the True Nature of Reality

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Fox News is running a story on Homes For Our Troops, a non-profit that builds and modifies homes for use by severely disabled soldiers.

I'm trying to donate as I write this, but their server is very slow. I hope it's because they just got hammered! :)

Signed in blood

The media claim they're just impartial observers. They claim that they don't influence events. They claim that no matter what happens, since they are disinterested, their hands are clean.

Well, maybe not.

Belmont Club, in The Price of Newsprint, tells us about the Battle of Najaf with Al Sadr's militia

In what was probably the most psychologically revealing moment of the battle, infantrymen fought six hours for the possession of one damaged Humvee, of no tactical value, simply so that the network news would not have the satisfaction of displaying the piece of junk in the hands of Sadr's men. The enemy understood the rules of engagement too well, but from the other side. "Squeezed into a few downtown blocks, Sadr militants began using children to shuttle ammunition, soldiers said. Youngsters carrying large plastic bags darted from corner to corner, and the soldiers would not shoot them. 'We all grew up knowing you don't hurt women and children,' Taylor said. 'And they used that to their advantage.' The US estimates that 20 civilians were killed in operations around Najaf. The Najaf hospital claims 81. When the Russians retook Grozny after a disastrous first foray, they returned to the operational formula of Marshak Konev in Berlin and rained down 8,000 artillery shells per hour on the town, killing perhaps 27,000 before attempting it again. The vastly more powerful Americans did not, yet triumphed. They are inept, as everyone knows.

Ted Koppel was determined to read the names of 700 American servicemen who have died in Iraq to remind us how serious was their loss. Michael Moore has dedicated his film Farenheit 9/11 to the Americans who died in Afghanistan. And they did a land office business. But at least they didn't get to show Sadr's miliamen dancing around a battered Humvee. The men of the First Armored paid the price to stop that screening and those concerned can keep the change.

Once again, the Western media writes their stories in blood. The blood of innocents, and the blood of American soldiers.

Nice "profession" you guys got there.

Winning hearts & minds

Some amazing news out of Iraq.

Apparently the major players have decided to back the government and turn against the terrorists. Allawi has turned from the man who held us back in Fallujah to one who is ready to get tough.

U.S. Marines attacked the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah with airstrikes on Friday, and Iraq's new government again strongly hinted that it would declare martial law, but said nothing about its timing or scope.

For the last several days, officials of the Iraqi interim government, including Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, have indicated they would declare a state of emergency, saying that, at a minimum, it could include a curfew, checkpoints and a ban on public demonstrations.

Even better news. Check this, Al Sistani himself says Zarqawi et. al. are 'filthy infidels who nurture malignance against Shi'ite followers'. Exactly Bob!

The Shi'ite dominated south has been largely quiet, and we've seen a very important development here over the past 24 hours. A spokesman for Iraq's most influential Shi'tie leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has called al-Qaeda's leadership – Osama bin Laden, but also Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who operates here in Iraq – 'filthy infidels who nurture malignance against Shi'ite followers'. So you're seeing very publicly an attack – a verbal attack – matching, if you like, the military attacks that the US has been making on these people.

Belmont Club, who is the one that put me on to this story, has this unattributed snippet:

At a Friday prayer meeting in Karbala, a spokesman for Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani told worshipers that Al Qaeda's top leaders are "filthy infidels". He names Osama bin Laden and the Jordanian-born terrorist purportedly operating in Iraq, Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi. He says they are "bastards" who "nurture malignance" against Shiite Muslims. A prominent Shiite leader was assassinated in Iraq on Thursday night. Al Qaeda's leadership is made up of Sunni Muslims from the Wahabi sect.

The worm has turned. The terrorists are over. We just have to wait it out.

It'll be interesting to see if the media gives this story any play at all.

Congress panders to Arab anti-Semitism

Isn't this nice?

Israeli bullets that the Army bought to plug a shortfall should be used only for training and not to fight Muslim guerrillas in Iraq and Afghanistan, lawmakers said yesterday. "By no means, under any circumstances, should a round from Israel be utilized" since the Army has stockpiled ammunition, said Rep. Neil Abercrombie of Hawaii, the top Democrat on a House Armed Services subcommittee.

In December, the Army contracted with Israel Military Industries for $70 million in small-caliber ammunition because the Israeli firm was one of only two worldwide that could meet U.S. specifications and delivery needs, the military said.

The other was Winchester Ammunition of East Alton, Ill.

Rep. Curt Weldon, a Pennsylvania Republican who chairs the subcommittee, said Abercrombie was making a valid point about the propaganda pitfalls of using Israeli rounds in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This is disgraceful. It is open US endorsement of anti-Semitism.

Arab countries need to get over this ridiculous crap. Arab hatred of everyone else, most symbolized by the Jews but certainly not limited to them, IS the frickin' problem here. We need to stop making excuses for them. It's no different from, and has the same result, as making excuses for a wife-beater.

We maybe have to avert our eyes for now when they do this in their own countries. But there is NO EXCUSE for members of the US government pandering to it. None.

This story also points up the vulnerability that we've created by allowing our industrial infrastructure to be "outsourced".

