Rational Review News Digest
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Volume III, Issue #739
Friday, September 30th, 2005
Email Circulation 2,081
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Today's News:
0) RRND -- September fundraiser
00) RRND ad sale!
1) Iraq: Bombs kill 62; five US troops killed
2) Roberts sworn in as chief justice
3) California: Schwarzenegger vetoes marriage bill
4) Judge: Abu Ghraib images "must appear"
5) New York: Libertarian wins election law fight
6) Blunt faces test in keeping GOP tensions in check
7) MIT rolls out $100 Linux laptop
8) North Carolina: Libertarian encounters poll obstructions
9) US insists on keeping control of Web
10) Iraq: Number of capable battalions falls
11) New Orleans probes police role in looting
12) US envoy denies plan to invade Venezuela
13) Jailed reporter reaches deal in CIA leak probe
14) California: Man flees, pig attacks
15) Five killed as migrants storm Spain
16) UK: Heckler returns to hero's welcome
17) Illinois: Shooting ruled self-defense
18) New Mexico: Homeowner shoots intruder
19) Reuters: US troops obstruct reporting of Iraq
20) Mighty mice regrow organs
21) Military tightens rules on electronic media
22) Post-Rita return: Hot, uncomfortable
23) Arizona: Hayworth targets migrants
24) Tennessee: State subsidized auditors' conference
25) Lilly putting suicide warning on Strattera
Today's Commentary:
26) A compromise for the libertarian hawks
27) Winners or whiners
28) Interview: Ilana Mercer
29) AIPAC and espionage: Guilty as hell
30) Bush's blank check
31) Free-falling?
32) Republican religious conservatives
33) Ripples of Kelo?
34) Filibuster fools
35) The second Romanian Revolution will be televised
36) Whither veto?
37) The rat catchers of India
38) Restoring freedom at home II
39) Global warming didn't generate storms
40) Take another piece of my heart (with apologies to Janis Joplin)
41) FEMA disaster survival tips
42) Sinister events in a cynical war
43) What noble cause?
44) Getting arrested with Cindy Sheehan
45) Price gouging?
46) Massachusetts should close down OpenDocument
47) War on waste neither mean nor new
48) Kennedy's doubts on Roberts may prove right
49) American Rights: Gift or given?
50) Replacing O'Connor will get ugly
51) Marching to irrelevance
52) Shared sacrifice?
53) "The Hammer" gets nailed
54) Permanent occupation
55) Don't waste your vote -- deal it!
Today's Movement News and Events:
56) Libertarian writer: Want to get paid?
57) Second European Resource Bank Meeting
58) The economics of fascism
Today in Political History:
59) Saladin takes Jerusalem
News
0) RRND -- September fundraiser
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http://www.rationalreview.com/content/1103
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Through October, Rational Review News Digest BlogAds (which run on all
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1) Iraq: Bombs kill 62; five US troops killed
Duluth News Tribune
"Three car bombs detonated nearly simultaneously just north of
Baghdad, killing at least 62 people Thursday .... In addition, five
Americans were killed in Ramadi by a car bomb, according to a military
statement. The soldiers were assigned to the 2nd Marine Division, II
Marine Expeditionary Force. " (09/30/05)
http://tinyurl.com/ay48n
-----
2) Roberts sworn in as chief justice
Indianapolis Star
"John G. Roberts Jr., a conservative protege of the late William H.
Rehnquist, succeeded him Thursday and became the nation's youngest
chief justice in two centuries, winning support from more than
three-fourths of the Senate after promising he would be no ideologue.
Roberts, at 50, becomes the 17th chief justice, presiding over a
Supreme Court that seems as divided as the nation over abortion and
other tumultuous social issues. The court opens a new term on Monday."
(09/29/05)
http://tinyurl.com/avjkz
-----
3) California: Schwarzenegger vetoes marriage bill
USA Today
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger followed through Thursday on his promise
to veto a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in California, saying the
issue should be decided by voters or the courts. 'This bill simply
adds confusion to a constitutional issue,' the Republican governor
said in a veto message. Schwarzenegger had announced his intention on
Sept. 7, a day after the Legislature became the first in the country
to approve a bill allowing gays and lesbians to wed." (09/29/05)
http://tinyurl.com/7oq2j
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4) Judge: Abu Ghraib images "must appear"
BBC News [UK]
"A judge in New York has ruled that pictures of Iraqi inmates abused
by US troops should be released. The judge made the order after a
request by the American Civil Liberties Union for access to unseen
images. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein rejected government arguments
that this could fuel anti-US feelings. Pictures of Iraqi inmates being
abused at Abu Ghraib jail in Baghdad last year have caused an outcry
around the world. Several US soldiers have been jailed. The ruling
represents a huge potential embarrassment for the US administration,
says the BBC's Jeremy Cooke in New York. The government has 20 days to
consider an appeal. In a first reaction, the head of US Central
Command, General John Abizaid, said publication of more pictures could
distort reality." (09/29/05)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4295324.stm
-----
5) New York: Libertarian wins election law fight
Empire Journal
"NYC Board of Elections tried to keep Gary Popkin off the ballot as
the Libertarian Party's candidate for Brooklyn Borough President. He
would not give in, and triumphed in court. The retired computer
science professor needed 4000 signatures from Brooklyn voters to
qualify. The NYC Libertarians presented a consolidated multi-candidate
petition with the mayoral candidate Audrey Silk, the other citywide
candidates and candidates for Brooklyn and Queens Borough president.
