DistributorInsertion:
Libertarian Party Chair's Iraq Exit Plan
National LP Chair Mike Dixon on Alan Colmes nationwide radio show
with call-in from Terry Liberty Parker in response to which
the Chair acknowledges that there is a violation of
the party's platform (its 'governing documents') in this plan
(aprx 25 minutes into show as 1st caller)
WindowsMedia Download/Playback at
http://txliberty.dyndns.org/inetpub/wwwroot/webfiles/AC050713.wma
-EndInsertion
Rational Review News Digest
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Volume III, Issue #696
Friday, July 28th, 2005
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Today's News:
1) Iraq: Two US Marines killed in firefight
2) North American Muslims issue anti-terror fatwa
3) Senate: GOP victim disarmers pass gun lock amendment
4) State Department: Bolton lied
5) Prosecutors: CIA agents left trail
6) Kennedy questions Roberts on civil rights
7) DC: Resident "fires back" at victim disarmament rally
8) IRA expected to announce surrender
9) Army: Mental ills worsen after troops return
10) Utah: Resident with concealed gun scares away robber
11) Tennessee: Pharmacists predict chaos as changes kick in
12) Texas: Former cop opens fire on robbers
13) Report: Poor equipment to blame for excessive force
14) Italy: Topless women banned from standing on Italian beaches
15) How to keep those kids in class? Pay them
16) Government plans to shuffle TSA thugs
17) Selling guns to the gun shy
18) CAFTA battle moves to Central America
19) House approves new corporate welfare package
20) Australia: Drivers ignore law on mobiles and cars
21) Drug thugs' cold medicine boondoggle advances
22) Privacy guru locks down VOIP
23) US may offer protection to diplomats in Iraq
24) UK: Teachers want parents punished for disruptive kids
25) FDA: Poultry on antibiotic could spur resistant human infections
Today's Commentary:
26) Things fall apart
27) Caving on CAFTA
28) Hollywood joins the War Party
29) Darker purpose
30) An opportunity to stop destruction of innocent cops' careers
31) Requiem for a forgotten hero
32) When justices refuse to retire
33) Love is the answer
34) The Invisible Pirate -- defeating spyware
35) Justice often served by jury nullification
36) The privileged press, may we all enjoy the freedom
37) Bombings, stock market support and the resurgence of fear
38) The hidden pages of CAFTA
39) The war of the worldviews
40) Reform FCC -- limit it!
41) Britain's Blitz spirit
42) Democracy sold out
43) Geared for a fight ... over "views"
44) The congressional Peter Principle
45) War of the words
46) The Algerian connection
47) "Welcome vindication" or "liberty is lost?"
48) Rough draft
49) A consuming folly
50) Condoleezza in the middle
Today's Movement News and Events:
51) Action Alert: Sen. Vitter Moves to Block Anti-gun UN
52) Knapp blogs for Doctors Without Borders
Today in Political History:
53) Bresci's attentat
News
1) Iraq: Two US Marines killed in firefight
Fort Wayne News-Sentinel
"Two U.S. Marines were killed by insurgent gunfire and
rocket-propelled grenades in western Iraq, U.S. military said Friday.
The clash ended when Marine jets dropped high-tech bombs [on]
insurgent positions. The Marine casualties brought to at least 10 the
number of American military personnel who died in Iraq since Sunday
night. Nine of the Americans died in hostile action." (07/29/05)
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/12253271.htm
-----
2) North American Muslims issue anti-terror fatwa
Taipei Times [Taiwan]
"Muslim scholars in the US and Canada were planning to release a fatwa
(judicial ruling) yesterday saying that Islam condemns terrorism,
religious extremism and any violence against civilians, including
suicide bombings. They said that the fatwa is a response to the
bombings this month in London and Egypt, and that they wanted the
message to reach both non-Muslims who believe that Islam supports
terrorism, as well as Muslims in North America and elsewhere,
especially youths who could be susceptible to Islamic extremism. ...
The fatwa cites the Koran and other Islamic texts, and says that
targeting innocent people is forbidden -- haram -- and that those who
commit such violence are 'criminals' and not 'martyrs,' as supporters
of suicide bombers have often claimed." (07/29/05)
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2005/07/29/2003265518
-----
3) Senate: GOP victim disarmers pass gun lock amendment
MSNBC
"Mulling legislation to shield the gun industry from some lawsuits,
the Senate on Thursday approved a provision requiring a separate child
safety lock with each handgun purchase. Added to the bill 70-30, the
language proposed by Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., is the first that
majority Republicans have allowed to come to the floor. Senate
Republican Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said he might allow others."
(07/28/05)
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8743798/
-----
4) State Department: Bolton lied
Las Vegas Review-Journal
"John Bolton, President Bush's nominee for U.N. ambassador, mistakenly
[sic] told Congress he had not been interviewed or testified in any
investigation over the past five years, the State Department said
Thursday. Bolton was interviewed by the State Department inspector
general in 2003 as part of a joint investigation with the Central
Intelligence Agency into prewar Iraqi attempts to buy nuclear
materials from Niger, State Department spokesman Noel Clay said."
