The Domino Theory was originally put forth by Eisenhower and claimed that all of Southeast Asia would fall if we did not help the French in putting down the Viet Minh. But as history has shown, it was wrong.
But today, it has a new meaning. The Bush Doctrine (on the spread of freedom throughout the world) has theorized that once freedom takes hold in Afganistan and Iraq, it will spread to other countries. And it seems to be working.
The countries that have held free elections, since Bush took office:
Afghanistan
Iraq
The Ukraine
The Palestinian Authority
Saudi Arabia- Local elections Only, No Women Voters.
The countries where democratic movements are forming and growing:
Iran
Kyrgyzstan
Bahrain
Egypt-Agreed To Have MultiParty Election For President.
Lebanon
Belarus
The world watched the pride of the Iraqi people as they faced danger just by casting their ballots. They watched them disregard the threats and voted. The world will be getting more restless for freedom, soon. The world longs for a chance at self-determination; so don't be surprised if you see other countries getting restless and demonstrating it, this summer.
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Blogroll Success - Mission Accomplished
Well, I did it. Yours truly, the computer idiot has successfully added a blogroll to this blog. I know it may seem elementary to some of you, but to me it is a remarkable feat, worthy of celebration with a Crown and Coke later.
Special thanks go to Dr. Stephen Taylor of PoliBlog.com for giving me the link and also to VARepublicMan of Flaming Duck, for walking me through it. I have already posted a comment about Dr. Taylor's blog, so let me take a minute to recommend Flaming Duck.
Flaming Duck gives excellent perspectives on a variety of local, national, and international topics. There is even a fudge recipe for those that have a sweet tooth. (Be sure you have a good supply of insulin to chase it with.) The views expressed are intelligent and will stimulate you to think.
Give it a read. You will be glad you did.
Special thanks go to Dr. Stephen Taylor of PoliBlog.com for giving me the link and also to VARepublicMan of Flaming Duck, for walking me through it. I have already posted a comment about Dr. Taylor's blog, so let me take a minute to recommend Flaming Duck.
Flaming Duck gives excellent perspectives on a variety of local, national, and international topics. There is even a fudge recipe for those that have a sweet tooth. (Be sure you have a good supply of insulin to chase it with.) The views expressed are intelligent and will stimulate you to think.
Give it a read. You will be glad you did.
A Break From Reality
With all of the hoopla surrounding Terri Schiavo, Michael Jackson, the Mideast, and other hot issues; I thought I would prognosticate a little on the Final Four. I am going to start a sports blog in the fall in time for football season, but for now I will use this forum.
The Final Four consists of Illinois, Louisville, North Carolina, and Michigan State. Two teams were expected to be in this round. The other two are mild cinderellas, yet all four have certainly earned the right to be playing, Saturday.
The first matchup Saturday pits the Illini against the Louisville Cardinals in a game that features a lot of athletic talent on both teams. Louisville was predicted by some to be in the Final Four last year, but they failed to live up to expectations. Not many mentioned them in the early stages of the season, yet, they have blossomed into a well coached and experienced team. They run, slash, and hit threes as good as anyone. What they give away in size, they make up with speed and defense.
Illinois is riding high after a nearly perfect season, thus far, and an outstanding comeback in the closing minutes of the game against Arizona, didn't hurt their self-esteem much either. The Illini now have momentum, talent, and renewed confidence on their side; and it all comes with a new coach that has been instrumental in getting this team to gel and stay focused, all season long. They are a deep, well balanced team with any of 3-4 players able to burn you, on any given night. They are outstanding on defense. Weber will be coaching against a coach that has a lot of experience playing in Final Fours, Rick Pitino. Look for an outstanding game.
The second game will match North Carolina against Michigan State. Roy Williams has revived a Tar Heel team that sunk to the depths of mediocrity, something that severely agitated people in Chapel Hill. Now that they are back under the guidance of the former Kansas coach, the team has lived up to its early season expectations. They are a solid basketball team.
