Does The UN And EU Want Control Of The Internet?

Dale and McQ at Q and O Online Magazine think so.

First read the short piece by Dale.

Then read the more extensive but not extremely long one, by McQ.

From Dale's post:

Tyrants fear the very idea of common people expressing their opinion and sharing information. And the UN is all too often overly solicitous of the wishes of tyrants. That's reason enough to tell the UN to back off.

From McQ's:

Maybe I'm just an incorrigable skeptic, but when I see phrases describing a world summit like, "which aims to ensure a fair sharing of the Internet for the benefit of the whole world", I can't help but translate it as, "which aims to screw the US out of its control of something it invented".

Nothing new here. Europe has been envious and jealous of the U.S. from the days of its inception. Throughout this country's history there has been an element in Europe that has openly resented the U.S., for our successes at things they failed.

Obviously "the world" is of the opinion that it has a better idea, you know, government intervention. Oh and don't forget UN intervention too. Nothing like having your internet access and content subject to the veto of Botswana who's a guest member of the Security council this month.

How true.

It's hard enough to take anything seriously from the UN, especially when they let the biggest violators of human rights have a seat on the Human Rights Commission. Why would I think that most third world banana republics would want anything less, than to screw the U.S. at every opportunity afforded them?

If you want to talk about internet censorship, if you want to talk about groups like CAIR trying to silence its critics, just let countries like North Korea, Iran and Syria have a say in this. Freedom of speech will suffer greatly, here and abroad.

The State Of Modern Sociology (And How We Got There)

Click on the title for the complete "must read" essay by Dr. Kenneth Wagner, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice, Radford University, posted on HNN.

The discipline of sociology has good reason for introspection. Since the 1970’s sociology has seen a decline in student interest and relative research funding, the closing of several departments, increasing fragmentation (over 43 sections of the American Sociological Association, the flagship organization which curiously was originally the American Sociological Society which confers a more fitting acronym for the state of the field).

This is the claim Dr. Wagner asserts. What follows is a brief history of how sociology gradually evolved from a bonafide science to a tool of leftist activists. Another casualty of LBJ's Great Society.

This problem has some historical roots. The first American sociologists were wedded to liberal social reform. This is somewhat misleading, since while they indeed hoped the discipline would be used to ameliorate social problems they conducted their research according to scientific methodology that attempted to objectively assess social reality.

Unlike today, when most sociologists set out to conduct studies that will advance their biases and social agendas. They leave out pertinent information, skew results, and in many cases, blatantly falsify results, all for the sake of being right more than understanding the truth.

Anyway, this an outstanding piece and deserves a look.

Merkel Says German Grand Coalition Likely

Click on the title for the complete Reuters article.

BERLIN (Reuters) - German conservative leader Angela Merkel said on Thursday she believed her Christian Democrats (CDU)were much more likely to forge a coalition with the Social Democrats (SPD) than they were with other parties.

"The possibility or likelihood of a coalition with the SPD is much higher than the other constellations," Merkel told reporters after a meeting with the liberal Free Democrats (FDP).

Let me go on record here and say that if there is a coalition between the SPD and the CDU, it won't last long. Since the end of WWII, the two major parties have been these two. All chancellors since that same time, have been from these two. They are adversaries by nature. They represent opposite philosophies.

Given this history and the nature of today's politics, if it does occur, it will not be a match made in heaven.

In a related note, check out the short post at David's Medienkritik. It gives one example how socialist rule has affected Germany over the past seven years. (A lot of history can be revised during that amount of time.)

Schroeder has been in power since 1998. Since that time, Germany has taken a downward spin economically and in its relationship with the United States. Both Chirac and Schroeder have created an unholy alliance based on delusions of re-creating the neo-Holy Roman Empire, through the EU. As a result, both have made royal messes of their countries and part of that is due to the fact, they have assumed such an anti-American posture.

Hip Hop Catching on In Gaza

Click on the title for the complete Knight-Ridder story.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - The wanna-be gangsta boys arrive in baggy jeans and oversized T-shirts bearing the likeness of rapper Tupac Shakur, looking for a chance to freestyle with the night's star performers. The groupie girls in glittery tops throw their hands in the air, cheering on the breakdancers, when the hip hop party is brought to a screeching halt:

Time for evening prayer.

Across the Gaza Strip, West Bank and even in Israel, young Arabic rappers are trying to juggle Middle East traditions with contemporary Western culture to create a political voice for their generation.

Maybe they will start forming chapters of the Bloods and Crips and begin killing one another, instead of Jews. Can you imagine the dilemma of what to do when the "call to prayer" goes out in the middle of a gang battle or a drive-by?

Hat Tip: G at In The Middle Of America If you haven't seen his site lately, check it out. It has a new look.

Ashamed Republican Exposed

Check out the goods on the so-called Ashamed Republican at Wizbang. The Wiz has some information that further demonstrates the desperation of the left and exposes them as the frauds, they are.

A Hearty Hat Tip Goes To: DoublePlus Good Infotainment

Cindy Sheehan Arrested At White House

Click on the title for the complete AP story.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Cindy Sheehan, the California woman who has used her son's death in Iraq to spur the anti-war movement, was arrested Monday while protesting outside the White House.

Sheehan and several dozen other protesters sat down on the sidewalk after marching along the pedestrian walkway on Pennsylvania Avenue. Police warned them three times that they were breaking the law by failing to move along, then began making arrests.

Sheehan, 48, was the first taken into custody. She stood up and was handcuffed, then led to a police vehicle while protesters chanted, "The whole world is watching."

Some people will do anything to get attention. Speaking at a rally this weekend, spending an inordinate amount of time at the President's ranch camping out with the media, and allowing herself to be used by the left as a poster girl for the anti-war effort, evidently is not enough.

Cindy and many of the others are having a hard time coping with the reality of growing older and feel they must do everything to re-live the good old days of college protesting, just like many of them did during Vietnam. It's called regression and it is a product of real and/or perceived trauma.

