim populations, such as the Philippines.

It is clear that Al-Kaida must be attacked on all fronts simultaneously to prevent it from flowing and reforming where fertile environments exist: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, The Philippines. Can the United States, local governments, and whatever Western allies we can muster, commit the forces, the funds, and more important, the political will to fight what will be a delicate and decades long war against terrorism?

Food For Thought- How One Cup of Coffee Impacts the World and a Person

2010-01-02T11:57:00.006-05:00

This morning I ground some Colombian coffee beans and made some fresh coffee. It was absolutely delicious and I savored every drop.

For almost all of us living in the United States, we live in a land of incomprehensible abundance when it comes to food. We have the luxury of dreaming up gourmet meals and then buying them, whether to cook them ourselves or to have someone else do the heavy work and then serving it to us for a fee.

A simple cup of coffee is not so simple. Coffee is grown in many places except in the continental United States. It must be planted, harvested, graded, shipped, roasted, ground, and then perked, dripped or French pressed. Whether you perform the last few steps at home or delegate the task to the local deli or Starbucks, there is a lot going on in that cup. It took a lot of work.

Our wealth allows us to become, "Foodies", "Gourmets", "Oenophiles". We can cook four different cuisines, serve eight course meals, and discourse intelligently on chablis and chardonnays, cabernets and syrahs.

So as we start the new year, let us take a moment to contemplate our abundance of food and the wealth which makes this all possible. We have the luxury to decide what to eat or what not to eat. We do not have to wonder which dumpster will provide our next meal or which puddle will supply our next drink.

A moment or two of thanks or appreciation is not inappropriate.

Copenhagen Bar-B-Q or Does the Earth Fry When Environment Talks Fail?

2009-12-26T10:49:00.004-05:00

More comments on Copenhagen later, but i found this article of great interest.

The failure in Copenhagen clearly seems to fall into the lap of China. While some might be surprised at this development, I am not. China is too dependent on its environmental suicide-particularly in the form of coal fueled electric plants-as a foundation for its economic power and world leadership, status which its leaders believe to be its manifest destiny in the 21st century.

Chinese leaders have learned well the dictum of Mao Tse Tung, "Talk, Talk. Fight, Fight". Their aim is to sit at negotiating tables without actually accomplishing anything of mutual benefit while simultaneously pursuing their own interests away from negotiations.

It is a hallmark of negotiations with the Chinese that one must be ready sit at the table with them knowing that they are prepared to sit and stall and talk in circles until, to quote Adlai Stevenson, "hell freezes over" or they accomplish all of their goals. Only in regards to the Copenhagen talks, hell won't freeze over. In this case, the earth will have the biggest bar-b-q ever.

Tea Time's Over..

2009-12-25T14:24:00.002-05:00

Sometimes you just have to take a break and step back and take things in . Or, to quote that great sage, Yogi Berra, "You can observe a lot by looking". And listening.

It's been almost one year since Barack Obama became president. How is he doing? How are we doing? How is the world doing? In traditional journalism, a synopsis and assessment at the end of a calender year is called a "year-ender". I'll have a lot to say in the coming days as I go through my "year-ender"

A parting note. I welcome any well developed position and I have posted opinions that vary widely from my own. But a note to those people who try to send all sorts of spam through this web site. Notice that none of it gets posted as I moderate all comments and I refuse to post your nonsense. So give it up. You will not succeed.

Thanks, Ziporah!

2009-11-07T22:09:00.002-05:00

Thanks to reader Ziporah for suggesting that I try a translator site for those messages that I was receiving in Chinese. As you know ,I refused to post those items until I found out what they said. It turned out that they were written in Japanese and they were promoting sex sites. You will not see such promotional material here. Period.

New York, New York 2

2009-11-07T22:01:00.002-05:00

Monday- PCU New York enters the harbor

Tuesday- World Series game at Yankee Stadium

Wednesday- New York Yankees defeat the Philadelphia Phillies by a score of 7-3 to win the 2009 World Series

Thursday- (sleep)

Friday- New York Yankees honored with a parade up Broadway, the so-called "Canyon of Heroes", and ceremonies at City Hall

Saturday- Commissioning ceremony of USS New York.

So how are things where you live?

New York, New York

2009-11-07T21:24:00.007-05:00

I was on the Hudson River shore this past Monday to welcome what was called PCU New York , and is now USS New York.

Just before the ship arrived at the North Cove area just adjacent to the World Trade Center site a few showers passed through the area. Then the above.

Soon enough, New York appeared:

And there was a brief ceremony as the ship stopped to dip its colors and to fire a 21 gun in salute to the WTC dead.

Today, I attended the commissioning of this ship and I found it to be a very meaningful and emotional event. The remnants of the World Trade Center contained the essence of its inhabitants; their desires, their dreams , their hopes. It was so gratifying, so satisfying, to see the World Trade Center alive in some form. The USS New York is imbued with these spirits, as well as the determination, vigor, pride, and desire of New Yorkers in general. They call USS New York "America's ship". To be truthful, she is New York's ship. We are part of her and she is now part of us.

In her peaceful missions, may the USS New York be welcomed by all and may she serve as a source of aid and healing. When she is sent into harm's way, may our enemies tremble in fear at her presence.

Fair winds and following seas to USS New York and to all who sail on her.

Airlines- What a Joke

2009-08-24T17:34:00.001-04:00

Let's talk about airlines. Frankly, I am quite tired of being abused by these consumer hostile entities. I frequently used Northwest and since the merger with Delta have been exposed more and more to the Big D. Northwest was a lot better than Delta! Northwest had better service, better club facilities, older airplanes. On Northwest I did not have to endure ATL torture. Northwest's Memphis hub was quite pleasant.

The World Keeps Turning

2009-08-23T09:22:00.002-04:00

It's good to be back, friends!

Your friendly Radical Moderate needed to take some time off to allow his brain to decompress from the heavy political load during the last year and a half. I fail to see how so many pundits constantly vomit out such drivel on an almost daily basis. I can't do that. And since I have a regular job in addition to this blog, it just makes more sense to take a mini vacation, take the time to think about things, and then jump back into the fray.

First up.. FOOD! The Radical Moderate's spouse, Miss Oklahoma, has decided that she wants to expand her culinary repertoire, so your correspondent has been growing fat on delicious home made pizzas, Indian cuisine , and Moroccan chicken with olives, preserved lemon and pine nuts.

Radical Mod and Miss Oklahoma have taken several short trips, about which I will post more--and pictures-- in another entry.

One most important note-- The Radical Moderate has received two e-mails in CHINESE based on my postings concerning the desire of the government of PRC to use the so-called "Green Dam" to censor the internet to an even greater degree and to stifle internal and external communications between the people of China themsemselves and between the Chinese people and the rest of the world. As Chinese is a language I do not understand, I am waiting to get a translation before posting these comments.

TRM and Miss Oklahoma currently are on Georgia and headed back shortly.

More later!

Di Farra Pizza, Brooklyn, NY- Food Review

2009-06-27T18:32:00.003-04:00

Pizziola Dominick DeMarco finishes a DiFarra Pizza

Di Farra pizza, Brooklyn, NY. Tried it today for the first time. Some people say it's the best in the city. It is excellent of its type. Zagat rates it a 27 of 30. Some of the pies came out of the oven nicely charred but mine wasn't . First rate ingredients were used and I loved the fresh basil, Parmesan cheese and olive oil that was added to the pizza after it was baked, making the hot pie exude a delicious aroma.

The sauce was excellent with chunks of plum tomato, excellent texture and a wonderful natural balance between tart and sweet. Far too many places use sauce that is overly sweet. Paper thin crust that could have used a few more minutes in the oven to obtain a nice char. As I said previously, some pies were nicely charred mine needed some extra time. Fine quality mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, oilve oil, and that fresh basil, cut onto the pie with scissors, was excellent!

Di Farra is one of the few places that turns out excellent pizza by the pie or the slice. I'd give Di Farra a 24 out of 30 for food as the pie should have been baked a bit longer, 4 for decor-it's a great hole-in-the wall, and 4 for service. There is none! You come here for the pizza!!!!

To quote Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator : I'll be back!

Green Dam- DAMN!

2009-06-26T17:55:00.002-04:00

The Chinese governments insistence that Western computer manufactures build in approved censorship software under the guise of protecting the populace from pornography is laughable on several accounts. First, the Chinese people themselves have an incredible history of erotica and to claim that they are trying to keep out immoral material is laughable. Second, everyone knows that it is an attempt but eh government o control everything that is communicated via the internet by and to Chinese citizens.

Totalitarian regimes are like that. Any thought that is contrary to those of the ruling powers is to be stamped out, crushed and eliminated. What is most disturbing is the number of companies that have, to date, been willing to roll over and play lapdog to this brutal regime. I suppose profits uber alles is a near universal concept. Whether it was American companies who did business with the NAZI government, a la IBM, for example among others, or GOOGLE, which currently assists the Chinese government in filtering websites available in that nation ( hey, Sergei, didn't your parents escape from a totalitarian regime?).

As events in Iran show, it may be possible to circumvent government restrictions on access, but only to a degree. What i find beneath contempt is the willing compliance of entities that need to fatten their bottom lines. It sort of reminds me of that line by Nikita Krushchev to the effect that the west will sell the Soviets the rope by which they hang us. I must note that there is some degree of push back by some western entities against supplying the Green Dam censorship software. Good Show!

Another good piece of news is the President's decision to create a Cyber Warfare command to monitor and counter the myriad probes and attacks that the US has been subjected to recently. Who is doing this "probing"? Well, it ain't space aliens looking for some Saturday night fun. Think Al Queada, various criminal elements in lawless regions, Russia, and especially China. We will have to decide whether and when to just monitor, counter probe, or take aggressive actions against those who are seeking out or weak points.

The Silence is Deafening

2009-06-26T17:54:00.002-04:00

The silence is deafening from the American left regarding Iran. I suppose there is no fun for them if they can't parade behind a banner that says "U.S. OUT OF (fill in the blank)" and burn an American flag. Truly brutal totalitarian regimes seems not to bother them.

Bertrand Russel Is Your Waiter This Evening

2009-06-26T17:47:00.002-04:00

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts."- Bertrand Russell

Your faithful correspondent is back after a brief respite. It's always a good idea to take some time out to observe before opening ones mouth. I've observed.

Cold Fusion:Power to the People or False Hope?

2009-05-02T11:54:00.002-04:00

It's baaack! That dream of clean, cheap, nearly limitless power through the magic of cold fusion.

An engineer friend sent me this clip from a recent edition of the CBS program 60 Minutes that examined what it purported to be recent advances in the development of cold fusion, or, as it is currently being called, a "nuclear event" in a bottle.

I have reasons to call into question many of the elements used in this show. Reporter Scott Pelley says that the Fleischmann/Pons experiments were replicated in laboratories around the world. However, it is not sufficient to say that laboratories have obtained quirky and possibly interesting results from varied experiments. Replication, by definition, means that laboratories around the world have used the exact same apparatus and that they have obtained the exact same results. In the scientific research model, any other use of the term "replication" is not valid.

