I Think FoxNews Is "Perturbed" With Hugo Chavez And The U.N.
Read the tone of this article by George Russell of FoxNews. It seems that the Venezuelan government put up a strawman argument against a FoxNews story about Chavez getting scanners through the United Nations. Then they produced documents that supposedly proved FoxNews wrong.
FOX News questioned UNDP’s purchase of $2.3
million worth of airport walk-through body scanners for Hugo Chavez’s
radical socialist government in Venezuela, in a story
on April 1. Two days later, UNDP replied by posting a number of
documents on the Internet, all of which raise new questions about
whether the entire deal was a façade for a scam, and whether the
scanners were ever shipped at all.
Mr. Russell then goes on to completely fisk the Venezuelan government's response and reiterates that it seems there is something shady about this whole deal. I particularly like the end.
It does, however, add further emphasis to one of
the final questions asked in the April 1 FOX story: "What role is an
agency devoted to alleviating international poverty playing as a
general contractor for the authoritarian rulers of an oil-rich nation,
who are also avowed supporters of terrorism in the Western Hemisphere?â€
Seems like this is what journalism should be about. Good for Mr. Russell... I hope he gets pissed off more often. I might then be able to say I don't hate all the MSM.
Meanwhile, Chavez has nationalized the cement industry in Venezuela and is upset with Colombia again. Dave in Texas has the story over at Ace's, so hat-tip to him. I give Chavez two or three months at most before he tries something militarily (yes, I still think it's going to happen). When it does, remember where you heard it first, m'kay?
1
A good war always takes the mind of the proletariat off of the fact that they're starving. So, yeah, I think he'll take a shot at Columbia.
But I also give it 60-40 odds that the military will shoot the village idiot and take over the gov't. before it gets to Venezuelan boots on Columbian ground.
Posted by: BrendaK at 05 April 2008@16:34:46 (yAyo7)
2
My understanding is that many Venezuelans rally around him because they think it's patriotic. He has almost complete control of the media, so much of his idiocy doesn't get reported accurately.
Plus, if he can give FARC terrorists $300million, then his top military guys are probably sitting pretty with Hugo in charge. It's possible someone will take him out, but I'd put it closer to 20-80 against. My SWAG (Scientific Wild-Ass Guess) generator is kind of wonky right now though, so I'm trying to be careful here.
Posted by: Stashiu3 at 05 April 2008@16:53:32 (tarqT)
I'll Be Right Back... I Have To Go To The Bathroom -- Part 2
There must be a new and devilishly clever chapter to the al-Qaida manual on escape and evasion. A disturbing trend since I reported this in a post back on the 9th of March.
Sidna, 26, had just finished a round of
questioning Wednesday at the capital's courthouse when he asked his
guards for permission to go to the bathroom. A witness said the guards
allowed him to go into the stall by himself, but did not guard the
doorway. When he re-emerged, Sidna ran for the courthouse's exit and
quickly blended into the crowd outside.
I really should forward these posts to the guards at Guantanamo... just in case. (Yes, that's sarcasm)
China And Misdirection
The biggest reason for this:
A Chinese decision to provide information for use
in the agency's attempts to probe Iran's purported nuclear weapons
program would appear to reflect growing international unease about how
honest the Islamic republic has been in denying it ever tried to make
such arms.
Wu provided no details or evidence. He used the
term "gan si dui," a rarely used phrase directly translated as
"dare-to-die corps." The official English version of his remarks
translated the term as "suicide squads."
Wu said police had arrested an individual who he
claimed was an operative of the "Dalai Lama clique," responsible for
gathering intelligence and distributing pamphlets calling for an
uprising.
Pentagon Releases "Harsh Interrogation" Memo
Of course, it's being spun as a "Torture Memo" even though nothing in it constitutes torture except in the addled minds of leftists.
The Justice Department memo, dated March 14, 2003, outlines legal
justification for military interrogators to use harsh tactics against al-Qaida and Taliban detainees overseas — so long as they did not specifically intend to torture their captors.
I'm sure they meant "captives"... slip of the tongue there.
"Our previous opinions make clear that customary international law is
not federal law and that the president is free to override it at his
discretion," said the memo written by John Yoo, who was then deputy
assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel.
So not giving a captive a second cup of morning coffee isn't necessarily torture, even if Amnesty International or the European Union claims it is. The United States is sovereign and not bound by anti-American opinions of what means of interrogation are acceptable. Who knew?
Haynes, the Defense Department's longest-serving general counsel,
resigned in late February to return to the private sector. He has been
hotly criticized for his role in crafting Bush administration policies
for detaining and trying suspected terrorists that some argue led to
prisoner abuses at the detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Never happened. Just because the media keeps saying it did, doesn't mean it ever happened. I was there and I know what I saw, I know what the detainees claimed officially, and what they said outside the eye of the media. I never saw anything happen while I was there and never saw any record that would indicate detainees were abused as a result of any policy.
I really hate the MSM and stories like this are why. *spit* Oh, and Senator Leahy can kiss my ass.
1
The problem is that the administration is claiming these powers. Actual use of them is secondary. It's claiming powers it shouldn't have, according to the Constitution. Moreoever, it's claiming the sole right to define what those powers are. This is known as the James I theory of government. You'll remember how well that went over when Charles I tried to put the theory into practice.
And furthermore, when faced with the question, 'are you using those powers', its response is "trust me". I believe there's no abuse going at Gitmo. That's because I trust you, not because I trust any government official.
