This is a war of civilizations. There is no room for negotiation. Islamofascism needs to be completely and utterly destroyed, both in the death of its adherents, and in the humiliation of a political theory that asserts it has a moral superiority that justifies being in complete control of the entire world.
Clayton Cramer
May 11, 2006
United 93
[Yes. What he said.–Joe]
The National Security Agency has been secretly collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth, people with direct knowledge of the arrangement told USA TODAY.
The NSA program reaches into homes and businesses across the nation by amassing information about the calls of ordinary Americans — most of whom aren’t suspected of any crime. This program does not involve the NSA listening to or recording conversations. But the spy agency is using the data to analyze calling patterns in an effort to detect terrorist activity, sources said in separate interviews.
Here’s the story they don’t tell you. Using the simple data of who called who and the times of the calls some very interesting conclusions can be made. Out of billions of calls individual groups as small as ten people can be identified and their organizational structure mapped. For example they can determine who the leader is and who will take his or her place if they were removed. This was several years ago so I imagine the results are better now. The same sort of information can be derived from email traffic as well.
I’m not sure how I stand on this. My inclination is that if the companies who own the data are compelled to turn it over without probable cause then I’m against it. But if it is optional and they get paid to share the information then I’m annoyed but don’t have a strong objection.
Other opinions include Michelle Malkin and Alphecca.
History proves that when government holds both the sword and the purse, as Britain’s government does, it makes law serve its interests, not those of individual members of society. By following the links of cause and effect, we thereby see that Brady, whether its actions are intentional or not, favors the rights of the criminal over those of the law-abiding.
Howard Nemerov
May 11, 2006
Gun Control: Do Brady Policies Support Criminal Behavior?
[Based partly on the policies of Britain that now lets many crimes such as burglary, arson, vandalism, and sex with underage girls be “punished” with a “caution” which does not result in a court appearance, a fine, community service or jail time.–Joe]
He just can’t make it much more clear:
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has previously said Israel should be wiped off the map, also told a cheering crowd of students in Indonesia’s capital that the Jewish state “cannot continue and one day will vanish.”
Students in the crowd held up posters saying “Iran in our Hearts,” and “Nuclear for Peace.”
Israel will vanish? As in a ball of fire? Ahhhh yes…that would be a peaceful use of nuclear power.
If I were in charge of the world my inclination would be to jam all the communication coming out of Iran and all the satellites looking in (except ours which would feed directly to Israel without us getting a glimpse), and not let anything larger than a cockroach exit. Then tell Israel they had a year and to please be careful of the wind direction if they happened to be creating any excess dust while they were cleaning house in preparation for the next inhabitants.
Michael Howard is “Home Secretary” of the U.K., sort of a national chief of police. In his words, “Gun ownership is a privilege, not a right, and the use of firearms in self-defense is not acceptable for civilians in this country” (presumably it is okay for a soldier). So much for The Land of Hope and Glory! Die if you must but do not shoot back.
Jeff Cooper
From Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries
Vol. 4, No. 13
November 1996
[Brought to mind by reading this. A woman in England gets five years in jail for a non-functional, blank-firing gun stored in her home by her boyfriend. Guns and their owners are treated like Jews in Nazi Germany. This woman was guilty of hiding a Jew.–Joe]
They don’t even try to hide it. They just come right out and say it, Children need to be protected:
Constitutional issues aside, consider youths: In Seattle, firearms are the leading cause of death among 15- to 24-year-olds. In King County, an estimated 32,000 children live in homes with unlocked firearms; about 7,000 of them live in homes with loaded firearms and about 2,000 in homes where guns are stored loaded and unlocked. Does this make sense? Don’t children deserve to live in a community where guns are safely stored, their purchase closely regulated and weapons clearly intended for maximum damage banned?