Furthermore, it is not up to 60 Minutes to give its imprimatur to "cold fusion" by shipping one scientist to a laboratory for two days to inspect their work. Scientific progress is achieved by a much slower and more deliberate process. A laboratory or a researcher publishes work that is subject to peer review. The work is then presented to allow other researchers, irrespective of their location, to use the same materials to arrive at the same, consistent results. Absent these conditions, there is no claim to scientific validity.

It could be, as one of the programs' participants stated, that variances in the quality of palladium used in the experiments varied widely and thus is responsible for the inconsistent results. That hypothesis can easily be tested by supplying researchers with the exact same materials with which to conduct their experiments.

While that work goes on behind laboratory doors, I would advise a lot of starry-eyed futurists whoa re ready to buy the cold-fusion theory to heed the words of the old Frank Sinatra song and "put your dreams away for another day."

Coming Attractions

2009-05-01T23:03:00.002-04:00

OK. I have been away for a bit but it is time to start typing again. Here are some things to look for in the next few days:

FUSION : Is that back?

A SAUDI PRINCE TAP DANCES !

CYBERWAR! COMING TO A COMPUTER NEAR YOU!

And a big "Hello!" to all the intelligence agencies who follow this blog. Sorry to have left you hanging, boys and girls!

Chinese Cyber War

2009-03-30T22:21:00.002-04:00

From The Times of London here:

A spy network believed to have been controlled from China has hacked into classified documents on government and private computers in 103 countries, according to internet researchers. The spy system, dubbed GhostNet, is alleged to have compromised 1,295 machines at Nato and foreign ministries, embassies, banks and news organisations across the world, as well as computers used by the Dalai Lama and Tibetan exiles.

The work of Information Warfare Monitor (IWM) investigators focused initially on allegations of Chinese cyber-espionage against the Tibetan exile community, but led to a much wider network of compromised machines. IWM said that, while China appeared to be the main source of the network, it had not been able conclusively to identify the hackers. The IWM is composed of researchers from an Ottawa-based think-tank, SecDev Group, and the Munk Centre for International Studies at the University of Toronto.

They found that the foreign ministries of Iran, Bangladesh, Latvia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei, Barbados and Bhutan had been spied on remotely, and the embassies of India, South Korea, Indonesia, Romania, Cyprus, Malta, Thailand, Taiwan, Portugal, Germany and Pakistan hacked.

and this:

The IWM report said: “GhostNet represents a network of compromised computers in high-value political, economic and media locations in numerous countries worldwide. These organisations are almost certainly oblivious to the compromised situation in which they find themselves. The computers of diplomats, military attachés, private assistants, secretaries to prime ministers, journalists and others are under the concealed control of unknown assailant(s).

“In Dharamsala [the headquarters of the Tibetan government in exile] and elsewhere, we have witnessed machines being profiled and sensitive documents being removed. Almost certainly, documents are being removed without the targets’ knowledge, key-strokes logged, web cameras are being silently triggered and audio inputs surreptitiously activated.”

Chinese hackers are thought to have targeted Western networks repeatedly. Computers at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and other Whitehall departments were attacked from China in 2007. In the same year, Jonathan Evans, the MI5 Director-General, alerted 300 British businesses that they were under Chinese cyber-attack.

and this scary paragraph:

British intelligence chiefs have warned recently that China may have gained the capability effectively to shut down Britain by crippling its telecoms and utilities. Equipment installed by Huawei, the Chinese telecoms giant, in BT’s new communications network could be used to halt critical services such as power, food and water supplies, they said.

Of course, the Chinese take offense at being accused and try to deflect the blame back towards the accuser (a very old interrogation technique, guys!):

The Chinese Embassy in London said that there was no evidence to back up the claim that the Chinese Government was behind GhostNet and alleged that the report had been “commissioned by the Tibetan government in exile”.

Liu Weimin, a spokesman, said: “I will not be surprised if this report is just another case of their recent media and propaganda campaign. In China, it is against the law to hack into the computers of others, and we are victims of such cyber-attack. It is a global challenge that requires global cooperation. China is an active participant in such cooperation in the world.”

What is the proper assessment of these Chinese actions? Are they just performing normal intelligence gathering and probing for weak spots? Are they preparing to aid some entity in a manner which benefits their ultimate goals? Is a cyber cold war underway? What it is not, is an episode from "24".

We Were Soldiers Once...

2009-03-29T00:10:00.003-04:00

I hope you use the link on the right side of this page to check out Joe Galloway's column in the McClatchy news organization. If you didn't catch this one, well, I'm posting it here. (As always, support your local newspapers: Take a subscription!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By Joe Galloway | McClatchy Newspapers

FORT BENNING, Ga. — It was a great day for the infantry and for the U.S. Army, and it was one for the history books, as well.

On a bright, sunny spring day in Georgia, Fort Benning and the National Infantry Museum dedicated a new parade ground, and the first of what will be thousands of basic training companies broke it in by marching in review for their graduation.

Before the 125 newest soldiers in the Army set boots on that field, though, it was consecrated in a ceremony that saw veterans and descendants of veterans of eight of America's wars spread soil collected from their battlefields on the new parade ground.

Douglas Hamilton, a fifth generation descendant of Alexander Hamilton, sprinkled soil gathered from the decisive battlefield of Yorktown in the Revolutionary War.

Former Sen. Dirk Kempthorne, a great-grandson of Pvt. Charles Kempthorne of the Union Army's 3rd Wisconsin Infantry, and Henry B. Pease Jr., a descendant of Henry Lewis Benning, the Confederate commander at the Burnside Bridge, spread soil from the blood-soaked Civil War battlefield of Antietam, or Sharpsburg, as Gen. Benning probably called it.

Soil from World War I battlefields in France was spread on the parade ground by George York, son of the legendary Sgt. Alvin York, and Samuel Parker Moss, grandson of Samuel Parker of the 28th Infantry. Both York and Parker earned the Medal of Honor during World War I.

World War II was represented by soil collected from the beaches at Normandy and those of Corregidor and Guadalcanal in the Pacific. Theodore Roosevelt IV, grandson of Theodore Roosevelt Jr., who earned the Medal of Honor on D-Day at Normandy, and by Kirk Davis, son of Charles Davis, who earned the Medal of Honor at Guadalcanal, spread soil from those battlefields.

Two legendary warriors from the Korean War — Col. Ola Lee Mize, who held Outpost Harry against overwhelming odds and earned a Medal of Honor, and Gen. Sun Yup Paik, who at age 30 commanded both a division and a corps in the South Korean Army — sprinkled soil from their war's battlefields.

Then it was time to honor the infantrymen who fought in Vietnam, and two legendary old soldiers marched onto the field wearing their black cavalry Stetsons. Lt. Gen. (ret.) Hal Moore and Command Sergeant Major (ret.) Basil Plumley carried jars bearing soil collected at Landing Zone X-Ray in the Ia Drang Valley and on other Vietnam battlefields.

In the stands, a dozen or more Ia Drang veterans and other 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) veterans, most wearing the same black hats, stood at attention as Moore, 87, and Plumley, 89, carried out their mission and then saluted them.

Command Sergeant Major Marvin Hill, the senior enlisted adviser to Gen. David Petraeus at the U.S. Central Command in Tampa, spread soil collected from battlefields in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan during Operation Desert Storm and Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

Actor Sam Elliott, who portrayed Sgt. Maj. Plumley in the movie "We Were Soldiers," narrated the ceremony. (Full disclosure: The movie is based on a book that Gen. Moore and I wrote.)

The program began and ended with some spectacular flying demonstrations using helicopters of the Vietnam War era, and Fort Benning once more heard distant echoes of the blades of Hueys, OH-6s and Cobra gunships.

This week's ceremony marked a partial opening of the new $100 million National Infantry Museum that adjoins the parade ground. The grand opening of the entire facility is scheduled for June 19. Fort Benning's hometown, Columbus, Georgia, provided more than 200 acres of land at the gates of the fort for construction of the Infantry Museum, and Columbus citizens, foundations and companies donated almost half the money needed to build it.

The Infantry Museum Foundation is busy rounding up the last $10 million to complete work on the displays that will fill the museum's galleries on America's wars and the infantry battles that distinguished them.

The new soldiers graduating from basic training with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry marched past the stands, which were filled not only with their proud parents and siblings, but also with the assembled VIPs and such legendary infantrymen as Gen. (ret.) David Grange and Gen. (ret.) Ed Burba and Col. (ret.) Ralph Puckett.

In the infantry and in the Army, there are good days and bad days, and a few great days. This was one of the great days.

Cyber-War (continued)

2009-03-28T23:30:00.002-04:00

Regular readers of this blog (Which I suspect includes members of various national intelligence services. Welcome, guys!) know that I write frequently about the dangers of the current and ongoing "cyberwar" being conducted by various governmental and non-governmental entities, such as China and Al Qeada, respectively.

Therefore, I am not shocked by this MSNBC story headline:

TORONTO - A cyber spy network based mainly in China has tapped into classified documents from government and private organizations in 103 countries, including the computers of Tibetan exiles, Canadian researchers said Saturday.

The work of the Information Warfare Monitor initially focused on allegations of Chinese cyber espionage against the Tibetan community in exile, and eventually led to a much wider network of compromised machines, the Internet-based research group said.

"We uncovered real-time evidence of malware that had penetrated Tibetan computer systems, extracting sensitive documents from the private office of the Dalai Lama," investigator Greg Walton said.

and this:

In an online abstract for "The Snooping Dragon: Social Malware Surveillance of the Tibetan Movement," Shishir Nagaraja and Ross Anderson write that while malware attacks are not new, these attacks should be noted for their ability to collect "actionable intelligence for use by the police and security services of a repressive state, with potentially fatal consequences for those exposed."

They say prevention against such attacks will be difficult since traditional defense against social malware in government agencies involves expensive and intrusive measures that range from mandatory access controls to tedious operational security procedures.

When you combine China's active cyber warfare efforts with the recent determinations by our government of Chinese military buildups here and here and the Secretary of Defense's Annual Report to Congress :Military Power of the People’s Republic of China here, one is forced to conclude that the Chinese government is in the midst of a long-term and well thought out campaign to construct a modern military force that includes air, naval, space and cyber capabilities with long range and international capabilities.

GarryOwen!

2009-03-26T20:57:00.002-04:00

(Giving credit where credit is due: Here)

Just because I can!

AIG-RIP

2009-03-23T18:21:00.004-04:00

Like a Mafia capo who just joined the federal witness protection program AIG is in the process of undergoing cosmetic surgery and disappearing from view.

This almost universally known t.v. scene-setter is no more.

As you can see in this story, AIG wants to undergo a metamorphosis into AIU Holdings Ltd. and disappear from the news.

I took this picture of the AIG/AIU building in Manhattan today and you can see that they have already stripped the American International logo from the awning.

Cramer vs. Stewart

2009-03-14T19:38:00.004-04:00

First round knockout by Stewart. No doubt about it. Watch Wall Street shill Jim Cramer take it on the chin here.

