Sunday, February 24, 2008

The more things change, the more things stay the same (Civil War Edition)

 
In 1909, William Shepard Walsh published a retrospective of political cartoons, comments and poems revolving around Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. In reading through it, I was struck by the similarities between that era's media, Democrats and purported Allies compared with today's war against the scourge of nuclear terrorism.

The New York Press concocts defeat from victory.

Mrs. North and her Attorney (Mrs. North represents the Copperhead Democrats who favored ending the war and allowing the South to form its own country, which would allow slavery to continue): Mrs. North - "You see, Mr. Lincoln, we have failed utterly in our course of action; I want peace and so, if you cannot effect an amicable arrangement, I must put the case into other hands."

Nay-saying "allies" as Brittania consoles Columbia: "Ah, my dear... it's all very well; but I'm afraid you'll find it difficult to join that neatly."

When the tide finally turns, the Federal Phoenix is depicted as rising from the ashes, though trampling on Habeas Corpus, the Constitution, and the free press.

All of this sounds eerily familiar, doesn't it?

The Left in this country never seems to catch on to their losing strategies. You'd think that 144 years of egregious errors would have taught them a lesson.

Obama's myth of the "suffering" middle class

 
The "war on the middle class" is provably an invention of the Democrats and the mainstream media. But I repeat myself.

Barack Obama, John Edwards and Hillary Clinton have all highlighted the "suffering" of the middle class... the "two Americas"... and that the average Joe is getting squeezed by the wealthy.

Reason TV has produced an exceptional series of videos that shatter conventional myth-making using (brace yourself, "progressives") facts. This quick summary of Living Large - the vanishing Middle Class should encourage you to watch the entire seven minute video.

The mainstream media has relentlessly marketed the idea that the middle class is getting shafted by the rich.

News programs, pundits and politicians claim that the middle class is, in fact, vanishing.

The concept that only a select few "rich people" have unlimited wealth and that everyone else is "poor" has been a constant of the Democratic presidential campaign: John Edwards' two Americas... Hillary Clinton's "Spread Prosperity"... and Barack Obama's "suffering" families.

Economist Michael Cox is author of Myths of Rich & Poor (Why we're better off than we think).

Cox says that looking at raw wages isn't an appropriate measure. First, it omits benefits. Second, how much things truly cost is the most important metric.

"Is the cost of everything going down? No. Is the case of the vast, vast array of things Americans purchase going down? Absolutely."

Money is the typical way we measure how much things cost. But Cox thinks we should use a more appropriate measure: time. "The best way to measure cost is work time: how long do I have to work in order to afford to buy something?"

Take the cost of a typical consumer product like a cell phone. In the eighties, the movie Wall Street depicted mobile phones as the rich person's toy. The original cell phones cost upward of $4,000... the average worker had to labor 460 hours to buy one!

Today, however, the typical $50 phone is less than three hours work.

460 then, three now. A huge decline in the costs associated with these products, which any middle-class person can now easily afford. There are many other products and services that have likewise dropped dramatically in price.

In terms of time, the cost of a car has dropped 70%.

Food is 84% cheaper.

Clothes are 87% cheaper.

Even housing is going down. We look at housing prices and assume that costs are going up. But houses are two-and-a-half times larger with fantastic amenities. Dishwashers, stoves, microwaves, central heat and air, fireplaces, etc. are common in the average home.

The cost of a cross-country flight has plummeted by 95%.

Such progress, yet so many middle-class Americans feel lousy.

For example: a CBS news poll marketed by the broadcaster that claims only 19% of Americans feel they are "getting ahead in life".

Gee, I wonder why? Maybe less Americans would feel that way if the mainstream media didn't promote the patently false message of doom and gloom.

The concept that the middle class always gets shafted by the rich is a constant theme in today's media.

People are always told it's more difficult to make ends meet.

"It's not the high cost of living... it's the cost of living high. That we insist on having everything; having so much more."

Too bad the reality-based perspective is never considered newsworthy.

"There is suffering out there; there has always been suffering; and we will always have suffering out there... but how does it compare to the past? Americans are richer today than at any time in history. We should really be thankful..."

* * *

Shhhh... no one tell the Democrats that many middle-class Americans have toys like motorcycles, boats, luxury SUVs, etc.... and that some are even obese.

Hat tip: Parkway Rest Stop

Pic o' the day

 
One of Yahoo's most frequently emailed photos.

San Francisco moonbat* takes rubber bullet to the head

 
Reuters has several photos of "Shanbo Heinemann, a pro-Palestinian activist from San Francisco, California" recovering after being shot in the head with a rubber bullet fired by Israeli troops. Violence erupted during a protest against Israel's security fence in the West Bank village of Bilin.

This may spur some ideas for the US Marines in Berkeley.

