Articles
May 31, 2006
Hillary Clinton: Dead Candidate Walking?
Noel Sheppard
For Hillary Clinton and her terminally unfaithful husband, last week must have seemed like a Wes Craven version of an old musical comedy reworked and entitled 'A Ghastly Thing Happened on the Way Back to the White House.' With Hillary... More
May 31, 2006
Al Gore Redux
Rosslyn Smith
When I read that Al Gore was riding high on the consulting circuit and putting together a glossy documentary on global warming, I thought back to the night in early 1992 when I was in the audience with about 100... More
May 31, 2006
Kerry's Catch-22
Russ Vaughn
[Catch—22: A situation in which a desired outcome or solution is impossible to attain because of a set of inherently illogical rules or conditions.] John Kerry may fancy himself a war hero and an old hand at armed combat but... More
May 30, 2006
Evangelicals and Israel: An Interview with David Brog
Ed Lasky
David Brog is the author of the book Standing with Israel: Why Christians Support the Jewish State. He attended Princeton University and Harvard Law School, served as an executive at America Online, and practiced corporate law. He has recently been... More
May 30, 2006
The New York Times and Ahmadinejad
Steven M. Warshawsky
The New York Times Sunday offered a disgustingly sympathetic portrait of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (hat tip: Dinocrat). While the article acknowledges (in the words of an anonymous political science professor in Tehran) that "being against Jews and Zionists is... More
May 30, 2006
Shameful resolutions
Matt May
You've got to hand it to the anti—war zealots on the left: No matter the venue, no matter the inappropriateness of time and place, they manage to show up and bark at the moon or the sun or anyone who... More
May 27, 2006
Just One Old Ernie Pyle
Russ Vaughn
As a boy of four in '44 I missed out on his style; But at thirty—six in '76 I learned more of Ernie Pyle. To read his tributes to our troops always brought the question why, That my own war's... More
May 27, 2006
The Eloquent Dead
John B. Dwyer
It was originally called Decoration Day. In 1868 the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans led by Major General John A. Logan, established it as a day set aside for placing flowers at the graves of war... More
May 27, 2006
River Rats Remember
Dennis Sevakis
Ordinarily, being named 'Rat of the Year' would seem a dubious honor. However, members of the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association, also known as the Red River Valley Association or RRVA, call themselves 'River Rats.' To be named River... More
May 26, 2006
Kharijism and Cultural War
J.R. Dunn
Five years into the War on Terror, the debate on our relationship with Islam remains on the level of 'Nuke 'em all' on one hand or 'Islam is the religion of peace' on the other. It never gets beyond those... More
May 26, 2006
Restore History and Theory to Military Education
James Homes
Strategic thinking —— roughly speaking, the art of using history and theory to grapple with today's security challenges —— is in decline in the U.S. defense community. Cutbacks in military education only compound the problem. Last year, in fact, Secretary... More
May 26, 2006
Long-term Vision, Short-term Blindness
Steve Feinstein
Conventional wisdom says that the Republicans are in real danger of losing one, if not both Houses of Congress this November. There has been a never—ending stream of bad political news for the President and his party since last year—the... More
May 25, 2006
God Bless America: Olmert speaks to Congress
Ed Lasky
A few days ago, I was fortunate to receive an invitation to hear Israeli Prime minister Ehud Olmert address a rare joint session of Congress. (the full text of the speech can be found here) Occasions that merit a joint... More
May 25, 2006
The Ugly Underside of the Nanny State
Chrisopher G. Adamo
In a stunning act of treachery against the American people, the Senate has set the stage to plunder America's Social Security system and give the spoils to illegal immigrants. The phony 'compassion' of liberalism is on display and the dive—by... More
May 25, 2006
Iran's Ahmadinejad is not Unhinged
Amil Imani
The world is captivated by the sudden rise of a relatively unknown to the presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran, for his torrent of outrageous statements and claims. He has, thus, in a short time acquired great many appellations.... More
May 24, 2006
Border Towns Under Siege
Douglas Hanson
In its plan to station National Guard troops on the border to help stem the tide of illegal immigration, the Bush administration is ignoring a decades—old problem in the southwestern US. Part and parcel of the chaos in the desert... More
May 24, 2006
The 55 Mile Per Hour Question
Andrew Sumereau
In late summer of the year 1912, after much heated debate, Congress finally passed the comprehensive 'Aquatic Safety Law.' The legislation was developed in response to the horrific sinking of the British steamship Titanic after it collided with an... More
May 23, 2006
Why Mahmoud may be madder than Mao
James Lewis
It is very scary to think about the unthinkable. Liberals are therefore all over the media trying to rationalize the nuclear threat coming from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his merry Mullahs. Paul Starobin just had such an article in the National... More
May 23, 2006
The Yellow Badge of Denial
Andrew G. Bostom
Controversy still swirls over allegations that Iran's government plans to require non—Muslims to wear identifying clothing. The Canadian National Post has retracted its May 19, 2006 report about a putative Iranian Law requiring non—Muslim minorities—Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians—to wear color—coded... More
May 23, 2006
A Reply to Jimmy Carter
Rachel Neuwirth
In recent years, former President Jimmy Carter has shown a growing animosity toward Israel. Just this past January, at the Herzliya Conference, President Carter must have astounded his audience when he declared that 'you can't have a Palestinian state living... More
May 22, 2006
Is Left-Leaning Google Censoring Right-Leaning Websites?