Come to think of it, wouldn't Jon Stewart make a terrific senator?

Another Conversation with a Friend

2009-03-14T16:39:00.002-04:00

Friend's e-mail-a vicious little piece filled with lies:

There was a Pied Piper who said We live in the greatest country in the world. Help me change it!

*And the people said, Change is good!

Then he said, We are going to tax the rich fat-cats,

*And the people said, “Sock it to them!”

and redistribute their wealth.

*And the people said, “Show me the money!”

And then he said, Redistribution of wealth is good for everybody

*And Joe the plumber said, “Are you kidding me?”

And Joe's personal records were hacked and publicized.

*And one lone reporter asked, “Isn't that Marxist policy?”

And she was banished from the kingdom!

Then someone asked, “With no foreign relations experience, how will you deal with radical terrorists?”

And the Pied Piper said, Simple. I?ll sit down and talk with them and show them how nice we really are and they?ll forget that they ever wanted to kill us all!

Then the Pied Piper said, I'll give 95% of you lower taxes.

*And one, lone voice said, “But 40% of us don't pay ANY taxes!”

So the Pied Piper said, Then I'll give you some of the taxes the fat-cats pay!

*And the people said, “Show me the money!”

Then the Pied Piper said, I'll tax your Capital Gains when you sell your homes!

*And the people yawned and the slumping housing market collapsed.

And he said, I'll mandate employer- funded health care for EVERY worker and raise the minimum wage.

*And the people said, “Gimme some of that!”

Then he said, I'll penalize employers who ship jobs overseas.

*And the people said, “Where's my rebate check?”

Then the Pied Piper actually said, I'll bankrupt the coal industry and electricity rates will skyrocket!

*And the people said, “Coal is dirty, coal is evil, no more coal! But we don't care for that part about higher electric rates.”

So the Pied Piper said, Not to worry. If your rebate isn't enough to cover your expenses, we'll bail you out. Just sign up with ACORN and your troubles are over! Then he said, illegal immigrants feel scorned and slighted. Let's grant them amnesty, Social Security, free education, free lunches, free medical care, bi-lingual signs and guaranteed housing

*And the people said, “Ole`! Bravo!” And they made him King!

And so it came to pass that employers, facing spiraling costs and ever-higher taxes, raised their prices and laid off workers. Others simply gave up and went out of business and the economy slowed even further. Then the Pied Piper said, I am the Messiah and I'm here to save you! We'll just print more money so everyone will have enough! But our foreign trading partners said, "Wait a minute. Your dollar isn't worth what it was. You'll have to pay more."
*And the people said, “Wait a minute. That's not fair!”

And the world said, "Neither are these other, idiotic programs you've embraced. You've become a Socialist state and a second-rate power. Now you'll play by our rules!"

*And the people said, “What have we done?”

But it was too late.
If you think this is a fairy tale, open your eyes and ears. Its happening RIGHT NOW!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TRM RESPONSE:

Well, let's look at reality. The Chinese OWN around ONE TRILLION DOLLARS worth of our debt, debt that was rung up during the BUSH PRESIDENCY. They could start dumping these notes and really screw us. The fact is, they own us. They have us by the short hairs and they are telling us what to do. And all this happened during the last eight years.

China Article

So stop living in your little fantasy and see that the Republicans are NOT your friends. You don't have millions of dollars. They have screwed you and destroyed our economy. Check the record. When Carter left office for Reagan , Carter turned over a surplus. 12 years later Bush 1 turned over a deficit to Clinton. Eight years later, Clinton turned over such a surplus to Bush 2 that the Treasury was considering no longer selling certain debt instruments BECAUSE WE DIDN'T NEED THE MONEY. Then Bush and the Republicans, who controlled the presidency and BOTH houses of congress got us into this mess by too many acts of greed and stupidity. The gutted the SEC and made it a useless agency, no longer able to properly supervise the markets. too many phony securities were created that no one understood.

So pull your head out of your ass and see the light.

Love,

TRM

Why I Hate "24"

2009-03-10T22:18:00.002-04:00

Once it was a fun show,and it brought us a hero when we sorely were in need of one, but "24" has, as they say "jumped the shark." In no specific order, here is a list of why "24" is unwatchable:

1. Cell phones always work. Never a dropped call. Never a garbled transmission. Never, "Can you hear me now?" Never out of power.

2. Jack Bauer is released from a Chinese prison, obviously a victim of torture, unshaved, ragged. After a commercial break he is fit as a fiddle and rarin' to go. Damn, the man doesn't even get a debrief, or even a meal and a drink.

3. Come to think of it, Bauer never needs to eat, or drink, or sleep, or take a piss.

4. His teammates are always in contact and ready.

5. All computer equipment works first time, every time. No need to call India and speak with "Fred" for technical support. Come to think of it, maybe this show is really a long-running advertisement for HP and Dell and Microsoft (no Macs ever seen!)?

6. A nuclear weapon explodes in Los Angeles. Ho hum. Life goes on. Traffic moves on freeways. All stores are open. People stop at Starbucks for their lattes (well, it IS L.A.!)

7. Tony was brought back from the dead.

GOLLLLY! What a Surprise! Gates Says Obama More Analytical Than Bush

2009-03-01T18:41:00.003-05:00

Did you catch this on Meet the Press this morning. MTP Host David Gregory asked Secretary of Defense Robert Gates about the differences between President Obama and "W":

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Follow this link to read the story on MSNBC.COM

Thanks, Bill Gallo

2009-03-01T17:27:00.002-05:00

I've been a fan of New York Daily News sports cartoonist Bill Gallo for nearly 50 years. One of the first things I look for in the New York Daily News is his cartoon, which is always on point and a true work of the newspaper cartoonists' art. ( Here is where I insert my usual supplication that my readers support their local newspapers by taking a subscription. Do it today!)

On Sundays, Gallo writes a column that usually is about sports but today he delves into the world of politics. I would like to share it with you in part and I ask that you follow this link to read it in its entirety.

President Obama said something in his speech to Congress the other night that should've gotten the attention of every American who served in uniform beginning with WWII.

I know that one paragraph grabbed me when he delivered it because I lived it.

Just a little into his speech, the President said: "In the wake of war and depression, the GI Bill sent a generation to college and created the largest middle class in history."

Hearing that I jumped up from my couch and said to my wife, "WOW! That's where we are now!" Do we now have a depression (or what else can we call it?) and aren't we presently engaging in a war? Damned if that isn't the awful truth?

The GI Bill of Rights was a godsend for all who returned home after WWII and was said to be one of the most important pieces of legislation that Congress ever passed.

BILL GALLO, THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR GREAT WORK OVER THE YEARS. IT HAS BEEN GREATLY APPRECIATED!

Cyber War

2009-03-01T07:55:00.002-05:00

Those music file sharing site may be used for more hostile purposes. Check out this story on how the plans for the President's helicopter, Marine One, wound up in the hands of Iranians.

NBC News and msnbc.com
updated 8:55 p.m. ET, Sat., Feb. 28, 2009

A company that monitors peer-to-peer file-sharing networks has discovered a potentially serious security breach involving President Barack Obama's helicopter, NBC affiliate WPXI in Pittsburgh reported Saturday.

Employees of Tiversa, a Cranberry Township, Pa.-based security company that specializes in peer-to-peer technology, reportedly found engineering and communications information about Marine One at an IP address in Tehran, Iran.

Bob Boback, CEO of Tiversa, told WPXI-TV: "We found a file containing entire blueprints and avionics package for Marine One, which is the president's helicopter."

I continue to point out the dangers of our reliance on cyberspace. Improperly secured government offices and careless individuals open the door to cyber attacks from those who intend to do us harm. The pleasures and advantages of what "W" called "The Internets" also make us vulnerable in ways that we can not imagine. To quote one of the lead characters of a famous t.v. show of years past, "Let's be careful out there."

Battlin' Barry

2009-02-28T15:28:00.006-05:00

Every basic management class will tell you that when you step into a new position the time to make changes is sooner rather than later. President Barack Obama apparently sneaked into a few management courses while he was getting his law degree because his action plan comes right from the management textbooks. Obama is riding high in the polls and he has not yet been sucked into the Washington political and bureaucratic mechanisms that grind up the newcomer and which prevent even the slightest element of change to breathe.

Today, Obama let us know that he expects a battle from the entrenched interests that will be threatened by his vision for the American future. And Obama basically quotes W.'s immortal words, "Bring it on!"

"These steps won't sit well with the special interests and lobbyists who are invested in the old way of doing business. I know they're gearing up for a fight as we speak. My message to them is this: So am I.

Play this and wait until the last minute or so for the good stuff.

Obama Errors

2009-02-28T14:58:00.002-05:00

Sure he gives a good speech, but not everything he says is true. I was shocked when he said that Americans invented the automobile (most credit can go to the Germans for that. Henry Ford is credited with inventing the production line, which made cars cheaper and more affordable).

As always, FactCheck.org is invaluable. Read their fact assessment of Obama's speech to Congress here.

If you are not familiar with FactCheck.org, let me quote from their mission statement:

We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.

The Annenberg Political Fact Check is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The APPC was established by publisher and philanthropist Walter Annenberg in 1994 to create a community of scholars within the University of Pennsylvania that would address public policy issues at the local, state and federal levels.

The APPC accepts NO funding from business corporations, labor unions, political parties, lobbying organizations or individuals. It is funded primarily by the Annenberg Foundation.

Captives of Technology

2009-02-28T10:31:00.002-05:00

We all love the Internet. We all love technology , and sure do love all the toys and games and other voltage vampires that with which we can clutter up our lives. But our love of technology can also have its downside. It can make us fragile and dependent and ultimately fragile and brittle.

Let me give you an example. Yesterday, I had a meeting scheduled in my office with an attorney who needed to travel from midtown Manhattan to the downtown area. An hour before the meeting she called me and said her internet had crashed and wanted to know which subway to take. When she finally arrived, I said,"you know, not too long ago people would have known to just look at the subway map in the station." She was stunned as the thought never occurred to her. She was totally dependent on her electronic life and once it crashed so did some of her ability to interact with the world. We are not talking calculating orbital mechanics, just looking at a map, and in that, her mind collapsed on itself.

Think of it. We need GPS units where once road maps were sufficient. We need individual cell phones , and in some cases multiple cell phones, to stay in touch at all times. Blackberries that keep you tethered to work 24/7. And god help the "crackberry" addict who can't get a fix.

Our military has become increasingly dependent on technology do to the level of the individual infantryman and researchers are trying mightily to hook him into an ever increasingly web of electronic complexity. I find it interesting to note that the people we currently are fighting are for the most part living a less complicated, in fact almost pre-industrial existence in mountains, and they themselves realize that their weak point is their reliance on technology, such as the internet and easily intercepted electronic communications.

Written materials exist for millennia. People still read and interpret ancient Sanskrit on written on clay tablets and Egyptian hieroglyphics on stone and parchment. Please tell me the shelf life of a book downloaded onto a Kindle? If your hard drive has ever crashed or your IPod battery died, you know the answer.