(07/28/05)
http://tinyurl.com/b7ylq
-----
5) Prosecutors: CIA agents left trail
CNN
"It wasn't their lavish spending in luxury hotels, their use of credit
cards or even frequent-flier miles that drew attention. Instead it was
a trail of casual cellphone use that tripped up the 19 purported CIA
operatives wanted by Italian authorities in the alleged kidnapping of
a radical Muslim cleric. Italian prosecutors who have obtained arrest
warrants for the 19 -- none of whom are believed to be in Italy --
presented evidence that the suspects used at least 40 Italian cell
phones, some in their own names." (07/28/05)
http://tinyurl.com/e2utn
-----
6) Kennedy questions Roberts on civil rights
Cincinnati Enquirer
"After days of Democratic deference to John Roberts, Sen. Edward M.
Kennedy said Thursday that documents made public so far indicate the
Supreme Court nominee holds a 'rather cramped view of the Voting
Rights Act.' Materials that Roberts drafted while at the Justice
Department and White House counsel's office during the Reagan
administration 'certainly raise some questions in my mind about his
commitment' to civil rights, said Kennedy, D-Mass." (07/28/05)
http://tinyurl.com/a6wtl
-----
7) DC: Resident "fires back" at victim disarmament rally
Washington Post
"Amid the rapid clip of anti-gun speeches last night, Eric Wright
fired back. The five-year city resident stepped before a microphone
and said he had been attacked three times by homeless people and shot
at as he drove through Rock Creek Park. 'I deserve the right to defend
myself. I deserve the right to carry a weapon by my side,' Wright said
at an anti-gun town hall meeting at Shaw Junior High School in
Northwest Washington. 'I'd like to know why people believe I don't
have that right.' ... Overwhelmingly, residents, some of whom had lost
loved ones to gun violence, delivered passionate speeches ....
Resident Margaret Hollister recalled the day an armed robber entered
her home. He knocked her teeth out. He forced her to kneel before a
toilet. He ran off with her valuables. 'What good would it have done
for me to have a gun in the house?' she asked." [Editor's note: This
wins the prize for dumbest statement of the week - MLS] (07/28/05)
http://tinyurl.com/dc6el
-----
8) IRA expected to announce surrender
Boston Globe
"The Irish Republican Army is expected to declare today that it is
abandoning its violent struggle to end British control of [Occupied]
Ireland, according to senior officials in the British and Irish
governments and in Sinn Fein, the IRA's political wing. The
announcement has been predicted since last April, when Sinn Fein
leader Gerry Adams asked the IRA to abandon violence and join a
strictly political battle to unite [Occupied] Ireland with the Irish
Republic. But the timing of the IRA's statement, and whether its
language would be unequivocal enough to satisfy Protestant unionists
in [Occupied] Ireland who refuse to share power with Sinn Fein, has
been in question." (07/28/05)
http://tinyurl.com/9j4r7
-----
9) Army: Mental ills worsen after troops return
CNN
"A survey of troops returning from the Iraq war found 30 percent had
developed mental health problems three to four months after coming
home, the Army's surgeon general said Thursday. The problems include
anxiety, depression, nightmares, anger and an inability to
concentrate, according to Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley and other military
medical officials. A smaller group, usually with more severe cases of
these symptoms, is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, or
PTSD." (07/28/05)
http://tinyurl.com/7cwno
-----
10) Utah: Resident with concealed gun scares away robber
KSL News
"A resident told police he used his concealed gun to chase away a
knife-wielding robber in downtown St. George. The resident suffered a
minor cut on his neck, police Lt. Mark Brklacich said. He said the man
had cashed a check at about 1:45 p.m. Tuesday at the EZ Cash drive-up
window. As he pulled into traffic, he saw a man near a dark SUV waving
him over. Thinking the man was having car problems and needed help, he
pulled over. The resident said the assailant approached him, put a
knife against his neck and demanded money. But the resident 'reached
down and pulled out his concealed weapon and pointed it toward the
suspect,' Brklacich said. The robber ran back to his own vehicle and
drove away." (07/29/05)
http://tv.ksl.com/index.php?nid=5&sid=221868
-----
11) Tennessee: Pharmacists predict chaos as changes kick in
Tennessean
"Pharmacists are bracing for major changes in TennCare drug policies
that will directly affect about 700,000 people across the state
beginning Monday. Some will lose TennCare drug coverage entirely,
while others will face new limits on the number and types of
prescriptions they can fill. Already, pharmacists say they are being
swamped with calls and visits from TennCare enrollees -- many of them
confused -- asking which drugs they need most or how toget drugs
elsewhere. The pharmacists predict 'utter chaos' at state pharmacies
when they open for business Monday morning, and warn that all
customers -- including those not on TennCare -- may face extra
drugstore waits for weeks to come." (07/28/05)
http://tinyurl.com/cevfq
-----
12) Texas: Former cop opens fire on robbers
KCBD News
"Just after noon today, a burglary in Central Lubbock turned deadly.