HT: Tim at CPT Patti

You think we'll get any credit for this?

It wasn't so very long ago that there was great wailing and gnashing of teeth about how the Iraqis needed their sovereignty, and how the US should get out, and how we need to bring our folks home, etc., etc.

Ok, so we've now completed handing over control of ALL Iraqi government ministries to the Iraqis. Six days ahead of a very aggressive schedule.

Think we'll get any kudos, any pats on the back? Or even an acknowledgement that we did what we said we were gonna do?

I don't either.

Is this what's next?

American Digest tells us about ourselves: The Sleepwalkers.

Given the current direction of the anemic "war on terrorism," the continuing project of "deconstructing America" taken on by the elites in the American media and academia, the assimilation of the Democratic Party by its liberal/left elements, the Republican Party's Faustian bargain with the Wilsonian tradition, and the international indifference to North Korea and Iran's nuclear weapons programs, it is becoming increasingly clear that the overall outcome of these converging trends will no doubt be a "triggering event" that will mark the inception of the next stage of world history. That "triggering event" will be the sacrifice of an American city and the deaths of most of the inhabitants therein....

Is that right? Is that what's next? Is that what it's gonna take?

I'm not too freakin' happy about this, y'know. I live right across the Bay from Tampa and MacDill AFB. A major port and Central Command. A very likely target, in other words.

And I bet you probably have something spectacular near you.

Wake up, people.

Moderate luxury

Ventriloquist blogger Joe Gandelman shares The Centrists' Dilemma

A centrist may adamantly disagree with some positions of the Republican right or Democratic left. So a choice must be made on values: a)which candidate comes close to sharing the most important values, b)which are the issues upon which a party most agrees with the voter's values, c)which campaign seems to address issues more seriously and which one is more into just attacking the other.

Joe, I think the majority of us "partisans" do exactly the same thing on every issue and in every election.

I am at present a member of the VRWC for two reasons: the Democrats/Leftists have gone completely bonkers, and the war trumps everything.

I disagree with probably 50% of the Republican Party position on non-War issues, and about 70% of the Democratic Party. Shouldn't that qualify me for "moderate" status?

I'd even be inclined to lean Democratic because the Republicans were most despicable last (the Clinton persecution).

But so what? The war trumps everything.

We bought some DVDs the other day. All old material, of course. Tonight we played the Eddie Murphy/Dan Ackroyd classic "Trading Places". As the movie nears the end they're arriving on the scene of the climactic action: the World Trade Center. When the cameras panned across the towers without warning, my heart stopped. They did a series of pans of the buildings to set the stage. It was almost like a physical pain.

Then the camera moved on, and my heart started beating again, and I unclenched my fists, and I remembered to keep chewing the mouthful of dinner that I had.

Yes, I'm still mad. Yes, I still see those images in my mind of people jumping. You know, the images that the All Abu Ghraib/All The Time media won't show. I have this bumpersticker from CafePress on my car:

To tell you the truth, I'm astounded at most of my fellow humans in so-called Western Civilization these days.

Murder hundreds of Israeli men, women, and children? No problem, the UN will throw some conferences in your honor and Good People around the world will nod sagely that the Jews had it coming.

Practice an official government policy of genocide, with the added spice of rape-every-woman-repeatedly? Just the thing to qualify you for the UN Human Rights Commission! I bet your New York parties are going to be killer!

Get caught bribing half the governments and three-quarters of the media in the (choke, koff) "Free World"? Shush! We'll sweep it all under the rug for you. After all, we might want another piece of paper at the UN some day.

Put a few hundred thousand (or was that million) of your countrymen in mass graves? Well, don't worry old chap, even if you get caught the UN will look out for your well-being and make sure you're not mistreated in any way. And be assured, a tremendous cry will rise up around the world if anyone even dares think of imposing the death penalty.

Use your own women and children, or kidnap the women and children of others, and use them as human shields in combat? Never fear, no more than a syllable or two will be said against you, and never any pictures.

Turn schools into armories, hospitals into torture chambers, ambulances into military transports? Don't worry, all will soon be forgotten, and we'll never mention it again.

Ambush soldiers and then burn and mutilate their bodies, and then sing and dance in the street for joy? More power to ya, the worldwide media shares your joy. They have a juicy story to tell.

Kidnap people and saw their heads off. Slowly. For television. Watch the search engines churn. Watch the media drop the story in 24 hours. Not important, it's distracting us from stories of panties on heads. Heads that are still attached to breathing bodies, I might add.

How in the heck can anybody be a "moderate" when this is going on? Wasn't that the problem we had in the 30's? Didn't we learn anything?

The War Trumps Everything.

I'm not a freakin' moderate. Not now.

Maybe someday I'll have that luxury again.

Open the borders to Europe's Jews

A top Nazi-hunter is urging Jews to leave France, and Jewish Agency officials are bracing for a raft of new arrivals in Israel.

From AFP, via Dhimmi Watch via Moderate Voice

Vatikai [an organization spokesman] said that a report compiled by the agency had found 30 000 out of France's 575 000-strong Jewish community were considering immigrating to Israel.