Technology makes us smarter but not wiser. We live in the milliseconds and ignore the moments. As we access a world of knowledge we lose contact with our neighbors and ourselves.

Quo Vadis?

A New Low at High Altitude.

2009-02-27T17:49:00.004-05:00

I just knew it was going to happen. I knew it. An airline is considering installing pay toilets in its airplanes. Read this article then tell me the options if you don't have the correct change.

DUBLIN - When nature calls at 30,000 feet, is $1.40 a wee price to pay? Or could it force passengers without correct change into a whole new kind of holding pattern?

The head of budget European airline Ryanair unleashed a flood of indignation and potty humor Friday when he suggested that future passengers might be obliged to insert a British pound coin for access to the lavatory to get some in-flight relief.

Airline chief Michael O'Leary suggested that installing pay toilets would lower ticket costs and make flying, somehow, easier for all.

It's a neat trick when he says that he is doing it for the benefit of the passengers.

I still think that ultimately the airlines will address their costs and security in a manner that requires that the passengers be handled pretty much like cargo. You want to travel. Great. Get to the airport, remove all of your clothes, go through security, don a one-time-use paper gown and take enough airline supplied Valium to put you out for the duration of the flight. You'll be packed into a "personalized travel pod" (which resembles a cheap coffin) and stacked like palletized cargo in the airplane's interior, which is now entirely outfitted as a cargo carrier. Arrive at your destination, wake up, get dressed, and leave.

The airlines would love to do this. No more flight attendants to pay and pension off. An airplane packed to the gills. No Complaints. No meals, no beverages, no movies, and no crying, cranky babies (some passengers might like this, too, especially if you have every had to sit in front of a crying baby who persists in kicking your seat for 6 hours!)

Coming soon to an airline near you!

A Conversation with a Friend on the Constitution and Obama

2009-02-26T21:42:00.002-05:00

The following is an e-mail conversation TRM had with a friend:

From: Friend
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009
To: TRM
Subject: FYI

Second Amendment Absent in Supreme Court Gun Ruling

Tony Mauro
02-24-2009

In spite of its recent support for an individual right to bear arms, the Supreme Court on Tuesday adopted an expansive reading of the federal law that bans possession of firearms by those who have been convicted of felonies or of "a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence."

The meaning of the phrase about misdemeanors was the issue in United States v. Hayes, decided by a 7-2 vote in a decision available here.

West Virginia resident Randy Hayes was prosecuted under that section of the law in 2005. The predicate crime that triggered the law in his case was a 1994 state conviction on charges of battery, where his victim was his wife.

But Hayes claimed that since the crime was simple battery, and was not specific to battery against a family member, it should not have triggered the firearm possession law. Hayes lost at the district court level, but the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed, finding that the law comes into play only when the predicate crime has "as an element a domestic relationship." In other words, even though Hayes' victim actually was his wife, the appeals court said it does not count as a predicate crime because the crime was not specific to domestic violence.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, writing for the majority, said the 4th Circuit's approach would "frustrate Congress' manifest purpose" in including domestic violence crimes among the crimes that would result in loss of firearms. "If the Fourth Circuit were right in its analysis of the controlling legislation," Ginsburg said in announcing the ruling from the bench, "Congress' enactment would have been a dead letter in the majority of states from the very moment of its passage." Congress added the domestic violence provision in 1996.

In dissent, Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., joined by Justice Antonin Scalia, said that "right off the bat," the law should be read to require that a domestic relationship be an element of the predicate offense. Roberts also said that implementing the majority's view will entail "significant problems," requiring prosecutors to research the relationships in past crimes, rather than simply going by the category of the crime.

The case drew interest in part as a test of the strength of the right to bear firearms in the wake of D.C. v. Heller, last year's landmark declaration of an individual right to bear arms. The Second Amendment Foundation filed a brief in the Hayes case, urging the Court to adopt the narrower interpretation and to allow states leeway in defining crimes.

But, as Ohio State University law professor Doug Berman points out on his Sentencing Law and Policy blog, neither Heller nor the Second Amendment played a role in Hayes. "The Second Amendment and Heller do not even get mentioned by the dissenters, even though the majority's ruling would seem to provide a green light to jurisdictions looking for pretty easy ways to functionally work around the rights supposedly championed in Heller."

The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence applauded the decision. "In its first gun case since the landmark Heller decision, the Court wisely upheld this reasonable restriction, said center president Paul Helmke. "Today's ruling is the right one for victims of domestic abuse and to protect law enforcement officers who are our first responders to domestic violence incidents."

This article first appeared on The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: TRM
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009
To: Friend
Subject: RE: FYI

And this is news:

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/obama-administration-revives-assault-weapons-debate-2009-02-26.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Friend
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009
To: TRM
Subject: RE: FYI

This further confirms that despite all that blather about Obama being a “centrist,” he remains the same far-left ultraliberal that his voting record shows he’s always been. His honeymoon will, I think, prove very brief as his lack of any true leadership or managerial experience in an executive capacity becomes more and more clear to more and more people. And despite all that hurrahing about the Democrats being in control in Congress, a significant number of them come from the more conservative states and are not going to blindly follow the other lemmings as Obama leads them over the cliff to sure defeat in the next Congressional election, at which point my prognostication is that the economy will still be in the toilet, except that we’ll owe trillions more than we do now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: TRM
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009
To: Friend
Subject: RE: FYI

First, I do not share your total pessimism about the economy (In fact, if I had any money, I would start to invest in the market at this point for long term purposes. As Baron Rothschild is reported to have said, “The time to buy is when blood flows in the streets.”). But this is an area where every “expert”, regardless of philosophy or party affiliation, is only guessing. There are very good reasons why economics is called “the dismal science”.

Second, Nancy Pelosi said that the House will not take up the issue of automatic weapons controls precisely because she does not want to force the more conservative Democrats into a comfort zone with the Republicans, who may be their more natural allies. She knows that would be the beginning of a political disaster.

Third, if Obama does turn out to be swimming outside the political mainstream, then the electorate will have to wait just about 20 months for mid-term elections to let him know what they think.

So cheer up!

Skelator Speaks

2009-02-25T21:14:00.005-05:00

Did you catch Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal's Republican response to President Obama's address to Congress? Wow! What a disaster. Not only did Jindal look like death warmed over, but he spoke in this weird sing-song kind of voice that made me think he really wanted to replace the late Mr. Rogers in his neighborhood. "Can we say government is bad, boys and girls?" "Who needs to monitor those silly volcanoes that might blow up and kill a couple of people? Not us! We can take our train to fantasy land."

From a political perspective, Jindal's argument left me wondering just where the hell this guy has been living for the past few years? Doesn't he think the federal government is needed to warn people of major dangers, like approaching hurricanes? Or does he think that individual citizens can band together to do that sort of stuff themselves. Oh, wait. They have. It's called a "government". There was just too much evidence last night that Bobby Jindal has quaffed the Nancy Reagan "Just Say No!" Kool-Aid. Hell. even Republicans thought that he was a disaster:

Paul Krugman also was less than impressed by the Louisiana governor-here:

February 25, 2009, 11:08 am
What should government do? A Jindal meditation

What is the appropriate role of government?

Traditionally, the division between conservatives and liberals has been over the role and size of the welfare state: liberals think that the government should play a large role in sanding off the market economy’s rough edges, conservatives believe that time and chance happen to us all, and that’s that.

But both sides, I thought, agreed that the government should provide public goods — goods that are nonrival (they benefit everyone) and nonexcludable (there’s no way to restrict the benefits to people who pay.) The classic examples are things like lighthouses and national defense, but there are many others. For example, knowing when a volcano is likely to erupt can save many lives; but there’s no private incentive to spend money on monitoring, since even people who didn’t contribute to maintaining the monitoring system can still benefit from the warning. So that’s the sort of activity that should be undertaken by government.

So what did Bobby Jindal choose to ridicule in this response to Obama last night? Volcano monitoring, of course.

And leaving aside the chutzpah of casting the failure of his own party’s governance as proof that government can’t work, does he really think that the response to natural disasters like Katrina is best undertaken by uncoordinated private action? Hey, why bother having an army? Let’s just rely on self-defense by armed citizens.

The intellectual incoherence is stunning. Basically, the political philosophy of the GOP right now seems to consist of snickering at stuff that they think sounds funny. The party of ideas has become the party of Beavis and Butthead.

So, Bobby Jindal, go stand in the corner for five years.

Nancy Reagan Republicans

2009-02-25T20:59:00.004-05:00

Did you see the President's address to the joint session of Congress? Did you notice that their Republicans were so partisan in their response to his address that they sat on their hands almost every time an applause line came up? So much for President Obama's attempt at bipartisanship and healing the antagonism that has corroded political discourse since Newt Gingrich and his "Contract with America" days (when he also shut down the government because he wasn't asked to sit up front with President Clinton during a ride on Air Force One!.

So here we are at the economic precipice and the Republicans can offer nothing more constructive than their basic " No!" .

"No!" to the stimulus bill.

"No!" to bank bailouts.

"NO!". "NO!" "NO!" They sound like a two year old in the middle of a tantrum. I sort of expect them to threaten to hold their collective breath until they turn blue if they don't get their way.

The Republicans need to be reminded of two facts. First, a Democrat was elected President. Second, the Democrats control both houses of Congress. Being out of power usually means being "the loyal opposition" but Gingrich taught his Republicans that "opposition" is better than "loyal opposition" and his particular brand of acid corroded political discourse for almost two decades.

Maybe the Republicans can't help themselves. To all intents and purposes they have controlled either the presidency or congress or both for more than 20 years. They are exhausted, corrupt, and totally devoid of ideas. They are forced to resort to the old Republican standbys of cutting taxes and small government when clearly some new thinking is called for. Ask the voters for confirmation of that fact.

But the Republicans are totally out of gas and following the lead of Nancy Reagan. All they can do at this point is just say "NO!"

On Becoming an American

2009-02-24T18:11:00.002-05:00

A reliable corespondent conveyed the following to me:

I was departing the federal courthouse in Brooklyn this morning and I ran into a smiling, obviously happy, polyglot group; Asians, Latinos, Caucasians, males and females from every continent. I had an idea as to what brought them to the steps of the courthouse, but, nosy person that I am, I sidled up to one man and asked why they were there.

"We have just been sworn in as citizens," replied the middle aged, obviously Latin man. I couldn't resist and I asked, "Oh, and how do you feel?"

With a huge smile he replied,"I feel very proud and I feel safe."

The Warrior Obama

2009-02-20T22:36:00.003-05:00

Previously, I wrote about the Obama administration's position regarding prisoners held in Bagram. Obama is prepared to substantially increase American troop strength in Afghanistan with a concomitant draw down in Iraq. Now readthis article, which indicates that Obama might be widening the scope of US Predator attacks and covert operations against Al Qeada and Taliban forces in Pakistan.

Throughout his campaign Obama stated that the war in Iraq took our eye off the prize in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the real center of Al Qeada and its threat to the United States.