Former Lubbock Police Lieutenant James Kimber returned to his
residence to find things out of order. The garage was cracked, the
back door wasn't closed and he heard noises inside. Moments later
Kimber saw two Hispanic men in his home. After hearing the sound of a
cocking gun, Kimber got his own weapon and when charged he fired
multiple shots.One suspect died on the scene and the other was taken
to University Medical Center with gunshot wounds. Kimber was not
injured, and according to police responded in self defense." (07/28/05)
http://www.kcbd.com/Global/story.asp?S=3654184&nav=CcXHchJn
-----
13) Report: Poor equipment to blame for excessive force
Washington Times
"U.S. Army soldiers have used 'excessive' and 'unauthorized deadly
force' in Iraq to defend supply convoys because they did not have the
proper weapons, according to a commander's secret internal memorandum.
The memo says soldiers need precision-guided pistols, in addition to
heavy-fire machine guns, to ensure that innocent people are not
killed. The memo was written by Brig. Gen. Joseph J. Chaves, who
commands an Army National Guard brigade that performs the perilous job
of guarding convoys that move in and out of Camp Anaconda, a sprawling
logistics base near Balad, north of Baghdad. Such convoys have been
the targets of numerous attacks by terrorists using suicide car bombs
and other types of ambushes. In the March 15 memo, Gen. Chaves tells
top commanders in Baghdad that he does not have the right mix of
weapons to fire from the turrets of armored Humvees and other vehicles
that guard supply trucks." (07/28/05)
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20050727-115941-2568r.htm
-----
14) Italy: Topless women banned from standing on Italian beaches
Ananova [UK]
"Women have been banned from going topless on Italian beaches unless
they are lying down. New rules say women must cover up while walking
on the beach, playing beach volleyball and soaking in the sea. The
strict 10-point guide issued by the Italian Association for Public
Bathing also forbids playing football on the beach, hanging up wet
clothes to dry on beach umbrellas and drinking alcohol." (07/28/05)
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1478936.html
-----
15) How to keep those kids in class? Pay them
Christian Science Monitor
"When students return to Chelsea High School next month, they'll get
more than an impeccable attendance record if they make it to class
each day: They'll get cash. Under a new plan, a student who misses not
a single day per quarter will receive $25 in an account -- redeemable
upon graduation. In doing so, the school joins a number of districts
throughout the country turning to incentives to boost test scores,
GPAs, and student turnout. Some schools, like Chelsea High, are
focused solely on attendance. Officials there maintain that they can't
carry out their mission if a student is not in class absorbing the
material. Others are doling out gift certificates, coupons, and checks
if students earn straight A's or land on the honor roll." (07/28/05)
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0729/p01s03-ussc.html
-----
16) Government plans to shuffle TSA thugs
MSNBC
"Some airports will lose some of their security screeners and others
will get more as the government shifts its screening work force to
reflect changes in commercial air traffic patterns. John F. Kennedy
International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and
Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport are among the airports where
the number of screeners will drop. Dulles International Airport in
Washington and Los Angeles International Airport will gain, according
to the plan, which was obtained by The Associated Press." (07/28/05)
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8744391/
-----
17) Selling guns to the gun shy
Wall Street Journal
"Experiencing sluggish sales largely because hunters represent an
aging demographic, the $2 billion-a-year gun industry has launched
bolder marketing pitches to attract novices into the world of
weaponry. Gun makers see potential growth in the self-defense,
security and target-shooting markets, and the young, edgy,
camouflage-clad Gen Y crowd is squarely in the cross hairs. 'You don't
have to be a hunter to go shoot,' says Scott Blackwell, division
manager for manufacturing, product development and law enforcement at
Beretta USA. ... Taking advantage of a prevailing pro-gun political
climate in Washington, a fear of terrorism, and the steady
liberalization of gun ownership spreading through statehouses across
the country, Smith & Wesson and other makers and sellers of guns are
touting a host of new products and features." (07/28/05)
http://tinyurl.com/8z7kd
-----
18) CAFTA battle moves to Central America
Business Week
"For Gerardo Hidalgo, the U.S. Congress' approval of the Central
American Free Trade Agreement means he can export more rocking chairs
-- without taxes and tariffs -- to states like Texas and California.
