| HOME / ABOUT / ARCHIVE / SNIPPETS ARCHIVE / AUDIO / AUDIO ARCHIVE / CONTACT | ||
![]() |
||
|
Scene above: Constitution Island, where Revolutionary War forts still exist, as photographed from Trophy Point, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York Please note that you can leave a comment on any of our posts at our Facebook page. Subscribers can also comment at length at our Angel's Corner Forum.
We are experiencing technical problems with our Facebook page. We've now learned that these problems are across the internet. Facebook introduced technical changes Tuesday night, and with those changes came some serious bugs that are affecting the ability of many websites, including our own, to place posts on a Facebook page. We're assured that Facebook is working on the problem. I don't know if the guy portrayed in the film, "The Social Network," about the birth of Facebook, is involved in fixing this. If he is, and messes up, he should give back the movie money.
We welcome the new conservative website ClearRight, edited by John McDaniel, who has made substantial design and editorial contributions to Urgent Agenda. Check out the new site here.
MARCH 10, 2011 AND NOW BIG OIL – AT 9:05 P.M. ET: There was violence in Saudi Arabia, with fears (or hopes) for more tomorrow. From WaPo:
And...
COMMENT: Should Saudi Arabia descend into an Egyptian-style revolt, and I think the odds are still against it, the disruption to the world's oil supply could be extreme. Even President Obama might notice it. We've now had violence in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Jordan, Bahrain, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. There are, of course, no guarantees here. All could be quiet in a month, with little change in government policies or social conditions. But eventually, people in the Arab world will realize that their destiny doesn't lie with corrupt totalitarians. Nor does it lie with a weak United States. Obama came to office promising a more modest American foreign policy. He might examine the different between modesty and humiliation. He has given us a return to the indecision and flabbiness of the late 1970s. He cannot point to a single foreign-policy success on his watch. Maybe, in a strange way, that's the way he wants it, given his contempt for the American people and their values. March 10, 2011 Permalink REVERSAL IN LIBYA, AND OUR DISGRACE – AT 8:27 P.M. ET: The president held a White House conference today on bullying in school. I don't in any way mean to minimize the importance of the subject, but I'm not sure, at a time of domestic and international crisis, that this is a White House function. The president informed us that he was bullied in school. I'm impressed. Meanwhile, in the real world, the Libyan revolution seems to be failing, as the United States openly is refusing to lead.
In testimony before a Senate committee today, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper suggested that Qaddafi would win. The White House reprimanded Clapper, but he was speaking the truth. Unless there is outside intervention, Qaddafi's forces will probably prevail.
As we reported earlier, the rebels did gain some ground diplomatically today when France extended recognition to a fledgling rebel government. But that is paper recognition. It won't change the military situation. We thought, in this crisis, that Hillary Clinton might push for a firmer American response, and would seek an American leadership role. On the contrary, she has acted the good soldier, making it plain that America wanted others to lead in a a reaction to the Libyan uprising. How sad. The world used to look to us for leadership. And the world, or much of it, applauded the election of Barack Obama. But "leadership" and "Obama" don't fit well together. Fouad Ajami of Johns Hopkins, one of the wisest observers of the Mideast, said a few days ago that the United States would pay a bitter price for its inaction during the Libyan crisis. We seem willing to let NATO squabble over what to do, when every hour is precious. I fear Ajami will be right. March 10, 2011 Permalink
ANOTHER TROUBLING SIGN FROM EGYPT – AT 8:18 P.M. ET: Which way the Egyptian revolution? That is the question. Some of the recent answers, such as sectarian clashes in Cairo, have been troubling. Now we have this, from Reuters:
COMMENT: Why now? What's the hurry? What signal is being sent? This reminds us of the release of the Lockerbie bomber from a Scottish jail, on corrupt "compassionate" grounds. The focus has been off Egypt, but we should realize that there are dangerous forces at work in that country, including forces aligned with Iran. I suspect we'll be caught by surprise again. Why change things? March 10, 2011 Permalink WHAT A GEM! – AT 11:35 A.M. ET: How often have you read a first-class, stimulating column by a 103-year-old? Jacques Barzun, formerly provost at Columbia University, and still fighting at 103, writes a fine piece for the Wall Street Journal, urging the return of ROTC to Columbia. (If the link turns up a partial column, blocked by the WSJ's subscription requirement, simply Google the title. You'll get the whole thing, as I did.) Here are some quotes, from a guy who actually can write...and probably remembers World War I:
That's an example of superb, clear, direct writing. Indeed, Barzun once wrote a manual for writers called "Simple and Direct." I still use it. Read the rest of the piece. It's a pleasure, and a powerful argument to bring ROTC back to a campus celebrated in Herman Wouk's "The Caine Mutiny" as a training ground for Navy officers, but which has gone off the tracks in recent decades, the better to pander to the political left. Barzun concludes:
Yes, indeed. It's too bad Columbia still needs lectures from a man who's 103, but it does. March 10, 2011 Permalink SNIPPET OF THE DAY – AT 9:41 A.M. ET:
Women drivers, what a concept! Does this mean that women will soon be allowed to have opinions? Watch TV? Read? March 10, 2011 Permalink DID WE EVER THINK WE'D SEE THE DAY? – AT 9:21 A.M. ET: Do you recall our image of France when George W. Bush was president and Jacques Chirac was president of the French republic? Remember (cheese-eating surrender monkeys" and "freedom fries." My, how things have changed. Did we ever think we'd see the day when France would lead, and America would be left in the dust? This relates to the post just below. France has taken the lead on Libya. From The New York Times:
COMMENT: Look, we can't know whether this was premature or not, but real leaders seize the moment. They force history, they don't stand beside it. It is perfectly obvious that no one, except maybe the teenagers of Europe, really cares about Barack Obama's vision any longer. The fact that France, a country we used to ridicule, is out in front of us is humiliating. And it comes at the same time that some members of the president's own party, such as Senators Dianne Feinstein and Joe Manchin, are publicly questioning Obama's domestic leadership as well. Obama isn't only Jimmy Carter. He's Jimmy Carter lite, and I didn't think there was anyone lighter than Carter. But we learn every day, don't we? March 10, 2011 Permalink THIS IS WHAT WE'VE COME TO – AT 8:39 A.M. ET: We once had Ronald Reagan as president. He told Gorbachev to "tear down this wall." We once had George W. Bush as president. He made clear to enemies of the United States precisely what would happen to them. Now we have someone else, as the Washington Post tells us:
The latter is correct. There's nothing humble about him.
It signals a decline in leftist fortitude, not that there was much there to start with.
COMMENT: How pathetic we've become under this president. And what is the left exercised about today? Why, they're upset about Rep. Peter King's congressional probe into radicalization of American Muslims. I guarantee that if some liberal announced hearings into the radicalization of Christians, the left would be cheering. March 10, 2011 Permalink A TALE OF NUMBERS – AT 8:23 A.M. ET: I'm confused. Please unconfuse me. Isn't the Obama administration supposedly fighting for the average family? Maybe I got that wrong. From Reuters:
From the Boston Herald:
Those Republican barbarians. Don't they understand the ways of Boston? I guess they're still clinging to their guns and their religion. You know, pretty soon Americans are going to wake up and realize how little the average American means to this White House and its congressional allies. After all, darlings, how many of those little people come to Aspen to attend meetings on climate change? Yuch. March 10, 2011 Permalink
MARCH 9, 2011 NATIONAL PUBLIC RIDICULOUSNESS – AT 7:40 P.M. ET: Vivian Schiller, CEO of National Public Radio, has resigned. The resignation, which many sources say was encouraged by NPR's board, comes a day after a secretly made tape was released on which a high NPR official, now himself resigned, made disparaging remarks about Republicans, Tea Party members, and, obliquely, Jews. And this comes only months after Juan Williams was fired from NPR on the basis of trumped-up charges of violating NPR's rules. The real reason was that he appears on Fox. And I suspect that there was annoyance that Williams, an African-American, doesn't parrot the liberal line. NPR and its partner in crime, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, are