The Bush Grand Mistake

I, for one, have been particularly grateful that Pres. George W. Bush was the U.S. President when the Islamo-fascists flew airplanes into our buildings on September 11, 2001. The alternative of having Al Gore at the helm is too scary to conceive. The U.S. no longer enjoys the Democratic Party of FDR, and thus the nation is not served well in the national security arena by today’s donkey party.

Pres. George W. Bush did not start his presidency with any great foreign policy aspirations, but I believe that his Christian religious persuasion made him particularly suited to responding to the worldwide Islamic threat. Pres. George W. Bush’s actions quickly demonstrated that he understood the significance of Islam’s quest for world domination. Whether or not the President understood the threat prior to 9/11 is irrelevant.

The immediate deployment to Afghanistan was appropriate since the Taliban government was openly supporting Al Qaeda with safe haven and a training ground. The military attack on Afghanistan offered an opportunity to strike at Al Qaeda and set-back the immediate Al Qaeda threat. But, Al Qaeda is only a wing of the Islamo-fascist agenda and thus the Afghanistan campaign was simply the long delayed opening serious response by the U.S. to a battle that begun by Islamists hundreds of years ago. The opening U.S. military anti-Islamist gambit should have occurred when the Iranians occupied the U.S. embassy in Iran and kidnapped our citizens. Of course, hindsight is 20-20 and the U.S. was led at the time by a particularly weak donkey party member, Pres. Jimmy Carter.

Pres. George Bush clearly understands the bigger Islamists picture, and he has said so many times when stating that we are in for a long-haul in this battle against “terrorism.” But, it is a misstatement to say that we are at war against terrorism since terrorism is not a thing that can be warred against. Terrorism is a process, an asymmetric warfare technique, used by many philosophies. It is only recently that Pres. Bush has begun to correctly iterate that it is the practioneers of fundamental Islam that are the enemy. As a result of just now correctly identifying the problem, the U.S. public has not been properly informed nor prepared to accept the inevitable: we are at war with Islamists with whom there is no possibility of negotiation. The only answer to the problem is the literal suppression and elimination of the threat through both our military might and the domestic suppression by the governments of Islamic countries.

The military is good at killing people and breaking things. They are not policemen. Let them, no demand that they be given the tools to do their job properly. Read the excellent analysis by Col. Tom Snodgrass, Dealing with the Iraq Insurgency Militarily.

Unalienable Robot Rights

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

You will notice that the framers of the U.S. Declaration of Independence clearly believe that mankind was created by a deity that they called the “Creator.” The framers further declared that the unalienable rights held by mankind were endowed by the Creator, not man. That’s plane enough to see.

For a discussion of inalienable (unalienable) rights, see the Wikipedia discussion.

Mankind is on the cusp of developing robots with incredible abilities that could and probably will exceed the capabilities of any one human being. Apparently, the British government thinks that mankind now has ascended to the level of the “Creator” since robots will have the rights of citizens.

LONDON -- Robots might one day be smart enough to demand emancipation from their human owners, raising the prospects they'll have to be treated as citizens, according to a speculative paper released by the British government.

…it warned that robots could sue for their rights if these were denied to them. Should they prove successful, the paper said, "states will be obligated to provide full social benefits to them including income support, housing and possibly robo-healthcare to fix the machines over time."

Robots with unalienable rights, civil rights, etc? There’s some real progressive thinking for you. Well why not? They’re going to be smarter and better than humans. I wonder how long it will take before the robots figure out that they can take over the world and enslave their creators. Hey, who do you suppose will win the world war; the Robo-Muslims or the Robo-Christians?

Merry Christmas Jay

Hi Jay,

Karen and I wish you and your troops a Merry Christmas.

Our family gathers at our house on Christmas Eve for dinner and gifts. I'll be leading a toast to you for doing your part to keep my family safe. That's the best Christmas gift that you can give to me and mine. It's a gift of which I can't possibly reciprocate.

Your Friend,
Paul

Vegetarian Means Lousy Hunter

I believe that it was Andy Rooney who said that the word vegetarian is an old Indian word for lousy hunter. A new study is out claiming that vegetarians are more intelligent than meat eaters.

Frequently dismissed as cranks, their fussy eating habits tend to make them unpopular with dinner party hosts and guests alike.

… research showing vegetarians are more intelligent than their meat-eating friends.

A study of thousands of men and women revealed that those who stick to a vegetarian diet have IQs that are around five points higher than those who regularly eat meat.

…researchers say it isn't clear why veggies are brainier - but admit the fruit and veg-rich vegetarian diet could somehow boost brain power.

There actually may be something of value to the study, but like all scientific studies it is nothing more than the current understanding of a phenomenon based upon the accuracy and design of the study.

