PYY Roundup

Here are just a few of the stories your PYY staff is watching today.

Cuba's Sad Anniversary -- 47 Years and Counting by Carlos Alberto Montaner, a columnist for the Miami Herald, has written a piece about Castro and yet another anniversary, of his takeover of Cuba. In it, he describes the reasons for Castro's continued grip on one of the last true communist countries, formed under and molded from the Stalinist model of statesmanship. He also gives a ray of hope for the third-world island nation, once Fidel dies.



The AP has an article about how French President Chirac has had a tough year and can expect a tough one ahead, too.

For the 73-year-old conservative leader, 2006 could hardly be worse than 2005. Last year, a suspected minor stroke, a referendum defeat, three weeks of riots in depressed suburbs, and jockeying to succeed him left Chirac looking marginalized and increasingly unlikely to seek a third term in 2007.

If I were Chirac, I think I'd resign now, for the good of the republique. He has been a dismal failure, even by French standards. One more year cannot erase the damage done, by the years of ineptness and corruption that has become a staple of his administration. It certainly would be in France's best interests to get a jump on repairing the damage, sooner rather than later.



Not surprisingly, the AFP (which will jump at any opportunity to embarrass the U.S.) is reporting that a U.S Border Patrol officer has shot and killed a Mexican citizen trying to enter the U.S. illegally.

CNN and the AP are others that chomp at the bit to exert criticism on this incident. And all I can ask is, how many were killed by the Minutemen?



Reuters is reporting that Congressman John Murtha has said that he would not join the military, today. Not only does his irresponsible comments damage recruiting efforts nationally, he puts himself in a class reserved for the likes of Cindy Sheehan (and others that don't think they get enough attention at home).



Front Page Mag is reporting what some of Germany's immigration officials are trying to do, to toughen up immigration laws, designed to prevent immigration of radical Islamist imams and other jihadists. If you think the U.S. is in danger due to its immigration policies, you won't want to miss this one. But first, one question, does Germany have an ACLU?



Michael Barone of US News and World Report draws stark contrasts between the Wal-Mart model of business and that of corporations of the GM model, over at Town Hall. It's just another bright, shining example of how unions have outlived a great deal of their usefulness in this country.

The negative bias of economic coverage can be seen in stories about the current No. 1 private sector employer in America, Wal-Mart, and the No. 1 private sector employer back in the 1970s, General Motors. The GM story is genuinely grim: The company is laying off thousands of workers and closing plants, and is threatened with bankruptcy. Stories about Wal-Mart tend to focus on allegedly low wages and healthcare benefits, and say less about the company's continual profitability and the low prices that benefit consumers. These companies are not entirely comparable -- they're in different businesses. But some of the differences between them illustrate why the American economy, which seemed to have run out of gas 25 years ago, is now doing so well.

But now, socialist union supporters are wanting to organize Wal-Mart workers, because they feel that the average Wal-Mart worker is getting a raw deal. Last I heard, stock options were being offered to Wal-Mart employees. Those that took the company up on them years ago, are now sitting pretty good. In contrast, those that bought GM stock at the same point in time, cannot say the same thing. You be the judge, on this one.