Update 9-26-05 6:05PM

Take a look at the grieving mother in the pics posted at California Conservative

Reports Of Death And Mayhem Greatly Exaggerated

Click on the title for the complete story published today, in the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

After five days managing near-riots, medical horrors and unspeakable living conditions inside the Superdome, Louisiana National Guard Col. Thomas Beron prepared to hand over the dead to representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Following days of internationally reported killings, rapes and gang violence inside the Dome, the doctor from FEMA - Beron doesn't remember his name - came prepared for a grisly scene: He brought a refrigerated 18-wheeler and three doctors to process bodies.

"I've got a report of 200 bodies in the Dome," Beron recalls the doctor saying.

The real total was six, Beron said.

Of those, four died of natural causes, one overdosed and another jumped to his death in an apparent suicide, said Beron, who personally oversaw the turning over of bodies from a Dome freezer, where they lay atop melting bags of ice. State health department officials in charge of body recovery put the official death count at the Dome at 10, but Beron said the other four bodies were found in the street near the Dome, not inside it.Both sources said no one had been killed inside.

To their credit, they are reporting the errors made in the original reports, made immediately after the storm. But the real question is, how did the information get so skewed in the first place?

I have the answer.

Rumors are a staple among the ignorant masses. One thing gets told and the next person tells the same thing, only with a little more embellishment than the first. Do that enough, and eventually the whole thing gets so distorted and skewed that it does not even bear the slightest resemblance to what was said, in the first place.

The ignorant masses seem to be content with getting their information this way. Rarely will they reserve judgement until they can verify something and if they do, rarely will they rush to verify anything. But, they will be the first to get on the phone and spread the rumor, without checking its validity, first. Thus, continuing the cycle.

These are the very same people that believe the lies and distortions of the left, without question.

Organizations like MoveOn.Org prey on these people, because they are such easy targets for their misinformation. They use the "so-called" expert statements of brilliant scholars like Michael Moore and feed them to unsuspecting sheep that will eat anything, put in front of them.

Louis Farrakhan (I call him by his earlier entertainment name, Calypso Louie) is another such rumormonger that plays on the ignorance of his audience. His statement that he received from a reliable (wink,wink,nudge,nudge) source that a crater was seen at the base of a levee, where a breach occurred, was no doubt received with little skepticism from a sizeable portion of people.

There are many more examples that I could cite. But suffice it to say that it is no wonder why these people are so ignorant, when they have the MSM exacerbating these rumors, half-truths, and outright lies through their openly biased reporting. You get what you ask for. Garbage in, garbage out.

The Spinning Storm Of Global Warming Activists

Click on the title for the complete Op-Ed piece from the usually left-leaning USA Today.

Hurricanes feed off of warm water. So the one-two punch to the Gulf Coast from Katrina and Rita has naturally led many people to wonder: Is global warming to blame for back-to-back major hurricanes slamming into the United States?

Well, the Europeans think so. Read on:

European officials and some environmentalists have been quick to assert a connection. After Katrina, Germany's environmental minister, Jurgen Trittin, called America "climate-polluter headquarters." As Rita bore down on the Texas coast, British scientist John Lawton cited it as evidence that the United States' policies on curbing pollution were responsible.

When you consider that Europe has a large percentage of socialists that have themselves convinced that any adverse natural disaster is a direct result of global warming, it comes as no surprise that they would be leading the charge, with these false claims. The whole idea of global warming was dreamed up by communists, to suppress the growth of capitalist countries where industry was more productive and more efficient, than in the former Soviet Union. They felt threatened by free market nations, because they knew they could not directly compete with them.

But to find the answer to the initial question, let's read on:

Not so fast. The science backing a link between global warming and devastating storms is preliminary, skimpy and contradicted by many hurricane experts. Even the researchers who suggest there may be a link caution against leaping to conclusions without lots more study.

But that won't be enough to convince many on the fence with this issue, much less the environazis. Here are some interesting points the writer uses to support his/her claim:

• Science doesn't support a link between global warming and recent hurricane activity, notes Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center. Katrina and Rita are part of a natural cycle. The increase in number and intensity of storms since 1995 is hardly unprecedented, says William Gray, a leading hurricane expert based at Colorado State University. He points out that two major hurricanes hit the Gulf Coast only six weeks apart in 1915, mimicking the doubly whammy of Katrina and Rita.

Don't tell that to a global warming activist, they are usually the ones that actively support the academic elitists that are constantly seeking to revise history, to support their leftist views (most of which came from the Soviet Union, as well).

• If global warming were to blame for recent storms, there should have been more typhoons in the Pacific and Indian oceans since 1995, Gray says. Instead, there has been a slight decrease — at the same time China and India have increased their industrial output and emissions of greenhouse gases.

Touche. I wonder how the left will spin this one.

• The impact of hurricanes might seem more severe because of the intensity of news coverage and because more people are living in hurricane alley. That means more property damage and more loss of life.

Another direct hit. Not only does this particular point make sense on the basis of its merits alone, the MSM has made it a practice to blow everything out of proportion, when it suits them and their agenda. Equally disturbing is the fact that they also minimize or ignore altogether other things that disprove, their left leaning views.

I usually am quite critical of the editorial staff of the USA Today. But in this instance, I commend them.

Bill Richardson: Lee Mistreated

Click on the title for the complete AP story about New Mexico Governor and former Energy Secretary under president Clinton Bill Richardson's comments, about the treatment former Los Alamos scientist Wen Ho Lee received during the time he was being held in custody, on charges of mishandling nuclear information.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) -- A former Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist who was held in solitary confinement for nine months was "badly treated," Gov. Bill Richardson acknowledges in his new autobiography.

Richardson was former President Clinton's energy secretary when Wen Ho Lee was indicted in 1999 on 59 counts alleging he mishandled nuclear information.

Lee was released in September 2000 after pleading guilty to a single felony count and received an apology from the judge who released him.

"As for Lee, he committed a crime, but he also was badly treated," Richardson wrote in "Between Worlds: The Making of an American Life," due out Nov. 3.

I know. You leftists don't even have to say a word.

It's Bush's fault.