The Final Four consists of Illinois, Louisville, North Carolina, and Michigan State. Two teams were expected to be in this round. The other two are mild cinderellas, yet all four have certainly earned the right to be playing, Saturday.
The first matchup Saturday pits the Illini against the Louisville Cardinals in a game that features a lot of athletic talent on both teams. Louisville was predicted by some to be in the Final Four last year, but they failed to live up to expectations. Not many mentioned them in the early stages of the season, yet, they have blossomed into a well coached and experienced team. They run, slash, and hit threes as good as anyone. What they give away in size, they make up with speed and defense.
Illinois is riding high after a nearly perfect season, thus far, and an outstanding comeback in the closing minutes of the game against Arizona, didn't hurt their self-esteem much either. The Illini now have momentum, talent, and renewed confidence on their side; and it all comes with a new coach that has been instrumental in getting this team to gel and stay focused, all season long. They are a deep, well balanced team with any of 3-4 players able to burn you, on any given night. They are outstanding on defense. Weber will be coaching against a coach that has a lot of experience playing in Final Fours, Rick Pitino. Look for an outstanding game.
The second game will match North Carolina against Michigan State. Roy Williams has revived a Tar Heel team that sunk to the depths of mediocrity, something that severely agitated people in Chapel Hill. Now that they are back under the guidance of the former Kansas coach, the team has lived up to its early season expectations. They are a solid basketball team.
Michigan State was not heralded as a possible championship contender early on. But as usual, Tom Izzo has them in true Tom Izzo form. They are clicking at the right time, even though they were much underrated and overshadowed by Illinois in the Big Ten. The Big Ten was not supposed to be as strong this year according to the NCAA B-Ball punditry elites. But after eliminating Duke, heads have turned and the MSU bandwagons are full. They have momentum, confidence, and talent.
All four teams play well as a team, play outstanding defense, and are well coached. All but three coaches are generally classified as three of the best in the game, with the exception seeming to be headed in that direction. Fans all know Rick Pitino, Roy Williams, and Tom Izzo, very well. But Bruce Weber is an up and comer. He came to the Illini from Southern Illinois University, after a stint as an assistant for Gene Keady at Purdue. He elevated SIU to a team that is expected to make the tournament after contending for (and winning) their conference, every year. Before him, they just hung out and played some games every season, then went home and waited for next year. He now has the Illini regenerated into a powerhouse team that has only lost one game all year.
Predicting a winner will not be easy. This tournament has been the most competitive of any I can remember, the games have been close, and in most cases could have gone either way. Any team that is left can win it all. But to attain glory and honor as a sports pundit, one must go out on a limb. One must demonstrate courage and predict, even at the risk of being dead wrong. Therefore, I predict:
Illinois over Louisville
MSU over NC
Both games will be close.
Monday, March 28, 2005
This Bears Watching
Click on the link above for an article about volunteer vigilantes patrolling the Mexican border. As I have said in the past, for every action there is a reaction. This article deals with a reaction that could have serious consequences.
This is an area where I feel, the Administration is currently dropping the ball. If we continue disregard the massive flow of illegals, it is going to bite us back hard, real soon.
Read this and see what you think.
This is an area where I feel, the Administration is currently dropping the ball. If we continue disregard the massive flow of illegals, it is going to bite us back hard, real soon.
Read this and see what you think.
Great Political Science Blog
Click on the title above for a link to a great political science based blog. It is the product of Dr. Steven Taylor, a political science professor. He covers a wide range of topics, is very informative, and is objective. If you are seeking a place that provides non-partisan commentary that makes you do the thinking, this is it.
Friday, March 25, 2005
Some Good Friday Reflections
Today marks one week since the feeding tube was removed. Activists for the reinsertion of the tube need to understand that by now, it would not be in Terri's best interests to reinsert it. By now, her renal functioning is most likely severely compromised to the point that normalization is not realistic. Electrolytes are severely imbalanced and the kidneys themselves are probably so severely damaged, she would need dialysis to have any chance to live. In addition, the cells in her tissues throughout her body have been depleted of water and have most likely suffered major damage, resulting in multiple system failure.