But rice farmer Oscar Campos says his fields will soon be vacant,
unable to compete with U.S. growers. Hours after the U.S. Congress
approved CAFTA early Thursday and sent the pact to U.S. President
George W. Bush for his signature, opponents and supporters in Central
America were mobilizing for their final battle over the free trade
deal." (07/28/05)
http://tinyurl.com/e3ajk
-----
19) House approves new corporate welfare package
Indianapolis Star
"A national energy plan that would send billions of dollars in tax
subsidies to energy companies passed the House on Thursday despite
criticism from many lawmakers that it would do nothing to dampen high
prices or lessen dependence on Middle East oil. Within hours, the
Senate began debating the legislation, with plans to vote on it on
Friday. Supporters said the legislation would establish a framework
for developing a wider mix of energy sources in coming years,
including wind turbines, lower-pollution coal plants and new nuclear
reactors." [editor's note: The use of the term "tax subsidies" in the
story is misleading. The bill does include $14.5 billion in tax breaks
(and who's against tax breaks?) but also includes direct subsidy and
loan guarantee provisions; on the up side, the MBTE polluters didn't
get their "get out of jail free" card included in the final bill -
TLK] (07/28/05)
http://tinyurl.com/bnx7p
-----
20) Australia: Drivers ignore law on mobiles and cars
The Age [Australia]
"The number of Victorians ignoring laws about using mobile phones
while driving has increased dramatically during the first half of this
year. Victoria Police figures reveal that 14,884 offences involving
mobile phones were recorded in the six months to June 30, compared
with 21,748 during the whole of last year. Police handed out penalties
totalling $2.09 million ($141 per driver) and more than 44,000 demerit
points (three points per driver) during the six-month period. If the
number of offences involving mobile phones continues at the same rate
for the remainder of the year, they could reach the 2002 figure of
30,154, when illegal mobile phone use peaked." (07/29/05)
http://tinyurl.com/d659y
-----
21) Drug thugs' cold medicine boondoggle advances
Houston Chronicle
"Sales of cold medicines used to make methamphetamine would be
restricted under a bill that cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee
today after lawmakers forged a compromise protecting state
prerogatives. The legislation would require stores to sell Sudafed,
Nyquil and other medicines containing pseudoephedrine only from behind
the pharmacy counter. In makeshift labs across the country, the
ingredient has been extracted and used to cook meth." (07/28/05)
http://tinyurl.com/c2aes
-----
22) Privacy guru locks down VOIP
Wired News
"First there was PGP e-mail. Then there was PGPfone for modems. Now
Phil Zimmermann, creator of the wildly popular Pretty Good Privacy
e-mail encryption program, is debuting his new project, which he hopes
will do for internet phone calls what PGP did for e-mail. Zimmermann
has developed a prototype program for encrypting voice over internet
protocol, or VOIP, which he will announce at the BlackHat security
conference in Las Vegas this week." (07/26/05)
http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,68306,00.html
-----
23) US may offer protection to diplomats in Iraq
Houston Chronicle
"The U.S. military is considering offering protection to foreign
diplomats in Baghdad after al-Qaida agents killed three Arab envoys
this month, the American ambassador said today. 'Coalition forces...
are planning to look at this problem and see what could be done to fix
the security for the diplomats,' Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad told
reporters. 'It's very important for foreign diplomats who come here to
have a sense of security.'" (07/28/05)
http://tinyurl.com/bq6z5
-----
24) UK: Teachers want parents punished for disruptive kids
Independent [UK]
"The parents of badly-behaved pupils must be punished by the
Government to stop the rising tide of disruption in schools, teachers
decided yesterday. Teachers say that violent and abusive parents have
created a generation of children whobelieve shouting and swearing is
normal behaviour. At the other end of the spectrum, children of
over-indulgent parents arrive at school never having been denied
anything and are unable to adapt to school." (07/29/05)
http://education.independent.co.uk/news/article302282.ece
-----
25) FDA: Poultry on antibiotic could spur resistant human infections
USA Today
"The Food and Drug Administration is banning the use of the antibiotic
Baytril in poultry because of concerns the drug could lead to
antibiotic-resistant infections in people. The agency's commissioner,
Lester M. Crawford, on Thursday ordered that approval for use of the
drug, known generically as enrofloxacin, be withdrawn effective Sept.
12. Baytril is in the same family as the popular drug Cipro, which is
used in humans." (07/28/05)
http://tinyurl.com/a77dt
Commentary
26) Things fall apart
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
by Thomas L. Knapp
"Political division on the war issue is already beginning to transform
itself from 'for' and 'against' to 'knew it was a bad idea all along'
and 'we could have won if it hadn't been for those people who kept
insisting on bringing up inconvenient facts and sapping our morale.'
This latter position is just a natural outgrowth of politics.