Never mind that Clinton was President, it was still Bush's fault. If only George Bush would have run in 1996 and beaten Clinton, he could prevented it. But since he didn't, it's Bush's fault. If George hadn't been on his ranch in Texas planning the WTC attack, the Iraq War, and Hurricane Katrina, he could have stopped it dead in its tracks. Yes sir, it's all on the him, he is to blame.

Hamas Claims Gaza Militants To Stop Attacks

Click on the title for the complete Reuters article.

GAZA (Reuters) - Hamas gunmen in Gaza will stop attacking Israel and abide by a de facto truce, the most senior leader of the Islamic group said on Sunday after Israel resumed its policy of targeted killings of militants.

"The movement declares an end to its operations from the Gaza Strip against the Israeli occupation, which came ... in response to the assaults by the enemy," Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar told reporters in Gaza.

What do you want to bet that a shipment of explosives is running late, and they are buying a little time?

Don't you just hate it when distributors can't meet their commitments for supply deliveries?

Commander In Chief: New TV Show Starring Geena Davis

Click on the title for the complete USA Today article about the new TV series, Commander In Chief, starring Geena Davis as a female president.

"In my mind I'm pretending that Geena Davis is actually running the country because it makes me feel a lot more secure," said Less Than Perfect's Sara Rue, summing up the opinions of the mostly Democratic Hollywood crowd. "We all thought of Hillary Clinton when we heard they were making this show. I hope it takes off!"

But Davis - a Democrat playing an independent - clarified, "We're making this as entertainment. But God willing, if this show stays on and people see a woman in that office for a while, I think it will help people become more used to it. It's certainly about time that we had a few female presidents."

Notice how they are presenting this observation as an afterthought. Anyone that has an iota of intelligence can surmise that it takes a while to develop a TV show. So you know they have been planning this for a long time. There were people in a conference room, all of which have offices, desks, and pens, tossing around ideas along the with advantages and disadvantages, of such a show. One of the advantages they must have seen is the effect that this show could have, on the next presidential election.

Present a moderate independent female president in a positive and entertaining light, so as to subliminally plant the idea that a female president wouldn't be all that bad, and you have the makings of a potential hit. But that's not the issue, because there are a lot of women that I believe could do the job well (but are probably too smart to even want the job).

The issue is, it just so happens that everyone (to especially include the Hollywood elite) knows that Hillary is the one woman that is most likely to run and have a legitimate shot at winning the Democratic nomination in 2008. So they creep in subtly, just under the radar, hoping there are enough people with poor analytical skills that will buy the premise.

The "I like Geena in that TV show, so I will vote for Hillary" mentality will begin to surface soon. And couple that with her recent mysterious move towards the center, and you have the makings of another ploy of the Hollywood left to seize power, of the White House.

Remember, the Clintons have a lot of friends in Hollywood. A lot.

Sunday Message

This bit of prose and poetry comes from Ian Anderson, lead singer of Jethro Tull. I was always inspired by this song entitled, "Wind Up".

When I was young and they packed me off to school and taught me how not to play the game, I didn't mind if they groomed me for success, or if they said that I was a fool.

So I left there in the morning with their God tucked underneath my arm --their half-assed smiles and the book of rules. So I asked this God a question and by way of firm reply,

He said -- I'm not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays.

So to my old headmaster (and to anyone who cares): before I'm through I'd like to say my prayers --I don't believe you: you had the whole damn thing all wrong --He's not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays.

Well you can excomunicate me on my way to Sunday school and have all the bishops harmonize these lines --how do you dare tell me that I'm my Father's son when that was just an accident of Birth.

I'd rather look around me -- compose a better song`cos that's the honest measure of my worth. In your pomp and all your glory you're a poorer man than me, as you lick the boots of death born out of fear.

I don't believe you: you had the whole damn thing all wrong --He's not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays.

Ian is right. He is not the kind you have to wind up on Sunday. He is there everyday of the week and he has no denomination.

The Wide Awakes

I would like to take the time to announce that I have been invited to become a member of The Wide Awakes, a team of similar-minded bloggers that (first and foremost) put national defense and security, as the highest priority issue in this great nation. I have humbly accepted and look forward to being an integral part of a fine group of Americans that love the United States of America, and are willing to defend its honor in their writings.

(Actually, I was invited and accepted the offer about three weeks ago, but being the computer technology idiot I am, I just now figured how to post the logo and the member blogroll to my template.)

So, you will notice at the bottom of the regular PYY blogroll, the complete list of members of this organization under the logo. I highly recommend to my regular readers, visiting these sites and the TWA site, often. The administrators of these sites are talented writers and intelligent thinkers. They have much to offer and will not disappoint.

Responses To "Germany Still A Divided Nation"

Note - To everyone that responded with comments on the earlier post, "Germany Still A Divided Nation", I want to say thank you. All of you made some very good points, some of which I would like share in the main forum. This is mainly because they were so on target that they damn well bear repeating and deserve some further consideration.

From Mustang at Social Sense:

Speak with any West German and you get a sense of anger and frustration, not only about the lost jobs and depressed wages experienced when East Germany was reunified, but also about the socialist attitude ingrained in many east Germans. Gone was the work ethic that resulted in West Germany’s rise to an economic superpower.

Mustang is right. One in five Germans wish the wall was back up. With the best intentions, the West has spent fifteen years and over a trillion dollars to rebuild this nation, but a whole generation of socialist indoctrination has left the East with some lousy work attitudes. Lousy work attitudes lead to lousy work ethics, all of which lead to lousy production. They have become content to consume, with as little production as possible.

Europeans from Russia to Italy, from Belgium to Croatia will tell you that they prefer a nation where you can live comfortably and not have any individual civic responsibility. This attitude baffles me.

It baffles me too, but I will go out on a limb here and say, maybe, many are content to be serfs tied to the land of a manor, but in this day and age they just do not want to work for it. The early socialist revolutions were the peasant uprisings that threatened the manor and the feudalistic way of life. They wanted the spoils without having the authority over them.