As I reflect on the events of this past week, I have watched this case divide the nation over one hot-button issue. I have previously posted my concerns about this case, so to rehash them now would be most redundant. But one irony still stands out and is worthy of rementioning; many people that have advocated the removal of the tube as humane and compassionate are some of the same people that are appalled at the death penalty for those convicted of heinous murders.
It is most difficult for me to understand how these people can say they believe that state sponsored death is wrong and yet be comfortable with the court ordered starvation of someone that was not convicted of anything. It is equally difficult to understand how those that are against the tube remaining out are some of the same people that are for the death penalty. In my mind, you either value life or you don't. Killing is wrong, no matter who we are killing. Executions are for the families of the victims and in most cases are nothing more than legal revenge killings. They do not benefit anyone, except the family. Society is already protected by the incarceration of the murderer and the execution does not bring any of the victims back. So saying that justice is served when someone is legally put to death, is not an accurate statement.
As Americans, it would be wise to examine reexamine our attitudes and value systems in this area. If we truly believe that we should be promoting a culture of life, we should ask ourselves why so many are taking hypocritical stances on this. Life is life. And if it is the Almighty's to give and take, why do so many of us contradict ourselves in these instances?
I am not Catholic and do not agree with much of the theological doctrines of the Vatican. But I give the Vatican hierarchy some credit, in that, they have remained consistent on the death penalty, abortion, and the Terri Schiavo case (they have been steadfast advocates for life in all of these issues).
But for now, we wait. We not only wait for Terri's imminent death, but we now must wait for the backlash and fallout. For every action, there is a reaction. And, behind every action and reaction are motives. Some are pure and some are not so pure.
In the period just prior to Mussolini's rise to power, socialism was beginning to rise in popularity in Italy. The forces that opposed socialism organized themselves well enough to gain power and implement what we now call fascism. Fascism was a reaction to socialism. And as it turned out, it became the driving force that plunged Europe and the world into another bloody war. The reaction was far worse than the original action, by far, in this case.
Today, I see the potential backlash in the Terri Schiavo case as cause for concern. We could see more liberals lose more power in the coming elections, giving the right more power and more free reign to implement their narrow agenda. As a centrist, this concerns me. I am for the balance of power. And although I lean just right of center most of the time, I am concerned when either party has no checks and balances. I become concerned because, no matter who is in power, power can and will be abused at some point in time, if there is no accountability.
It is my belief that the political pendulum will swing back hard in this instance. Perceiving that the leftist minority has sought to impose their narrow views on them, the right wing will strengthen and become more mobilized than ever before. More Democratic seats will be lost in Congress, in 2006. And it just might be that the Democrats will not regain the White House, for a long time. If there is no voice of reason that arises soon, if there is no one that can unite the nation under the banner of compromise and reason, the end result will be more extremism on both sides which will only result in less tolerance for those of us in the middle.
As I reflect on the events of this past week, I have watched this case divide the nation over one hot-button issue. I have previously posted my concerns about this case, so to rehash them now would be most redundant. But one irony still stands out and is worthy of rementioning; many people that have advocated the removal of the tube as humane and compassionate are some of the same people that are appalled at the death penalty for those convicted of heinous murders.
It is most difficult for me to understand how these people can say they believe that state sponsored death is wrong and yet be comfortable with the court ordered starvation of someone that was not convicted of anything. It is equally difficult to understand how those that are against the tube remaining out are some of the same people that are for the death penalty. In my mind, you either value life or you don't. Killing is wrong, no matter who we are killing. Executions are for the families of the victims and in most cases are nothing more than legal revenge killings. They do not benefit anyone, except the family. Society is already protected by the incarceration of the murderer and the execution does not bring any of the victims back. So saying that justice is served when someone is legally put to death, is not an accurate statement.
As Americans, it would be wise to examine reexamine our attitudes and value systems in this area. If we truly believe that we should be promoting a culture of life, we should ask ourselves why so many are taking hypocritical stances on this. Life is life. And if it is the Almighty's to give and take, why do so many of us contradict ourselves in these instances?