The Board of Elections not only deemed Popkin's signature total
insufficient but his petitions fraudulent. Judge Joseph S. Levine
agreed that Popkin had earned a place on the Libertarian line in
November with 6083 signatures, rejecting the Board of Elections claim
that Popkin's petitions were fraudulent." (09/29/05)
http://tinyurl.com/7bmhl
-----
6) Blunt faces test in keeping GOP tensions in check
MSN Money
"Republicans' selection of Roy Blunt to stand in for Tom DeLay as
majority leader in the House of Representatives marks a stunning rise
for the low-key former high school teacher from Missouri. But the new
job is certain to test Mr Blunt's skills, as he is called on to
control an increasingly fractious Republican Congress that Mr DeLay
had managed to keep largely in check." (09/29/05)
http://tinyurl.com/dcu6h
-----
7) MIT rolls out $100 Linux laptop
TechWorld
"The MIT Media Laboratory expects to launch a prototype of its US$100
laptop in November. The facility has been working with industry
partners to develop a notebook computer for use in education,
particularly in developing countries. The laptops should start
appearing in volume in late 2006. ... The lab expects to unveil a
prototype of the $100 laptop at the World Summit on the Information
Society (WSIS) in November. The 500MHz laptop will run a 'skinny
version' of the open-source Linux operating system." (09/29/05)
http://tinyurl.com/e3o9s
-----
8) North Carolina: Libertarian encounters poll obstructions
Winston-Salem Journal
"Adam Weinberg is a man without a party. State election officials
decertified the Libertarian Party on Aug. 22. So Weinberg, who still
is a Libertarian at heart, was expecting to run into some problems
Tuesday as a voter in the primary election for the Winston-Salem City
Council. But he wasn't expecting to be turned away from the polls."
(09/29/05)
http://tinyurl.com/csn87
-----
9) US insists on keeping control of Web
USA Today
"A senior U.S. official rejected calls on Thursday for a U.N. body to
take over control of the main computers that direct traffic on the
Internet, reiterating U.S. intentions to keep its historical role as
the medium's principal overseer. 'We will not agree to the U.N. taking
over the management of the Internet,' said Ambassador David Gross, the
U.S. coordinator for international communications and information
policy at the State Department. 'Some countries want that. We think
that's unacceptable.'" (09/29/05)
http://tinyurl.com/c4ab9
-----
10) Iraq: Number of capable battalions falls
Houston Chronicle
"The number of Iraqi battalions capable of combat without U.S. support
has dropped from three to one, the top American commander in Iraq told
Congress today, prompting Republicans to question whether U.S. troops
will be able to withdraw next year. Gen. George Casey, softening his
previous comments that a 'fairly substantial' pull out could begin
next spring and summer, told lawmakers that troops could begin coming
home from Iraq next year depending on conditions during and after the
upcoming elections there." (09/29/05)
http://tinyurl.com/asc6m
-----
11) New Orleans probes police role in looting
MSNBC
"The police department said Thursday it is investigating a dozen
officers in connection with looting during the lawlessness that
engulfed the city after Hurricane Katrina. News reports in the
aftermath of the storm put officers at the scene of some of the
heaviest looting, at the Wal-Mart in the Lower Garden District. Some
witnesses, including a Times-Picayune reporter, said police were
taking items from shelves." (09/29/05)
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9535751/
-----
12) US envoy denies plan to invade Venezuela
Detroit Free Press
"The United States is not planning to invade Venezuela, the U.S.
