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FEBRUARY 13, 2011

THIS SHOULD MAKE EVERYONE SLEEP BETTER – AT 11:48 P.M. ET:  We cannot confirm the accuracy of the statements made in this story, but the source appears thoroughly credible, and we felt compelled to report it.  From London's Daily Mail:

A port official has admitted that a 'weapon of mass effect' has been found by 'partner agencies' in the U.S., raising major questions over a possible government cover-up.

The disturbing revelation came in an interview with San Diego's assistant port director screened by a television channel in the city.

The Customs and Border Protection Department tried to dampen speculation over his remarks, but doubts remained over whether he had inadvertently revealed a dirty bomb plot to attack the U.S. mainland.

Concern over a secret WMD bust came after U.S. cables made public by the Wikileaks whistleblower website revealed terror groups were plotting a 'nuclear 911.'

In the interview screened by San Diego’s 10News, Al Hallor, assistant San Diego port director, said ‘weapons of mass effect’ had been found, although he did not specify exactly where or what they were.

Reporter Mitch Blacher asked Mr Hallor: ‘Do you ever find things that are dangerous like a chemical agent or a weaponised device?’

‘At the airport, seaport, at our port of entry we have not this past fiscal year, but our partner agencies have found those things,’ the customs official replied.

So, specifically, you're looking for the dirty bomb? You're looking for the nuclear device?’ asked Mr Blacher.

‘Correct. Weapons of mass effect,’ said Mr Hallor.

‘You ever found one?’ asked Mr Blacher.

‘Not at this location,’ Mr Hallor said.

‘But they have found them?’ asked Mr Blacher.

‘Yes,’ said Mr Hallor.

COMMENT:  The law of averages is not with us on this one.  Sooner or later, a very dangerous device is going to get through.  This country is simply too porous to thwart every attempt.

Are we ready?  I doubt it.

February 13, 2011     Permalink

THE WEIRD MR. PAUL – Ron Paul has won the straw poll among potential 2012 presidential contenders at the big CPAC meeting in Washington.  Aren't you excited?

Charles Krauthammer said, correctly, that the CPAC meeting is bit strange.  It really doesn't represent either conservatism or the Republican Party.  It's well known that the Ron Paul alternative-universe crowd trucks in loads of true believers to vote in the straw poll.  The poll doesn't mean a thing, but the fact that a lunatic like Paul wins it every year should be an embarrassment.  William F. Buckley Jr. spent a lifetime fighting fringe elements on the right.

How bad is Ron Paul?  Consider this, from Human Events:

Right after the straw poll results showing Ron Paul as the winner were announced, people from Young Americans for Freedom began handing out memos declaring they had expelled Ron Paul from their advisory board. They didn’t just kick him out for non-payment of dues, or hogging the karaoke machine at the last YAF kegger, either.

“YAF’s concerns with Rep. Paul stem out of his delusional and disturbing alliance with the fringe anti-war movement,” the press release declared. Specifically, they’re upset about Paul’s “journey into the anti-war left by laying the blame on America for the unprovoked attacks of September 11th. Additionally, Rep. Paul has not condemned the 9/11 ‘Truther’ conspiracy theorists that support him, and he has repeatedly insisted that the United States not bring justice to those who have murdered thousands of our civilians and soldiers at home and abroad.”

Since none of that is really new coming out of Ron Paul, I’m not sure how he got onto the YAF National Advisory Board in the first place, but here we are.

COMMENT:  It's important that people who fancy Ron Paul as a conservative understand exactly who he is.  He is, as the British would call it, a nutter.  He would bring the Republican Party back to the isolationism of the 1930s, but he won't get that chance.

His son, Rand Paul, was just elected to the Senate from Kentucky, after being muffled for most of the campaign by his handlers because he kept embarrassing himself.  He continues to.

If either of the Pauls ever makes it to the White House (it won't happen), look for property in Australia.