Noel Sheppard and Marc Sheppard
Something frighteningly ominous has been happening on the Internet lately: Google, without any prior explanation or notice, has been terminating its News relationship with conservative e—zines and web journals. At first blush, one can easily ignore such business decisions by... More
May 22, 2006
Tectonic Plates Moving on Madison Street
Richard Baehr
Chicago, the most ebulliently American of our big cities, is seeing a great reversal of fortune in baseball, the American national pastime. The White Sox, scandalized as the "Black Sox" almost a century ago, the team of the downscale Southside,... More
May 22, 2006
The Worst Vice Presidential Candidate in History?
Bob Weir
There have been many political candidates who were willing to say or do just about anything to get elected. It's one of the reasons why politicians are so often rated below used car salesmen in public opinion surveys. On Sunday's... More
May 21, 2006
Jesus and Muhammad: Major Differences (2)
James Arlandson
Part One may be read here. [If readers would like to see multiple translations of the Quran, they should click on this website. This article uses the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible, but multiple translations may be read... More
May 20, 2006
Badging Infidels in Iran
Andrew G. Bostom
The Iranian Majlis or Parliament has reportedly passed (now disputed) a law requiring that, 'Jews would have to sew a yellow strip of cloth on the front of their clothes, while Christians would wear red badges and Zoroastrians would be forced... More
May 20, 2006
Migrations: a Socio-Political Parable
C. MacLeod Fuller
You live at Number 1 Constitution Street. It is a lovely white house, quite something more than the cottage you had when first wed. There are no barriers between you and your peaceful neighbors. You live a quiet life with... More
May 20, 2006
Jesus and Muhammad: Major Differences (1)
James Arlandson
Aggressive Islam is on the march. Terror attacks; violent protests over cartoons; many pushes to establish Islamic courts in Europe and Canada; demands to silence free speech, to criminalize criticism of the messenger of Allah; the President of Iran threatening... More
May 19, 2006
The Case Against Libby Weakens
Clarice Feldman
The Libby case has always tantalized the left with its imagined scent of corruption in the White House. Libby himself was a highly—placed target, but the blood lust raged for a bigger name. The left was gnawing their paws at... More
May 19, 2006
Hamstringing Intelligence
Rick Moran
The hearings to confirm General Michael Hayden as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency have had some unintentional effects. The culpability of Congress in what almost all observers agree is the dysfunctional nature of our intelligence community is on view.... More
May 19, 2006
Hirsi Ali is Your Problem Now, America
Frederik H. Coppes
Hirsi Ali has become a cause celebre among American conservatives as a refugee from Islamic oppression. Sympathy has led to an uncritical assignment to her of virtue. Please consider the facts. Yes, the Dutch politician Hirsi Ali is a charming... More
May 19, 2006
What Conservative Paradigm?