ambassador to Venezuela said Thursday, disputing claims by President
Hugo Chavez. Chavez has said his government has documents showing
Washington has a 'Plan Balboa' to invade his oil-producing countrywide
aircraft carriers and planes. He said Venezuela is preparing to repel
any attack." (09/29/05)
http://tinyurl.com/bjwks
-----
13) Jailed reporter reaches deal in CIA leak probe
CNN
"A New York Times reporter was released from jail Thursday after
agreeing to provide evidence to a federal grand jury investigating the
leak of a CIA operative's name. Judith Miller will appear before the
grand jury Friday after spending 12 weeks behind bars protecting a
confidential source, whom she said has cleared her to testify." (09/29/05)
http://tinyurl.com/byndu
-----
14) California: Man flees, pig attacks
Yahoo! News
"A man and his pet wild pig facing eviction from their Boulder Creek
home have eluded authorities -- the man by running into the woods, and
the pig by attacking deputies. Santa Cruz County Sheriff's deputies
have tried numerous times to evict Christian Canabou from his home,
but he always flees when they arrive, authorities said. Canabou has
now been ordered by animal control officials to evict the pig -- a
200-pounder named Kate. He was given until 10 p.m. Thursday to remove
the animal from the property, where neighbors have complained it has
become a nuisance. But getting Canabou and the pig to leave hasn't
been an easy task. 'The pig, and I don't know her name, is
aggressive,' sheriff's Sgt. Fred Plageman said. 'It seems to be a
domesticated pig, and on past occasions it has chased deputies around
and chewed up part of a patrol car.'" (09/29/05)
http://tinyurl.com/7syoz
-----
15) Five killed as migrants storm Spain
Independent [UK]
"Spain is set to send troops into its Morrocan enclaves after the
latest attempt by would-be immigrants to storm the fences left five
Africans dead and scores more injured. The attempt to breach the
barrier at Ceuta early yesterday was the third this week as Spain's
ancient territory on Morocco's Mediterranean coast proves an
irresistible draw to those desperate to pass the frontier into Europe.
Television pictures from Ceuta showed the 16ft razor wire fences
strewn with ripped clothing and dozens of makeshift ladders." (09/30/05)
http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article316097.ece
-----
16) UK: Heckler returns to hero's welcome
Guardian [UK]
"The veteran Labour delegate who was yesterday ejected from the
conference hall for heckling received a hero's welcome when he
returned this morning, and won an apology from the platform by John
Reid. Walter Wolfgang came back to a warm reception from rank and file
at the Brighton conference, and warned the party 'you can't stifle
debate by hiring heavies.' Tony Blair this morning apologised to the
82-year-old, a Jewish refugee from the Nazis, who was physically
ejected from the conference hall yesterday and refused readmission
under the prevention of terrorism act." (09/29/05)
http://tinyurl.com/8rhfb
-----
17) Illinois: Shooting ruled self-defense
Quad Cities Online
"Officials of the Rock Island County State's Attorney's office have
decided that the teen who shot and killed James Teague Jr. was
defending himself against an attempted robbery. Mr. Teague, 34, of
Carbon Cliff, was shot dead around 1 a.m. Sept. 11 near 10th Ave. and
15th St. in East Moline. Jeff Terronez, Rock Island County state's
attorney, said the 16-year-old shot Mr. Teague with a handgun after
Mr. Teague stepped out of his vehicle, raised his gun and attempted to
rob the teen." (09/29/05)
http://qconline.com/archives/qco/sections.cgi?prcss=display&id=259188
-----
18) New Mexico: Homeowner shoots intruder
KOBTV News
"Police say a West Side homeowner shot and critically injured an
alleged intruder early Thursday afternoon. Albuquerque police said the
homeowner was at his home in the 10,000 block of Del Rey SW during the
noon hour and discovered the other man in his house, possibly burgling
the home. APD officers say an altercation occurred and the homeowner
shot the other man in the abdomen in the backyard. The alleged
intruder was brought to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where
he is listed in critical condition." (09/29/05)
http://tinyurl.com/7reyt
-----
19) Reuters: US troops obstruct reporting of Iraq
Reuters
"The conduct of U.S. troops in Iraq, including increasing detention
and accidental shootings of journalists, is preventing full coverage
of the war reaching the American public, Reuters said on Wednesday. In
a letter to Virginia Republican Sen. John Warner, head of the Senate
Armed Services Committee, Reuters said U.S. forces were limiting the
ability of independent journalists to operate. The letter from Reuters
Global Managing Editor David Schlesinger called on Warner to raise
widespread media concerns about the conduct of U.S. troops with
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who is due to testify to the
committee on Thursday." (09/28/05)
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L28327739.htm
-----
20) Mighty mice regrow organs
Wired News
"Genetically altered mice discovered accidentally at the Wistar
Institute in Pennsylvania have the seemingly miraculous ability to
regenerate like a salamander, and even regrow vital organs.