facing a public-relations crisis just as their funding is being considered in Congress. Republicans are determined to defund these budget drainers. When public television first got started, almost half a century ago, we only had three major television networks. An argument could be made for an "educational" TV system that couldn't raise funds through advertising, and which broadcast "high-quality" programs. Today, though, with cable and satellite systems in abundance, not to mention DVDs available in our mailboxes through Netflix, the argument for public subsidies of broadcast operations seems pretty weak. Shows like "Sesame Street" can easily find corporate backing. As for National Public Radio, I can't see why they should not have to compete in the marketplace of ideas, like everyone else. They put on some pretty good programs, and, if enough listeners agree, funds can be found. I say defund over a period of five years to give these institutions time to adjust. Their leftist bias has alienated them from millions of Americans. They have lost our confidence and respect. And with all that's available to us, their programming is no longer that special. March 9, 2011 Permalink
TRAGEDY IN LIBYA – AT 7:16 P.M. ET: While our dynamic president contemplates the philosophical nature of the world situation, and consults various authorities, Libya is becoming a bloody mess. The government forces are striking back, and the battle now seems to be tipping in their favor.
A broadcast report said that all the talk about outside nations imposing a no-fly zone has actually given impetus to the Qaddafi loyalists. They want to get in as much aerial bombing as possible before such a zone is established, if it ever is. We look awfully weak right now, and other nations in the Mideast are undoubtedly noticing. Obama has demanded that Qaddafi leave office, but has done absolutely nothing to back up the demand. NATO is going to meet on the Libyan crisis. However, it's widely believed that NATO will take no action without UN approval, and UN approval is virtually impossible to get, as China and Russia would oppose any Security Council resolution. As Oliver Hardy of Laurel & Hardy used to say, this is a fine mess. March 9, 2011 Permalink WHERE OBAMA STANDS – AT 9:43 A.M. ET: According to Gallup, President Obama is slipping in the polls again. From Andrew Malcolm at the L.A. Times's Top of the Ticket blog:
And...
COMMENT: Caution: These are not terrible figures and we shouldn't be popping the corks just yet. Still, an approval number of 43% among independents is nothing for the White House to brag about. One of the things that's hard to measure in these polls is the issue of enthusiasm, or electricity. Obama was elected in 2008 in part because his base was sizzling hot for him. This was "the man." Not since Republicans embraced Ronald Reagan has a base been as solidly behind a candidate. That electricity has lost some voltage. If it gets any worse, Obama may be running on the amount of juice used to power a smoke detector. Some Dems have lost faith in him, as noted in the post just below. The nation as a whole no longer sees him as unique. His racial "first" is, by now, ancient history. I would suspect that much of his "approval" number is soft approval. But Republicans haven't named their candidate. Even if Obama's approval stays below 50%, he can still win, if the GOP nominates a clunker. I recall the 1964 election, when President Lyndon Johnson won a landslide victory, even though it was hard to find anyone who liked Johnson. But he was running against Barry Goldwater, who scared people. The Dems convinced America that Barry would launch the missiles, and that did much to give Johnson a solid victory. And recall that Nixon, never loved, sometimes loathed, won two presidential elections, the second against George McGovern, who also scared people. Just as Americans thought Barry would launch the missiles, Americans believed George would scrap the missiles. Just as scary. The GOP's choice of candidate will determine who wins the election. The field is plentiful but not deep, respectable but not loved. We need passion in a party that regards passion as sinful. March 9, 2011 Permalink EVEN THE DEMS ARE WHISPERING – AT 8:28 A.M. ET: About President Obama's lack of leadership. From the first day, Obama never seemed to like the job. He just wanted to have it. Good food. Great concerts at the White House. Terrific private jet. But the work load. Jeez, who needs that? Now even Democrats are starting to buzz about Mr. Obama's indifference, even on budget matters. From the Washington Examiner:
Involved? Is that in the Constitution? Where does it say "involved"?