Damn. That's sad. I thought we were past all that. Seems I didn't ask the Muslims.

For us, I think we should open our borders to Europe's Jews. We'll be glad to take these whom the rest of the world seemingly don't want. No group has contributed more to this country, per capita. And justice demands it. We waited far too long last time.

We have among the world's leakiest borders already. Breaking our immigration laws is a vast industry that even has, to my great disgust, the support of the President. We hear lots of excuses about why this should be so but it all boils down to people wanting to come here to make money, and people here wanting to game the system so they can make more money. Not to mention that there're quite a few who come here to mooch off our public services.

The Jews of Europe would come here to save their lives. That strikes me as just a bit more important.

The attack on law

Steven Den Beste brings us another very important piece of writing, this time from another author. Here's Steven's post, and here's the article the post is about.

This entire article is excellent, important, and well worth reading. Much of it deals with ideas I had been somewhat exposed to already. However, one section made me really sit up in my chair, as it clarified and elucidated some ideas that had been kicking around here about the use of international laws, and indeed our entire Judeo-Christian-based legal and social structure, as a weapon against us.

emphasis original

4. The fourth element of the current world conflict is the total breaking of all laws.

The civilized world believes in democracy, the rule of law, including international law, human rights, free speech and free press, among other liberties. There are naïve old-fashioned habits such as respecting religious sites and symbols, not using ambulances and hospitals for acts of war, avoiding the mutilation of dead bodies and not using children as human shields or human bombs. Never in history, not even in the Nazi period, was there such total disregard of all of the above as we observe now. Every student of political science debates how you prevent an anti-democratic force from winning a democratic election and abolishing democracy. Other aspects of a civilized society must also have limitations. Can a policeman open fire on someone trying to kill him? Can a government listen to phone conversations of terrorists and drug dealers? Does free speech protects you when you shout “fire” in a crowded theater? Should there be death penalty, for deliberate multiple murders? These are the old-fashioned dilemmas. But now we have an entire new set.

Do you raid a mosque, which serves as a terrorist ammunition storage? Do you return fire, if you are attacked from a hospital? Do you storm a church taken over by terrorists who took the priests hostages? Do you search every ambulance after a few suicide murderers use ambulances to reach their targets? Do you strip every woman because one pretended to be pregnant and carried a suicide bomb on her belly? Do you shoot back at someone trying to kill you, standing deliberately behind a group of children? Do you raid terrorist headquarters, hidden in a mental hospital? Do you shoot an arch-murderer who deliberately moves from one location to another, always surrounded by children? All of these happen daily in Iraq and in the Palestinian areas. What do you do? Well, you do not want to face the dilemma. But it cannot be avoided.

Suppose, for the sake of discussion, that someone would openly stay in a well-known address in Teheran, hosted by the Iranian Government and financed by it, executing one atrocity after another in Spain or in France, killing hundreds of innocent people, accepting responsibility for the crimes, promising in public TV interviews to do more of the same, while the Government of Iran issues public condemnations of his acts but continues to host him, invite him to official functions and treat him as a great dignitary. I leave it to you as homework to figure out what Spain or France would have done, in such a situation.

The problem is that the civilized world is still having illusions about the rule of law in a totally lawless environment. It is trying to play ice hockey by sending a ballerina ice-skater into the rink or to knock out a heavyweight boxer by a chess player. In the same way that no country has a law against cannibals eating its prime minister, because such an act is unthinkable, international law does not address killers shooting from hospitals, mosques and ambulances, while being protected by their Government or society. International law does not know how to handle someone who sends children to throw stones, stands behind them and shoots with immunity and cannot be arrested because he is sheltered by a Government. International law does not know how to deal with a leader of murderers who is royally and comfortably hosted by a country, which pretends to condemn his acts or just claims to be too weak to arrest him. The amazing thing is that all of these crooks demand protection under international law, and define all those who attack them as "war criminals," with some Western media repeating the allegations.

Exactly.

Those who most love and respect "International Law" should be in the forefront of a large crowd crying out against this perversion which does nothing but debase international law, and indeed respect for all law.

If we won't fairly enforce our own laws in self-defense, who then can rely on them for protection? If we won't cry out plainly and publicly and accuse those who sneer at law and use it against us, then how much do we respect our own law?

If our own chattering classes approve, by silence (at best), this hijacking of our law and culture, what does that say about their own ethics, and their own belief and faith in Law?

I believe that it is often only the Rule of Law that keeps us from savagery and barbarism. Part of why I support this war so strongly is that we are fighting those, both abroad and at home, who wish to use the law to destroy us, and in so doing they would destroy the very Rule of Law itself and replace it with anarchy or a perverted "law" straight out of the Koran or 1984.

The task before us now is to enforce, with extreme prejudice, the laws that terrorists are relying on us not to use. For example, summary battlefield trial and execution. Then we must revise our laws to deal with the new situation. Our enemies are trying to operate in gray areas or "holes" in current law. We must clear those gray areas, and plug those holes, so that the law can no longer be perverted to use as a weapon against us.