Researchers systematically amputated digits and damaged various organs
of the mice, including the heart, liver and brain, most of which grew
back. The results stunned scientists because if such regeneration is
possible in this mammal, it might also be possible in humans." (09/29/05)
http://wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,68962,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1
-----
21) Military tightens rules on electronic media
Boston Globe
"The Pentagon has tightened guidelines governing the use of
photography, e-mail, Web logs, and other electronic media by US troops
in Iraq and Afghanistan, amid allegations that some soldiers snapped
close-up photographs of corpses in Iraq and posted them on a
pornographic website. Senior Army officials said yesterday that
criminal investigators have not been able to authenticate the photos
or determine whether American troops snapped the gruesome scenes of
mutilated corpses and provided them to an adult website -- which would
clearly be a violation of the code of conduct and possibly the
international laws of armed conflict. The existence of the images was
first reported in August by an Italian Web blogger and then this week
by a small San Francisco alternative newspaper, the East Bay Express."
(09/29/05)
http://tinyurl.com/7luqq
-----
22) Post-Rita return: Hot, uncomfortable
San Francisco Chronicle
"Twann Stephenson has had enough. After five days in a cramped
apartment with four young children and no electricity, she's hot,
tired and ready to move on. She's not sure where she's going. Up the
road a bit to Baytown, maybe, where she's got friends who can take her
in. Or maybe the Red Cross shelter more than five hours away in San
Antonio. Anywhere, she said, is better than here. 'I've just got to
get out,' she said Wednesday, sitting in an evacuation center at a big
sports arena on the south side of Beaumont, waiting for a bus to take
her away." (09/29/05)
http://tinyurl.com/8mb32
-----
23) Arizona: Hayworth targets migrants
Arizona Republic
"Rep. J.D. Hayworth, R-Ariz., plans to introduce today a sweeping
immigration enforcement bill that would create a new national Social
Security card, crack down on employers who hired undocumented workers
and bring a moratorium on immigrant visas for Mexican citizens.
Although the provisions of the bill were well-received by some
proponents of greater immigration control, they were widely assailed
by immigration attorneys, advocates for undocumented immigrants and
privacy watchdogs. The Enforcement First Immigration Act of 2005 laces
together in one package new and old proposals. It represents what
Hayworth and other U.S. House conservatives hope will be their
signature core principles in any immigration reform bill agreed upon
by Congress." (09/29/05)
http://tinyurl.com/cwj4b
-----
24) Tennessee: State subsidized auditors' conference
Tennessean
"State Revenue Department auditors went ahead with a $129,295
conference in Nashville this week, even after Gov. Phil Bredesen
ordered all nonessential state travel curtailed because of the costs
of Hurricane Katrina. The conference at the Millennium Maxwell House
Nashville hotel featured karaoke Tuesday night and a luau last night,
plus prize radios, calculators and pens for the auditors who traveled
on the state dime to Nashville. ... Other state departments, including
the governor's office, have cut travel since Bredesen put out his
order on Sept. 2. Bredesen canceled a trip to watch the University of
Memphis Tigers football game earlier this month." (09/29/05)
http://tinyurl.com/cp9dj
-----
25) Lilly putting suicide warning on Strattera
Fox News
"Eli Lilly and Co. Thursday said it will add strong warnings to its
label for Strattera, used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder, including the risk of suicidal thoughts among children and
adolescents. Strattera will now carry a 'black box' warning, the
strongest required by U.S. regulators. Such warnings typically hurt
sales of products by raising concern among doctors and patients about
the safety of a drug. The Indianapolis drugmaker said a review of
clinical trials data identified a small but statistically significant
increased risk of suicidal thoughts among Strattera-treated children
and adolescents." (09/29/05)
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,170777,00.html
Commentary
26) A compromise for the libertarian hawks
LewRockwell.Com
by Anthony Gregory
"What else do we know about the average pro-war libertarian? He
believes his right to self-defense includes a right to hurt innocent
people. He typically leans Republican. He has lots of nice things to
say about politicians like Ronald Reagan, yet forever loathes
relatively powerless leftists like Michael Moore. He often overlooks
abuses committed by the corporate state and sometimes confuses state
capitalism for the free market. He views the federal government as his
enemy, apart from himself, when a Democrat uses it to manage the
economy, but refers to it as 'we' when discussing military actions led
by Republican administrations. He complains about big government but,
in the end, considers Washington, D.C., and especially its imperial
military to be the embodiment of American liberty." (09/30/05)
http://www.lewrockwell.com/gregory/gregory93.html
-----
27) Winners or whiners
Liberty For All
by Starchild
"In the June issue of the Libertarian Party of California's monthly
newsletter, Aaron Starr used his chair's column to argue that
Libertarians should avoid being seen as protesters and complainers
because 'people like to associate themselves with winners' and 'people
who protest and complain do not have power.' The piece had the rather
offensive title 'Winners or Whiners.' It is shameful for a state chair
in the LP to imply that Libertarian activists like Paul Ireland, who
was arrested at a Los Angeles County Post Office in April for bravely
refusing to give up his right to free speech at an anti-tax protest,
are 'whiners.'" (09/30/05)
http://www.libertyforall.net/2005/sept30/Whiners.html
-----
28) Interview: Ilana Mercer
Free Market News Network
by Everyman Magazine
"[I]t is sufficient now for a person to be cruel, callous, lewd; act
out, even kill, to gain a kind of perverse societal imprimatur. Since
the mental health managers, the people who shape personality in our
culture, have decided (with no proper scientific evidence) that
individuals who do terrible things are often victims of society or
their past (traumatic toilet training is destiny), we have arrived at
a place where being plain evil can confer victim status. ... It used
to be that people gained that approval through hard, redemptive work
-- through upstanding deeds and probity of character. Now, to receive
cultural reinforcement, it is sufficient to be a so-called victim."