Steven M. Warshawsky
In yesterday's American Spectator, Jeffrey Lord argued that "[e]lections are about paradigms, not presidents," and predicts that Republicans won't lose control of Congress this year because a "conservative paradigm" currently exists in this country and "America is not about to... More
May 18, 2006
Red Ken and Red China
Thomas Lifson
The Mayor of London, fresh from palling around with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, 'dropped a clanger' yesterday, as the Brits say. 'Red Ken' Livingstone is defending the memory of Chairman Mao, usually reckoned to be the deadliest dictator in history, with the... More
May 18, 2006
Letter to Dan Brown
anonymous
[Editor's Note: the following unsigned letter came into our hands by accident. We do not sympathize with or take responsibility for its content or the views expressed therein. We are publishing this letter because of the world—wide interest in the opening of... More
May 18, 2006
Bush on Immigration: Repackaging the Trojan Horse
Christopher G. Adamo
Among the tiny handful of Americans who still clung to the illusion that President Bush might want to truly address and correct the illegal immigration crisis, it only took the first moments of his May 15 speech to dispel all... More
May 17, 2006
The Earle of Duke
Clarice Feldman
We have two fine literary examples of trials occasioned by charges of interracial rape: To Kill a Mockingbird and Passage to India. Both involve false claims of women against men of other races, accompanied by seething rage in the defendants'... More
May 17, 2006
Hamas and the Killing of Innocents
Edward Bernard Glick
Why should Hamas care if its irredentist terrorism kills or causes Israel to kill innocent civilians? If one looks at the existential Palestine—Israel struggle as Hamas looks at it, it is obvious that Hamas is winning. Not only did it... More
May 17, 2006
The Strange Partner of Brandeis University
Lori Lowenthal Marcus
Brandeis University has created a special relationship with the Arab Palestinian al—Quds University, a partnership which it says will 'make the world a better place.' This is a pathetic gesture, one which blinds the recognition of evil. Al—Quds University honors the murderers... More
May 16, 2006
Zarqawi and the Company of Blood
J.R. Dunn
There are two distinct types that end up on top after a revolutionary—insurgency victory: intellectuals who can double as men of action, and thugs. The first —— the thinkers who can handle themselves in a brawl —— are typified by... More
May 16, 2006
Preserving Self-Preservation
Seth Cooper
This month the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that there is a fundamental right of self—preservation protected by the U.S. Constitution. In Abigail Alliance v. Eschenbach (D.C. Cir. 2006), the D.C. Circuit faced a due process challenge to Food... More
May 16, 2006
The Sky is Falling Again
Bob Weir
Let me ask you a question: are you making phone calls that you would be ashamed of if the government knew about them? Think about the phone calls you make every day and ask yourself if you really believe someone... More
May 15, 2006
Fitzgerald and Plame's Covert Status
Douglas Hanson
Lost in all of the legal analysis by the punditry involving the Plame case is the fact that operational security terminology is being used by Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald to deliberately muddy the waters concerning Plame's covert status. This is what... More
May 15, 2006
"You Must Suggest an Alternative"
Christopher Chantrill
It's one thing to complain about the problems of the welfare state. But what are you going to do about it? That is what author and journalist James Bartholomew confronted on May 10 when he presented a copy of his... More
May 15, 2006
Rush Limbaugh and Liberalism's Fatal Flaw
Vasko Kohlmayer
One of the Left's great agonies and frustrations of the past fifteen years has been its abortive quest to field a counterpart to Rush Limbaugh. Fully cognizant of the massive damage inflicted on it by talk radio, a number of... More
May 14, 2006
The Good Ship Fitzgerald Is Listing
Clarice Feldman
While the media focuses on handwritten notations by the Vice President on a newspaper article, there is much more to be gleaned from late Friday's court filings in the Libby case. The spin says that damaging new evidence has surfaced.... More
May 14, 2006
The Joy Of Her Life, The Grace Of Her Days
John B. Dwyer
The sweet, soft airs of Spring flow across the field out back, playing a gentle song on the harp of the trees in the neighboring woods while a red—tailed hawk soars skyward, circling benediction from on high, ever upwards towards... More
May 13, 2006
Jesus and Muhammad on Wealth
James Arlandson
Both Jesus and Muhammad said that we should give to the poor (and so do most world religions). But beyond this basic generosity, they had very different attitudes and policies on money. In Islam, the Third of Five Pillars, the... More
May 12, 2006
Airbus Loses Altitude
Thomas Lifson
The largest and most technologically sophisticated companies in the world rarely surrender to the competition and admit they have made a poor decision about what to produce. That's why the leak of Airbus' latest product plan is so significant. A state—supported... More
May 12, 2006
GOP 'Moderates' Put Democrat Principles in Charge
Christopher G. Adamo
Were any anti—government 'militia' or separatist organization to consistently discuss Timothy McVeigh as merely a 'rental truck operator,' their underlying sympathies would become glaringly obvious. While such a description is not absolutely inaccurate, it clearly misrepresents the overall significance of... More
May 12, 2006
Black Death II?
Seth Abrahams
There are 3 startling differences between the waves of Black Death that first ravaged Europe in the 14th Century and the AIDS epidemic which is now being called its modern equivalent, in some quarters. The first distinction is speed. People got... More
May 11, 2006
Take Off the 9/11 Tinfoil Hats
Rick Moran
One of the many eye—popping statements made by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in his letter to the President was a curious passage about 9/11 that has gone largely unnoticed by the press: September eleven was not a simple operation. Could... More
May 11, 2006
Energy: The GOP's Issue for 2006
Jonathan D. Strong
Many on the Left are eagerly awaiting the elections in November with the perception, or delusion, that the Republicans in the House and the Senate have been weakened by the Iraq War and multiple budget deficits. Although many conservatives are... More
May 11, 2006
Goodbye, Ancient Past.. Hello, Muslim Future.