As one commenter said, “The phrase in this article that I find the most chilling ‘Constitutional issues aside…'”. Constitutional issues are just dismissed by invoking “youths”. And ignoring the fact that more children have been killed because of gun control (start by counting the number of kids killed by the Nazis) rather than in spite of it. In the comments I asked them my usual, Just One Question. No response yet. I don’t expect one either. It’s not about logic or safety. It’s “for the children.”
Ain’t freedom beautiful?
Michael Burrows
April 30, 2006
At Boomershoot after launching an anvil 100 feet into the air.
From Scripps Howard News Service:
The test scheduled for June 2 will be of a 700-ton conventional bomb. The research could aid in development of so-called bunker-buster weapons, including small-scale nuclear devices, according to the federal official overseeing the test, Doug Bruder, director of counter-weapons of mass destruction technology for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.
As near as I can tell the maximum takeoff weight any 747 is about 910,000 pounds which is only 455 tons and that includes the weight of the plane and fuel. A semi truck is much smaller. The only remaining thing I can think of is a train and that is rather problematic for a number of reasons.
So this “demonstration”, as some are calling it, of a 700-ton bomb ammonium nitrate (Boomershoot uses AN as the main ingredient) and fuel oil bomb will be more “interesting” than just a big pile of AN detonating. And although there may be some fuel oil in it my guess is there will be aluminum powder as well as other stuff much more interesting that just fuel oil. This guy is openly calling it a tactical nuke instead of a conventional bomb. Tactical nuke? Sure, that makes sense. You can deliver those with artillery shells as well as cruise missiles and conventional air dropped bombs.
Iran is virtually begging for someone to attack. The Israelis claim Iran is only about a year away from having their own nuclear bomb. Others claim more time is needed, but regardless the Mideast is a very interesting place these days. Regardless, for us to claim there is too much sand and not enough glass in Iran before we take another hit will be a tough situation politically. But for us to wait might mean the near total destruction of Israel. And if we take a nuclear hit on north American soil my bet is that our retaliation will not be so “surgical” as dropping a few tactical nukes as we would prior to taking a hit. My guess is we would turn not only massive portions of Iran into glass but Medina and few other areas as well. Mecca would probably have a few bombers in permanent “orbit” around it for several years–just daring any Muslim extremist to set off a pipe bomb in some pizza joint on our turf.
Interesting times ahead…
Update: If you follow the links in Ry’s comments (and here) you will find the people I based my post on were totally clueless. Which means I was totally clueless when I made the post. Idiots. And they made me look like an idiot.
The first nationalization of the 21st century…. After today the hydrocarbons will belong to all Bolivians. Never again will they be in the hands of transnational corporations. Today the country – la patria – stands up…. This is a patriotic and heroic decision that takes back our soul and dignity. But it will be a measure attacked by dinosaurs, conservatives, and traitors of the country.
Álvaro García Linera
Vice-President of Bolivia
May 1, 2006
Nationalization of Gas!
From ZNet–A community of people committed to social change
[Yet another attempt of an experiment that has repeatedly failed. It’s a sad day for the people of Bolivia as this resource and source of income heads toward it’s ruin.–Joe]
For some shooters, the event is all about marksmanship. Others say they’re driven by politics – how the combination of guns and explosives is the ultimate expression of their constitutional rights as well as a gentle show of force for anybody watching in the federal government.
James Hagengruber
May 1, 2006
Spokesman Review: Boom with a view
We care more for our liberties than to meekly hand over to the federal government the potential to ennumerate, track, identify and eventually control.
It’s not going to promote national security. It’s not going to help us prevent illegal immigration. It’s just going to help the government keep tabs on ordinary citizens.
Neal Kurk
State Representative, New Hampshire
April 25, 2006
N.H. leads a rebellion against driver’s license regulations
It may be there is more to it than what appears in the paper. And of course the kid is living and going to school in the repressive Peoples Republic of Massachusetts. What from what I see in the paper, except for the recreational drugs (which should be legal but I would ban them in my house) if it were my kid I would be asking the police, “And your point is?” Instead they are charging him with possession of bomb-making materials.