(09/29/05)
http://tinyurl.com/7pumq
-----
29) AIPAC and espionage: Guilty as hell
AntiWar.Com
by Justin Raimondo
"For months, AIPAC's defenders have been bruiting it about that this
prosecution is persecution, that the whole thing is a 'setup.' What
Rosen, Weissman, and Franklin are accused of is routine, said their
defenders -- 'everybody does it' -- and the decision to go after AIPAC
is thinly disguised anti-Semitism, the 21st century American
equivalent of Kristallnacht. ... Now the man they portrayed as being a
persecuted victim is admitting that, yes, he spied for Israel, and,
furthermore, the clear implication of this apparent plea bargain is
that he is prepared to expose the spy ring that Israel was -- and
perhaps still is -- running inside AIPAC, one of the most powerful
lobbying groups in Washington." (09/30/05)
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=7454
-----
30) Bush's blank check
Cato Institute
by Stephen Slivinski
"Sounding like Yogi Berra, President Bush gave the best description of
his administration's overall fiscal philosophy last week. When asked
on September 16 how much his grand program to rebuild the Gulf Coast
in the wake of Hurricane Katrina will cost, he answered, 'It's going
to cost whatever it's going to cost.' And, boy, will it ever. The
current estimate of the amount of taxpayer money needed to pay for
Bush's grand scheme range from $150 billion to $200 billion. And
that's on top of a $612 billion increase in the overall federal budget
since he took office in 2001. Adding the $62 billion already
appropriated for Katrina relief puts him in the same big-spending
league as Lyndon Johnson. The massive cost is just one of the
distressing things about Bush's plan. What's also disconcerting is how
it broadens the scope of the federal government's response to natural
disasters. By doing so he's setting an expensive precedent. " (09/30/05)
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=5072
-----
31) Free-falling?
Slate
by John Dickerson
"With Tom DeLay's indictment, conventional wisdom has coalesced around
the notion that the Republican Party is deeply damaged. This is, no
doubt, a gloomy moment to be a member of the GOP. As one veteran
Republican strategist outside Washington asked me, 'Is this what it
feels like to be in free-fall?' Perhaps. The plunge may continue --
but a parachute may open. ... Just because people are dissatisfied
with Republicans doesn't mean that they're rushing into the warm arms
of Democratic candidates. Yes, Democrats are seeing visions of 1994,
but Newt Gingrich did more than just tear the face off of Democrats in
leadership, he nurtured a farm team and presented a set of ideas that
dovetailed with his political instinct for the jugular. Democrats have
no Contract with America and have to find a Gingrich or some central
figure to pitch their message." (09/29/05)
http://www.slate.com/id/2127101/
-----
32) Republican religious conservatives
from Reason to Freedom
by Sandra Price
"I have some serious questions for the new Republican Religious
Conservatives. Is your movement to change the laws within the federal
government really based on legislating your moral values or is it
merely a power tool for control? What was taught to us in Sunday
school was to form a personal relationship with Jesus to improve our
ability to be better, more moral individuals. When did this desire
turn to wanting control over other people's actions and eventually
wanting the government to set the rules?" (09/30/05)
http://www.reasontofreedom.com/Republican_Religious_Conservatives.html
-----
33) Ripples of Kelo?