Admitting error is difficult. Admitting multiple and massive errors is
wrenching. Admitting total error is damn near impossible. We're going
to have to learn to live with the fact that the neoconservatives will
never, ever, ever be able to bring themselves even to the point of
Arthur Fonzarelli's 'I was wr ... wrrrrrr ... wro ... well, you know
what I mean.' They will go to their graves believing that imminent and
glorious victory, followed by world hegemony, was within their reach,
and that Justin Raimondo stole it from them. Look closely. The 'we
were defeated at home meme' is already starting to grow like mold on
the rotting underside of the Jacobin blogosphere." (07/28/05)
http://knappster.blogspot.com/2005/07/things-fall-apart.html
-----
27) Caving on CAFTA
Tom Paine
Paul Waldman
"Earlier this week, potential 2008 presidential candidates Hillary
Clinton, Evan Bayh, Mark Warner and Tom Vilsack trooped to Ohio to
join in the Democratic Leadership Council's 'National Conversation.'
Back in Washington, the DLC joined a shrinking group on the left side
of the aisle advocating for the Central American Free Trade Agreement,
or CAFTA. ... [E]ven the 'New Democrat Coalition' of centrist House
Democrats came out against it. ... But in the end, only 15 House
Democrats heeded the DLC's call to hand George W. Bush the first
important legislative victory of his second term. Though 27
Republicans voted against it, CAFTA passed by a vote of 217-215. The
DLC bristles when more progressive Democrats refer to them as
'Republican-Lite.' But so often the shoe does seem to fit, and CAFTA
has become one more occasion for conflict between the party's centrist
and liberal wings. Or is it? In truth, the battle for the soul of the
Democratic Party may not be between liberals and centrists so much as
it is between triangulators and fighters." (07/28/05)
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/20050728/caving_on_cafta.php
-----
28) Hollywood joins the War Party
AntiWar.Com
by Justin Raimondo
"The idea that Hollywood is a bastion of left-wing antiwar sentiment,
a pocket of Blue State subversion amid a sea of Red State jingoism,
ought to be dispelled by the premiere of this series. The
fictionalization of a war that has yet to be concluded -- and on
television yet -- lends itself easily to the suspicion that we are
somehow being manipulated into believing this conflict is what it
isn't: a winnable fight, an heroic quest, a noble cause betrayed. Over
There has some good music, a haunting theme song, is photographed
beautifully -- and holds out great promise as possibly the most
effective war propaganda since Hollywood jumped on the pro-war
bandwagon during World War II." (07/29/05)
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=6798
-----
29) Darker purpose
Moscow Times
by Chris Floyd
"This is the power that Bush declares cannot be restricted by courts
or Congress or any law on earth: the power to torture, to murder, to
terrorize -- and to rape children. This is the dark, filthy heart of
his militarist state. With each new atrocity on every side in the
hydra-headed 'war on terror,' you think that now, perhaps, we've
reached the bottom. But never believe that comforting notion. The evil
that has opened up beneath our feet is bottomless, and we are falling
deeper, fathom by fathom, into the pit. The worst, far worse, is yet
to come." (07/29/05)
http://context.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2005/07/29/120.html
-----
30) An opportunity to stop destruction of innocent cops' careers
Liberty For All
by Glenn Sacks
"Shot in the line of duty. Twice awarded the Medal of Honor. Named
Essex County, New Jersey Police Officer of the Year. A highly
decorated officer with an impeccable record. For 22 years police
officer Eric Washington battled criminals on the streets of East
Orange, New Jersey. On January 21, 2001 Washington was ambushed and
brought down -- not by an ex-convict bent on revenge or a shadowy
gunman, but instead by a false accusation of domestic violence. Under
the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 individuals, including police
officers and armed forces personnel, are prohibited from possessing a
firearm if they are subject to a restraining order issued at the
behest of a spouse or an intimate partner." (07/29/05)
http://www.libertyforall.net/2005/aug7/VAWA.html
-----
31) Requiem for a forgotten hero
Strike the Root
by Douglas Herman
"Norman Morrison died 40 years ago this November in Washington DC by
self-immolation. He set himself afire outside the Pentagon office of
Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara. Before he doused himself and
set himself aflame, he left his 15 month-old daughter nearby. ...
Morrison took the war personally. He looked in the mirror as a
patriot, as a parent of small children, and didn't like what he saw
his country had become. Perhaps, in his zeal, disturbed by his
conscience, impassioned by what he thought was his religious duty,
overcome by a feeling of impatience at those powerful people who could
have stopped the war but didn't, Morrison acted alone because so many
others remained impassive. But he would not be alone for long." (07/28/05)
http://www.strike-the-root.com/52/herman/herman4.html
-----
32) When justices refuse to retire
Boston Globe
By Jeff Jacoby
"On July 14, Chief Justice William Rehnquist announced that he was not
about to retire from the Supreme Court. 'I will continue to perform my
duties as chief justice as long as my health permits,' he said, adding
that he wanted his statement 'to put to rest the speculation and
unfounded rumors of my imminent retirement.' That is exactly what it
did. For months, Rehnquist's expected departure had been widely
discussed. But virtually overnight, the subject was dropped. ...