STOUGHTON — Alexander J. Wilson, 17, who was charged with having bomb-making materials after an incident in March was ordered held on $100,000 surety or $10,000 cash bail Monday in Stoughton District Court.
…
When police stopped Wilson’s car March 29 in the O’Donnell Middle School parking lot next to the high school grounds, authorities reported finding gunpowder and a pellet gun.
Also found were model “rocket engines, igniters for those, wires and miscellaneous other stuff that could be used to make bombs,” said acting Police Chief Christopher Ciampa.
Most of the materials were in the trunk of the suspect’s car, and some were under the front seat, the chief said.
Police also recovered a small amount of marijuana and marijuana residue in a pipe, Ciampa said.
The problem is that it’s a rare house that doesn’t contain materials appropriate for making a bomb. People shouldn’t be charged with possession of things that might be used in a illegal fashion. Only if there is clear intent to do harm to someone else or someone else’s property should they be harassed by the police–which is the way it is in Idaho with explosives.
Further nasty news from the nasty United Nations Organization:
One Eric Kibuka, who delights in the title of “Director of the United Nations African Institute for the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders,” has gone on record to the effect that “The international community (sic) has decided that firearms regulation is at the core of democracy and good government.” The connection between firearms regulation and democracy is about as obvious as the connection between traffic regulation and quail hunting, but that is not likely to trouble a U.N. official. As we have all noticed, the cry of the modern left seems to be “To hell with the facts. It’s the gut reaction that matters.”
Jeff Cooper
From Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries
Vol. 6, No. 1
January 1998
It seems to me that the anti-gun crowd are all mentally ill hostages, who are under siege from criminals and who suffer from a variation of Stockholm Syndrome in their pathetic desire to protect the honour of this violent standing army known as the police, simply because they are their only means of survival from something worse.
On the other hand the pro-gun crowd are a healthy bunch who see reality as it is: killer cops deserve jail time, not sympathy. Gun owners have control over their guns and do not need to live in fear of an inanimate firearm. This results in firearm owners adopting a more balanced perspective.
Emilio Halepopoulos
Sandton, Gauteng
April 19, 2006
Letter to the editor titled Gun owners show way to true freedom in SA
Ry merely calls it Reading list. I was busy when I first read his post and didn’t follow the links. Yesterday he talked to me about some of the content. Mostly about “category errors”. Interesting stuff and there are some valuable lessons in studying that concept. But that is a topic for a different time.
More importantly Dan Simmons uses a science fiction short story as a vehicle to get some points across about WW III. I had long thought the politicians had been calling it “The War on Terror” simply as a euphemism for the war against the Muslim extremists. But perhaps that’s not true. If, in fact, they and the vast majority don’t understand the true nature of who are enemies are and why they are at war against us then lots of people have some reading to do. Simmons gives us a starting point. It’s required reading. Just like Osama bin Laden’s letter to America.
I come from a place and time where your grandchildren and hundreds of millions of other dhimmi are compelled to write ‘pbuh’ after the Prophet’s name. They wear gold crosses and gold Stars of David sewn onto their clothing. The Nazis didn’t invent the wearing of the Star of David . . . the marking and setting apart of the Jews in society. Muslims did that centuries ago in they lands they conquered, European and otherwise. They will refine it and update it, not toward the more merciful, in the lands they occupy through the decades ahead of you.
Dan Simmons
Speaking through a character he calls “The Time Traveler”
April 2006
[The link above may break soon. I expect you will find it’s replacement here.–Joe]
I can understand someone having this sort of dream. But after waking up you would think they would recognize the difference between reality and a dream. This guy apparently doesn’t and then in some sort of embarrassing public confession he tells everyone of his delusion. And the worst part? He’s the mayor of Toronto. The men in white coats should just quietly take him away and the people of Toronto could just pretend he never represented them. Here are the details of his delusions. The overview follows:
I see a yellowing front page of the Toronto Star shouting “Gun violence ends!” There are no guns on the street any more because a Toronto-led coalition of mayors from both sides of the 49th parallel stood strong against the American government on gun control.