When capitalism and mercantilism flourished, the same restless and lazy spirit existed in a certain sector of the population. They resented those that worked and were able to acquire things. They resented those that were willing to take risks to get what they wanted. And subsequently through Marxist revolutions, they set out to take those very things, from those that rightly owned them.

Even as late as the early 1900s workers seized factories from their owners. Why? Because they felt they were entitled to something for nothing. They soon realized that it takes a talented business mind to to run a business (and not a mob of restless and lazy workers), when the factories closed.

Europe (generally) is a socialist mess because those Europeans who valued hard work, had a strong work ethic, a spirit of individuality, a sense of greatness, who desired to realize their dreams no matter how vaulted they might have been, and those who refused to knuckle under to governmental domination, all migrated to the Americas. They became Americans. They tamed the west, they fought in two world wars and saved Europe from despots. They invented new technologies, made trips into outer space, saved lives through medical innovation, and developed post-industrial economies. These people made America a clear "winner."

This is a very good point. The very core of the fabric of Europe has traditionally been persecuted (for various reasons) and driven out of Europe, over the years. Whether it was for religious reasons or for economic ones, these people are the ones that have poured their minds, hearts, and souls into this country, after they were free to be whatever they wanted to be.

From G at In The Middle Of America:

The only reason Russia did anything of note under socialism is because they held a gun to the workers heads.

The Soviets were most productive when Stalin was in power. Threats and intimidation were the incentives to produce, instead of the usual rewards of hard work. That's because Stalin was in fact not a socialist leader of the mold that Marx and Lenin had dreamed. He was a despot in the mold of some of the worst monarchs, Europe had ever seen. The only noticeable difference was the crown.

From Jason at Liberty And Culture:

Character, for an individual, and culture, for a people, change very slowly. This is something Aristotle emphasized in his Ethics. Character isn’t the result of assenting to a syllogism. It is cultivated over an extended period with practice and thought.The East Germans still haven’t gotten it down. Self-reliance,independent thought, individual initiative – one must dedicate oneself to creating such a character.

This is similar to kids that live off of their parents for years after they reach adulthood. They do not possess the character necessary to achieve and obtain by themselves, because their parents never let them develop into independence and self-reliance. They bail them out of every mess, financial and otherwise.

As a result, they never learn to fare for themselves. And the clincher is, some parents do it because they are co-dependent. They want their kids dependent on them, because they want to feel needed and wanted. The sad thing is, when the parents die, the kids are lost and have no clue.

Government does the same thing, for the same reasons.

From Gindy at Gindy.Blogspot.Com:

And it has been proven time and again. One thing I always ask is name the country where socialism has worked? Yet there is always a segment of society that wants to embrace it. It will be a long time before Germany becomes less divided on the issue.

As G said in his comment earlier, it works when there is a gun to their heads. Otherwise, it has been proven time and time again that it doesn't. And Gindy is right, it will take years to pluck these erroneous thought patterns out and replace them with what is right.

From Shah at Global American Discourse :

NATO and EU expansion is critically important to the global security. Also, Eastern Europe has a great potential, as a market and a source of labor. The problem mentioned in this article is beyond Germany but whole Europe.

Shah, you are right when you say that Eastern Europe has a great potential. But unfortunately, potential does not always get the job done. But for years, this system consistently demonstrated to its citizens that if you work harder than the next guy, you will not be rewarded any more.

So, in essence, if you work that much harder to get the same thing as your lazy neighbor, you are stupid. You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink. And you cannot sell the ideals of how much better a free market and hard work is than socialism, until you are blue in the face. The result is always the same.

Blankley: It's Time To Name The Enemy

Click on the title for the complete article by Tony Blankley at the Huffington Post. Arianna is a bit of a leftist hack these days, but to her credit she does allow posts from both sides of the spectrum on her blog. And Mr Blankley is one, from conservative side. Tony Blankley once served as press secretary to then Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich. He also occasionally appears on several TV news shows such as, CNN’s Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer, as well as CNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews.

When President Bush declared war on terrorism, he did not, legally, put the country on a war footing.

Up until now, we have never accurately named the enemy or the danger. If the government can't speak the real name and nature of the enemy, it becomes impossible to explain, or even design, a policy for victory.

He makes a valid point in this short article. The War On Terror, as nomenclature goes, is a very broad term. To target all terror groups in the world, is not necessary at this particular point in time, and certainly not feasible.

This is why Mr. Bush -- who has tried to talk around the problem of radical Islam -- has seemed (to his critics) foolish or deceitful, neither of which he is.

What we need is a clear congressional declaration of war, as prescribed by the Constitution. Congress should declare war on the Islamist jihadists.

Although many so-called scholars and experts (I have another name for them) have called the Palestinian-Israeli conflict a regional one, it has become a rallying cry for worldwide Islamic jihad. So, to name and target those groups that actually are a threat to the U.S. and the rest of the world, one must include Hamas, Hezbollah, et al.

Anyway, read the article. He makes some good points in a short piece.

Foreign Islamic Militants May Join Thailand Insurgency

Click on the title for the complete AP article.

JAKARTA, Indonesia - A veteran leader of Thailand's insurgency has issued a warning: militants from Indonesia and Arab nations might join the fight for a separate homeland if the Thai government continues a crackdown that's provoking a new generation of Muslim fighters.

In his first interview with a news organization, Lukman B. Lima told The Associated Press that violence could spread from Thailand's southern provinces to the capital unless the government accepts an offer to negotiate an end to the conflict.

Although he suggested peace talks, Lukman lashed out at the government of Thaksin Shinawatra, likening the prime minister to Stalin and Hitler.

"If the government opts to kill and kill without reason, perhaps fighters from Indonesia and Arab countries will help us because, according to Islam, real Muslims cannot just stand by when their brother Muslims are being slain," he said.

The 21-month-old insurgency — in which more than 1,000 Muslims and Buddhists have been killed — is getting moral and financial support from abroad, especially from Islamic sympathizers in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, according to Lukman. But weapons have been obtained locally and wielded by Thai Muslims, he said.

I would wager a bet that if the truth be known, there is a trail of money back to Iran, as well.