Free Market News Network
by Tibor R. Machan
"It seems like Kelo v. City of New London, CT. -- the infamous case in
which the US Supreme Court ruled 5 to 4 that private property may be
taken so as to transfer it to others who might do with something
conducive to the likes of local politicians -- has energized the
enemies of private property rights. Now they are arguing that whenever
the government takes property from someone, it need not even be
compensated. Why? Because it never belonged to anyone but the
government in the first place. This appears to be the rallying cry of
people from around the country lobbying against a Congressional
measure (H. R. 3824) that would require governments to pay for taking
property from citizens so that this property could serve some public
purpose. " (09/29/05)
http://tinyurl.com/734ez
-----
34) Filibuster fools
The American Spectator
by The Prowler
"According to Democratic Senate leadership staff, the party has been
quietly doing polling on the Supreme Court and issues that may come
before the court in the coming months and years, including abortion
and other life issues, voter rights, private property issues, gun
rights, and homosexual marriage. It's not like they haven't polled on
this stuff before, but the timing and breadth of the polling -- at
least two Democratic firms are said to have been contracted -- would
indicate there is more than mere curiosity at play here. While
game-planning for a new Supreme Court nominee has been ongoing for
several weeks, there is now real talk among the most senior Democratic
leaders in the Senate of filibustering the next SCOTUS nominee. That
possibility is apparently at the root of the new research being
developed." (09/30/05)
http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=8821
-----
35) The second Romanian Revolution will be televised
Reason
by Matt Welch
"From muddy farming villages to wired urban centers, strands of
anecdotal evidence are weaving themselves into an intriguing movement
potent enough to topple a government, put corrupt ex-communists on the
run, and inject optimism to a long-bleak country. And it gives the
rest of us an object lesson in what happens when an authoritarian
tries to starve his subjects of popular culture -- the kids will
eventually seize the very tool employed to keep them down, and use it
as both a political weapon and economic engine." (for publication 10/05)
http://www.reason.com/0510/fe.mw.the.shtml
-----
36) Whither veto?
National Center for Policy Analysis
by Bruce Bartlett
"Last week I had an interesting experience. I was asked to testify
before a hearing of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee. I made it
clear to them that I was a Republican, but they said they wanted me
anyway. I suppose that they knew that I have become very disturbed by
the Republican Party's fiscal policy and they presumed that I would
attack it. I did not disappoint them. I explained that I am not
particularly a deficit hawk, nor do the size of the Bush tax cuts
bother me." (09/28/05)
http://tinyurl.com/c6z55
-----
37) The rat catchers of India
Ludwig von Mises Institute
by K.Y. Leong
"Every major power in the world today has a spy agency. The Americans
have the CIA, the Brits their MI6, and the Russians have the FSB
(formerly the KGB). In the Indian capital city of New Delhi they have
a Rat Surveillance Department (RSD). Unlike the others whose jobs
involve tracking down the nasty 'rats' who trade state secrets or
crash airplanes into tall buildings, the RSD has a mission of a less
sinister kind. It deals with a menace closer to the ground." (09/29/05)
http://www.mises.org/story/1926
-----
38) Restoring freedom at home II
Heartland Institute
by Joseph Bast
"Governments in the U.S. take approximately 40 percent of the
country's total income in taxes. In other words, nearly half of all
the income generated each year is sent to governments to spend. How
free are you when governments take half of your income? Serfs in the
16th and 17th centuries typically owed their feudal lords only a
quarter of their crops and livestock, and often much less. Our
forefathers fought a war for independence over tax levels that were
far lower than those we now pay without complaint." (10/01/05)
http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=17803
-----
39) Global warming didn't generate storms
Competitive Enterprise Institute
by Marlo Lewis, Jr.
"USA TODAY is right: Activists who blame Katrina on global warming may
gain short-term publicity, but risk losing long-term credibility. The
increasing frequency of hurricane activity in the Caribbean and Gulf
of Mexico since 1995 is due to a natural, multidecadal shift in the
Atlantic Ocean thermohaline circulation (THC), the oceanic 'conveyor
belt' that pulls warm water from the tropics northward to the British
Isles." (09/29/05)
http://www.cei.org/gencon/019,04864.cfm
-----
40) Take another piece of my heart (with apologies to Janis Joplin)
Liberty For All
by Don Meinshausen
"The most serious subjects of our time are just talked about. They are
most truthfully explained by humorists. This tradition goes back
further than Mark Twain or Jonathan Swift. The court jester was
usually the only person allowed to speak his mind to the King.
Laughter is a sign that truth has been spoken. Who owns your body? If
you think Bush's response to the Schiavo controversy was loud enough
to raise the dead, wait until you hear this." (09/30/05)
http://www.libertyforall.net/2005/sept30/Janis.html
-----
41) FEMA disaster survival tips
The Onion
by staff
"Recent events have underscored the importance of being properly
prepared to deal with the effects of natural disasters. With that in
mind, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has prepared the
following guidelines. State and local governments should notify FEMA a
minimum of two weeks before a natural disaster strikes. ... Try to
steel yourself for the prospect that some Kevlar-vested prick with an
automatic rifle might try to take your cat away. ... Please cover your
'safe area' with thyme, sage, or other fragrant herbs to mask the
stench of decomposition when rescuers finally find your bodies."