February 12, 2011      Permalink

IRAN...MAYBE, BUT ONLY MAYBE – AT 10:50 A.M. ET:  Dissenters in Iran asked for a permit to hold a mass demonstration on Monday.  The application was turned down, but there are some signs that the protesters may defy the state.  We stress that nothing here can be absolutely confirmed.  We'll have to wait until tomorrow:

As the popular uprising in Egypt draws to a successful conclusion, several other Arab and Muslim nations appear poised to become the next hotbeds of anti-regime demonstrations in the region.

Demonstrations are scheduled to take place on Monday against the regimes in Bahrain and Iran.

Calls made by the Iranian opposition over the Internet urging supporters to take to the streets in support of the Egyptian revolution, have garnered thousands of responses from supporters.

In a statement published on Kaleme.com on Sunday, the opposition renewed its supporters to rally on Monday in central Tehran and accused the government of hypocrisy by voicing support for the Egyptian and Tunisian uprisings while refusing to allow Iranian political activists to stage a peaceful demonstration.

Several human rights groups in Iran have reported that the Islamist regime there has embarked on mass arrests of its opponents and ordered that two leaders of the opposition, Mehdi Karrubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi, remain under house arrest.

That, of course, can kill the demonstrations before they start.  We eagerly await some comment by the president of the United States and mascot of the Chicago Bears.  We aren't hearing much.

Meanwhile, the Bahraini ruler announced Saturday a special payment of $2,650 to each Bahraini family, a measure designed to counter opposition demands.

I wonder how they arrived at that figure.  I guess it's a Mideast stimulus package.  Or anti-stimulus.

Thousands took to the street in Algiers, the capital of Algeria, on Saturday to protest the regime of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, clashing with local security forces who tried to disperse them.

The protest in Algeria appeared to have lost some of its steam in recent days, but following the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Friday, demonstrators gathered once again in the streets, demanding economic measures to combat high levels of unemployment, poverty and poor housing. In response, the regime in Algeria has restricted civil liberties and the country is being run like a dictatorship.

By the way, have you noticed something?  How many times have you been told by "experts," especially the ones with tenured positions in Middle East studies departments of our universities, that the Arab-Israeli conflict is at the heart of all Mideast problems?  Why, solve that and peace will come to Earth, the weather will get better, and the common cold will be cured. 

Please notice that the demonstrators in the boiling Arab countries haven't mentioned Israel once.  Kind of tells you about the experts, right?  I wonder how many federal dollars pour into developing that "expertise" each year.  I don't want to know.

February 12, 2011       Permalink

EGYPT LATEST – AT 10:37 A.M. ET:  The army is moving to meet demonstrators' demands, but there are loopholes.  From AP:

CAIRO — Egypt's military leaders dissolved parliament and suspended the constitution Sunday, meeting two key demands of protesters who have been keeping up pressure for immediate steps to transition to democratic, civilian rule after forcing Hosni Mubarak out of power.

The military rulers that took over when Mubarak stepped down Friday and the caretaker government also set as a top priority the restoration of security, which collapsed during the 18 days of protests that toppled the regime.

The protesters had been pressing the ruling military council to immediately move forward with the transition process by appointing a presidential council, dissolving the parliament and releasing detainees.

"In a country like Egypt, with a pharaonic legacy, having no president and no head of state is not easy," said Amr el-Shobaky, a member of the Committee of Wise Men — a self-appointed group of prominent figures who are allied with the protesters and helping mediate in the crisis.

Note the following asterisk:

In their latest communique, the ruling council said it will run the country for six months, or until presidential and parliament elections can be held. It said it was forming a committee to amend the constitution and set the rules for popular referendum to endorse the amendments.

COMMENT:  "...or until presidential and parliament elections can be held."  There's an opening big enough to drive an American-made truck through. 

We really don't know the outcome here.  It will be fascinating, but dangerous.