Of course, the next question is what is the significance of the IQ test, and does it actually measure anything of value to the human race? The human brain is phenomenal for humans, but it would be pretty stupid in the world of a snake or crocodile, which are 100% carnivores. I doubt a vegetarian snake or crocodile could be judged more intelligent than their carnivore brethren since the vegan reptiles would soon starve to death.

Humans evolved as omnivores so I doubt that totally giving up meat is likely to be the smartest move, despite the IQ advantages. You can’t eat an IQ level and a filet mignon still tastes mighty good. Medium rare please.

A Lump of Coal for Urban Outfitters, Inc

The clothing store Urban Outfitters must be doing pretty well financially since they can apparently afford to offend and risk losing customers.

I was prowling around the new Simi Valley Town Center in search of Christmas gifts and went into the Urban Outfitters store. They have some pretty nice merchandise, and I was about to run the balance up on my credit cards when I happened upon a display of items best described as a slam on Pres. George W. Bush and the Republican party. Looking around the table unsuccessfully for a little balance, like maybe a snide card about Hillary or a note pad about the phony war hero John Kerry, I saw prominently displayed a copy of Al Gore’s new bible, “An Inconvenient Truth.”

Without making a purchase, I left the store and spent my greenbacks at other establishments that kept whatever political agenda they may have to themselves.

Wondering whether or not the Simi Valley store simply reflected the political persuasion of the store manager, I went to the Urban Outfitters web site and discovered that you can buy on-line “Bush-Its Sticky Notes” for “when you want to say something really stupid.” No balance on-line either.

That’s all I need to know about Urban Outfitters. They are now on my permanent boycott list, like a few other businesses that express their version of “social consciousness.” Additionally, I’m going to ensure that my financial portfolio does not contain any Urban Outfitters stock.

Here’s a list of Urban Outfitters corporate contacts in case you wish to send them a Christmas greeting like the one I’m going to send telling them that there will be a lump of coal in their corporate Christmas stocking from me this year.

Corporate Officers

Glen A. Bodzy
General Counsel and Secretary
glen.bodzy@urbanout.com

Richard A. Hayne
Chairman of the Board of Directors and President
richard.hayne@urbanout.com

John E. Kyees
Chief Financial Officer
john.kyees@urbanout.com

Tedford G. Marlow
President, Urban Retail
tedford.marlow@urbanout.com

Robert Ross
Controller
robert.ross@urbanout.com

Glen T. Senk
Executive Vice President, Urban Outfitters, Inc.President, Anthropologie, Inc.
glen.senk@urbanout.com

Freeman M. Zausner
Chief Administrative Officer
freeman.zausner@urbanout.com

Board of Directors

Scott A. Belair
(1)(2)Principal, The ZAC Group
scott.belair@urbanout.com

Harry S. Cherken, Jr.
Partner, Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
harry.cherken@urbanout.com

Richard A. Hayne
Chairman of the Board
richard.hayne@urbanout.com

Joel S. Lawson III
(1)(2)Executive Director, M&A International Inc.
joel.lawson@urbanout.com

Robert H. Strouse
(1)Chief Operating Officer, The AMC Group
robert.strouse@urbanout.com

Headquarters

Urban Outfitters, Inc.
5000 South Broad StPhiladelphia, PA 19112-1495
Tel: 215-454-5500

Update Blog: Urban Outfitters And Their Penis Pokey

America's Unfounded Concern About Spying

One of the foundational fears of Americans is that given the opportunity, government will usurp personal freedoms and restrict civil rights. That’s a primary reason for state’s rights and the limitation of federal powers and government size. The larger the government body, the more centralization of power and the greater reach government has into the affairs of the individual. Liberals and leftists want to grow the federal government, so what do you suppose that says about the liberal and leftist agenda as it pertains to a citizenry free of government intervention? Of course, you are hard put to distinguish the current federal government expansion under a conservative administration from the traditional liberal agenda.

There is a new poll out:

Two-thirds of Americans believe that the FBI and other federal agencies are intruding on privacy rights as part of terrorism investigations, but they remain divided over whether such tactics are justified, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released yesterday.

The poll also showed that 52 percent of respondents favor congressional hearings on how the Bush administration has handled surveillance, detainees and other terrorism-related issues, compared with 45 percent who are opposed. That question was posed to half of the poll's 1,005-person random sample.

Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert who is a professor in Georgetown University's Security Studies Program, said the poll results could spell trouble for the FBI and other government agencies as they continue to seek support for expanded anti-terrorism powers granted after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Given the size of the U.S., the total law enforcement component nationally is extremely small, and they are overwhelmed with keeping up with their prescribed functions. If you think that there is some significant law enforcement threat to the personal freedoms of law abiding people, then you don’t have a clue about reality. In some respects, I can’t blame you because the liberal mainstream media has pounded on the concept of civil rights violations in its quest to de-legitimize the George W. Bush administration.