Dennis Sevakis
Sometimes, when America can be blamed, the media seem to care a great deal about the preservation of antiquities. On April 13, 2003, the New York Times seemed mortified when it reported ($) "Pillagers Strip Iraqi Museum Of Its Treasure." The... More
May 10, 2006
A Break in the Chain
J. R. Dunn
No less an authority than Pope Benedict XVI has pointed out that since the Koran is taken as the very word of God —— as opposed to the Bible, which is the work of men inspired by God — no... More
May 10, 2006
A Case for Forced Interrogation
Vasko Kohlmayer
Glad the administration has one less 'scandal' to deal with, many on our side welcomed with relief the recent conclusion of the EU's antiterrorism chief that the CIA has no secret interrogation facilities in Europe. I, for one, am troubled... More
May 10, 2006
The Morass of Middle East Diplomacy
Rachel Neuwirth
Since 1993 a sustained diplomatic effort has been devoted to solve what is commonly known as the Arab—Israeli conflict. This conflict, reframed as the 'Israeli—Palestinian' conflict, is no closer to resolution. Political leaders, diplomats, media pundits and think tank analysts... More
May 09, 2006
The Politics of Anger on the Left
Thomas Lifson
America's Left and the political party it calls home, the Democrats, have been seized by anger ever since the disputes of the 2000 presidential election, with its razor—thin margin, judicial intervention called forth by Gore, and the ultimate victory for... More
May 09, 2006
Children of Lightning or Children of Terror?
Thanos
Mankind is ingenious at tapping the energy bounty provided by nature. From the first fire, to windmills, to water wheels, to today's electric generating plants we have progressed from superstitious awe and deification of nature to harnessing it to our... More
May 09, 2006
Harry Potter and the War On Terror
Bookworm
Not too long ago, there was a lot of giggling on the right side of the blogosphere when it learned about a book called Why Mommy is a Democrat, which its publisher proudly boasts is "A Different Kind of Children's Book." ... More
May 08, 2006
Moussaoui's Gift
J.R. Dunn
The Moussaoui sentencing verdict should come as a surprise to no one. A legal system adept at trivializing all forms of criminal behavior was not going to be stopped by anything as grave as 9/11. Between incompetent prosecutors, over—officious judges,... More
May 08, 2006
Shocking News from NPR: No Oil Company Gouging
Noel Sheppard
For months, the media have blamed virtually anything but free market forces for the rise in oil and gas prices. NBC's Lisa Myers attributed these increases to greed on a recent Nightly News report stating almost disgustedly 'Exxon earned 9.5... More
May 08, 2006
But Does Freud Matter to Conservatives?
Christopher Chantrill
To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sigmund Freud, the Wall Street Journal on Friday hauled out Harold Bloom to explain to us all "Why Freud Matters." Bloom told us that Freud was not so much a scientist... More
May 07, 2006
What is the California Corrections Dept. Thinking?
Bookworm
The California Department of Corrections shipped twelve paroled high risk sex offenders to San Quentin on Thursday. The key word is paroled. Since they're out of prison, while they'll be housed on the SQ grounds, they'll be free to come and go... More
May 07, 2006
Taking care of his own
Matt May
Obviously, Rep. Patrick Kennedy should resign his seat in the House of Representatives. Regardless of what one may think of the Kennedy clan and the ridiculous cut—and—paste articles that have been flitting about describing Rep. Kennedy's dangerous cocktail of prescription... More
May 06, 2006
Moussaoui Will Not 'Rot' in Jail
Steven M. Warshawsky
I join the millions of Americans who are deeply disappointed, indeed angered, by the jury's decision to sentence 9/11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui to life in prison, instead of to death. Peggy Noonan rightly called the decision a "failure of nerve,"... More
May 06, 2006
Not Quite the Whole Story
John B. Dwyer
[Reviewing COBRA II: The Inside Story of The Invasion and Occupation of Iraq by Michael R. Gordon & General Bernard E. Trainor, Pantheon Books, New York, 2006. 603 pages, maps, photos, chapter notes, appendices, index] COBRA II is a comprehensive, thoroughly—researched book.... More
May 06, 2006
Were Jesus and Muhammad sinless?
