Report on "Anti-War" Protesters Turn Violent

 What is it about these sorts of people who so oppose violence they are willing to use any means nescessary (including violence) to get their message across?

Look, either you oppose violence or you don’t.  You oppose fighting or you don’t.  Apparently they are all for attacking 71 year old civillians (hmmm…anyone else we know who likes to go after unarmed civillians?) but not for taking out evil regimes who threaten the safety and security of America.

That’s the definition of "dissonance."

China Slams Media For Olympic Bias

I found this statement particularly telling:   "So many criticisms in this room just reflect how biased some of the media are about China, how little some of the media understand China."

I couldn’t agree more.  If those reporters really understood China, or at least the Chinese Government, they would know that reporters who ask too many "real" questions get the boot - that is if they are lucky enough to be foreign journalists.  The local folk are sent off to "re-education" camps.

Why the IOOC ever expected China to be different just because they are hosting the olympics is beyond me.  And for journalists to get all in a snit because a totalitarian regime is acting like a totalitarian regime is just laughable.

There is an ancient Chinese proverb that everyone dealing with the Chinese Government needs to remember - "Don’t expect a cat to bark." 

Caging the Embarrassments

The DNC’s commitment to free speech is in full swing, and thanks to a lawsuit, in full view of the public.  Protesters at the  Democratic National Convention will be behind chicken-wire or chain-link fences, and will face additional (but as yet undisclosed) security procedures.

What the DNC is afraid of is a bunch of their left-wing fringe elements complaining that, once again, they are being pushed aside in order for the Democratic nominee to appear at least "rational" to the rest of the nation.  Barak Obama will be eschewing immediate withdrawal from Iraq (he’ll have to - because a precipitous withdrawal platform plank would be unpopular and a danger to his candidacy), and that will be sending MOVEON.ORG and CODEPINK over the edge.

So what we are likely to see is the embarrassing picture of a vocal minority of the party "caged" like raving lunatics frothing at the mouth that their leadership is not actually doing what they promised they’d do, and a leadership placating us all with terms like "free speech zones," and "security."

The DNC is different from the RNC HOW? 

Well, for the moment Gay Marriage is legal in California.  Now the questions start.

Can a Church, even the Roman Catholic Church, refuse to perform gay marriages?

 Nonsense, you mutter.  Of course they can.  No one said churches have to allow gays to marry - only that they cannot be denied state recognition of their legal marriage!

But think about it.  Who gives ministers their authority to perform legal marriage?  God provides the "spiritual authority," but the legal authority comes from the state.  In California, it’s the "state of California," not God, who is recognized as the legal authority for peforming marriages.

The priest (or minister, or rabbi) is simply a stand-in for a judge or justice-of-the-peace.  He is granted the authority to marry people by the state.  Now, if he (or she) is going to go discriminating, who’s to say the state won’t pull his authority? 

But there’s generally an "exception" granted by the state for religions.  And in  the case of abortion that’s true.  Church run hospitals and people of conscience can and do refuse to perform abortions all the time with no repercussions - as long as there is someone else to do the aborting.  However, the California Court couched it’s rhetorhic in terms of racial discrimination.  Racial exceptions - that is, the right to discriminate based on race - are much harde to win.  Not only that, but ministers aren’t doctors.  There are no "legal" ramifications to an abortion.  Doctors provide medical services, not legal imprimatures.  Not all licensed doctors are competent to do abortions.  All licensed ministers ARE competent (under the state system) to officiate at weddings.

So in the future, don’t be surprised when ministers who refuse to toe the new "civil rights" line are forced to surrender their marriage authority.  Couples will be forced to go to a priest (who performs the "spiritual" marriage) and then to a justice of the peace (who performs the "legal" marriage.) 

Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio introduced articles of Impeachment yesterday, and the Democratic leadership listened politely for several hours as Rep. Kucinich read off his "charges" against the President.  They then promptly voted to send his bill to committee, where it will languish until President Bush is out office.

Calling the President a "war criminal," "incompetent," and "dishonest" for political gain is one thing - actually taking steps to remove him is completely different.  As much as the Democratic Leadership findi it useful to denigrate and insult our Commander In Chief, they have little actual use for his head.

He’s the "bogeyman" in the closet.  Eminently useful for scaring the "children" into behaving, but totally worthless if he is exposed as little more than a shadow or a noisy mouse.  How can the Democrats milk George W. for votes if they’ve punished him?

As "horrible," as "criminal," as "evil" as he is, George is much more useful to the Democrats in office than in disgrace.  Don’t expect  any expeditions into the closet anytime soon.

Barak Quits Trinity Baptist Church

Notice anything familliar about this?  It’s a politician, doing what’s politically expedient, and timing it in a political manner.  Barak Obama - the "new" politician, seems to have taken his play book from every other politician in history.

As I recall, Bill Clinton was a "new" kind of Democrat.  It turned out he proceeded to tax and spend just like every other "old" Democrat out there.

The "Man from Hope" seems to have taught the man with the "Audacity of Hope" how to manipulate people’s emotions very well. 

Junkfood Science: The compassionate message was lost

And the "Paradox" Plays On….. 

This column by Lawrence Solomon over at National Post shows the problem with relying on anything Wikipedia says as a useful source.

The change page for the cited article is here. It looks like KimDabelsteinPeterson (Tabletop) has a real bug up her arse as she tries to prevent accurate revisions to the page.

Hate Speech: Hate speech is verbal communication that induces anger due to the listener’s inability to offer an intelligent response.

Fitna

Fitna the Movie is Geert Wilder’s film about Radical Islam and it’s influence not only on the world but on his own country.  You must see this film to understand (from their own book and mouths) what the Radical Islamic agenda is.

 It moved - but you can see it here!

Fitna