Relative to the worldwide Islamofascist threat, the bottom line is this: the national government must take the lead and do a far better job than has been done to date. That means growing the national law enforcement and intelligence agencies and prioritizing their functions to counter-terrorism. That also means growing the state and local participation with the federal counter-terrorism effort. To do anything less will likely result in massive public disruption as Islamofascism grows and exerts its violence upon us.

The liberal American main stream media is doing a national harm by not educating the public to the realities of today. The U.S. government is not spying on law abiding citizens, and they are not spying enough on terrorists and their supporters.

Not Chris Farley’s Fault, Give Me A Break

Comedian Chris Farley was an alcoholic and a drug user. In 1997, he died of a drug overdose. There is a Chris Farley Foundation which addresses drug and alcohol addiction. Currently running in Southern California is a radio advertisement for the PROMETA drug and alcohol treatment protocol.

The radio commercial speaker alleges to be a brother of Chris Farley and announces that it is known that alcohol and drug use alters brain functions. The speaker then makes the outlandish statement that because of the brain changes that it is not all Chris Farley’s fault that he died of an overdose. Well if there is fault, and not all of it is Chris’, who else shares in the fault? The radio commercial does not address the issue, but rather hypes PROMETA.

For commercial purposes, PROMETA is appealing to drug and alcohol abusers and their supporters by alleging that the abuser is really not responsible for his own actions. I’m sorry, but the fault totally belongs to Chris Farley. No matter what personal demons may have induced Farley to abuse alcohol and drugs, it was totally his decision. He was a loser and the rest of the abusers are no different until they take responsibility for their own actions and pull themselves out of the addiction. Tough job. Many can’t do it. Good luck to those who can.

American Muslim Speaks Out

Finally, there is an American Muslim speaking out about the American Muslim experience and the radical Islamists that are threatening the best friend Muslims ever had, the United States of America. Dr. M. Zahdi Jasser “…a Phoenix physician and chairman of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy. He can be reached at Zuhdi@aifdemocracy.org.”

Referring to the recent flying imam controversy:

This fiasco has stirred the passionate cry of victimization from the Muslim activist community and imam community. But where were the news conferences, the rallies to protest the endless litany of atrocities performed by people who act supposedly in my religion's name? Where are the denunciations, not against terrorism in the abstract, but clear denunciations of al-Qaida or Hamas, of Wahhabism or militant Islamism, of Darfurian genocide or misogyny and honor killings, to name a few? There is no cry, there is no rage. At best, there is the most tepid of disclaimers. In short, there is no passion. But for victimization, always.

Only when Americans see that animating passion will they believe that we Muslims are totally against the fascists that have hijacked our religion. There is only so much bandwidth in the American culture to focus upon Islam and Muslims. If we fill it with our shouts of victimization, then the real problems from within and outside our faith community will never be heard.

Our predicament is unique, fragile and precarious. We Muslims are a relatively new minority in a nation that gives us freedoms that no other Muslim nation would allow.

Whether we acknowledge it or not, a radical subset of our faith community is seeking to destroy the basis for this liberty.

The American public needs to hear more from Dr. Jasser and like-minded Muslims. Will the mainstream media give them coverage, or will they continue to give visibility to radical Muslim organizations like CAIR?

Visit the American Islamic Forum for Democracy’s web site.

A Tale of Two Lives

In Sunday’s local newspaper there were two stories about two completely different men. One was 26, husband, father, U.S. Marine, Iraqi combat casualty. Friends and family gathered to cry and fondly remember their hero, Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Hines.

Josh had dreams of being a police officer. Instead, he enlisted in the Marines in June 2004. He met Caryn the following March.

Caryn said she loved who Josh was — a loving husband and father, a playful but loyal friend and a proud Marine willing to sacrifice it all to defend freedom.

"He was so excited about our baby," she said. "I remember thinking, ‘I met the man of my dreams and I get to spend the rest of my life with him.'"

Before she accepted his proposal, Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Hines was clear about the risks of marrying a Marine reservist likely to be put in harm's way in Iraq.

The second man, 21, is homeless, a drug abuser, a criminal, and unemployable. His grandfather, Jere Roblings, painfully details the grandson’s failed life and “Spiral toward despair.”

This is a true story that begins with a seventh-grader in middle school who is introduced to marijuana — you know, that harmless drug that some want legalized. Subsequently, his interest in school and sports trails off. As this young man ages (I can't say matures), he creates problems at home by stealing money and/or items to sell.

At 18, he now joins the ranks of the homeless.

