Category: Freedom

Lou Dobbs and Chris Hitchens Take on UN and OIC Blasphemy Laws

Freedom Under Fire

Hate laws, speech codes, blasphemy laws and the like are just plain wrong. They are as wrong as banning scarves or religious books as some in Europe wish to do. One of the best features of our constitution is the clear, concise codification of unalienable individual rights. There is a right to hate in america and there is a right to criticize the ones that hate; and I would have it no other way. Stifling individual rights is the quickest way to emulate Euro-style serfdom in the US.

The recent move by the Organization of Islamic states and the UN to codify anti-blasphemy laws  specifically for Islam into charters binding on all member nations is discussed in this video from CNN.

A couple of notes on this: Lou Dobbs does get something wrong here, Pakistan’s government right now is a duly elected Parliamentary government, one of the few in the Islamic world. It is a weak parliamentary government and under extreme stress right now due to the Nawaz wing protests and the breakaway ungoverned tribal provinces.

Chris Hitchens was also in a dust up recently, and I side with him on it even though he was attacking someone else’s extreme speech through the action of defacing a Nazi sign in Lebanon. Michael Totten gives the best summary of the event.

Fear is Not America

There’s a David Bowie song called “This is Not America” – a wonderful tune about disillusionment in the American dream, and where that led in the tale of The Falcon and the Snowman. The lyrics are intriguing, multi-dimensional, and poetic.

When I hear the tune in my head now and think of the financial hysteria, the paranoia over Obama’s victory, what the next four years portend, and the usual hate groups at both ends of the political spectrum frothing I change the lyrics. Now I hear “Fear is not America”.

Things change, and change again, tides come in and they recede. America endures and fear is not the heart and soul of us so it’s past time to put that aside.

Every pundit spelling doom, every talking head telling you there’s no tomorrow, every fool populist should be ignored. Hysteria means that extreme measures are called for, and none really are. In every recession and depression that America has ever had 80% of value has been recovered in 9 months or less. Worried about your property value? This is the US, there’s no place better to live in all the world, I’m not worried. Worried about your job? There are others out there, and there will be new ones to boot.

This is America, where fear neither reigns nor lasts, this is America where we change, and change again. We are in a bright and bold new century, a new badass millenium with wondrous things to come; so fear not and instead sing along with me: Fear is not America…

Victory in Iraq

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A long while back I said something to the effect that we won in Iraq the day we crossed the border, that ultimately victory itself would be defined by how long we needed to stay and by how perfect we want to leave Iraq. There are still some strides to make, some terrorists to kill, and stability to build but it’s close enough to perfect for me to celebrate this day.

Here’s a previous essay during May of last year when the surge and  the idea of it was under heavy assault, where I defended it due to the terrible consequences of defeat. I’m glad the majority of them are not going to come true now, however we do have the dems in control:

Abandoning Children

girlflag.jpg It’s ridiculous, but it has happened. The Democrats sent the surrender-now bill to the White house for veto. They are political posers positioning for next election, and playing with lives in the process. They toy with the blood and lives of our troops and the future and the lives of the Iraqi children, those they would have us abandon tomorrow.

<<< Do you think this girl would live long if we pull out tomorrow? What about the woman in the famous picture holding up the purple-dyed finger?

Continue reading “Victory in Iraq”

Anti-Prop 8 Demonstration

Ringo the Gringo has a great photo essay on the anti-prop 8 demonstration at the Los Angeles civic center. The photo essay is grouped by the themes of the signs, and there were even a couple of Phelpsian counter protestors there. Please stop by to view the whole thing.

In a previous article here I outlined why the social conservative stance against gay marriage is highly counter productive.

Go Army! Soldier’s Angels Project Valor-IT

The annual donations drive from Soldier’s Angels is on, and once again I’ve joined team Army. This project gets laptops and other needed technology to wounded vets and they need your help. Team Army is doing pretty well, but need your donation to hit the mark. Please hit the button now folks!

While you are at it, please check out Soldier’s Angels here, money is not the only way to help. They have teams dedicated to supporting our military and their families, you can help many other ways.