"I assure you that many among the young generation are being trained to use the weapons to defend themselves. We train them in the mountains, jungles and sometimes in villages but only inside Thailand," Lukman said.

So, does anyone still think that Islamic Jihad is not a threat to world peace? Does anyone still deny that Islam in its pure and extreme form is imperialistic by nature?

Mark this down. If Europe continues to allow the immigration of Muslims at its current rate, there will come a day, when the jihadists will bring foreign fighters to fight the French, British, Germans, and the other countries that do not cede territory to Muslims, when they are empowered enough to demand it. Whether to join the EU or not, will not be an issue.

This is one very good reason that letting Turkey join the EU, is a bad idea. A very bad idea.

Germany Still A Divided Nation

Note-With all of the Katrina coverage and what is about to become 24 hour coverage of Rita, this story is slipping in under the radar. It may not mean much to Americans, right now. But the correlations I hope to make in this post, should demonstrate why it should mean something.

Click on the link or the title for a post at David's Mediankritik that highlights the divisions that still exist in Germany, as evidenced by the political demographics of Sunday's parliamentary elections. The post includes a map similar to the red state/blue state maps seen after U.S elections, as well as, a map representing a national breakdown of the unemployment fears, by region.

What we see is a political philosophy broken down by region, in the mold of what was once East and West Germany, during Cold War. Both regions had years of re-education after WWII and modeled their systems after those that rebuilt them.

The West built a vibrant economy that was once the envy of Western Europe. They took many of the principles already engrained into the German economic community and built upon them, encouraged by the U.S, Britain, and others in the NATO community. In the East, the Soviets deconstructed everything possible (both the good and the bad) to create a socialist state that would have the masses as completely dependent on the state, as possible.

Both sides have had a whole generation to teach, learn, and adopt (as their own) the attitudes that are still prevalent in each region, today. Old habits and ways die hard. The majority of European economies that are struggling right now are those from the former Warsaw Pact nations, yet many of the people in these countries are convinced that going back to the old way of doing business, is preferable to the model that was created by the former West Germany.

In other words, the East is dragging down the West. The reason? Socialism facilitates laziness. The areas that were once ruled by socialists are still suffering from a lack of initiative and a poor work ethic. Look at the map of the unemployment fears, if you are skeptical.

This problem should come as no surprise, as it has been recognized and written about in the past.

The Wall came down in 1990 and as early as 1993 experts like Peter Neckermann, the then vice president and chief economist for Nationwide Insurance Companies, wrote about some of the woes of re-unification in an analysis piece entitled, Germany's Reunification Woes.

On October 3, 1990, East and West Germany celebrated unification. The celebration was rather subdued, perhaps in anticipation of the difficulties that lay ahead--difficulties that have proved far worse than anyone could have imagined.

It's been 12 years since that piece was penned. How did it progress from there? In 1999, CNN ran a story entitled, Germans now divided by 'the wall in the head'.

Berlin (CNN) -- Physical remnants of the Berlin Wall are hard to find --- it has been mostly dismantled during the past decade. But the mentalities that created the wall and kept it up for nearly three decades have been slower to change.

Today, the elections of Sunday have taught us that things aren't progressing, as expected. Six years have past since this article was published and one cannot refute that there has been no real measurable progress to date, and that there may not be any real measurable progress anytime soon.

Why do we care?

Mustang at Social Sense has posted a piece entitled, The Socialist Road. In it, he illustrates why we should care and why we should not be surprised at the responses we see and what many people expect out of government. What we see in the aftermath of Katrina is not much different than what the former East Germany expected for years, and what they would still expect today, if for some reason a calamity like this were to befall them.

Look, the West took out extensive loans to rebuild the East. The West was convinced that the East should not be required to bear any real responsibility or incur any cost of the rebuilding process. So in essence, they got more handouts in place of the opportunity to contribute and have a stake in the process. So is it any wonder that East Germans are still dependent?

In the case of Katrina the federal government is giving handouts to displaced people and plans to spend about $200 billion on rebuilding the gulf coast. Most of the people affected that will receive money will use it wisely and will be back, working hard and will return as strong as ever. But a sizeable portion will, no doubt, take the handouts offered and be in the same shape they were before the hurricane. Just like the shape the East Germans were in before reunification, and like they are today, fifteen years after.

This is why I say, socialism fails people. It always has and it always will. You can dress it up however you want, the facts speak for themselves.

Sheehan Claims Injury After NYC Rally Shut Down

Click on the title for the complete AP article.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan said Tuesday she was hurt slightly in a scuffle that erupted when police broke up a rally as she was at the microphone.

An organizer was arrested and charged with using a loudspeaker without a permit.

"I was speaking and someone grabbed my backpack and pulled me back pretty roughly," Sheehan said, describing the scene at Manhattan's Union Square on Monday. "I was shoved around."

The report earlier this morning stated that the rally was shut down, and an organizer had been charged with not having the proper permit. Now, they have changed the story to this. Does anyone smell an embarassment and damage control tactic to whitewash it? Does anyone else smell a distinct manipulation for the specific purpose of attracting sympathy for pathetic and failing misinformation campaign that has now become known as, the Cindy Tour?

I am sure that if this was truly the case, some leftist would have released a tape of the whole thing, by now. And the MSM would have been all over this.

So here is my challenge to the leftists:

Let's see the tape.

Rita Strengthens To Category 2

Click on the title to read the complete AP article.

KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) -- Rita strengthened rapidly on Tuesday to a Category 2 hurricane as it lashed the Florida Keys with flooding rain and strong wind and sparked fears the storm could eventually bring new misery to the Gulf Coast.

Rita went from a tropical storm with top sustained wind of 70 mph early Tuesday to a hurricane with 100 mph wind by early afternoon as it passed just south of the Keys, the National Hurricane Center said.

Question For All Gulf Coast Residents:

Q. What have we learned?

A. Be prepared to get the hell out, and get out, if necessary.

There is no substitute for life. There is no material possession that is worth the risk of it. So as you contemplate your personal plan, think about that. Things can be replaced or rebuilt. Lives, when lost, are gone forever.