So persuasive were Toronto’s arguments that the U.S. finally enacted common-sense gun control and repealed legislation that prevented lawsuits from being launched against firearms manufacturers.
…
This helps explain why gangs aren’t a problem any more. No one’s drawn to the gangster life because of all the services the city can provide to all of its residents. There are childcare spaces for all parents who need them so they can work and make the money needed to nurture their children. And parks and recreation programs are available free for every child in every city neighbourhood.
Training and jobs have been made available through partnerships established among City Hall, the Toronto Board of Trade and organized labour. Youth from neighbourhoods that were once Toronto’s poorest get proper training and gain the self-respect needed to move forward in life. They become carpenters. And bankers. Even journalists. Whatever they aspire to be.
No one in Toronto lives in isolation. Or on the street. Not the young. And certainly not their elders. Homelessness is a thing of the past. Because of the compassion and commitment of Torontonians, all orders of government came together as partners to provide affordable housing to anyone who needs it. There’s an incredible array of services for seniors who want to remain engaged in the communities where they live and share their wisdom with other generations.
It’s the kind of wisdom that has led Toronto to be recognized as a world leader in promoting peace and harmony. The city will forever be a microcosm of the world’s people living together with respect and not a hint of intolerance. Our Canadian Council for Christians, Jews and Muslims is cited around the globe as an example of how to build bridges among people of different faiths. Every man woman and child can walk down every street in this city and know they are recognized as Torontonians regardless of race, colour or religion.
…
Our subway stations are astonishing. As many people enjoy the exhibits at the TTC’s Museum station as visit the ROM. They come for an enlightening look at the exhibits before moving on to their chosen destinations. There’s a network of streetcars crossing this city on reserved rights-of-way. The Finch Hydro Corridor is now a conduit for light rail transit. People can get from eastern Scarborough to western Etobicoke quickly and at reasonable cost. Every neighbourhood has access to rapid transit, and every able-bodied Torontonian is within a five-minute walk of a bus stop and is one bus journey away from the subway or a light rail connection. For the disabled, every bus, streetcar and subway stop is accessible.
I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. Nearly all anti-gun people have mental problems. Mix those problems with the obvious failings of socialism and the all the conditions decribed in When Prophecy Fails and you end up with what you see above–increased proselyting of a failed belief system.
Like it or not, the Zionist regime is heading toward annihilation. The Zionist regime is a rotten, dried tree that will be eliminated by one storm.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Iranian President
April 14, 2006
As quoted in the April 16, 2006 Scotland on Sunday
[With Iran enriching Uranium as fast as it can it’s not hard to imagine what kind of storm he has in mind.–Joe]
Zacarias Moussaoui has no regret and no remorse. I have no doubts. He should be executed and his extremist culture must be destroyed. Read his own words and decide for yourself.
From the AP (via South of Boston):
He mocked a Navy officer who wept as she described the death of two subordinates in the attack on the Pentagon.
“I think it was disgusting for a military person” to cry, Moussaoui said of Lt. Nancy McKeown. “She is military. She should expect people at war with her to want to kill her.”
Asked if he was happy to hear her sobbing, he said, “Make my day.”
He noted many relatives of victims wept on the witness stand, then walked past him in the courtroom and looked his way without crying. “I find it disgusting that people come here to share their grief over the death of some other person,” he said.
“I’m glad there was pain, and I wish there will be more pain,” Moussaoui said. “The children in Palestine and in Chechnya will have pain. I want you to share their pain.”
So, Spencer asked: “You have no regret, no remorse?”
“No regret, no remorse,” Moussaoui responded.
…
In a lengthy explanation of why he hates Americans, Moussaoui said Islam requires Muslims to be the world’s superpower as he flipped through a copy of the Quran searching for verses to support his assertion. He said one verse requires Muslims “to fight against all who believe not in Allah.”