I am not Catholic and do not agree with much of the theological doctrines of the Vatican. But I give the Vatican hierarchy some credit, in that, they have remained consistent on the death penalty, abortion, and the Terri Schiavo case (they have been steadfast advocates for life in all of these issues).
But for now, we wait. We not only wait for Terri's imminent death, but we now must wait for the backlash and fallout. For every action, there is a reaction. And, behind every action and reaction are motives. Some are pure and some are not so pure.
In the period just prior to Mussolini's rise to power, socialism was beginning to rise in popularity in Italy. The forces that opposed socialism organized themselves well enough to gain power and implement what we now call fascism. Fascism was a reaction to socialism. And as it turned out, it became the driving force that plunged Europe and the world into another bloody war. The reaction was far worse than the original action, by far, in this case.
Today, I see the potential backlash in the Terri Schiavo case as cause for concern. We could see more liberals lose more power in the coming elections, giving the right more power and more free reign to implement their narrow agenda. As a centrist, this concerns me. I am for the balance of power. And although I lean just right of center most of the time, I am concerned when either party has no checks and balances. I become concerned because, no matter who is in power, power can and will be abused at some point in time, if there is no accountability.
It is my belief that the political pendulum will swing back hard in this instance. Perceiving that the leftist minority has sought to impose their narrow views on them, the right wing will strengthen and become more mobilized than ever before. More Democratic seats will be lost in Congress, in 2006. And it just might be that the Democrats will not regain the White House, for a long time. If there is no voice of reason that arises soon, if there is no one that can unite the nation under the banner of compromise and reason, the end result will be more extremism on both sides which will only result in less tolerance for those of us in the middle.
Saturday, March 19, 2005
The Execution Of Terri Schiavo Has Begun
As you go about your business on this otherwise typical March Saturday, know that Terri Schiavo is being killed in a state sanctioned murder. She was not convicted of a heinous murder. Her only crime is she has a medical condition. She breathes like you and I, but she cannot eat or drink like you and I do. Medical science being the wonderful thing that it is, has advanced itself to the point that we can now provide nourishment to a living breathing individual without her having to eat. Yet, the state of Florida has sided with one man's quest to deny her the nourishment that she is incapable of providing for herself.
Today is a dark day for humanity. Today is a day that I am ashamed to be an American. I sit and watch a handful of people control the destiny of a poor defenseless woman, that cannot speak for herself. I see a state that has refused to intervene in a cold and calculated plot to allow one of its voiceless citizens, to die a long and miserable death, all because we are taking the word of a husband that claims this is what his wife wants. There is no written living will, nothing that can be posted or entered into court record, just the testimony of one man. Yet somehow, the so-called wise, educated people the people of Florida have picked to uphold the law in their state, have sided with the one man and his word. A person in small claims court would have to produce a receipt to receive a judgement, but in Florida one man (despite the protests of a mother, father, siblings, and countless others) can legally tell the judge, this is what she wanted, and presto. It is so.
Now, I am a strong advocate of anyone that is of sound mind to determine their own fate. If Terri were verbal enough to say, "I want to die, please let me", then I would have no problem. If she had a living will or if she were on a respirator and could not breathe on her own, I would not object at all. But such is not the case here. She breathes, she smiles, and reacts to family members she loves dearly; she just can't feed herself or swallow well enough to be fed.
Where is the anti-death penalty crowd that protests at every state sanctioned murder, also known as an execution. Where are the anti-war demonstrators that decry the killing of innocents in a military conflict. How about the people that keep the Iraqi prisoner scandals in the forefront, where the hell are they? Where are the anti-world hunger people like Bono, on this fine Saturday?
The better questions are where is the U.S. Supreme Court and why do they refuse to hear this case?
Michael Schiavo's attorney has compared the U.S. Congess and the President to Stalin. Stalin, alone, was responsible for countless deaths during his reign of terror, but these people want to prevent a death not cause one. They are trying to promote a culture of life, not a a culture of death. In reality, it is Mr. Felos, Judge Greer, and Michael Schiavo that are worthy of comparisons to Stalin, not those that want Terri to live. The blood will be on their hands and all of those that have had any hand in this by refusing to intervene to save her life. The blood will be on their hands and the U.S. Supreme Court for doing nothing and allowing one man with questionable motives to decide the fate of another.