If you don't have a plan yet, now would be a good time to get one. There can be no excuses, no one can say they didn't know.

UPDATE 9-20-05 4:40PM
Rita Expected To Strengthen To Category 4

Burger King Dessert Recalled After Muslim Man Offended

Click on the title for the complete Scotsman article. Hat tip on this one goes to Gindy. The site was slow but you can read it here, if you cannot access it easily.

You know, I am beginning to become offended by this kind of garbage. I think I deserve some compensation. But do you think the ACLU would give a rat's derriere about my complaint?

Dutch Threat Substantial: Dutch Government

Click on the title for the complete AP story.

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - The Dutch government introduced a U.S.-style terrorism threat indicator Friday which says there is a "substantial" chance of a terrorist attack in the Netherlands.

The question is what will they do about it? It's one thing to announce it.

The position of Terrorism Combat Coordinator was created last year following the 2004 Madrid train bombing and the discovery of several radical Muslim networks in the Netherlands.

It's one thing to create a position and fill it. But what will the TCC do about it? Talk is cheap. Eye wash is superficial.

Murdoch: Blair Calls BBC Coverage Of America, "Full Of Hate Of America"

Click on the title for the complete AFP article.

This article contains no new revelations in it, it has been openly apparent for a long time that most of Europe's coverage towards America, is biased and full of anti-American sentiment. But when it becomes the topic of conversation in a panel discussion hosted by former President Clinton, it makes news.

NEW YORK (AFP) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair has complained privately to media tycoon Rupert Murdoch that the BBC's coverage of Hurricane Katrina carried an anti-American bias, Murdoch said at a conference here.

Murdoch, chairman of the media conglomerate News Corporation, recounted a conversation with the British leader at a panel discussion late Friday hosted by former president Bill Clinton.

Tony Blair -- perhaps I shouldn't repeat this conversation -- told me yesterday that he was in Delhi last week. And he turned on the BBC world service to see what was happening in New Orleans," Murdoch was quoted as saying in a transcript posted on the Clinton Global Initiative website.

The same thing was going on here, too. But as is usually the case, the Europeans tend to present most things that cast America in a bad light, in a much harsher tone.

"And he said it was just full of hate of America and gloating about our troubles. And that was his government. Well, his government-owned thing," he said of the publicly owned broadcaster.

Murdoch went on to say that anti-American bias was prevalent throughout Europe.

"I think we've got to do a better job at answering it. And there's a big job to do. But you're not going to ever turn it around totally," said Murdoch, one of three media magnates who spoke at Clinton's "Global Initiative" forum on peace and development.

As unfair as it is, as slanted, biased, and inaccurate as it can be, it is the price we pay to have a free press. It is up to free-thinking individuals to educate themselves enough, that they can objectively analyze the news and cut through the bias. Old media sources are declining as a result of this, now. As more people get informed from a wide variety of sources, they that think for themselves will reject the sources that display this kind of approach in news reporting. This is the only way that the press will ever be held accountable.

Newspaper circulations are down all over the country, here in America. The rise in FOX News has displaced CNN as the top cable news channel. And, the trend will continue if the editors don't heed the signs and discontinue this practice. In short, the media must police themselves or the consumers will do it for them, by choosing to buy elsewhere.

The former US president, who held his conference to coincide with the United Nations summit in New York, agreed that the BBC's coverage was lacking.

While the BBC's reports on the hurricane were factually accurate, its presentation was "stacked up" to criticize President George W Bush's handling of the disaster, Clinton said.

"There is nothing factually inaccurate. But ... it was designed to be almost exclusively a hit on the federal response, without showing what anybody at any level was doing that was also miraculous, going on simultaneously in a positive way," Clinton said.

Well liberals, there you have it. It must be true because Clinton said it, right?

The point he makes is that coverage was incomplete. It showed the mistakes, without showing the successes. What was told was not inaccurate, just not complete. Withholding truth, when it pertinent to the larger scheme of things is just as bad as outright lying, at least in this instance.

Bias can come in all forms and shapes. Telling just one side of the story is one form that the MSM (in both America and Europe) uses to steer public opinion. And since they hate Bush, guess which gets the attention on an average day?

One example is this past week's issue of US News and World Report. I get it delivered at home, and on it, is a rather large caption that reads, "Who Screwed Up" with a picture of the President standing with a group of men at a site visit, pointing at at something off camera. Those of us that have studied applied psychology in college can plainly see the attempt of the editors to portray the President as a finger-pointer, in the entire affair. It is very subtle, but yet very effective, on the untrained mind.

A better cover would have included Mayor Nagin, Gov. Blanco, and Sen. Landrieu doing the same thing. Because they have collectively (and individually) pointed their fingers, too.

Murdoch is right, Europe is not likely to change anytime too soon. But when sales and ratings start to decrease, the bean-counters that have little to do with the editings and writings of their subordinates, will need to put more pressure on those that create. It's happened in this country, and Murdoch was there to facilitate it by starting FOX News. Their ratings are up, while the MSM news outlets are down. That says a lot..

Jeb Bush's Son Arrested

Click on the title for the complete AP story.

AUSTIN, Texas - The youngest son of Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was arrested early Friday and charged with public intoxication and resisting arrest, law enforcement officials said.

Many good parents that have had bright and creative children make dumbass choices, sometimes. This has been a reality for many, many good families and those that live in the public eye are no different than anyone else. But because he is a Bush and many people hate him for that reason (and that reason alone), this thing will be blown up in the MSM, as some kind evidence that they (as a family) are full of moral flaws.

What the kid did was wrong, period. But what will be the deciding factor in how I view the whole situation, will be how he reacts to it. Does he learn from it, does he get his act together? Or does he learn nothing at all and settle into a pattern of this kind, of behavior?

Many good people have done some stupid things before. Some are the stars of their professions, today. To cast this kid out for a mistake of this magnitude in the formative years of his adult life, is foolish. But get ready, the left will have a heyday with it, anyway.