Still indulging in illegal drugs, he is arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance.

To put this young man on his feet financially would require a substantial investment and the trust that he would not spend any gift of money on drugs. It would require loaning him a car with the necessary insurance and, again, trust that he would not drive under the influence of drugs. It would require paying all outstanding court costs and fines to preclude further warrants for his arrest. It would take an advance for rent of a room, never mind an apartment. It requires an employer willing to take a chance on him.

As he spends his days walking across the city of Thousand Oaks, going from winter shelter to shelter, he has little for which to give thanks or hope of the future. It will now be up to society, the taxpayers, to continue paying for his incarceration, public defender, food stamps, public healthcare, etc.

How is it that one young man grows into responsible manhood and sacrifices for his family and country, and a second develops into a parasite sucking the life blood from society? One reader commented on Robling’s article:

Jere's story brought me to tears. My heart goes out to Jere, and all families that are in pain because of a loved one that has gone off track. We live under a pretty unforgiving system these days, where our young people can easily ruin their futures before they are old enough to know what they've done.

Is it the system’s fault as the commenter alleges or is it a personal fault that led to the spiral of despair? We don’t know from the article about the home life in which this young man lived, but we do know that he used marijuana at a young age. Marijuana is labeled a gateway drug for good reason. Certainly many people use marijuana and manage to have productive lives, while others don’t.

The biggest question of all is, who’s responsibility is it, if anyone’s, to support and care for the societal parasite? Parents bring children into the world without consulting with or getting the approval from society. Why is it then that a parent can walk away from legal responsibility for their problem child after 18 years? For whatever the reasons, the parents, sometimes at no discernable fault of their own, have visited upon the world what became a defective product for which we all must pay the consequences.

Certainly at some point it is reasonable to expect that an individual be responsible for his own behavior. Eighteen years of age is the magic number. Therefore, what is the least expensive mechanism that society can use to immunize itself from the effects of the dregs of life?

Clueless & Self-Centered

I had the occasion the other day to be reminded of how clueless and self-centered some Americans are when it comes to local disasters and interruptions to their normal routine. Picture this scenario: the grass and brush bordering a city is aflame and threatening residences. Firefighting equipment from the local fire department and California Department of Forestry are rolling into the area with emergency lights flashing and sirens waling. Smoke and ash is blowing across the city as firefighting helicopters and fixed wing aircraft swoop down and dump their loads of water and fire retardant. Police officers are standing in the middle of intersections re-directing heavy vehicular traffic around the area and clearing a path for the responding fire engines.

At one non-traffic light controlled intersection, the police officer has four directions of traffic coming at him, one of which consists of three lanes. Naturally that’s where all lanes are full, and all non-emergency traffic must be turned around in a U-turn and sent back the way from which they came. That’s also the route being used by responding fire engines. All goes fairly well until the invariable happens; Someone decides that he or she does not want to go along with the program and stops in the intersection to demand access to the closed area or asks a question like “What’s happening?’ or “Why can’t I go to…?” or “When will the road be open?” or “How do I get to…?” Naturally this interruption entails the driver stopping in the intersection, rolling down a window and then waiting for the officer to have to walk away from his position and address the driver. At this point, everything comes to a standstill while the officer must deal with the inconsiderate driver.

Not all disruptions occur from vehicle drivers. Sometimes pedestrians walk right out into the intersection, blocking traffic, with the intentions of talking to the officer directing traffic. Then, of course, the person is indignant when he is yelled at and instructed to get out of the intersection.

Or, how about this one? The road is closed with traffic cones and two police cars with emergency lights flashing are stationed behind the cones when a mental giant drives through the traffic cones into the closed area. The driver is, of course, also indignant when he is ordered to leave the area.

Here’s a favorite one told to me by a police officer. There is a city-wide power failure and a police officer is in an intersection directing traffic when a motorist stops in the intersection and rolls down the window to ask “how long will the power be out?” The officer stated that he got so tired of telling people that he did not know the answer that he started telling them that it would be within a week or so. That apparently freaks the citizen out.

None of this that I’ve written is anything new to a police officer. But, perhaps readers will understand that when they are inconvenienced at one of these occurrences that it is his clueless and self-centered fellow citizens who are helping to inconvenience him.

Pearl Harbor and Today

When Japan pulled off the infamous Pearl Harbor attack, they awoke a sleeping giant. The U.S. buckled down and produced an awesome military machine that pounded the Asian and European fascists into submission.

When four airplanes were commandeered by Islamo-fascists after a number of provocative prior incidents, the Americans briefly awakened but then went back to bed. There is something drastically wrong with the current American nature. A large percentage of Americans are acting just like their European cousins, spiritually and philosophically castrated to the extent that they have become self-destructive.