The Rant

posted by Bob Clasen from the L.A. Times: A Suicidal Selection With Dean as party chairman, the Democrats wouldn't need enemies. JONATHAN CHAIT February 4, 2005 A few weeks ago, when former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean declared his intention to run for chairman of the Democratic National Committee, news reports had the general tone of "Get this, that crazy scream guy is back and he wants to run the party." Now, a week before the vote, his victory is a fait accompli. How did this happen? Are Democrats suicidally crazy? Wait. That's too easy. Let me rephrase the question. Why are Democrats suicidally crazy? The conventional rap against Dean as DNC chairman is essentially the same as the conventional rap against him as presidential candidate a year ago. Namely, he reinforces all the party's weaknesses. Democrats need to appeal to culturally traditional voters in the Midwest and border states who worry about the party's commitment to national sec

by Bob Clasen Watching the state of contemporary American politics, it strikes me that Democrats have become conservative and reactionary and Republicans progressive and creative. Republicans propose to fight terrorism by encouraging democracy world wide and by striking directly at terrorist sponsors, wherever they may be found. Democrats resist on the grounds that we have "always" made deals with corrupt tyrannies. Why should we change now? They resist every suggestion, point out every possibility of failure, drag their heals and have nothing positive to offer except to hire more police and firemen to clean up the next attack faster. The Republicans want to play offense, the Democrats defense. But the best defense is a good offense and it is better to fight terrorism in Iraq than in New York. Republicans propose to modernize and improve the 70 year old Social Security system and Democrats say "No! Never! Over our dead bodies! On the grounds that Social Security

posted by Bob Clasen Incredibly, the European Union has come out against human rights activists in Cuba and in favor of Fidel Castro. Taking the lead from the Socialist government in Spain, the EU has publicly asked its members not to invite dissidents and human rights activists as guests to its embassies in Havana. This reminds me of the British government in late 1939 and very early 1940, when AFTER they had declared war on Germany, they decided not to give Churchill a portfolio in the government because they were afraid of angering Hitler. http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2005_02_00.shtml#1107363948 _________________________________________ Vaclav Havel reminds the EU of the consequences of openly siding with evil, remembering the positions of the western countries in inviting (or often not inviting) dissidents to their embassies behind the Iron Curtain: _________________________________________ http://www.vcrisis.com/index.php?content=letters/200501280940 I canno

posted by Bob Clasen: Here is a controversial article by Dennis Prager. I also find a lack of political moral clarity among the left. If you ask the basic question: "Is Iraq better off now with Hussein deposed?" the answer seems clear to me. To many liberals, it does not. Some argue that nothing has changed for the average Iraqi and that security is worse. The idea of Freedom seems to be a meaningless abstraction, along with the words "Good" and "Evil." For many liberals, the word "evil" is associated with religion, is therefore superstitious and without meaningful content. All that matters is material things: food, water, peace. Moral abstractions such as liberty and freedom have no content for this type of modern mind, like Spock listening to the rants of Dr. McCoy on Star Trek without comprehension. For me, the essence of evil is murder and theft: using violence to get your way. If an individual leads life this way, he is a c

Victory and defeat Thomas Sowell ____________________________________  Remember all the political outcries that the Iraqi elections should be postponed because it would be impossible to hold elections with terrorism rampant throughout the country?  Fortunately, most Iraqis do not see the American media, with its distorted picture of their country, so they went to the polls -- with a higher turnout than in our own elections last November. Over here we worry about whether falling snow will reduce turnout. But the Iraqis braved threats of death in order to take control of Iraq.  First and foremost, it was a great victory for the Iraqi people. It was also a great victory for the magnetic appeal of freedom, even in a country that has so long been denied it. What some of our own politicians and media pundits are obviously afraid of is that it will also be seen as a victory for President Bush.  In the eyes of some people, nothing that the Bush administration does can be right. If

by Bob Clasen Isn't it interesting that in the 22 state Arab League, not one state is democratic? Now, the only democratically elected government is going to be courtesy of the infidel Americans. I wonder what the Arab people think when they watch images of the jubilant Iraqis voting and compare these images with what their Arab mainstream media has been telling them? Of course, with all media government controlled, there is not going to be any pro American coverage, but facts speak for themselves. The Lebanese and Egyptians and Saudi Arabians are going to wonder why they don't get to vote? Iraq provides a living challenge to the Arabs beyond fundamentalist terrorist suicide frustration. I heard many liberal experts saying that Iraq continues to teeter on the brink of civil war, but I have been amazed at the patience and discipline and moderation of the Shia and Kurdish parties. Kennedy keeps going on about how Iraq is a new Vietnam and a quagmire, but it see

by Bob Clasen Experts such as Barbara Boxer and Ted Kennedy and French President Jack Chirac and most European Intellectuals and the Mainstream American Media know that Iraq is an unmitigated disaster and that Islam is fundamentally inconsistent with democracy. [This is a rather alarming truth for parts of Europe such as France and Holland and Belgium where the Islamic population is sky rocketing and projected to be a majority in a relatively short time]. Everyone knows these obvious truths except that dunce Bush and his uneducated right wing fanatic followers. His biggest problem is that he will not listen to experts and refuses to admit when he is wrong, even when he is given opportunity after opportunity to do so by the patient and courageous press. Just as everyone knew you couldn't win a land war in Afghanistan, that a democratic election in Afghanistan was doomed from the start to deteriorate into permanent civil war between the warlords, that an invasion of Iraq co