* Moonbat is the term they prefer. Hat tip: Shiplord Kirel

Useful idiots host convention at Tulane

 
In a recent court filing, federal prosecutors have again described the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a supporter of terrorism. So why would Tulane University offer a forum to senior CAIR representatives who simply wish to market the organization's propaganda?

Tulane's student newspaper provides some details into the insidious conclave of useful idiots.

The day-long event hosted a panel of experts, most notably Nadhira Al-Khalili, legal council for the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR)... Al-Khalili stated that the levels of Islamophobia have risen...

She advocated for the expediting of naturalization processes for non-violent muslims [sic], which she says should be "less-institutionalized". She also spoke out against the "democratizing" of foreign countries...

Another speaker... was Dr. Mahmoud Sarmini, who explained the concept of jihad and refuted many of its stereotypes. He drew comparisons of terrorism to moments in history including the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Irish Republican Army and Timothy McVeigh. He compared muslim [sic] suicide bombers to Baruch Goldstein, an America-born Israeli who perpetrated the 1994 Cave of the Patriarchs Massacre in which 29 people were killed when he opened fire into a crowd of Muslim worshippers with an assault rifle. [Ed: for those keeping score after 9/11, Islamic extremists attacks on innocent civilians - 10615, Christian and Jewish attacks on innocent civilians - 2]

..."We do not have a monopoly on the business of terrorism," Sarmini said. "Jihad is not terrorism and terrorism is not jihad... Do not believe all of what you see and only half of what you hear..."


Al-Khalili called upon people to learn more about Islam on a more personal level. "This is something we should do on a more day-to-day basis," Al-Khalili said.

Masquelier agrees but said it is more complicated. "It's a really complex issue but there is a way in which certain representations appeal to a certain public at a particular time," Masquelier said. "There has been a political analysis that the West and Islam are on a collision course. All of those fears we have of the Muslim world feed into our fears. Then 9/11 happened and that kind of solidified these fears." [Ed: an attack initiated in the pursuit of religious glory (i.e., Jihad) that killed 3,000 innocents would tend to do that]

Of course, anyone paying attention would recall that CAIR was named an inundicted co-conspirator in a Hamas terror-fundraising case last year. And that its leadership, for years, has been linked to the pursuit of an extremist agenda.

...FBI wiretaps revealed that CAIR's founder, Omar Ahmad, and executive director, Nihad Awad... attended a secret meeting in Philadelphia with Hamas leaders and other terrorist sympathizers... In fact, Ahmad himself was named an unindicted co-conspirator in the terror case, which counts a CAIR founding director among its criminal defendants.

But now, in a separate case involving a senior CAIR official who trained to kill American soldiers in jihad, prosecutors are tying CAIR even closer to terror. In court papers filed in December, federal prosecutors described CAIR as not just an apologist or sympathizer, but a supporter of terrorists.

"From its founding by Muslim Brotherhood leaders," the filing states, "CAIR conspired with other affiliates of the Muslim Brotherhood to support terrorists." The government also cited evidence "the conspirators used deception to conceal from the American public their connections to terrorists."

Perhaps someone could alert the useful idiots at Tulane that a more reasonable group to advocate for Muslims might be Muslims against Sharia and not the unindicted co-conspirators known as CAIR.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Headline from the year 2028

 
(BP) *FLASH* 02/23/2028: Ralph Nader launches presidential exploratory committee

Hilarious global warming pic o' the day

 

A Druze man is watched by his wife as he shovels snow from in front of his shop in the village of Sofar, east of the Lebanese capital Beirut (AFP)

Read the disclaimers before voting for Obama

 

Important Safety Information

Barack Hussein Obama is a Democratic candidate that combines two primary features, Socialism® (Marxism) and Liberalism® (progressivistic moonbattery). Barack Hussein Obama is used to treat Bush Derangement Syndrome, a disease that causes high blood pressure, dementia, anxiety, and intellectual constipation.

Barack Hussein Obama is not for everyone. It is not for those with common sense, entrepeneurs, legal immigrants, families, or those who fear a healthcare system that works as well as the DMV. If you vote for Barack Hussein Obama, tell your doctor if if you feel muscle pain, weakness, or a sudden onset of guilt. This could be a sign that you realize what you've done: i.e., doomed the American people to four years of Jimmy Carter with a better speaking voice. The most common side effects are hypnotic nodding, four-month waits for MRI's, and a lighter wallet. These side effects tend to dissipate after you either lose the will to live or if you die while awaiting medical treatment.

The information contained herein is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace discussions with someone who actually remembers what four years of a Democratic president means. All decisions regarding voting should be made with a trusted vote buyer or broker, such as ACORN, ANSWER or MorOn.Org.

This product information is intended only for legal and illegal residents of the United States, convicted felons, and deceased parties who are registered voters.