[satire] (09/28/05)
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/40987
-----
42) Sinister events in a cynical war
TruthOut
by John Pilger
"Here are questions that are not being asked about the latest twist of
a cynical war. Were explosives and a remote-control detonator found in
the car of the two SAS special forces men 'rescued' from prison in
Basra on 19 September? If true, what were they planning to do with
them? Why did the British military authorities in Iraq put out an
unbelievable version of the circumstances that led up to armoured
vehicles smashing down the wall of a prison? ... Watching 'embedded'
journalists in Iraq and London, attempting to protect the British line
was like watching a satire of the whole atrocity in Iraq." (09/29/05)
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/092905L.shtml
-----
43) What noble cause?
CounterPunch
by Josef Hand-Boniakowski
"The U.S. system inculcates obedience to the State. It indoctrinates
children from a very early age in the schools to parrot the Pledge of
Allegiance. The words of the National Anthem sung at sporting events
state that we are 'the land of the free and the home of the brave.'
However, the free are not those confined to paying their respects to
fallen comrades within the narrow parameters as defined by the State.
Telling my Vietnam combat veteran friend how he can mourn is not
living in the land of the free. His resistance, however, is testament
to our still being in the home of brave." (09/29/05)
http://www.counterpunch.org/hand09292005.html
-----
44) Getting arrested with Cindy Sheehan
CounterPunch
by Gary Handshumacher
"On Monday, 9/26, Cindy Sheehan and I were arrested together; along
with more than 350 other good citizens. We had committed the crime of
going to the White House to deliver a list of the names of those who
have been murdered in Iraq in the latest version of US Government
empire building. I hadn't planned to be arrested, not for fear, I have
had the experience on a few occasions before, but more for
convenience, not wishing to miss my early Tuesday AM flight. But, as I
marched with friends to the White House, my thoughts changed. The
logic of, 'If not now, then when? ... If not I, then who?" took over."
(09/29/05)
http://www.counterpunch.org/handschumacher09292005.html
-----
45) Price gouging?
Washington Times
by Richard W. Rahn
"If you bought a home 10 years ago for $100,000 and just sold it for
$300,000, have you engaged in price gouging? Most people would say
'no,' provided there were willing buyers and sellers of both sides of
the transaction merely responding to the market at the time. As a
result of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, some politicians have demanded
prosecution of 'price gougers.' In many states, like Florida, 'price
gouging' is illegal. The Florida statutes say, 'It is illegal to
charge unconscionable prices for goods or services following a
declared state of emergency.' Hmmm, I know what the law means when
says burglary or murder are illegal, but an'unconscionable price'? So
I looked in Webster's Dictionary, and found unconscionable is defined
as 'excessive; extortionate' and gouge is defined as 'to extort from
or to swindle.'" (09/29/05)
http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20050928-084420-5165r.htm
-----
46) Massachusetts should close down OpenDocument
Fox News
by James Prendergast
"The broader media usually take little interest in public policy
debates about technology, but they're missing a big story in
Massachusetts. The technology trades, blogs and industry are buzzing
about a monumental policy shift in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Officials in the state have proposed a new policy that mandates that
every state technology system use only applications designed around
OpenDocument file formats. Such a policy might seem like something
that should concern only a small group of technology professionals,
but in fact the implications are staggering and far-reaching. The
policy promises to burden taxpayers with new costs and to disrupt how
state agencies interact with citizens, businesses and organizations.
Worse, the policy represents an attack on market-based competition,
which in turn will hurt innovation. The state has a disaster in the
making." (09/29/05)
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,170724,00.html
-----
47) War on waste neither mean nor new
Tennessean
by US Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
"After serving four years in the state Senate and almost three in
Congress, I'm rarely shocked by what is printed in the newspaper about
my work and political philosophy. In 1999 when I proposed
across-the-board spending cuts for Ten-nessee, it was implied that my
policies were mean-spirited and therefore invalid. My opposition to
the state income tax was roundly criticized by seemingly everyone --
everyone except Tennessee taxpayers and voters. It appears some things
never change. Today, my call for balancing our hurricane relief
spending with reductions in government elsewhere is being portrayed as
callous and insensitive. In a recent editorial, The Tennessean asked
why it had taken the expense of a hurricane to make us worry about the
deficit. I ask, why has it taken the expense of a hurricane to make
them hear my call for reduced spending?" (09/29/05)
http://tinyurl.com/72vzk
-----
48) Kennedy's doubts on Roberts may prove right
Boston Globe
by Thomas Oliphant
"Where the Supreme Court is concerned, Senator Edward Kennedy is
different. Where most of us saw reassurance in John Roberts's
confirmation hearing as chief justice, Kennedy saw spin. Where most of
us saw the absence of a solid, evidentiary peg on which to hang a no
vote, Kennedy saw the absence of a basis for a yes vote that is too
important to be cast on traditional grounds of qualification and
temperament. Where most of us saw a detail-dominated mind resembling a
grounded conservative like Anthony Kennedy, Kennedy saw disturbing
similarities to a revolutionary who masked his views 14 years ago:
Clarence Thomas. The only suspense left is whether Roberts will exceed
70 yes votes, because the question has split Democrats (a compliment
more to Roberts's skill as a witness than to President Bush's vision
in nominating him)." (09/29/05)
http://tinyurl.com/dux4v
-----
49) American Rights: Gift or given?