February 12, 2011       Permalink

FEBRUARY 12,  2011

SNIPPET OF THE DAY – AT 8:32 P.M. ET:

From The Wall Street Journal:  In another sign of its ever more improvisational approach to governance, the Iranian regime has outlawed Valentine's Day. "Symbols of hearts, half-hearts, red roses, and any activities promoting this day are banned," announced state media last month. "Authorities will take legal action against those who ignore the ban."

The multiculturalists are no doubt applauding.  After all, who are we to judge the damage that love can do?

February 12, 2011      Permalink

BAD TASTE AWARD – AT 7:15 P.M. ET:   When you think you've seen the worst taste in politics, someone always comes along with something even worse.  From The Politico:

The race for Arizona’s open Senate seat has quickly focused on one question: What will Gabrielle Giffords do?

The Democratic congresswoman who survived an assassination attempt in Tucson last month is still undergoing rehabilitation in Houston for a gunshot wound to the head. Physicians have warned that her recovery will proceed at its own pace.

But even though questions about her health remain, Giffords’s astonishingly rapid recovery has left Democrats in Arizona and Washington looking to her as a potential candidate to replace retiring GOP Sen. Jon Kyl.

Giffords was mentioned as one possible contender for the 2012 race during a closed-door meeting of Senate Democrats on Thursday, two sources with knowledge of the meeting said.

In Arizona, strategists continue to view Giffords as a compelling candidate for higher office. That’s a distinction few Democrats in the state can claim after last November, when Republicans captured two U.S. House seats and won every statewide office on the ballot.

“Congresswoman Giffords’s name was clearly at the top of the list of potential candidates against Sen. Kyl, or if Sen. Kyl stepped down, over the past couple years. Given that, a lot of people of course thought immediately of her for this seat,” Arizona Democratic Party Chairman Andrei Cherny said.

COMMENT:  Geez!  I mean, the woman is still grievously wounded.  You'd think these people would avail themselves of the golden opportunity to shut up and show a little class.

Yes, yes, it's true.  If Gabby Giffords recovers and runs, she's a shoo-in.  I'm not sure the GOP would even want to run a candidate against her.  (How would you like to be the candidate who runs against Gabby Giffords and has to attack her?  Nothing like losing the loyalty of your wife and children.)  Giffords, whom I've always admired, is a moderate Democrat who could win in generally Republican Arizona.

But please, give it a little time.  We live in a vulgar age, but why advertise it?

February 12, 2011     Permalink

AND NOW THERE ARE THREE – AT 11:29 A.M. ET:  It is just remarkable.  Two major Western leaders – German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron, have recently declared that multiculturalism within their nations has not worked.  Now they are joined by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who articulates the problem. 

PARIS (AFP) – French President Nicolas Sarkozy declared Thursday that multiculturalism had failed, joining a growing number of world leaders or ex-leaders who have condemned it.

"My answer is clearly yes, it is a failure," he said in a television interview when asked about the policy which advocates that host societies welcome and foster distinct cultural and religious immigrant groups.

"Of course we must all respect differences, but we do not want... a society where communities coexist side by side.

"If you come to France, you accept to melt into a single community, which is the national community, and if you do not want to accept that, you cannot be welcome in France," the right-wing president said.

"The French national community cannot accept a change in its lifestyle, equality between men and women... freedom for little girls to go to school," he said.

"We have been too concerned about the identity of the person who was arriving and not enough about the identity of the country that was receiving him," Sarkozy said in the TFI channel show.

Wonderful quote.  Absolutely wonderful.

British Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Australia's ex-prime minister John Howard and Spanish ex-premier Jose Maria Aznar have also recently said multicultural policies have not successfully integrated immigrants.

Howard and Aznar were, when in power, great friends of the United States.

Merkel in October said efforts towards multiculturalism in Germany had "failed, totally."

COMMENT:  Incredible, isn't it?  We used to think we were the tough guys, and the Europeans were just soft old lefties...and indeed there are plenty of European "intellectuals" who fit that description.  But the saner heads of Europe are now well ahead of us, and warning of the danger that multiculturalism brings.