Obama seems to be concentrating efforts on the real bad guys now. Will he press the attack? Will he risk Pakistani objections to American incursions into Pakistani territory in order to kill Al Qeada and Taliban? Will he send covert ground forces into Pakistan?

Pakistan is a dangerous enigma. It allows Al Qaeda and the Taliban to take control of the province of Swat. It withdraws its troops from a battle against the militants. Its intelligence agency, ISI, plays all sides simultaneously (and was it involved in the Mumbai terrorist attack?).

How will Obama make his bones as commander in chief in this battle? Will be be a leftist warrior? Obama has some complicated political calculations to consider. He always said he would withdraw from Iraq and his leftist supporters cheered. Will they still cheer his beefed up military effort in Afghanistan/Pakistan or will they turn on him in short order? And if they attack him on his military stance in the subcontinent, will he deplete his political power at home to the extent that his domestic program grinds to a halt?

Just asking.

Liberal Tears

2009-02-20T21:35:00.002-05:00

The Obama administration continues to set its own course, often to the consternation of its liberal supporters. Right now, liberals are donning ashes and sack cloth as the Obama administration decided to continue a policy established by the Bush administration, specifically, the denial of United States constitutional rights to combatants being held in Afghanistan. See this.

An administration spokesperson explains the difference between this position and the status of Guantanamo prisoners thusly:

The Justice Department argues that Bagram is different from Guantanamo Bay because it is in an overseas war zone and the prisoners there are being held as part of an ongoing military action. The government argues that releasing enemy combatants into the Afghan war zone, or even diverting U.S. personnel there to consider their legal cases, could threaten security.

I'm shocked, shocked, that the American Civil Liberties Union is having a hissy fit:

"They've now embraced the Bush policy that you can create prisons outside the law," said Jonathan Hafetz, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union who has represented several detainees.

I would like to hear how the ACLU would handle those folks in Afghanistan who are hiding among the indigenous population and firing weapons at American troops. They are not constituted as uniformed army representing an established state so they can't be considered soldiers in a traditional sense and thereby be accorded the rights of the Geneva Convention. Would ACLU prefer that these guys be handled like common street criminals and accorded all of the constitutional protections? Should they be read their Miranda rights? Would they like US forces to collect physical and testimonial evidence to be presented in a court of law?

Please, ACLU, tell me how you would like to handle these people.

Obama Wins / Obama Loses

2009-02-18T13:05:00.002-05:00

I'm tired of all of the professional pundits who are trying the score the twenty-five day old Obama administration like some sort of Olympic ice skating event. He won in the stimulus bill because he got almost $800 BILLION dollars passed by the House and Senate He lost with the stimulus bill because he didn't get everything he wanted. He was too bold. He was too timid.

BASTA! ENOUGH!

Even Roosevelt has 100 days to give some direction to the country when he took office. But our insane 24/7 cable news cycle requires instantaneous assessment of every administration twitch with a twitters tweet and a pundits palaver.

For the past few weeks I was tempted to join in the chorus of the chattering class with my own assessments, but each time I moved to the keyboard I found myself saying, "But he's only been there a week (or two weeks.. or three weeks)".

It will take time to turn around the economy and you must admit that his team has hit the ground running. Think of the chaos and confusion that reigned just weeks ago when W was still in charge. Now we have a President who can put together a cogent argument while 30 days a go we had someone in charge who stumbled over a simple sentence.

So try to relax, gang. This is not the end of the world. With time, money and effort things will get better. Promise.

Religion and Politics

2009-02-18T12:19:00.002-05:00

Religion and politics. Always a toxic mix. It happened when New York Governor Al Smith ran for President in 1928. When John Kennedy ran for President in 1960 many people launched the canard that he would take orders from the Vatican. He counterattacked and said that he would not take orders from religious officials and that he would abide by the separation of church and state.

It seems that some people on the political side are getting it right, but some religious powers might need a lesson in how we do things in this democracy. take a look at this.

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict, underscoring the Vatican's ruling on an issue that divides Americans, told U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday that Catholic politicians and legislators cannot back abortion rights.

Pelosi, a powerful U.S. politician who is Catholic and pro-choice, has been accused by U.S. bishops in the past of misrepresenting Church teachings on abortion.

"His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural and moral law and the Church's consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death ..." a Vatican statement said.

Senatorial Power

2009-02-18T12:11:00.002-05:00

Until the mess in Minnesota is resolved and that state can finally seat either Democrat Al Franken or Republican Norm Coleman as its senator, major power resides in the hands of two ladies from Maine. Read this piece from the Washington Post.

The Dictator's Dream

2009-02-16T08:18:00.002-05:00

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez can now change his title to "Dictator" or "President for Life" or something suitable after that country's referendum removing term limits passed. I'll leave it for the Latin America experts to figure our why the people voted for it, if in fact the election wasn't rigged, but what I do know is that another dictator has been permanently empowered in the region.

Republican Suicide

2009-02-16T08:04:00.003-05:00

With the results of the last election so devastating to the Republican party, it seems that they have taken the role of the loyal opposition a little too literally. Their straight party "nays" on the stimulus bill in the House shows without a doubt that they value their own political solidarity more than they value the people who are losing their jobs and home at an ever increasing rate.

Saturday Night Live hit the nail on the head last night.

Best Headline Ever

2009-02-08T09:21:00.000-05:00

Here.

Childish Behavior

2009-02-08T09:01:00.002-05:00

I've been saving this one for when I ran a little dry ( I prefer a nice cabernet--in a glass!).

Obama in Vegas

2009-01-28T21:09:00.002-05:00

Just contemplating the political world and mixing in a little nonsense. Let's play Vegas odds-maker:

The odds of:

Obama being impeached in his first term. Let's see, I think three presidents were impeached: Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton. (That's impeached by the House of representatives, not convicted by the Senate). So that is a startling 3 out of 44. But Nixon and Clinton were impeached in there second terms,so the odds drop to 1 in 44 for first term impeachment.

Obama being impeached in his second term.. oops. 2 out of hmm.. how many president have had second terms? I seem to count 15. Of these, two, Clinton and Nixon were impeached. How about those odds? So , let's say his odds of being impeached, if he gets a second term are 8-1.

Odds of Obama getting a second term..1 in 2 chances. figure its slightly higher than 50% unless he is an utter disaster. But when you look at W., who was an utter disaster, and the fact that the got a second term (hell, he never should have had a FIRST term!), well, maybe 60%.

Odds of Obama getting the economy going in the first year of his presidency 4-1. second year- even.

Odds of Obama dealing with inflation in his first term: 2-1. In his second term- even.

Odds that Obama will achieve his goal and bring a new kind of civil politics to Washington- zero!

Odds that Obama will get a stimulus package through congress and on his desk in February-2-1. In March-even.

Odds that Obama will get to select one Supreme Court justice- prohibitive favorite at 1-2. Two justices-even. Three justices 3-1. Four justices- 10-1.

You can play his game at home, too or join the fun here!

Camp GITMO

2009-01-25T12:52:00.002-05:00

It is an interesting position President Obama now finds himself in regarding closing the detention facility (prison/interrogation center) at Guantanemo. Yes, president has ordered that the facility be closed within a year. And yes, news that person released from GITMO have gone back to the Al Queda front lines sort of argues strongly against releasing a lot of these folks.

The question before our constitutional law professor of a president is: How to handle these guys within the structure of American and international law when they don't abide by law. Repatriation to their"home countries" does not seem like a solution designed to keep the bad guys from getting back into the fight. Transferring them to American prisons might be an option, but what is their status? They have not been tried or convicted of crimes nor are they being considered prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention.

So Obama did fulfill his pledge to order the closing of GITMO, but he has so far failed to come up with a viable plan as to what to do with these guys. Look for GITMO to stay open a little longer than expected as "unforeseen" problems delay GITMO's closing.

The Only Thing We Have to Fear Is..

2009-01-24T21:13:00.003-05:00

running out of money.

Government printing presses will be turning red-hot as they crank out all those dollars to stimulate the American economy and, by extension, the world economy.

They say there is no movement in the credit markets. Now, I don't know too much about economics, and I suspect that even folks with a lot of initials after the names don't really know all that much either, but when you have no movement, a high colonic is the answer. For the economy that comes in the form of dollars.

Personally, I think one of those high colonics should be delivered on an hourly basis to all those smart boys and girls, investment bankers all, who brought down our economy with their boundless greed and unsurpassed inventiveness. I mean, you really have to be inventive to create and buy into a financial instrument you don't even understand. The banker and securities dudes and dudettes didn't even know what they were buying and selling.

I mean, how smart can an MBA be? George W. Bush got one from Yale, fer crisakes! And did Bush EVER do anything good? This is a guy who failed upward! From pilot to oil to baseball to governor to president. I challenge you to name one endeavor where he succeeded!

I would never hire anyone with an MBA. Personally, I believe that a smart liberal arts guy can run rings around an MBA simply because the liberal arts guy, like a history major, would be smart enough to ask, "what does this mean?" and wait for a decent explanation.

I can't stand all these media types who are so eager to report that we are in a second "Great Depression." One was enough, please! Besides, we have so many more market safeguards and government mechanisms in place that didn't exist in the 1930s. The FDIC, that agency that insures your bank deposits to $250,000, didn't exist back then so there was a run on the banks as people tried to get out their cash before the bank collapsed. Now if a bank collapses, basically the depositor's money is safe and they just deal with a different corporate entity. And unemployment is absolutely nowhere near the tidal wave it was in the 1930s. So to all the hyenas clamoring about another Great Depression, two words: "SHUT UP!"

So it is left for the Obama administration to print a ton of money to goose the economy so that it starts running, but then to throttle back in time to prevent runaway inflation, which is what you have when a lot of dollars start chasing fewer goods (which is what will happen with all the manufacturers laying off people and cutting production). This is what happened in the 1970s when the Johnson administration decided not to raise taxes to pay for the Vietnam war and decided instead to run the money presses. These measures eventually inflated the economy to the point where credit card interest rates were running at 25%. Remember when Nixon ineffectively implemented price and wage controls? Remember Gerald Ford's "WIN" button, "WIN" standing for "Whip Inflation Now"? Not a pretty sight!

The Obama team has to have a deft sense of the economy to know when to floor it and when to ease off the gas and not to overshoot the target. Obama has to steer a course cleanly between the Scylla of recession/depression and the Charybdis of inflation.

Oh, George W. Bush actually did do one thing right. He finally left Washington.

OBAMA - Day One- Sorta

2009-01-22T19:44:00.003-05:00

To quiet the paranoid and insane the president retook the oath office office. Perhaps Chief Justice Roberts used a script this time. He screwed up last time. And it is only 35 words. Mark it down to the Chief's hubris.

Fist day in office: no torture, transparency in government. George Mitchell as Mid-East envoy. FOIA executive order. closing CIA secret prisons. freezing senior staff salaries. Rules against conflicts of interest and revolving door service between government and lobbying.

Not bad for "day one."