Barack Obama in his own words: Socialism 2.0™

 
Shaun Mullen at The "Moderate" Voice borrowed my graphics (without attribution, mind you) and claimed I equated Obama with Stalin. Actually, it's Obama's own rhetoric that any moderate listener could rightly interpret as the most extreme brand of Socalism ever seen in the United States.

Consider Obama's own words from the 2/21 debate:

Amnesty for illegal aliens: ...We have to require that undocumented workers... are provided a pathway to citizenship...

Fix illegal immigration by allowing unchecked legal immigration!: ...it is important that we fix the legal immigration system, because right now we’ve got a backlog that means years for people to apply legally... they’ve got to pay thousands of dollars in fees. They just can’t afford it. And it’s discriminatory against people who have good character, we should want in this country, but don’t have the money...

Fix illegal immigration by repairing Mexico's economy!: ...we have to improve our relationship with Mexico and work with the Mexican government so that their economy is producing jobs on that side of the border.

Spanish as the official second language for all Americans: [E]very student should be learning a second language, because… I want to make sure that children who are coming out of Spanish-speaking households had the opportunity to learn and are not falling behind.

America is in a shambles and everyone is suffering!: ...our economy is increasingly in shambles. [Families] across America are feeling the brunt of that failing economy... ...families [are] suffering in very real ways... I’m running for president to start doing something about that suffering...

Death to free trade; death to NAFTA! (the very free trade act signed into law by Democrat Bill Clinton and praised by Democrat Hillary Clinton): [I've] talked to workers who have seen their plants shipped overseas as a consequence of bad trade deals like NAFTA, literally seeing equipment unbolted from the floors of factories and shipped to China, resulting in devastating job losses and communities completely falling apart.

Cuba's dictatorship is Bush's fault!: I would meet [Cuba's dictator] without preconditions... And I think it is absolutely true that either of us would step back from some of the Bush unilateralism that’s caused so much damage. But I do think it is important precisely because the Bush administration has done so much damage to American foreign relations that the president take a more active role in diplomacy than might have been true 20 or 30 years ago.

Redistribute wealth via Socialism™!: You don’t need an economist or the Federal Reserve to tell the American people that the economy’s in trouble, because they’ve been experiencing it for years now... [people] have been struggling for decades now [Ed: Bush has been president for decades now].... what I’ve said is that we have to restore a sense of fairness and balance to our economy...

America's too dependent on foreign oil (but don't drill in ANWR!): We send $1 billion to foreign countries every day because of our addiction to foreign oil. And for us to move rapidly to cap greenhouse gases, generate billions of dollars that we can reinvest in solar and wind and biodiesel — that can put people back to work...

On his $400 million in earmarks: Now, keep in mind, a lot of these are worthy projects in our states. I have actively pursued projects that I think are important...

On socialized medicine for everyone (including illegal immigrants!): ...95 percent of [the Edwards, Clinton and Obama] plans are similar. We both want to set up a system in which any person is going to be able to get coverage that is as good as we have as members of Congress. And we are going to subsidize those who can’t afford it...

On the evil drug and insurance companies, whose products and services save millions of lives annually: [Hillary went about] it in the wrong way, because it wasn’t just the fact that the insurance companies, the drug companies were battling here, and no doubt they were... the American people have to be involved and educated about how this change is going to be brought about... [if] we’re going to bring universal health care to this country.

* * *

Summary: We may be wishing for the good old days of Jimmy Carter if Obama gets elected. The result of an Obama administration: higher taxes, more government intervention, more handouts, more illegal aliens, weaker national defense, more "global warming climate change" scams, more political correctness and more feel-good United Nations incompetence.

Also see: Don Surber's Americans never had it so good and the London Times' Obama: is America ready for this dangerous leftwinger?

Friday, February 22, 2008

New Iranian law: don't offend the "sacred" or you will die!

 
Mideast Youth reports:

The Iranian Parliament is considering legislation that would [criminalize] Baha’is [and] many others, even outside of Iran…[One law] would mandate the death penalty for anyone who converts from Islam to another religion


Public hangings in the enlightened country of Iran

The text uses the word Hadd, meaning that it explicitly sets death as a fixed punishment that cannot be changed, reduced or annulled… The law also extends to naming as apostate any follower of a religion other than Islam who had one parent who was a Muslim at the time of his or her conception...

Thus, for instance, the child of a Muslim and a Christian who chooses to adopt the Christian faith would be considered an apostate under the terms of the law and therefore subject to execution, says, Ms. Dugal, spokesperson for the Baha’i International Community at the UN.

Another troubling section of the proposed code would extend “security” laws outside the country... The code’s vagueness with respect to “offending the sacred”...

Enlightened!

The legend of Barack Obama

 
This looks pretty good, so long as it remains just a movie... and not reality.