Feinstein isn't the only one complaining:
Remember that two years ago Obama was being presented to the American people as a demigod, who would solve all our problems with a wave of the hand. Now he won't even wave the hand. A wink, maybe. But no hand. And get this:
COMMENT: The bloom is definitely off Obama's rose. Add to this his failure to lead during the revolts in the Mideast, his offhand treatment of the Australian prime minister when she visited earlier this week, and we have a picture of a president whose record may have as many blank spots as his life story. But don't despair, Barack. Katie Couric will save you in 2012. March 9, 2011 Permalink AND NOW THE REAL PROBLEMS BEGIN – AT 8:14 A.M. ET: Many reporters covering the Egyptian revolt, especially the worthies from The New York Times, acted as if the whole thing were a high-school musical. Hey, look at those common folk out there. Let's have a song. Then we learned of the horrific attack on CBS correspondent Lara Logan, beaten and sexually assaulted by a mob of protesters who surrounded her yelling "Jew, Jew, Jew!" (She is not Jewish.) Of course, that story faded rather quickly. Now, another horrible incident in the "new" Egypt. I guess Christian pilgrims won't be traveling to Egypt anytime soon. From Reuters, via The Jerusalem Post:
COMMENT: Let's see how much coverage this will get in the mainstream media. Do you think NPR will cover it in depth? We wait for some career-minded reporter to find a link between Coptic Christians and the Tea Party. Don't laugh. March 9, 2011 Permalink INCREDIBLE – AT 7:57 A.M. ET: Brought to you first this morning as still another reminder of the vast corruption at the UN. From Fox:
COMMENT: And yet, we were recently lectured to by our UN ambassador, Susan Rice, about how much the United States needs the UN. And we're told that President Barack (just call me Jimmah) Obama is reluctant to take any action without UN approval. It's bad enough to have the insane run loose. To put our future in their hands makes us just as insane. March 9, 2011 Permalink
|
"What you see is news. What you know is background. What you feel is opinion."
"Councils of war breed timidity and defeatism." THE ANGEL'S CORNER Part I of The Angel's Corner was sent late last night. Part II will be sent over the weekend.
SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions to URGENT AGENDA are voluntary. Why subscribe to something you're getting free? To help guarantee that you'll continue to get it at all, and to get The Angel's Corner, which we now offer to subscribers and donators. Subscriptions sustain us. Payments are through PayPal and are secure, but you do not have to sign up for a PayPal account. Credit cards are fine.
FOR A SIX-MONTH ($26)
GREAT DEAL: ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION WITH ANOTHER SUBSCRIPTION SENT TO SOMEONE ELSE ($69) - PERFECT FOR A SON OR DAUGHTER AT SCHOOL. (TELL US AT service@urgentagenda.com WHERE YOU WANT THE SECOND SUBSCRIPTION SENT.) CLICK:
IF YOU DON'T WISH A SET SUBSCRIPTION, BUT PREFER TO DONATE ANY OTHER AMOUNT TO SUSTAIN URGENT AGENDA, CLICK:
POWER LINE It's a privilege for me to post periodic pieces at Power Line. To go to Power Line, click here. To link to my Power Line pieces, go here.
CONTACT: YOU CAN E-MAIL US, AS FOLLOWS: If you have wonderful things to say about this site, if it makes you a better person, please click: If you have a general comment on anything you see here, or on anything else that's topical, please click:
SIZZLING SITES Power Line
LEGAL NOTICES: If you are a legal copyright holder or a designated agent for such and you believe a post on this website falls outside the boundaries of "Fair Use" and legitimately infringes on yours or your client's copyright, we may be contacted concerning copyright matters at: Urgent Agenda Phone: 914-420-1849 In accordance with section 512 of the U.S. Copyright Act our contact information has been registered with the United States Copyright Office.
© 2011 William Katz
|
| ````` | ||