Because the Constitution provides no retirement age for Supreme Court
justices, whether Rehnquist stays or goes is entirely up to him
Perhaps the 80-year-old chief justice, who is suffering from thyroid
cancer, can still do his job. But can he do it well?" (07/28/05)
http://tinyurl.com/9a3wc
-----
33) Love is the answer
from Reason to Freedom
by Truman West
Review of Healing Our World: In an Age of Aggression by Mary J.
Ruwart: "For those of us who feel reason-liberty is the elemental
truth of our day, Mary's book provides the best, most poignant
advocacy of the nonaggression principle out here. Shortly, this
principle will be a conversational standard in the American political
arena. (Katie Couric and Matt Lauer will bring it up incessantly.) And
Dr. Ruwart will certainly go down in history as a linchpin of success
for the reason-liberty movement (RLM)." (07/29/05)
http://www.reasontofreedom.com/Love_is_the_Answer.html
-----
34) The Invisible Pirate -- defeating spyware
Strike the Root
by Joe Blow
"This edition covers several recommended methods of defeating spyware.
Surfing the web (anonymously or otherwise) should be a pleasurable
pastime, not a tribulation that must be endured as your computer slows
to a crawl, and finally becomes totally useless. If you can relate to
the latter situation and would much prefer the former, this edition is
for you." (07/28/05)
http://www.strike-the-root.com/52/blow/blow5.html
-----
35) Justice often served by jury nullification
Fox News
By Radley Balko
"In February of 2003, a California jury convicted marijuana activist
Ed Rosenthal of growing marijuana, in violation of federal law. What
the jury didn't know -- and wasn't allowed to hear -- was that
Rosenthal was not only growing the marijuana for medical patients, he
was growing the stuff for the city of Oakland. After the trial, the
jury was outraged. ''I'm sorry' doesn't begin to cover it,' one told
the New York Times. Said the foreman, 'It's the most horrible mistake
I've ever made in my entire life.' As you read this, a 46-year old
paraplegic named Richard Paey is serving a 25-year prison sentence in
Florida. ... Prosecutors admitted Paey never sold his medication. But
they charged him with distribution anyway, under Drug War laws stating
that anyone possessing a given amount of a controlled substance is
automatically guilty of distribution. Here again, jurors expressed
disappointment in how the law gave them no choice but to return an
unjust verdict. But is that necessarily true? Must jurors uphold even
unjust laws? Maybe not." (07/28/05)
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,163877,00.html
-----
36) The privileged press, may we all enjoy the freedom
Center For Individual Freedom
by staff
"America learned just how privileged the press is after the Federal
Election Commission released one of its rulings last week. The Center
for Individual Freedom had brought the complaint, asking whether CBS
News was subject to the same federal election laws that regulate and
restrict the political speech of every other corporation. Indeed, it
seemed like an appropriate inquiry since '60 Minutes II' had aired the
infamous Dan Rather 'story' ? that everyone recognized as an attack on
President Bush ? less than two months before the 2004 Presidential
Election." (07/29/05)
http://tinyurl.com/8cjtu
-----
37) Bombings, stock market support and the resurgence of fear
Free Market News Network
by Clif Droke
"The past week has been extraordinary for the amount of violent
headlines to cross the news wires. Whether in the form of news of the
latest terrorist bombings in London, Egypt and Iraq, or in the form of
negative financial and economic news, bad news is seemingly
everywhere. Yet the U.S. stock market has spurned this bad news, at
least in the immediate-term, and refuses to decline on what would
ordinarily be considered extremely bearish. From a technical
standpoint, this is a sign that the bearish immediate-term outlook
must be questioned as it shows a stronger-than-normal internal
condition." (07/28/05)
http://www.freemarketnews.com/pview/5948/2165/html/index.php
-----
38) The hidden pages of CAFTA
Common Dreams
by Liza Grandia
"Upon close examination, one realizes that CAFTA is not a 'free trade'
agreement, but a corporate trade agreement that transforms foreign
investment from a privilege to an inalienable right. CAFTA is like
having a house guest who cleans out your refrigerator, claims your
nicest bed, spends hours in the bathroom, takes exclusive control of
the television remote control, and then -- like Paris Hilton --
demands that you pay for the pleasure of her company and then writes
you off as a business expense." (07/28/05)
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0727-33.htm
-----
39) The war of the worldviews
Sierra Times
By Christopher G. Adamo
"In a July 18 article, columnist John Leo describes how David Koepp,
screenplay writer for Stephen Spielberg's recently released 'War of
the Worlds,' revealed his intent to draw a parallel between the U.S.
military in Iraq, and the movie's villains, an army of hideous space
aliens. Based on a late nineteenth-century science fiction novel by
British author H.G. Wells, the original story involved an attack from
inhabitants of the planet Mars, whose aim it was to conquer and
inhabit the Earth. Transposing the storyline from 1898 London to
modern day New York, while still retaining a faithful portrayal of the
original story, surely must have been a daunting task. Yet, to
'diehard' Wells fans (like this writer), the result was highly
commendable, with one notable exception. Now we know why that
exception was made." (07/28/05)
http://www.sierratimes.com/05/07/27/adamo.htm
-----
40) Reform FCC -- limit it!