So again I say, this is a sad day. I never thought I would see the day, when the rights of a helpless individual were so blatantly ignored.
Today is a dark day for humanity. Today is a day that I am ashamed to be an American. I sit and watch a handful of people control the destiny of a poor defenseless woman, that cannot speak for herself. I see a state that has refused to intervene in a cold and calculated plot to allow one of its voiceless citizens, to die a long and miserable death, all because we are taking the word of a husband that claims this is what his wife wants. There is no written living will, nothing that can be posted or entered into court record, just the testimony of one man. Yet somehow, the so-called wise, educated people the people of Florida have picked to uphold the law in their state, have sided with the one man and his word. A person in small claims court would have to produce a receipt to receive a judgement, but in Florida one man (despite the protests of a mother, father, siblings, and countless others) can legally tell the judge, this is what she wanted, and presto. It is so.
Now, I am a strong advocate of anyone that is of sound mind to determine their own fate. If Terri were verbal enough to say, "I want to die, please let me", then I would have no problem. If she had a living will or if she were on a respirator and could not breathe on her own, I would not object at all. But such is not the case here. She breathes, she smiles, and reacts to family members she loves dearly; she just can't feed herself or swallow well enough to be fed.
Where is the anti-death penalty crowd that protests at every state sanctioned murder, also known as an execution. Where are the anti-war demonstrators that decry the killing of innocents in a military conflict. How about the people that keep the Iraqi prisoner scandals in the forefront, where the hell are they? Where are the anti-world hunger people like Bono, on this fine Saturday?
The better questions are where is the U.S. Supreme Court and why do they refuse to hear this case?
Michael Schiavo's attorney has compared the U.S. Congess and the President to Stalin. Stalin, alone, was responsible for countless deaths during his reign of terror, but these people want to prevent a death not cause one. They are trying to promote a culture of life, not a a culture of death. In reality, it is Mr. Felos, Judge Greer, and Michael Schiavo that are worthy of comparisons to Stalin, not those that want Terri to live. The blood will be on their hands and all of those that have had any hand in this by refusing to intervene to save her life. The blood will be on their hands and the U.S. Supreme Court for doing nothing and allowing one man with questionable motives to decide the fate of another.
So again I say, this is a sad day. I never thought I would see the day, when the rights of a helpless individual were so blatantly ignored.
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Quote Of The Week
I honestly don't know why I call this the Quote Of The Week. I certainly don't post one every week. Nevertheless, there are (at times) certain quotes that jump out at me, for some reason or another. Some I stumble onto, others I call to mind, but either way I hope to share some of them with you.
And seeing how this is primarily a political forum, I thought some of you would enjoy one of my all-time favorites:
Communism doesn't work because people like to own stuff. Frank Zappa
And seeing how this is primarily a political forum, I thought some of you would enjoy one of my all-time favorites:
Communism doesn't work because people like to own stuff. Frank Zappa
Overkill (A Pound Of Cure)
Do you get the sense that 19 officers present at today's hearing for Brian Nichols was more than enough? Do you think maybe that many were there, solely for the cameras?
Overkill, after the fact, is nothing more than a method of propaganda. The Fulton County Sheriff is clearly on the hot seat on this one. Sending 19 officers was a ridiculous display of force and an incredible waste of money and resources. (Five, for a shackled inmate, would have been more than sufficient.) I guess the Sheriff feels that overdoing it now will somehow atone for the fact that his department was grossly negligent. Maybe he feels in control now, something he wasn't on Friday.
Anyway, the lawsuits will soon be flying and soon the people of Atlanta will be footing the bill for the incompetence. If I were a citizen in Atlanta I would be upset. I would be upset that my world-class city and major tourist destination was turning into a place to avoid, because law enforcement has no basic critical thinking skills.