James Arlandson
It is a cherished doctrine among devout Muslims that Muhammad had achieved sinlessness or (even more) was always sinless after his birth. Some believe that Muhammad had merely negligible faults, brief forgetfulness, small errors, or superficial weaknesses, but this does... More
May 05, 2006
The Counter-insurgency Bugaboo
Douglas Hanson
The First Gulf War should have exorcised the old Vietnam War ghosts out of our military psyche. But to listen to the generals on the media circuit and in think tank seminars talking about the Iraqi 'insurgency,' it seems we... More
May 05, 2006
Green Piece of Junk Science
Marc Sheppard
Kermit the Frog once avowed in song that 'It isn't easy being Green.' Well, Kermie, it appears that you're not the only dummy with such problems — Not surprisingly, it isn't easy being Greenpeace either! Greenpeace continues to beat one... More
May 05, 2006
Illegal Immigration: Mexico's Shame
John Mendez
Even as activists attempted to redefine this very heated, latest debate on illegal immigration with the misnamed 'Day Without Immigrants,' the two issues apparently lost are ultimately the most critical: 1. The responsibility of Mexico to its citizens. 2. Their... More
May 04, 2006
More Land, Less Peace
Richard Baehr
Caroline Glick, columnist for the Jerusalem Post, has written a serious paper exposing the risks inherent in Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's 'Convergence ' plan for the West Bank. That plan calls for an Israeli withdrawal from most (90% or more)... More
May 04, 2006
Washington Offers No Solutions
Christopher G. Adamo
The nation's capital has been shaken by the recent Rasmussen poll indicating that a significant portion of Americans would support a third—party candidate for President in 2008. Perhaps most alarming to Washington's current ruling class is the fact that such... More
May 04, 2006
Juan Cole and His Critics
Jonah Avriel Cohen
Juan Cole, a professor of Middle East and South Asian studies at the University of Michigan, is at the center of acrimonious and highly personal disputes roiling the worlds of academe, politics and blogging. Reportedly under consideration for a professorship at Yale, Cole... More
May 03, 2006
Scooter Libby Meets the Press
Clarice Feldman
We have just been granted a window on the struggle between Lewis 'Scooter' Libby and the elite media over his access to their internal documents. Libby is charged with federal crimes because his versions of conversations with reporters differ from... More
May 03, 2006
Canada's Conservative Change of Course
Paul Jackson
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who won a minority government in the Jan. 23 federal election, has ignored advice to take a cautionary course and quickly is steering the nation in a new direction. Harper's Conservative government rolled out its first budget... More
May 03, 2006
Centrifugal Separation
Dennis Sevakis
On Tuesday the Wall Street Journal published a letter—to—the—editor by Bill Keller, executive editor of the New York Times. Mr. Keller had written to respond to the Journal editorial, "Our Rotten IntelligenCIA,"dated April 26th. That editorial had roundly criticized CIA... More
May 02, 2006
Negotiations Theory Goes to War -- Again
James Holmes
With apologies to Mark Twain, rumors of the North Korean bomb's demise have been greatly exaggerated. Hope flared briefly last fall when the protagonists in the "six—party talks" announced that they had agreed in principle on a nuclear—free Korean Peninsula.... More
May 02, 2006
The Lesson of Uno de Mayo
J.R. Dunn
Uno De Mayo has come and gone with none of the predicted effects — no drastic plunge in retail sales, no nationwide economic earthquake, the only businesses shut down the ones that agreed to do so beforehand. But still we're... More
May 02, 2006
All the News that Fits Our Politics
David Yerushalmi
A few days ago the New York Times provided yet another lesson in how to mislead readers without actually publishing anything untrue. Journalist Jo Craven McGinty published a 1500 word statistical look at murders in New York City that is more... More
May 01, 2006
Venezuela's Chavez and the "Day Without Immigrants"
Thomas Lifson and A.M. Mora y Leon
Hugo Chavez of Venezuela does not lack for ambition. Sitting atop billions of petrodollars, closely allied with Fidel Castro (whose life span soon is nearing its natural end), Chavez is already sticking his nose in the business of other Western... More
May 01, 2006
Gaseous Hypocrisy and Political Shame
Christopher Chantrill
There's a difference between the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The Democrats are completely shameless, but the Republicans are only mostly shameless. So the pandering to angry American gas guzzlers over the past week committed by shameless Republican officeholders... More
May 01, 2006
Party Abominations: Who Are You
Noel Sheppard
It's May 2006...do you know who your party is? Not that easy to tell anymore, is it? After all, if you're a Republican, your representatives have increased federal spending by an amazing 45 percent in the past five years —... More
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