Competitive Enterprise Institute
by Braden Cox
"U.S. communications policy is at an important inflection point.
Cable, telephone and wireless companies aim to compete against each
other using the latest technologies. The need for regulatory reform is
beyond dispute. How we go about communications reform is the issue de
jure. Reform efforts come at a time when the proper regulatory role
played by the Federal Communications Commission is in flux." (07/29/05)
http://www.cei.org/gencon/019,04722.cfm
-----
41) Britain's Blitz spirit
Cato Institute
by Jamie Dettmer
"A political truce has broken out in London over the wisdom of Prime
Minister Tony Blair joining President Bush in toppling Saddam Hussein.
In the wake of the recent bombings on the British capital, most
politicians here, even those outspoken in opposition to British
involvement in Iraq, have been reluctant to draw a clear link between
the Iraq conflict and the London bombings. They fear accusations of
justifying the terrorist actions. Just a handful of fringe politicians
and minor far-left parties have highlighted a report from the
respected think tank Chatham House. Written before the bombings, the
report concluded the war in Iraq had increased the terrorist threat to
Britain and that the invasion was ill-advised in terms of winning the
broader war on terror." (07/29/05)
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=4034
-----
42) Democracy sold out
Common Dreams
by Deborah James
"At 12:03 am on July 28th, the House of Representatives approved the
Central America-Dominican Republic-United States Free Trade Agreement,
CAFTA. CAFTA, which would expand NAFTA to Central America and the
Dominican Republic, would devastate farmers, privatize essential
public services, and accelerate the race to the bottom on wages in the
US and all over Central America. At the end of the allotted 15 minutes
of voting time the count was 180 to 175 against CAFTA, so the
Republican leadership kept the vote open over an hour, in order to
bully legislators into approving the bill. In the final tally, which
was 217 to 215, a full 15 Democrats voted in favor of big business by
supporting CAFTA, while 25 Republicans defied the Bush Administration
and voted against it. ... The full roll call vote is available at
http://clerk.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.asp?year=2005&rollnumber=443.";
(07/28/05)
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0728-20.htm
-----
43) Geared for a fight ... over "views"
Washington Times
By Thomas Sowell
"Preliminary indications are both we and Judge John G. Roberts may be
spared the ugly food fights that confirmation hearings before the
Senate Judiciary Committee can become. However, if Judge Roberts has
ever been guilty of jaywalking, you can believe some shrill
special-interest group will dig it up and try to make him seem a
threat to the republic. Even if all goes well and Judge Roberts is
confirmed, there are virtually certain to be liberal senators trying
to get his 'views' on all sorts of issues and probably demanding
confidential government documents nobody is titled to get, in order to
dig deeper into his 'views.' What makes all this a cheap farce is the
very senators who demand to see confidential memoranda from Judge
Roberts' days in the Justice Department know in advance no
administration of either party is likely to release such confidential
material -- not if they ever expect people to speak candidly in the
future when their advice is sought." (07/28/05)
http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20050727-083800-9255r.htm
-----
44) The congressional Peter Principle
Frontiers of Freedom
by Noel Sheppard
"Have you ever considered the possibility that Dr. Laurence J. Peter's
theory of people rising to their own level of incompetence at their
jobs applies to politicians? I have. Especially when I watch Federal
Reserve chairmen speak before Congress, and one of the most brilliant
economic minds in our nation is inundated with inane and nonsensical
questions from senators and representatives whose goal is either to
make themselves appear intelligent in front of the camera, or to
advance a specious yet politically motivated economic position
irrespective of its viability." (07/29/05)
http://tinyurl.com/95jfz
-----
45) War of the words
Reason
by Michael Young
"When the going gets tough, adjust the rhetoric. Thanks to the New
York Times we now know that the Bush administration is changing the
semantics of its 'global war on terror,' so that it will now be
referred to as a 'struggle.' The new label implies that 'the long-term
struggle is as much an ideological battle as a military mission.'
Recently, for example, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the top
brass have been referring to a 'global struggle against violent
extremism' in their speeches. But is it wise to describe a monumental
campaign, particularly one relying heavily on the sturdy morale of
America's citizenry, as 'a struggle?'" (07/28/05)
http://www.reason.com/links/links072805.shtml
-----
46) The Algerian connection
Asia Times
By Pepe Escobar
"No one is safe: Iraq is hell even for Sunni Arab diplomats. On July
21, the head of the Algerian mission, Ali Belaroussi, who had been
stationed in Iraq for two years, and diplomat Azzedine Belkadi were
kidnapped in the Mansour neighborhood in Baghdad at gunpoint. This
Wednesday, al-Qaeda in the Land of the Two Rivers claimed on an
Islamic website that the captives had been executed because their
government 'is ruling in violation of God's will.' What does this
really mean? In 2003, President Abdulaziz Bouteflika's government
forcefully condemned the United States' 'dirty war.' The Algerians
were officially in favor of an end of the occupation and 'the control
by the Iraqi people of its natural resources.' But this is not enough
to spare Algeria from al-Qaeda's terror. The reason: the US military
presence in northern Africa, and its military aid to Algeria." (07/28/05)
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/GG29Ak01.html
------
47) "Welcome vindication" or "liberty is lost?"