A Hostile Response To PYY Post Examined

On 9-2-05, this author published a piece entitled, It's Bush's Fault. It was a plug to read Danielle Crittenden's recent post on the Huffington Post and (as is usually the case) it included a little commentary, from me.

It seems that a commenter, who calls himself Gene took exception to it. Here is what he wrote. Now let's break this down a little, shall we?

If you think Danielle Crittenden is "sensible" you need to get whatever it is sloshing around in your skull examined.

What is sloshing around in my brain is 47 years worth of experience, full of worldly experiences, and knowledge accumulated from reading hundreds of books and thousands of articles ( I will match my library with his, anyday). And, not all material was written by conservatives.

I have lived in opposite sides of the earth and have been to 30+ states (living in nine of them), I have seen things that many people will only see, as a picture in a book. I didn't just visit Europe, I lived there. Also, I have worked in local, state, and federal levels of government and have a pretty good understanding of how it ought to work, which often is a stark contrast of how it does work. By the time I was 22, I was responsible for millions of dollars in equipment and 11 personnel that operated it.

She's a talentless hack, the least-funny "humorist" I've ever read, and her attempts to defend her conservative views are feeble. Based on her most recent column about putting Martha Stewart in charge of cleaning up after Karina, she's also an utterly loathesome human being. And a coward, too--they pulled the comments option on that post because people who lost loved ones and their homes to the floods were ripping her head off.

Now we are getting to the meat of the hostility, it really wasn't about me, now was it? Has she hit a nerve with this person before? Has she deflated a weak and feeble argument of his, in the past? Did she spurn his advances? Who knows?

But one thing is certain, the hostility displayed is not healthy. Maybe he should get in touch with his true inner feelings and explore why his bitterness leads him to any random blog that may share some of the same views as his arch-nemesis, Danielle Crittenden (and then attack me for it). I think the psychological term here is, displaced anger.

So you're a conservative. Congratulations, and good luck with that.

Actually, I am more of a moderate than most people that read this blog. If he had read some of my previous postings, he would know that. He picks one post that happens to contain something on a person that is the object of his disdain, and presumes to know me or what I believe in?

He could have at least had the good sense to go back and read the following:

What Is A Centrist?

Here, I describe the different kinds of centrists and describe how I arrive at the conclusions that I do.


Some Thoughts On Some Complex Issues

Here I speak of two issues (in addition to Terry Schiavo), abortion and the death penalty. I also take positions on both that many that read this blog on a regular basis, would consider liberal.


Was An Innocent Man Executed?

More death penalty.


The Truth About Hillary: My Perspective

Here, I actually defend Hillary (kind of).


Televangelist Robertson Calls For Assassination Of Chavez

Here I condemn Pat Robertson.

But if you're going to waste your breath defending the likes of Danielle Crittenden you're in for it.

I wasn't aware I was defending anyone. I thought this was a post that was merely calling attention, to hers. My only crime from your standpoint, was liking what she had written and wanting to share it with my readers. But more importantly, just what the hell am I in for, anyway?

You won't catch me defending Deepak Chopra or Jane Fonda--I know nonsense when I see it.

Sure. (Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge) He has already demonstrated the same nasty temperament. What makes us think that he doesn't assign validity to what they say. If I had the time (or the inclination), I bet I could find him on leftist blogs, singing the wonderful praises of role models like Barbara Boxer, Joe Biden, Ted Kennedy, Howard Dean, et al. But just so we are all clear, I really don't care who he defends or likes.

But let's just see what Gene's blog looks like. Mean Gene

Here is what it says under his title banner:

Pittsburgh's most decorated poker blogger, which I admit is like being the best shortstop in Greenland

So there we have it. Gene is a poker expert. And by his own admission, it doesn't mean much. So with all of this in mind, can anyone help me understand how that makes him so much more open minded, than me or my readers? How does that make him any more of an expert on anything in the world, besides poker?

I can't tell you for sure, but here is what I can say with some sense of confidence. He found my site by searching for Ms. Crittenden and the search led him to mine. After seeing that I liked her post, he launched into his characteristically left-wing tirade. So, I guess we can say (for whatever reason) he is obssessed with her.

Some people are just lonely, I guess.

Information On Potential 2008 Presidential Candidates

This can be found at The Templar Pundit on the sidebar of the site. In it, you will notice each candidate has a profile, with some background information and personal commentary from the author.

You will also notice the name of one, Joseph Biden. This explains precisely why he is badgering Judge Roberts, so hard. He is posturing himself to seek the Democratic nomination and wants to be cast in the mean-spirited and antagonistic, Howard Dean mold. And, if that is his strategy early on, he'll get the same results as Dean.

Check it out.

EU Rota Is Gone

I have de-linked EU Rota because it is no longer an active blog, as per the announcement left on the blog. It appears that he has moved into a new job that will compete for his time. That, or his wife threatened him with divorce, if he continued to blog.

But whatever, I wish him well.

Announcement II - The Sequel

Scratch that.

Word verification is now in effect.

Sorry, folks.

Announcement

I have decided to get rid of anonymous comments at least for a while. I apologize to any anonymous posters that have posted comments here in the past. But I am just sick and tired of the spam under anonymous postings. I know I can do the word verification option, but that only punishes those that are regulars here. So for now, I have decided to go this route.

Thank you for reading Political Yen/Yang.

Mainstream Media Bias Remains Evident With AP Story

Click on the title for an AP story about a statement made by the President at a news conference, earlier today. The news editors at the AP (like many others) have regularly demonstrated that they are, truly biased and have an agenda. This is expecially true in this piece on the blame game, in the Katrina disaster.

Note the headline:

Bush Takes Responsibility for Blunders

Taken at face value, one would assume that George Bush has taken full and complete responsibility for all deficiencies, uncovered in the aftermath of the worst storm to hit the U.S. mainland, in modern history. That is precisely what they want you to believe and they want you to believe it, because they have nothing better to do except cram their "hate Bush" agenda, down our collective throats. And, they did not disappoint.