Change you can believe in. I'm impressed. My hope for a better country increases.

Did you see Moammar Kadaffy's op-ed piece in the New York Times today where he calls for a one state solution in Israel-Palestine, an Israstine? I was struck by his almost reasonable tone, his sense of place for Jews , as well as his great degree of naivete. But still, it was a worthy effort from someone who once inhabited Bush's "Axis of Evil". I would love to talk to him about his change of direction from terrorist supporter to a visionary of peace. Remember, this is a guy Reagan tried to kill.

There is always hope. And where hope exists the possibilities are endless.

Have faith. Work hard.

Inauguration Thoughts

2009-01-20T20:26:00.002-05:00

I still believe Obama's speech was lackluster but when you consider how momentous this day was, could any speech live up to the occasion?

Obama's speech was of a perfect length. Americans are in no mood for a reprise of William Henry Harrison's oratory.

What the hell was that "poem"? I know what she was trying to do, but she did not carry it off with skill or any degree of emotion. Grade of "F", Teach!

I enjoyed Yo Yo Ma and Itzack Perlman's performance. I was wondering how these musicians were able to finger their instruments in the cold.

Barack Obama can not change the world overnight.Heck, the only thing he can change overnight is his underwear. But I feel confident that we have a president who has a great degree of political acumen, a matching amount of political capital to spend, is capable of analyzing the condition of this country, and that he can put forth a full effort to solve these problems. We are all in a better place tonight.

The stock market dropped more than 300 points today. Every passing day proves the market movers and shakers are less intelligent than the dirty water hot dog vendors on the sidewalk outside the NYSE.

I hope Obama's first executive order bans those endless telephone voice mail systems with the endless loops designed to prevent you from talking to a real, live person.

Obama's election proves that the United States is not a racist country, but do not doubt that there still are plenty of racists out there.

I hope Obama's election lifts the vision of countless black children who mistaken thought that education and proper speech was too white and not "keepin' it real". I hope the kids pull up their pants, turn off the hip hop and open a book. I hope some of them think that they can be like Barack Obama if they follow that path. I hope the black male prison population drops precipitously.

Hope will not change the world. But you can't change the world without it.Tonight, so many of us have it.

Alex Disagrees

2009-01-20T14:57:00.002-05:00

Alex writes:

D+? I Disagree. I thought it was a good speech that set the tone for what will be required in the future. While certainly not as good as his acceptance of the nomination in Denver, it was both sobering and inspiring without being cliched. B.

Anyways, maybe you'll get your memorable lines at the State of the Union...

I thought it was primarily a political stump speech that started to roll at the 3/4 mark. I did like his message about putting away childish things and changing the political climate in Washington. But you must remember that political disagreements have often gotten out of hand. In the 1800s one member fired a gun at another on the floor of the Congress. So what we have witnessed during the past sixteen years has been well within the pattern of business as usual, disgusting as always, in D.C.-TRM

Cafe Paris Says...

2009-01-20T13:48:00.002-05:00

Anonymous café paris said...

Big day for america, I hope Obama will change the world !

January 20, 2009 1:43 PM

Well, it is a pleasure to have a president who knows how to use a subject and verb in a sentence. That's a great change! But I hope that President Obama will change the United States, and by doing that, perhaps he will have a positive influence on the world. We need peace. We need hope. Let us take our first steps towards those goals today. Thanks for your response! TRM

Obama Speech

2009-01-20T13:08:00.004-05:00

President Obama's inauguration speech was less a call to action than a campaign speech. As such it was lacking and disappointing. I suppose the sobriquet "No Drama Obama" was well earned, however I found his speech on election eve to be more memorable but there were no memorable lines in this one.

On the whole, he earned a "D+".

Hail to the Chief!

2009-01-20T13:05:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to President Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States of America.

Once again, not with gunfire but with cannon salutes, power changes hands in this experiment in democracy.

Hamas's Disproportionate Response in Gaza

2009-01-20T10:04:00.002-05:00

I would love to hear and see some protests about the Hamas torture of Fatah-men in Gaza, including the blinding of alleged Fatah supporters, or as the reports iv'e seen state "putting their eyes out."

Look here and here.

And if you looked at the pictures in your newspaper you saw "brave Hamas fighters" standing on the corner, in uniform, now that Israel is gone. But when it came time to confront their sworn enemy, those uniforms disappeared under the rest of the dirty laundry, and if they did fight, they fought behind a shield of civilians.

The tragedy of civilian deaths must not be underestimated. However, Hamas must shoulder its war crimes responsibility responsibility for firing unguided rockets from civilian areas in Gaza into Israeli civilian areas. The terror that Hamas sowed was reaped tenfold. Unfortunately. Check out this BBCsite.

Another pictures that sticks in my mind deals was one where three or four dead babies were paraded through Gaza . The picture showed that those who carried the babies and those marching along were all young men in civialian garb. I have no doubt that most if not all of these men were Hamas. Hamas. Hiding behind dead babies.

Janury 19,2009-January 20,2009

2009-01-19T22:51:00.002-05:00

The remarkable juxtaposition of the celebration of Martin Luther King's birthday with the inauguration of the nation's first black president is overwhelming.

Let's look forward to tomorrow, but let's also take a look back.And try to read this while you have Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come" playing in the background. And try to do both without crying.

Here is the text of Dr. King's speech of August 23, 1963, with a bit more than the famous "I have a dream" quotation:

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "For Whites Only". We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

From Martin Luther King to Barack Obama. Some say this is a span of 40 years. Some say it is almost 400 years. Some say the time span is irrelevant. Some say every second was counted with a drop of blood.

Here we stand as a nation, on a mountaintop. Few thought it would happen, many doubted it would happen, but at least one man dreamed it would happen.

Allow yourself to shed a tear.

John Boehner, How Can You Look at Yourself in the Mirror Each Morning

2009-01-18T11:33:00.002-05:00

Congressman John Boehner (R-OH), the current minority leader, has probably reached personal; political depths that are beyond comprehension. Elected in 1990, Boehner started out as a true maverick, uncovering myriad little Congressional perks and schemes and demanding change in the manner of an old-time conservative. But since 2000 Boehner has been a staunch Bush ally, going along with the President's budget-busting "no tax and spend like a drunken sailor" policies that have left this country bankrupt, to all intents and purposes.

So now Boehner rediscovers his small "c" conservative background to lead the charge against Barack Obama's plans to get this economy rolling again with the lame charge that Obama wants big Liberal government. take a look at this:

(T)he president understands that we need to stimulate the economy, not stimulate our government. And, if you look at the over $500 billion worth of spending, a lot of it's going to fix up federal buildings, and -- and $6 billion to community action programs to do weatherization programs.

It's just more of the same kind of wasteful spending that we have seen in the past. I was really -- I was shocked.

MARGARET WARNER: But you have...

HOUSE MINORITY LEADER JOHN BOEHNER: And that's what why I said what I said.

MARGARET WARNER: You have picked out fairly small little pieces of this. What about the big, broad categories? I think there are $90 billion for infrastructure, roads and sewers and bridges.

HOUSE MINORITY LEADER JOHN BOEHNER: No, no, no, well, there's $30 billion for -- for roads.

John Boehner, how can you look at yourself in the mirror each morning and not let that razor blade slip just a little?

Like a Dose of Salts

2009-01-18T11:12:00.002-05:00

I sort of long for the days of Lyndon Johnson and his fondness for "jawboning", a kind of Texas arm-twisting, with people to get them to do what he wanted. Ol' Lyndon would get someone in his office or on the phone and say something like, "Your president needs you to do this, son, your country needs you!". Pretty soon the object of Lyndon's attentions would find himself with his arm twisted up behind him, his shoulder almost out of its socket, yet thinking he was patting himself on the back for doing something good for the country.

Now comes news, here, from Obama Senior Advisor David Axelrod, that the President-Elect wants the banks to stop pocketing the money they are receiving from the government for bail-out purposes, and to start getting credit flowing again. Said Axelrod on ABC's "This Week" today:

"I think he is going to have a strong message for the bankers. We want to see credit flowing again. We don't want them to sit on any money that they get from taxpayers,"

As you know, the banks have been using the money to buy other banks, or to put the government dollars onto their books to make their P/L statements look rosier than they are. What they are not doing is getting the money onto the street and into the pockets of lenders to start the economy.

I close my eyes and I can see it clearly. LBJ calls a summit meeting with all the top bankers."Now boys", he says, "Your country is in a desperate time and you have the power to make things right. We gave you boys billions of dollars to put on the street and you boys are just sitting on it. Now the way to solve this problem is to start making those loans that industry and people need so much to get folks back to work and buying things and we need to do it now! Today!It's your patriotic duty! And I'm sure you boys don't want to have to use a lot of your office space for all of those federal auditors and FBI agents that I can have placed in your banks in 24 hours, now do you?"

Pretty soon those banker types would be saying, "well yeah , it's for the good of the country", and LBJ would start slapping some backs and then there would be a news conference in the Rose Garden with the President and the bankers announcing that, yep, there was a problem and they were there to solve it, with smiles and handshakes all around.

President Obama needs to get a little LBJ in him, have a confab with the bankers to apply a dose of salts in the way of government enforcement actions and get those dollars moving through the system.

Middle East Madness 4

2009-01-12T22:13:00.002-05:00

Step right up and become a martyr. Don't worry about the innocent people who might be in your way. From the New York Times's reporter in Gaza, read this report

January 9, 2009
Fighter Sees His Paradise in Gaza’s Pain
By TAGHREED EL-KHODARY

GAZA CITY — The emergency room in Shifa Hospital is often a place of gore and despair. On Thursday, it was also a lesson in the way ordinary people are squeezed between suicidal fighters and a military behemoth.

Dr. Awni al-Jaru, 37, a surgeon at the hospital, rushed in from his home here, dressed in his scrubs. But he came not to work. His head was bleeding, and his daughter’s jaw was broken.

He said Hamas militants next to his apartment building had fired mortar and rocket rounds. Israel fired back with force, and his apartment was hit. His wife, Albina, originally from Ukraine, and his 1-year-old son were killed.

“My son has been turned into pieces,” he cried. “My wife was cut in half. I had to leave her body at home.” Because Albina was a foreigner, she could have left Gaza with her children. But, Dr. Jaru lamented, she would not leave him behind.

A car arrived with more patients. One was a 21-year-old man with shrapnel in his left leg who demanded quick treatment. He turned out to be a militant with Islamic Jihad. He was smiling a big smile.

“Hurry, I must get back so I can keep fighting,” he told the doctors.

He was told that there were more serious cases than his, that he needed to wait. But he insisted. “We are fighting the Israelis,” he said. “When we fire we run, but they hit back so fast. We run into the houses to get away.” He continued smiling.

“Why are you so happy?” this reporter asked. “Look around you.”

A girl who looked about 18 screamed as a surgeon removed shrapnel from her leg. An elderly man was soaked in blood. A baby a few weeks old and slightly wounded looked around helplessly. A man lay with parts of his brain coming out. His family wailed at his side.