On second thought maybe I wouldn't be upset. Maybe I'd be furious enough to organize a recall effort on the Sheriff.
Overkill, after the fact, is nothing more than a method of propaganda. The Fulton County Sheriff is clearly on the hot seat on this one. Sending 19 officers was a ridiculous display of force and an incredible waste of money and resources. (Five, for a shackled inmate, would have been more than sufficient.) I guess the Sheriff feels that overdoing it now will somehow atone for the fact that his department was grossly negligent. Maybe he feels in control now, something he wasn't on Friday.
Anyway, the lawsuits will soon be flying and soon the people of Atlanta will be footing the bill for the incompetence. If I were a citizen in Atlanta I would be upset. I would be upset that my world-class city and major tourist destination was turning into a place to avoid, because law enforcement has no basic critical thinking skills.
On second thought maybe I wouldn't be upset. Maybe I'd be furious enough to organize a recall effort on the Sheriff.
Issues And Answers: China And Taiwan Part II
On February 19, I posted part one. Read it and then you will see that if this issue doesn't get attention soon, it will soon escalate into an Asian crisis that will surely affect the rest of the world. Right now, China is in the midst of an arms build-up that will make the Cold War pale in comparison. Their goal is the repatriation of Taiwan and they appear to be serious.
Since the annexation of Hong Kong, the Chinese government is realizing more revenue than ever, with much of it going towards the military. Their aim is to obtain Taiwan for the same purpose; they want more revenue for more military spending, with the long-term goal of matching the United States.
The world community needs to watch this. The balance of power tilted towards China would be the world's worst nightmare. Europe needs to watch this. But instead, they are lifting the arms embargo because Europe needs the business. The US needs to watch this. But as of yet, the Bush administration has yet to form a policy on China and Taiwan (other than the age-old generic ones used by earlier administrations).
The US, EU, UN, or someone needs to encourage a dialogue between Taiwan and China. Both parties need to see how far apart they really are, in order to know how far they must travel. China needs to drop the military threat as a bargaining chip and quit threatening to do so at every other turn. Taiwan needs to put the skids on the independence rhetoric, at least for now. And both need to put their stubborn egos on hold for a time, and speak. They need to stop acting like two brothers that have had a major falling out.
Where are the Europeans? Where are Chirac, Schroeder, and Putin? Where is the UN? Where is Kofi Annan? Where are the quintessential diplomats that have claim to have world peace as their ultimate goal? But sadly, I must also ask, where is the United States and the Bush administration?
I guess they will all show up, after the first round of missiles land on Taiwan. What do you want to bet, there will be an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss and debate possible wording for a resolution condemning China, if or when this happens?
Since the annexation of Hong Kong, the Chinese government is realizing more revenue than ever, with much of it going towards the military. Their aim is to obtain Taiwan for the same purpose; they want more revenue for more military spending, with the long-term goal of matching the United States.
The world community needs to watch this. The balance of power tilted towards China would be the world's worst nightmare. Europe needs to watch this. But instead, they are lifting the arms embargo because Europe needs the business. The US needs to watch this. But as of yet, the Bush administration has yet to form a policy on China and Taiwan (other than the age-old generic ones used by earlier administrations).
The US, EU, UN, or someone needs to encourage a dialogue between Taiwan and China. Both parties need to see how far apart they really are, in order to know how far they must travel. China needs to drop the military threat as a bargaining chip and quit threatening to do so at every other turn. Taiwan needs to put the skids on the independence rhetoric, at least for now. And both need to put their stubborn egos on hold for a time, and speak. They need to stop acting like two brothers that have had a major falling out.
Where are the Europeans? Where are Chirac, Schroeder, and Putin? Where is the UN? Where is Kofi Annan? Where are the quintessential diplomats that have claim to have world peace as their ultimate goal? But sadly, I must also ask, where is the United States and the Bush administration?
I guess they will all show up, after the first round of missiles land on Taiwan. What do you want to bet, there will be an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss and debate possible wording for a resolution condemning China, if or when this happens?
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