Idea for image: Reliapundit

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Larwyn's links: the Jimmy Carter platform returns

 
Obama's Communist Mentor. Listening to Obama's victory speech last night was a little like a flashback to a Pravda editorial, circa 1978. I'd call Obama's vision the nanny state, but a nanny for every citizen is a lot less expensive. At Commentary Magazine, Abe Greenwald lists some of Obama's negatives: Plagiarism, broken promises, questionable advisors, an extreme liberal voting record, and classic socialist economic policies. Can you say "wealth redistribution"?

The Canadian High Commissioner of Thought Crimes who interrogated Ezra Levant has resigned. Perhaps there's an opening at the BMV; she certainly has the requisite intelligence and personality.

• Pamela went to a newsstand at the airport and had a difficult time determining who the media was rooting for.

What did Michelle Obama really say? The Dread Pundit Bluto reports it was doubly shameful.

• In Britain, big welfare cuts are on the way (if you're not British). Wait... a... second... that gives me an idea!

• No, he's not suffering from a brain-crippling fever. Gaius has good reason to quote Michael Medved. Hey! I'm serious here!

Dear Tim Townsend, attached please find glossary of blog terms

 
Dear Tim, I know the idea of new media is strange and frightening. I've therefore attached a detailed set of instructions for using blogs with helpful definitions of key terms.

1: Blog - this is the title of the blog

2: Blog post - this is an article posted by the "blogger"; click on the headline of the post to see additional detail

3 - this is the "Comments" section, where registered users can respond to blog posts

4 - this is the first comment among hundreds that may appear within an article's detail page

5 - just seeing if you're paying attention, Tim. There is no #5.

* * *

I didn't memorize Charles Johnson's conversation with Mr. Townsend ("Tim Townsend's Temper Tantrum"), but it went something like this.

Dear Tim,

In the future, I would appreciate it if you could contact me first if you're going to publicly cast aspersions on my website. I'd like an opportunity to at least present my side.

Thanks, Charles
Charles,

I know you are, but what am I?

Tim

If he is representative of the technical know-how possessed by legacy media, I'd recommend Mr. Townsend surf over to CareerBuilder to pursue a new line of work. Assuming he can use Google to find it, that is.

Back story:
• LGF: St. Louis Papers Shill for CAIR

• Gateway Pundit: St. Louis Post-Dispatch Spins for CAIR

• Cristi Li: Holy Land Foundation Retrial Date Scheduled

• Matthew Sheffield at Newbusters: Bashing LGF, St. Louis Paper Shills for Islamic Group

• LawHawk's Blowback

• St. Louis Today Forums: Islamic Prayer Tower Rises in South St. Louis City

The Enlightened Nation of Malaysia

 
Malaysia's The Star ("March 3 decision in apostasy trial"):

The Syariah High Court here set March 3 to decide the fate of Kamariah Ali, an ex-religious teacher and follower of defunct religious sect Sky Kingdom, who was charged with declaring herself an apostate.

Judge Muhammad Abdullah asked the accused to submit a declaration to the court that she has repented and not participated in any form of Sky Kingdom's or any other deviant teachings.

Kamariah, a graduate of Al-Azhar University was charged under Section 7 of the Syariah Criminal Offence Enactment (Takzir) Terengganu 2001 after she declared herself an apostate on July 21, 2005.

She could be fined RM5, 000 or jailed three years or both if convicted.

Her counsel Sa’diah Din in her mitigation asked the court to her consider client’s plea as she had not committed any other civil offences and she was a widow with four children.

Prosecuting officer Mustafar Hamzah asked the court to mete out a severe sentence as her case was of public interest and could affect the faith of other Muslims in Malaysia.

Some days you don't even need to add any snark.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

The Obamas: Proud to be ashamed of America

 
Michelle Obama reveals an unsettling insight into her husband's campaign.

What we've learned over this year is that hope is making a comeback. It is making a comeback, and let me tell you something, for the first time in my adult lifetime, I'm really proud of my country, and not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change. And I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction and just not feeling so alone in my frustration and disappointment. I've seen people who are hungry to be unified around some basic, common issues, and it's made me proud.

* When the United States rebuilt Asia and Africa after the 2004 Tsunami? The Obamas were ashamed of America.

* When the United States invested $5 billion to combat AIDS and Malaria while building Democratic institutions and promoting economic growth in Africa? The Obamas were ashamed of America.

* When the United States liberated 50 million tortured souls from the twin scourges of Saddam Hussein and the Taliban? The Obamas were ashamed of America.

The list goes on and on. And Michelle Malkin's retort resonated with me.

I believe it was Michael Kinsley who quipped that a gaffe is when a politician tells the truth. In this case, it’s what happens when a Democrat politician’s wife says what a significant portion of the party’s base really believes.

Update: Charlie Foxtrot has a related slogan suggestion for John McCain.