“Don’t you see that these people are hurting?” the militant was asked.

“But I am from the people, too,” he said, his smile incandescent. “They lost their loved ones as martyrs. They should be happy. I want to be a martyr, too.”

Middle East Madness 3

2009-01-12T22:06:00.002-05:00

A new Israeli weapon, meanwhile, is tailored to the Hamas tactic of asking civilians to stand on the roofs of buildings so Israeli pilots will not bomb. From the New York Times here.

Yep, that sure is a callous disregard for civilian life. Oh, and sending leaflets that they might be in danger. Yep. Yep. Callous disregard for civilians. Now tell me again about homicide bombers and rockets "aimed" at civilian areas, George.

Middle East Madness 2

2009-01-12T22:00:00.002-05:00

Why is the world silent when Muslim crazies set off suicide(homicide)bombs that result in the murder of innocent civilians in A. Iraq B. Afghanistan C. Indonesia D. All of the above ? ANd why are simultaneous protests held in European capitals when Israel asserts its right to defend itself from rocket attacks?

Please read this story by Jeffrey Goldberg in The Atlantic here.

Okay, yesterday I was depressed. Today, I'm just pissed off. It's absolutely astonishing to me how interested the world is in Israel's failings. This is the source of a bitter but hilarious observation I once heard a Kurdish leader make: He was complaining to me that his people were cursed, and I asked him what he meant: Cursed by geography, cursed by their proximity to Kurd-hating Arabs, what? He said the Kurds were cursed because they didn't have Jewish enemies. Only with Jewish enemies would the world pay attention to their plight.

For the record: I defend Israel's right to defend itself, but I fear that Gaza will quickly become a quagmire. I fear for the lives of Israelis, obviously, but I also fear for the lives of Palestinian civilians -- I have friends there, in harm's way -- in part because the Israeli army (and I say this from personal experience) can be a big, rough bulldozer of an army, and in part (large part) because Hamas terrorists unblinkingly and ostentatiously use their own civilians as human shields. I've seen this up-close, and it's repulsive. One story the media isn't telling, because it's impossible to get this story in these circumstances (especially because Israel stupidly won't allow foreign reporters into Gaza) is how much resentment the Hamas policy of using Palestinians as human shields causes among Gaza civilians. Early reports indicate that Hamas mortar teams were firing from the UN School. This shouldn't surprise anyone.

One more thing, speaking of pornography -- we've all seen endless pictures of dead Palestinian children now. It's a terrible, ghastly, horrible thing, the deaths of children, and for the parents it doesn't matter if they were killed by accident or by mistake. But ask yourselves this: Why are these pictures so omnipresent? I'll tell you why, again from firsthand, and repeated, experience: Hamas (and the Aksa Brigades, and Islamic Jihad, the whole bunch) prevents the burial, or even preparation of the bodies for burial, until the bodies are used as props in the Palestinian Passion Play. Once, in Khan Younis, I actually saw gunmen unwrap a shrouded body, carry it a hundred yards and position it atop a pile of rubble -- and then wait a half-hour until photographers showed. It was one of the more horrible things I've seen in my life. And it's typical of Hamas. If reporters would probe deeper, they'd learn the awful truth of Hamas. But Palestinian moral failings are not of great interest to many people.

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Middle East Madness 1

2009-01-12T21:15:00.004-05:00

From a friend:

No explanation needed ~

Future War, Cyber War

2009-01-04T14:46:00.003-05:00

Once again another part of the middle east has armies marching. Once again innocent civilians suffer. At this time, I won't debate the merits of the Israeli action against Hamas in Gaza. What i find interesting is combat in another sphere- cyberspace.

I believe that I have reached the point of annoying some friends in the military by focusing to such a great degree on cyberspace.Unfortunately, it seems that most of the military is pre-occupied with fighting the last war, no matter how they determine what the last war might have been. For example, was the last war the surge in Iraq? The failures in Afghanistan? Arab-Israeli conflicts? Panama? Vietnam? For the professional military, the question is, "What was the last war and what are the lessons to be learned?" While this certainly is a valid exercise, the real question is, "What is the next war and what do we have to know in order to win it?"

In my estimation, the next war will occur in cyberspace, specifically the control of information via electronic means, especially the internet. By necessity, this is a broad definition of the battlefield but let me give some examples. Today, one of the web sites that I view regularly Debka.com, which specializes in Israeli affairs, reported that it was "off the air" yesterday because it was under cyber attack. In the past few months, I reported on suspected Chinese penetration of computers belonging to members of the United States Senate. Further Chinese penetration occurred to computers that were taken into that country during the Beijing Olympics. Unknown entities have penetrated systems used by the the Department of Defense, which relies heavily on cyberspace for everything from internet e-mails to combat operations and communications. NASA systems have been penetrated. Al Qeda and other terrorist organizations use the internet to disseminate information. It was reported that Russia penetrated and blocked Georgian cyber systems during their recent war.

Infantry, and assault weapons and field guns and fighter jets will always be needed, and I have no doubt about the value of "lessons learned" sessions. I just hope that some quality theoretical thinking is taking place and practical applications are being developed to ensure our superiority in the next battlefield-cyberspace.

The Fragility of Hope

2008-12-30T21:52:00.002-05:00

I admit that the election cycle exhausted me and that I required a brief respite to recover some sense of reality, which presupposes that I ever had one.

The country feels as though we are all hanging around a hospital ICU, waiting for a sick old uncle to die so that we can all finally go out and have a drink. We really don't have the desire to be there but our presence is required, if only for appearances sake.

But what are we waiting for? What we are not waiting for is Barack Obama. what we are waiting for is the opportunity to change or national psychology from one of guilt, shame and remorse to one of hope. But hope is fragile. It tends to shatter when it is impacted by reality. This new hope needs to contend with the mideast,Israel, Palestine, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Russia, China, Pakistan, Taliban, India, global warming, energy, education, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, liquidity traps, deflation, and inflation. Just for starters. And we are totally broke.

Will this newborn hope be vigorous and long lasting or will it be stillborn?

Hope.

Driven Crazy by Barney- Torture by Any Means

2008-12-11T10:00:00.006-05:00

I love this story. Apparently, United States personnel have been using rock music to torture Guantanemo prisoners. The "I Love You" song from Barney is a notorious instrument of this torture, and prisoners often crack within 24 hours of being exposed to that one. Come to think of it, I would crack too, if I had to listen to that drivel. Otherwise, they say loud rock music can bring someone to their knees in short order.(I would disagree and use Woodstock as evidence.) I would have thought that rap music would have the same effect.

The issue of "torture" is interesting. Surely, we agree that jamming bamboo splints under someone's fingernails is torture. Likewise, attaching electrodes to someone's genitals, caning the bottoms of someone's feet, or using your favorite Black and Decker 3/8 inch drill to make holes in someone's anatomy, as Saddam Hussein was wont to do, all constitute torture. However, the reality is that we are engaged in a war of an entirely new type with people who are pledged to an ideology rather than a state, and, even if we invite them over for tea and biscuits, they are not inclined to tell us important information that will protect lives. The terrorists of Mumbai, London, Madrid, New York, and Washington, as well as their handlers and planners, are not inclined to take part in a pleasant sit-down and a discussion of the issues.

It has been reported that the prisoners of Guantanemo have been well fed, supplied with copies of the Koran, and otherwise been well-treated. Loud music, bright lights and sleep deprivation seem more than reasonable to get short term results. Long term intelligence from these people, on the other hand, may require a long term investment in time in order to gain their trust and cooperation.

What is most troubling is that it appears that we do not know who we are holding in Guantanemo. Are these hardened terrorists? Are these people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time? Are there combatants who are not ideologically committed, but who were picked up because they were engaged in an extension of tribal warfare in either Afghanistan and Iraq?

We have a duty and responsibility to hold people in accordance with our both laws and our international agreements, and not on the basis of executive fiat. The fact that we have been doing the latter taints any possible legitimate activity regarding the imprisonment and interrogation of those held in Guantanemo. I therefore predict that once he takes office, President Obama, a former professor of constitutional law, will demand a complete vetting of those held there, with many subsequently being released, and those who remain will either be charged with crimes related to terrorism or they will held under the provisions of the Geneva Convention as it pertains to combatants.

Torture is against the law. Is Barney?

You Missed it!

2008-12-11T09:47:00.002-05:00

Well, it's time for year-enders, so lets start with this round-up.

Will China fall? Is Russia moving into Africa? Who is building India's anti-missile system? Are those much-hyped solar panels dangerous to the environment?

All these stories and more as Foreign Policy magazine lists the 10 most important stories you missed 2008.

Jews Tortured In Mumbai

2008-12-07T19:43:00.002-05:00

I had read this news before, but since a friend just sent it to me I figured there was still a matter of general interest.

It appears that the terrorists in Mumbai were interested in more than just murdering Jews they found, but also in engaging in a bit of torture. I previous years, I had, on occasion, witnessed autopsies and spoken with pathologists about their work and I know that it takes a special type of horror for one of those professionals to hesitate in describing their findings.

Mumbai Massacre

2008-11-27T08:58:00.003-05:00

It's is too early to know who really is behind the terrorist attack in Mumbai, but it does not appear to have the hallmarks of an Al-Queda operation, specifically large explosive devices, primarily car or truck bombs, in highly visible symbolic public edifices.

Until more information comes out, my deepest sympathy to the families of the dead, to the wounded, and prayers for those still held hostage.

My strongest support to the Indian government in battling the terrorists.

Grappling with Reality

2008-11-25T21:12:00.002-05:00

One of President-elect Obama's characteristics that give me great comfort is that the is fully engaged with reality. No more of George Bush's religious fantasies. No more of Bush's wishful thinking. No more of his idiocy. Obama will make many mistakes, to be sure, but both his mistakes and his successes will result from an assessment of facts, or the facts as they are known.

All the Right Moves

2008-11-24T21:05:00.002-05:00

Barack Obama has not committed a false step since becoming president-elect. The country is on the precipice of economic disaster. We are fighting two wars in woe-begotten lands. Yet Obama shows what he has shown all along: a cool rationality and appreciation of the complexities that await him when he finally shoulders the mantle of the presidency.

Politically, he reached out to John McCain to show one and all that the war has ended and that it truly is time to bind up the nation's political wounds. Any speculation that McCain would soon find a place in Obama's cabinet were just that, speculation, baseless and uninformed. But the image of the two former combatants sitting side by side and making uneasy conversation showed that the self-righteousness of the Bush administration was over. I suppose if Obama could talk to McCain so soon after the calumnies that the Republicans dumped on him, then the president-elect should have no problem talking with some of the nastier fellows on the world scene such as Putin and Ahmadinejad. Besides, he could always tell al-queda's Al-Zawahiri, "Your mother!"

