COLLECTIVE MADNESS
“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."
Oooh...that must have hurt.
ReplyDeleteThe chick flick version would be "Lust of the Mohicans".
ReplyDeleteWe need to see that stuff regularly because most of the visuals these days make everyone slaves in land of pharoah--or as dorthy saw them muchkins in the land of oz.
ReplyDeleteBobalharb: I wouldn't mind quite so much, if I had a a little control over where the money goes.
ReplyDeleteJust thank the gods you don't live over here a little to the west, where we just threw down $500,000 of taxpayer's money for a liver transplant (from a donor, not test-tube grown, which would only be $100,000) for a druggie convict in the slammer. Sucks to be the person on the waiting list who dies because we had to give the organ to a con.
Think I'll redo this:
ReplyDeleteLive free or die. What's so hard to understand about that?
That movie happens to be one of my favorites. I've probably seen it 5-6 times. It is also a great love story, which ought to make it a chick flick.
Fri Apr 06, 12:34:00 AM EDT
If you follow the demographic trends (always an iffy preposition, admittedly), Russia should have a population equal to Yemen's by 2050. Given Russia's ambition, their playing playing with a low off-suit hand.
ReplyDelete*they're playing...
ReplyDeletesorry, late.
Swift boating means to throw a bunch of spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks. This was attempted in the stories floating around a few weeks ago from the "Madrassa Veterans for Truth" about Barack Obama going to a Q'u'r'a'n school, with the implication that he was a secret muslim (actually he is active in his Christian church). Hillary is gonna face innuendoes from the "Unclosetted Lesbians for Truth" bunch pretty soon. Giuliani is gonna have something new and awful bubble up out of New York City. Romney is having trouble with his ridiculous statement that he is a lifetime NRA member, when he just bought his membership last fall and he's 60 years old. It's that time again...Presidential election less than two years away.
ReplyDeleteIt's ok for you to not think much of their game, Cutler!
ReplyDelete---
Britain's Humiliation, and Europes
Remember the great return to multilateralism -- the new emphasis on diplomacy and "working with the allies" -- so widely heralded at the beginning of the second Bush administration? To general acclaim, the cowboys had been banished and the grown-ups brought back to town.
What exactly has the new multilateralism brought us? North Korea tested a nuclear device. Iran has accelerated its march to developing the bomb. The pro-Western government in Beirut hangs by a thread. The Darfur genocide continues unabated.
The capture and release of the British hostages illustrate once again the fatuousness of the "international community" and its great institutions. You want your people back? Go to the European Union and get stiffed. Go to the Security Council and get a statement that refuses even to "deplore" this act of piracy. (You settle for a humiliating expression of "grave concern.") Then turn to the despised Americans. They'll deal some cards and bail you out.
letters@charleskrauthammer.com
Romney also went hunting with cousins when he was 15, so he's
ReplyDelete"hunted most all of his life."
Similar to:
"I've always been a Yankees Fan"
The Haditha Scapegoating Affair
ReplyDeleteLt. Col. Chessani
HH: Now Lt. Col. Chessani was the leader of the 3-1, right?
BR: He was. He was commanding officer of 3-1, and he’s charged with dereliction of duty, and for not investigating the scene properly, and not reporting it properly. And that carries a three year time in the brig, and a dishonorable discharge. And we’re trying to fight against that.
HH: How many years has the Lt. Col. been in the Marine Corps?
BR: He’s been in for 19 years. He served in the Panamanian invasion, he was in the first Persian Gulf war, and this was his third tour in Iraq. And ironically, I served with him in the second battle of Fallujah for the First Marine regiment. And when I knew him, he was an unflappable officer, and that hasn’t changed my opinion of him.
HH: Now you know, as we have talked about in the past, I’ve got the arm patch here of J.P. Blecksmith, who was killed in the second battle of Fallujah on 11/11/04, and so you’re a combat veteran, you served with this Lt. Col. What do Americans need to know about him before we get to the specifics of his case, Brian?
BR: He’s just a committed Marine. He’s a no-nonsense officer, he’s committed his life to the Marine Corps, and that’s why he can’t afford these high-priced civilian attorneys. And he home schools his children, he’s a good man. And he’s trusted the Marine Corps, and unfortunately, sometimes, when politicians and reporters and a whole whirlpool of political pressure gets put upon these commanding generals, they have to, they feel like they have to do something. And one of the things they do is send it to an Article 32 hearing, which is the beginning for a general court martial.
And Col. Chessani reported up the facts as they occurred that day as he knew them. And everybody says this is much ado about nothing.
HH: Now many men are in the 3-1?
BR: He had a charge of a thousand men, and then an additional thousand Iraqis…
- - - -
And then, John Murtha turned off the power to the studio, ending the interview. But don’t fear, Brian Rooney and Hugh will return on the April 6th edition of the Hugh Hewitt Show to finish what they started.
Wuterich's Account
ReplyDeleteJust say you only lusted "part of your life."
ReplyDeleteThe officer also showed how the insurgents used allegations of wrongdoing by Marines as propaganda to support their cause.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, another witness, who was the assistant intelligence officer during the attack and is now the current intelligence officer for the battalion, testified that since the Haditha incident received so much negative attention, terrorist propaganda alleging law of war violations against American servicemen in Iraq has “ballooned.”
Richard Thompson, the President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center, expressed concern about this trend,
“The government’s politicized quest to find wrongdoing in this case will ultimately harm the war effort, and it has already resulted in an incredible expenditure of time, money, and scarce resources, which could be better used fighting the terrorists.”
Another officer who personally witnessed the scene of the attack shortly after the fighting and assisted with removing the civilian bodies from the insurgent-occupied homes, confirmed that there was no evidence of “executions” and that he saw no evidence of misconduct.
This officer was given immunity by the government, so the only way he can get in trouble is if he testifies untruthfully.”
raymondshaw, good one.
ReplyDelete