“We have an obligation to be the superpower. You have to be subdued,” Moussaoui said. “America is a superpower and you want to eradicate Islam.”
From Bangkok Post:
Zacarias Moussaoui said he wished the September 11 attacks had happened many more times over and expressed his willingness to kill Americans “any time, anywhere”, in testimony at his own death sentencing trial Thursday.
“I wish it had happened not only on the 11th, but the 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th,” Moussaoui said of the attacks on New York and Washington on September 11, 2001, according to television news broadcaster CNN.
From ABC News:
Asked if he wanted to see 9/11 happen again, Moussaoui said he wished it would happen “everyday.” Chuckling to himself, Moussaoui testified to prosecutors that Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh is “the greatest American.”
From BBC News:
“Suicide bombing would be a high calling?” prosecutor Robert Spencer asked him. “You would do it again tomorrow?”
“Today,” Moussaoui responded unhesitatingly.
…
But he launched into a diatribe that put a quick halt to the tittering, beginning with a citation from the Koran which he said meant Islam had to become a superpower in place of America, and drifting into an answer about “the Jewish state of Palestine” that ended with a threat to “exterminate” American Jews.
He said he felt no regret when he saw 11 September victims testifying in the court, enunciating every syllable of his reply: “None what-so-ever.
“We did it for this. We want to inflict pain on your country.”
From The Independent:
We wanted you to have pain in your country,” he said during two-and-a-half hours of testimony. I just wish it would have happened on September 12, September 13, September 14 … there’s no remorse for justice.”
The French-Moroccan, a confessed member of al-Qa’ida, claimed to have enjoyed images shown in court this week of the Pentagon after it was attacked and said that reports of the deaths “make my day”.
It will make my day when I see the video of his remains being excreted from the ass of a pig.
Good news on the National ID boondogle called “Real ID”. New Hampshire is considering just saying no:
Last year, Congress passed the Real ID Act in an effort to curb terrorism.
That means by May 2008 all states must issue drivers licenses and ids that meet tougher federal standards laid out by the Department of Homeland Security.
Information on a ‘Real ID’ would include a person’s full name, date of birth, home address, physical features and arguably the most controversial aspect, some sort of bar or chip that can be read or scanned, much like a credit card.
All of that personal information would be stored on a database to be shared nationwide.
Republican Representative Neal Kurk ushered the measure to bar the state from adopting Real ID through the House last month.
He told the Senate Committee the new federal plan won’t enhance national security at all.
:55 … Remember the 9/11 terrorirsts were in this country legally and had legally obtained documents. The real id system will enhance government control and citizens will suffer. Perhaps that is why the Real ID Act is opposed by the Naitonal Governor’s Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures, the National Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the conservative Cato Institute and the liberal ACLU.
Indeed, traditional political opponents find themselves on the same side of this issue.
Whether Republican, Libertarian or Democrat much of the criticism centered on privacy.
Some, like Jennifer Coffey with the gun rights group 2nd Amendment Sisters, worry about identity theft.
12:46 it creates a beautiful database that is easy to get into. If they get into the NH Liquor Store database and stole people’s names and credit cards. They got people’s names and address from Fidelity and social security. And those were much smaller databases.
Democratic Senator Iris Estabrook spoke of being tracked.
2:43 it doesn’t seem to me that as Americans we want to live with radio signals being omitted from our required ID cards. That doesn’t sound like America to me. And it doesn’t sound like something we need in order to have drivers licenses.
Opponents see Real ID as a first step to a national identification system that would require people to carry their papers even when walking their dog.
Republican Representative Steve Valincourt warned Senators similar systems haven’t worked out so well in other countries.
1:10 in the 1930’s we are told the Netherlands went to this type of system for national id…Of course late in the 30’s, some other people goose-stepped their way into the Netherlands, and all the work on National ID had been done.