One man not heard, of course, is Barack Hussein Obama Jr.  Why, he thinks multiculturalism is just fine.  He even wanted to ban the word "terror," and his own director of national intelligence this week called the Muslim Brotherhood a secular organization.  (As one pundit said, strange name for a secular organization.) 

We are a weakening nation under the leftist Obama.  At least some other nations are stiffening their resolve.

February 12, 2011      Permalink

EGYPT THIS MORNING – AT 10:48 A.M. ET:  There's really very little actual news, but the news networks are giving us plenty of talk.

The only significant development is a statement by the ruling military council that Egypt will adhere to all treaties, which means the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty.

What we're getting now is a great deal of speculation:  1)  What will happen next in Egypt?  2)  Will Egypt become a true, modern democracy?  3)  What role will the Muslim Brotherhood play?  4)  Will the "Egyptian example" spill over into other Arab countries.

The Palestinian Authority, which has power in the West Bank, has just announced fall elections, apparently in response to Egypt.  The elections were supposed to be held last year, but, you know, it's the Arab world.  A year here, a year there, who notices?  Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, has declared that it will not participate in the elections.  Hamas came to power through an election, and then proceeded to destroy the very institutions needed to maintain a democracy.  (Hugo Chavez has done the same in Venezuela.)  So let's not get too enthralled with the concept of "free elections."  An election is only the first step toward democracy.  Please note that our own Bill of Rights, one of the great documents in the history of human freedom, doesn't even mention elections.  It's about the rights of the people, and the limits on government. 

Some of the best journalism I've seen has tried to explain why the Muslim Brotherhood has remained in the background.  It has done so, according to some sharp analysis, in its own interest.  It understands modern public relations, and realizes that, if it's too out front right now, it becomes a lightning rod.  By remaining in the shadows, it can influence events, and then become more active when it senses weakness or division. 

It is incredible to me that so many reporters, and our own intelligence services, have been taken in by the Muslim Brotherhood, an anti-American, anti-Christian, and anti-Semitic organization.  It would be helpful if some observers would learn the difference between real policy and public relations.

February 12, 2011      Permalink

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ABE – AT 10:09 A.M. ET:  Today is Abraham Lincoln's real birthday.  We used to know that as kids until the powers that be morphed Abe with George to form President's Day.  Lincoln would be 202 today. 

Since our educational system seems determined these days to present Lincoln, warts and nothing else, it's time to put in a good word for Abe.  He provides one of the strongest reasons for the "great man" theory of history, that history revolves around the decisions of great (or evil) men in critical times.  No Hitler, no World War II.  No Reagan, no end of the Cold War on our terms.  No Lincoln, no saving of the union.

Indeed, Lincoln was probably the indispensable man.  We cannot really imagine anyone else in the American presidency in his place.  He reminds us that great men are usually known for one great thing.  Who recalls Lincoln's agricultural policy?  They are also known, not simply for great decisions, but the unique ability to explain those decisions, often in memorable prose.  Lincoln is revered as much for his speeches as his actions.  The speeches explain, and inspire.   

Lincoln had one year of formal schooling.  Take that, Ivy League. 

We used to memorize Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.   Any literate American knew "With malice toward none, with charity for all..."  Do young kids know those words today?  I doubt it, and I doubt if they're made to care.  I doubt most even know when the Civil War occurred.

We recall FDR's "Four Freedoms," and his "day of infamy" speech after Pearl Harbor.

Ronald Reagan's "Tear down this wall" has become a staple of American rhetoric.

Sadly, some of our recent presidents, and certainly the current one, don't comprehend the power of a well-turned phrase.  Do we recall anything that Bill Clinton every said, except for "I did not have sex with that woman..."?  As for Mr. Obama, he's a bright man, but a second-class writer.  He mouths the words beautifully, but he's like a bad date.  You forget what he said immediately. 

So, happy birthday, Abe.  You did good.  I wish we had film.

February 12, 2011     Permalink