Heartland Institute
by Steve Stanek
"Newspapers, talk radio shows, and weblogs that track legal rulings
were abuzz after the Supreme Court's ruling in Kelo v. New London,
Connecticut. The day after the ruling, the New York Times defended the
decision: 'The Supreme Court's ruling yesterday that the economically
troubled city of New London, Conn., can use its power of eminent
domain to spur development was a welcome vindication of cities'
ability to act in the public interest,' the newspaper wrote. The
Chicago Tribune took a decidedly different view." (for publication on
08/01/05)
http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=17545
-----
48) Rough draft
The American Prospect
By Asheesh Kapur Siddique
"Concerned that America's current all-volunteer Army cannot
successfully wage an expansive, lengthy war on terrorism, a wide range
of liberals now want to reinstate the military draft. Last November,
Noam Chomsky argued that a new draft would reap political benefits for
anti-war progressives. In March, Phil Carter and Paul Glastris
proposed that the government require anyone planning to attend college
to first complete a year-long stint in either the armed forces or a
national community enrichment organization like AmeriCorps or Teach
for America. ... The smart -- and tough -- move isn't reviving the
draft; it's revising the strategic policy that brought us an overtaxed
military in the first place." (07/28/05)
http://www.prospect.org/web/view-web.ww?id=10052
-----
49) A consuming folly
Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Sean Corrigan
"When it comes to matters of political economy, we sometimes find
ourselves wondering whether there must be an evil genie at work. We
say this because economics is the only discipline we know in which
commentators and policymakers constantly repeat age-old falsehoods and
persist in resurrecting the long-dead errors which preceding
generations of wise men have long since refuted." (07/29/05)
http://www.mises.org/story/1866
-----
50) Condoleezza in the middle
LewRockwell.Com
by Roger Morris
"The evidence of Rice's complicity is increasingly damning as it
gathers over a six-year twisting chronology of the Nigerien
uranium-Wilson-Plame affair, particularly when set beside what we also
know very well about the inside operations of the NSC and Rice's
unique closeness to Bush, her tight grip on her staff, and the power
and reach that went with it all. What follows isn't simple. These
machinations in government never are, especially in foreign policy.
But follow the bouncing ball of Rice's deceptions, folly, fraud and
culpability. Slowly, relentlessly, despite the evidence, the hoax of
the Iraq-Niger uranium emerges as a central thread in the fabricated
justification for war, and thus in the President's, Rice's, and the
regime's inseparable credibility. The discrediting of Wilson, in which
the outing his CIA wife is irresistible, becomes as imperative for
Rice as for Rove and Libby, Bush and Cheney. And when that moment
comes, she has the unique authority, and is in a position, to do the
deed. Motive, means, opportunity -- in the classic terms of
prosecution, Rice had them all." (07/29/05)
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig6/morris1.html
Movement News and Events
51) Action Alert: Sen. Vitter Moves to Block Anti-gun UN
Gun Owners of America
ongoing
"Pro-gun Senator David Vitter (R-LA) is getting ready to introduce a
bill that would block the United Nations from implementing gun control
measures affecting U.S. citizens. Entitled the 'UN Second Amendment
Protection Act of 2005,' the bill does still not have a number, as
Sen. Vitter is trying to get original cosponsors to join him. Sen.
Vitter's bill will prohibit any U.S. funding to the UN unless the
President certifies that the world body "has not taken action to
restrict, attempt to restrict or otherwise adversely infringe upon the
rights of individuals in the United States to possess a firearm or
ammunition." ACTION: Please contact your two senators and urge them to
cosponsor the Vitter bill." (07/14/05)
http://www.gunowners.org/a071405.htm
-----
52) Knapp blogs for Doctors Without Borders
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
08/06/05
On August 6th, bloggers around the world will participate in Blogathon
2005 -- a 24-hour writing marathon to raise money for various
charities. Thomas L. Knapp, publisher of Rational Review, will
participate at his personal blog, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Pledges in support of
Knapp's campaign will be directed to Doctors Without Borders.
http://www.blogathon.org/blogathon.php?campaign&id=42
Today in Political History
53) Bresci's attentat
Details, and the "quote of the day," from Leon's Political Almanac at:
http://perspicuity.net/cgi/hypercal.cgi
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