On the economic front, Obama has taken several important actions to address the critical state of the nation's and world's economies. He has put in place what seems like a first rate and experienced team whose focus is on action rather than ideology. The president-elect is not promising the immediate alleviation of the economic woes that afflict us but he is promising immediate attention during the interregnum and, once he takes office, immediate action. It is far more important at this juncture that he addresses the psychology of the recession than the policy of recession. For the latter, the appropriate time is January 21, 2009. The markets have apparently given their imprimatur to both his appointments and his statements regarding where he intends to lead this nation, his ideas for job creation, infrastructure repair, and the survival of American industry.

Obama is setting the bar very low regarding the impact that he will make during the mythic first 100 days of his adminstration. He has stated that the economy will get worse before it gets better. This may well be true, but knowing that he is working on ideas, and that he will be prepared to implement polices in less than 60 days already begins to lift the gloom that was beginning to take on an unbearable and palpable physicality.

So the enormous impact of president-elect Obama can be stated simply: We have not yet turned a corner but we know things will get better.

Economic Self-Flagellation

2008-11-21T19:14:00.003-05:00

Yes, the mortgage crisis revealed the house of cards that so many of the banks had constructed. Yes, the economic crisis revealed the lack of proper regulation and transparency that leads to confidence in the markets. Yes the stock market is down from its high from about a year ago (just when I made a major investment! Note to readers-when I buy, you should sell!). Yes, unemployment is rising.

But talk of a new "Great Depression" that is rampant in the media is just bizarre. First, consider that the government is taking some action to increase market liquidity and, without doubt, government actions to restore stability to the markets will be much more aggressive once the new Democratic administration and congress are both in place in January. On both legal and philosophical bases, the concept of government intervention in the marketplace is light years ahead of where it was in 1929.

People who have actually lived through the Great Depression must be both concerned and, at the same time, somewhat amused at the current panic, and panic, an irrational fear- is exactly what we are witnessing. During the Depression more than 20% of American were unemployed, while at present the rate is 6% and growing. During the Depression hundreds of banks failed, but according the the FDIC, here ONLY TEN BANKS HAVE FAILED SINCE SEPTEMBER 2008, many have been acquired by other banks. Further, during the Great Depression, the FDIC did not exist, and people actually lost their life's savings. Today, the FDIC insures deposits up to $250,000.

One must ask if the media are blowing this economic crisis out of proportion? Are we actually in a severe recession, brought on by unwise practices in the mortgage and investment sectors? And will aggressive action by the Obama administration mitigate the impacts of this recession?

Recessions, for whatever reason, are an inevitable part of the business cycle. As someone who has lived through previous recessions, it seems to me that that a recession is exactly what we are living in today. After previous recessions passed, many economists said that government interventions had no real effect on the outcome of the recession. What is important is the the positive psychological impact that occurs when it seems that the government cares about the people and is trying to do something to alleviate conditions. I believe that whatever Obama's policies might be, the psychological impact will exceed the political impact and that the recession will be over in two years. Any thoughts?

Narrow Minda, Broad Lawns

2008-11-21T19:08:00.002-05:00

The writer H.L. Mencken called the broad expanse of America "the land of narrow minds and broad lawns".

I saw this on Eric Alterman's "Altercation" blog and couldn't resist sharing ti here. let me know if this makes you shudder, too.

Name: Andy

Hometown: Carrollton, GA

Eric,

A student in my freshman world geography course came by to visit me yesterday. Initially, she was concerned about whether she would be able to earn a B in the course and regain her scholarship. As we talked, she let slip her profound despair over the larger "stuff happening" in the economy, which was leading her to view choosing a major as a futile exercise. What's the point?

As she explained, "This is happening because we have turned away from Christ, and he's not to be caught off guard by that. And now, 'many people' believe that we have elected the anti-Christ as our leader." When I asked, she explained that Obama's "Muslim upbringing," charisma, and "promises to do big things" revealed his true identity. She appeared stunned to hear that Obama is and was raised a Christian. Nevertheless, she continued, the only way out of the world financial crisis is for Christians "to drop to their knees."

I asked her if she thought Christians could, in that way, improve the job market by the time she graduated in five years. "No," she said, "I shouldn't even be here by then. I'm a true-believer, and we're supposed to not be around when the Antichrist comes. He'll reveal himself."

Yikes, what a depressing meeting on my daughter's first birthday.

60s Redux?

2008-11-20T21:18:00.002-05:00

I know a lot of people are saying Obama is the new John Kennedy, but this business of bringing back the 60s may be going a bit too far. In the past few days I've seen too many guys in their early 20s sporting brush cuts and wearing those silly almost brimless hats and skinny ties that we wore in those days. This is just bad fashion. Or anti-fashion.

Paul Krugman

2008-11-20T21:15:00.002-05:00

Is it just me or have you noticed the absence of Paul Krugman from the Times lately? Did I miss some notice that he was taking a vacation? Or perhaps he is being vetted by the Obama people for a position in the administration. I can see him heading up the Council of Economic Advisers.

New Directions for Saudi Arabia?

2008-11-16T19:21:00.002-05:00

Last week, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah held an inter-religious conference in New York City. A participant in that conference said King Abdullah conveyed several important thoughts that would indicate a change in Saudi policy;

1. The King recognized that Saudi policy for the past century had been ineffective and had led to unnecessary conflicts.

2. The election of Barack Obama, an African-American, to the Presidency revealed the United States to be the democracy that we had always claimed to be.

3. The Kingdom was funding less extreme forms of Islam outside Saudi Arabia proper to tamp down the fires of radical jihadism.

The King's remarks seem to indicate a marked change in policy from that adhered to previously by rulers of Saudi Arabia. However, Abdullah is 84 years old, and it is not possible to surmise who long he might live and to what degree his course change can take hold before he dies. Undoubtedly, a new leader will arise from the House of Saud, and it is uncertain whether he will follow the course set by his predecessor. That being said, it is extremely interesting to hear a Saudi King remark about the negative impact of the extreme Wahhabi Islam that the Kingdom has bought off for the past century in order to maintain power there.

Finally , it is interesting to hear the King remark about the election of Barack Obama in the glowing terms he used. While some pundits are comparing Obama to Franklin Roosevelt based on the current economic crisis, Obama's influence can be far more wide ranging, so that he is really compared to John Kennedy insofar as the positive feelings that erupted worldwide after his election.

But positive feelings go only so far when one is confronting adversaries, and less then true friends may be more than willing to stand aside while the United States continues to bare the full weight of the battle against totalitarians, or as a friend of mine once put it, "I'll hold your coat, let's you and him fight."

Best Real News Headline Ever!

2008-11-12T19:34:00.002-05:00

From the MSNBC.com website we have this gem.

Helicopters collect whale snot from blowholes

My previous favorite was the famous New York Post headline which described a decapitated body in ecdysiast's bar:

Headless Body in Topless Bar

The Pardoner-in-Chief

2008-11-11T21:29:00.002-05:00

President-elect Obama is throwing his arm around Sen. Joe Lieberman to keep Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid from 86in the Connecticut senator from the Democratic Party.

As reported by MSNBC.COM,here, Obama is more interested in creating a sense of bi-partisanship than in engaging in intra-party squabbling. Although it is a noble gesture by Obama, his move puts Reid in an unenviable position for how is he to maintain party discipline when he can't boot a Democrat who spoke in favor of the Republican candidate at the Republican convention.

I admit that the concept of "party discipline" is alien to the Democrats, but if Reid can't toss Joe out of the party, he has to take the rogue Dem to the woodshed for a sound trashing. Admittedly, Joe votes almost a straight Democratic line on all the issues except the Iraq war, but he committed the unpardonable sin of speaking bad about another Democrat and in campaigning for the Republican. Of course, Joe will lose his committee chairmanships, and perhaps come January his office will be a former janitor's closet, but despite Reid's desires, Joe Lieberman will still sit with the Democrats.

It seems that Barack Obama has just issued his first pardon, and he hasn't yet taken the oath of office.

Veterans Day II

2008-11-11T21:06:00.002-05:00

I attended the Veterans Day parade in New York City today. It was a beautiful, sunny, crisp day, perfect for a parade, and more perfect to honor the veterans. As usual, the parade was sparsely attended, nothing like the ethnic parades that jam the rich residential part of Fifth Avenue. The veterans parade is relegated to a lower part of Fifth, more gritty and commercial, and no crowds press against the barricades that line the street.

Of course they had fresh troops there looking great and marching to the music. But also there were a lot of real vets there, older, more stooped but trying to walk tall. A few of the vets rolled by in wheelchairs with less than half their bodies. Some were transported in buses.

There is a difference between seeing the young and healthy guys who are fresh from boot camp march up the avenue while the older guys who have suffered so much and can only roll. The dead feel no pain. Those so grievously wounded feel nothing but pain.

It was a good day for a parade.

Heard it Through the Grapevine

2008-11-11T19:12:00.003-05:00

I love this interregnum between administrations. More rumors than you can imagine pop up as to who will to named to which cabinet post. The other day a friend called me and said, "Did you hear that XXX will be named to YYY position?" I told him to forget that he had ever heard that rumor and to take two aspirin and call me in January.

The rumors pop up for the usual reasons for these things. People are afraid of the unknown future and they want to exercise a degree of control over their lives. All of the names are, of course, nonsense, and they have as much of a chance of being correct in their assumptions as those unlimited number of monkeys pounding away at that unlimited number of typewriters who eventually write Shakespeare.

Names hit the rumor mill for a variety of reasons. Some are placed there by people who want to inject an idea for a possible position. Some are released by those famous "unnamed sources" to see how they would play in the media: would they be shot down like so many clay pigeons at a skeet range or would they fly like the real ones? Some rumors come from too-active minds who think they have all the answers.

One of the more interesting rumors about is that President-Elect Obama will ask Current Secretary of defense Gates to stay on for at least one year. One source of this particular rumor is the Republican inspired and oft-cited belief that Democrats just don't or can't "get" the army-navy-air force thing and that they would rather weave hemp quilts down by the riverside.

While Secretary Gates has proved to be far better in his job than his predecessor, Donald Rumsfeld, there is no reason to believe that a Democrat can't do the job. One Democrat fully capable of handling the position is former former Georgia Senator Sam Nunn, but Nunn is 70 and that could be a deciding factor for Obama.

I believe that Obama is the kind of person who will hold his cards close to the vest and that we will know who he has in mind when he makes an announcement. The one thing that concerns me is whether Obama will chose a cabinet based on race and gender so that it "reflects" America, as his confidant, Valerie Jarrett, said recently. In other words how far will he go in designing a cabinet for appearance over functionality?

Until you hear names coming directly from the president-elect's mouth, it is better to follow the advice in that old r&b song:

Believe half of what you see, and none of what you hear.

Supersize It!

2008-11-11T19:06:00.002-05:00

From a friend:

Say what you will, but remember this.......Today, you could buy a share of GM and a share of Ford for less than the cost of a Big Mac meal.......

Ford $1.80
GM $2.92
_____
$4 .7 2

Veterans Day

2008-11-11T09:57:00.003-05:00

We salute all those who fought for our freedoms. More important, we remember and honor those who died for our freedoms.

We hope that the day will soon come, when the longing expressed in the ancient words of the prophet Isaiah achieve fulfillment:

they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.