But if we read further, we read what the President actually said (emphasis is mine):

"Katrina exposed serious problems in our response capability at ALL LEVELS of government," Bush said at a joint White House news conference with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.

"And to the extent that the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT didn't fully do ITS job right, I take responsibility. I want to know what went right and what went wrong," said Bush.

As you can plainly see, the headline is one more example of MSM bias, as evidenced by the misleading wording. But then, the readers of this blog already know that.

More From "The Witch Queen Of New Orleans"

Maybe you have already seen this, but if you haven't this is definitely worth a look, that is, if you truly want to understand the left and why they are an angry bunch. This post deals with one of their role models.

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) was on Fox News Channel on Sunday. What transpired was not any resemblance to an interview but was consistent with a filibuster and one of the rudest display of manners, I can remember. But that wasn't all. Not only was her answers long and full of baseless and unfounded accusations, her demeanor and countenance was extremely bitter, defensive, and it was more than apparent that she carries one big chip, on her shoulder.

You can view her tirade/filibuster/interview at Political Teen, as well as access other links to other sites that have commented on this disgraceful display of unprofessionalism, as demonstrated by an extremely bitter human being.

Hat Tip on this: Gindy.

Some Morning Session Thoughts On Roberts Hearings

After watching the much of the morning session of the Senate hearings on the nomination of Judge Roberts for Chief Justice, I have noted that the Democrats have no time to hear his answers, to their lengthy and often misleading questions. Sen. Kennedy and Sen. Biden, both chose to ask long questions (for the specific purpose of getting their words in on the record) and repeatedly chose to interrupt the Judge, as he attempted to answer them. They love to hear the sounds of their voices, don't they?

Sen. Arlen Specter had to admonish both Biden and Kennedy multiple times during the morning session, to let the Judge finish his answer. In some instances, they barely allowed Judge Roberts a sentence or two, when the question itself, was enough for several paragraphs. (The purpose of the committee hearing is to ask questions and hear the answers. It is not for the nominee to sit and listen to the committee members lecture and orate, for hours on end about their agenda.)

But as we will soon see, the witch hunt is just starting. Democratic members frequently moved in and out of the room, withdrawing to their individual war rooms. These war rooms are located real close to the hearings, for the specific purpose of gathering information and holding discussions. And, they are used to gather more negative information (than positive) and develop new strategies as responses to their own failures, in tripping the judge up. But that will not be easy.

From what I have seen and heard (with my own eyes and ears), there was not a better choice that the President could have made. He has been attentive to the questioners, he has answered the questions that were appropriately asked, and he has impressed with his mental acuity. But the pressure is still on. As the hearings continue and the Dems become more frustrated (with not being able to cross Judge Roberts up and find the dirt they are looking for), look for their methods to increase in intensity.

Opening Day Quotes From Judge Roberts Confirmation Hearings

Click on the title for the complete transcripts from today's opening hearing on the confirmation of Judge Roberts, for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. They are located about halfway down the page.


Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT):

Federal judges aren't elected, they serve for life if they're confirmed. The people never have the opportunity for effective oversight of their work.

The judiciary is the most isolated branch of our government from public accountability, so this is the only opportunity to examine what kind of justice John Roberts will dispense if promoted to the Supreme Court, the direction he'd lead the federal judiciary.

This hearing is the only chance that we, the people, have to hear from and reflect on the suitability of the nominee to be a final arbiter of the meaning of the Constitution.

He's right. They are not elected. They are not accountable to anyone after they are confirmed and sworn in, unless they do something like knock off a convenience store. For that reason, I am not opposed to being questioned on things that are pertinent to his qualifications, but not anything that may come before the Court, in the form of a case.

Two hundred and eighty million Americans -- the president's made his choice. Now there's only 100 Americans standing in the shoes of all other Americans. And on behalf of the American people, it's the job of the 100 of us in the Senate to do all we can to make sure we get it right.

You bet there are, and the majority of them are behind him. So it would be in each senator's best interest to get it right, to stay within reason, and not to make an ass of himself/herself. But, who am I kidding?


Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY):

But before you can assume that responsibility, we senators, on behalf of the people, have to exercise our own responsibility. Fundamental to that responsibility is our obligation to ascertain your legal philosophy and judicial ideology.

Absolutely false. Nowhere does the U.S. Constitution state that it is the Senate's job to ascertain any nominee's ideology. Advice and consent of the Senate does not imply that the minority party can obstruct, just because they do not agree with a candidate's ideology.

To those who say ideology doesn't matter, they should take their quarrels to President Bush. I began to argue that a nominee's judicial ideology was crucial four years ago. Then, I was almost alone. Today, there is a growing and gathering consensus on the left and on the right that these questions are legitimate, important and awful crucial.

Take our quarrels to Bush? How laughable is this? It's not Bush's fault that the Dems have made such an issue of every little thing they could. They have nothing of any value to stall this process with any further, and it's killing them.

Bush bashing has really reached an all-time low for a lot of reasons and this kind of attitude and philosophy, is one of them. Get ready to see Schumer be the big schmuck of these hearings, like Boxer was at the Rice hearings.


Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN):

There isn't nearly enough civility in Washington today. And so when I was asked to uphold long-standing and bipartisan traditions to introduce someone from my state, I did not hesitate to accept.

He's got that right. Civility is a dying art-form in Washington, and the left has helped create a more angry, hateful, and bitter atmosphere, with their mean spiritedness. But what follows is very complimentary, genuine, and true. At least until he gets to this:

I look forward to a full and clarifying discussion of his views on these important topics and others because, for this nominee and for anyone who aspires to our nation's highest court, it is ultimately their beliefs, even more than their biography, which should determine the result of the confirmation process.

There's that irresistable urge to play partisan politics, albeit in a more subtle way. Here is that nasty ideology card, again. It will be interesting to see just how Sen. Bayh will vote in this committee and on the floor. He is a moderate and plans to run for President. Actually, if the truth be known, I feel he is the Democrats' best chance of regaining the White House, in 08. But with all of the bellicose leftists that will run, I seriously doubt he will get the nomination.

At any rate, get ready for the fireworks to begin.