Posted by: kishnevi at 02 April 2008@19:29:16 (VRY8/)
What powers are they claiming that they don't really have? I haven't seen a single claim of power by the Administration that is prohibited by the Constitution. I've seen plenty of claims about what the Administration claimed, but nothing by the Administration itself. The problem, it seems to me, is that people keep screaming about what the Administration means by what it says rather than listen to what it's actually saying.
Remember that the Executive Branch is supposed to be co-equal, not subordinate to the Legislative and Judicial Branches. Congress has been trying to claim oversight for a long time, which is what the Administration has been resisting... and they're right to do so. Congress has mechanisms in place to check and balance the power of the Executive Branch, but they'd rather do it by politics and spin instead of by the Constitution.
Posted by: Stashiu3 at 02 April 2008@19:54:25 (tarqT)
3That's because I trust you, not because I trust any government official.
Btw, thank you for that... and for coming back here so often. I always value our discussions.
Posted by: Stashiu3 at 02 April 2008@19:59:01 (tarqT)
4
The government has claimed and taken powers that are unconstitutional but it is the legislative and judicial branches that have done so. The executive branch has not greatly worried me since 2000.
Posted by: Machinist at 02 April 2008@21:54:55 (yFIK0)
5
Actually, except for Kelo, I've been pretty happy with the Judicial Branch. Kelo was a travesty though. Why should anyone be able to take my property against my will for someone else's profit? It goes against everything I believe about property rights.
I understand eminent domain when there is an over-riding "public interest", although it should be an exceptionally compelling interest even then... but for another private citizen who wants to develop my property? No way.
Posted by: Stashiu3 at 02 April 2008@22:20:01 (tarqT)
6
I agree on that case but I am more disturbed by judges imposing taxes, mandating legislation, interfering in elections, creating constitutional rights and ignoring others that the founding fathers wrote. When you allow these powers to unelected, unaccountable people you are courting disaster. In California we had the 9th Circuit Court of appeals. They considered themselves God's Regents.
Posted by: Machinist at 02 April 2008@22:39:46 (yFIK0)
7
Except for the 9th Circuit, I have trouble coming up with any examples since 2000. Especially from the Supreme Court.
Posted by: Stashiu3 at 02 April 2008@22:44:49 (tarqT)
8
Now, the SC did have Hamdan, which I didn't like but understand their reasoning. It didn't seem to be judicial activism in any case.
Posted by: Stashiu3 at 02 April 2008@22:48:30 (tarqT)
9
The present supreme court is a comfort to me. I would be more comfortable with one more justice who believed in the constitution.
Posted by: Machinist at 02 April 2008@23:04:26 (yFIK0)
10
Just when the USSC gets balanced (in so many ways, heh), we are facing this election season which will give us two out of three Branches unbalanced again.
:sigh:
Posted by: Stashiu3 at 02 April 2008@23:17:14 (tarqT)
Israeli's Building New Housing In The West Bank
Israel is building new housing in the West Bank. Good for them except the Palestinians and our State Department will probably want them to give it to the terrorists of Hamas and Fatah.
Jerusalem's city hall announced it would build
600 new apartments in Pisgat Zeev, a Jewish neighborhood in the eastern
sector of the city. Soon after, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish party said
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised to build 800 additional homes in
one of Israel's largest West Bank settlements, Betar Illit.
Israel can kick all the Palestinians out of both Gaza and the West Bank for all I care. It's Israeli territory paid for in Israeli blood after they were the ones attacked. Let Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the other surrounding countries take in the poor "refugees". The PA still refuses to accept Israel's right to even exist... why should Israel accept the PA's right to exist? When every attempt at compromise is met with more rocket attacks and suicide bombings, Israel would be completely justified in saying "No More". This gem is in the last paragraph...
A Palestinian who tried to stab Israeli
hitchhikers near a West Bank Jewish settlement was shot and killed by
one of them, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said, calling the
shooting self-defense.
The Dalai Lama -- Promotes Rioting? *UPDATE: And Terrorism!*
China has accused the Dalai Lama of supporting riots. Are they kidding? That's like accusing Mother Theresa of running a call-girl operation. The man's entire life has been devoted to peace and religion.
A report by Xinhua, China's official news agency, said the
government had evidence the Dalai Lama and his supporters had
planned the rash of anti-Chinese unrest across the Himalayan
region and nearby areas this month.
Maybe it's true, however unlikely... I don't take anything the Chinese government says at face-value. Asking themselves why such a prominent symbol of peace would promote civil unrest might be a good place for them to start looking for "root causes".
Free Tibet. Boycott the Olympics. Recognize Taiwan as independent. Completely cut off aid to the Palestinians. Secure the borders at the same time we help Mexico no longer need to send illegals here. Invest the money we're currently sending the PA in Mexican businesses, not the government. Put Venezuela on the list of terrorist supporters and stop buying their oil until they get rid of Chavez. Stop trying to appease tyranny in all its forms (Socialism, Communism, Radical Islam, etc..) There's a lot more we can do. We're not going to be in a position to do these things if we keep letting the despots gather power.
*UPDATE* I originally had China accusing the Dalai Lama of terrorism in the headline and changed it because I didn't want to go too far. Go figure.
China escalated its rhetoric against supporters of the Dalai Lama on Tuesday, accusing the Nobel Peace laureate's backers of planning suicide attacks.
The big lie... I guess China didn't think the first one was quite large enough.
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