MichNews
by Marty Lich
"I was brought up to believe in my Constitutional rights as an
American citizen. I was taught that to change things, one must be
willing to speak up, to be educated in said matters, and finally to
believe in a democratic republic United States government founded upon
'For the People, By the People.' Our country was founded on Rule of
the Law. Our president even says so in his September 14, 2005, Address
to the Nation. Our country was based on the Constitutional visions of
our forefathers who fought for our freedom, who fought for our rights,
and who fought believing in 'So help me God' and 'In God We Trust.'
Where did it go wrong? Pointing fingers, passing the buck, making
excuses, and pardoning oneself from the laws that govern this
country." (09/19/05)
http://www.michnews.com/artman/publish/article_9545.shtml
-----
50) Replacing O'Connor will get ugly
Sierra Times
by Vincent Fiore
"Now that the John Roberts nomination is a virtual lock, Senate
Democrats can get down to the real business at hand. That 'real'
business I speak of would be the destruction of nearly anyone
President Bush nominates to fill the vacancy left upon the Supreme
Court by departing Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. But is it Senate
Democrats that conservatives around the country should be overtly
worried about? ... Unless Bush happens to nominate someone who is
thoroughly palatable to Senate Democrat heavyweights like Charles
Schumer and Ted Kennedy, the word of the day in Washington seems to be
'warning.' It should then come as no surprise that when the Senate
takes to the floor this week in regard to John Roberts' pending vote,
what will, in fact, be the topic of discussion is the president's next
nominee to the Supreme Court." (09/29/05)
http://www.sierratimes.com/05/09/29/152_163_100_12_42789.htm
-----
51) Marching to irrelevance
Tom Paine
by David Corn
"Three decades after Vietnam, perhaps it's time to rethink the utility
of mass demonstrations. Back in the 1960s, such events had the power
of novelty. Never before had so many citizens protested a war. That
was news. And in the days before daily polling that is regurgitated by
cable news, newspapers and blogs, these demonstrations were necessary
signs that something was happening here -- or there. But today, anyone
who bothers to read newspapers knows that a majority of Americans
believe the war in Iraq was a mistake. Thus, the news footage of an
anti-war demonstration carries less impact. What does it really tell
us that 178,342 people gathered on a weekend in Washington (when most
members of Congress are out of town) to declare their opposition to
Bush's misadventure in Iraq ... or that a few others were arrested at
the White House?" (09/29/05)
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/20050929/marching_to_irrelevance.php
-----
52) Shared sacrifice?
The American Prospect
by Robert B. Reich
"Who will end up paying for Katrina and Rita? Don't expect an answer
from the White House. The president hasn't called for any national
sacrifice other than asking Americans to drive less. Yet Katrina and
Rita are likely to demand widespread sacrifice nonetheless. Normally,
hurricane destruction improves the nation's economy because of all the
rebuilding that has to be done. Conveniently, the national income
accounts don't subtract what's been destroyed. They only register
what's being built. This time may be different. The $200 billion tab
for rebuilding will stimulate the economy in the short run, but we
don't have a clue how we're going to pay for it. Worse yet, consumers
hit by high energy prices are likely to slash their spending. That
means a slower economy." (09/29/05)
http://www.prospect.org/web/view-web.ww?id=10359
-----
53) "The Hammer" gets nailed
The Nation
by Ari Berman
"The Republican Party's once copious political capital is quickly
eroding. As we go to press, House majority leader Tom DeLay has just
been indicted by a Texas grand jury on one count of criminal
conspiracy in a fast-moving money-laundering case. 'I have notified
the speaker that I will temporarily step aside from my position as
majority leader,' DeLay said in a statement following the stunning
final day of the grand jury's term. The Republican Party's go-to guy,
famously nicknamed 'The Hammer,' finally got whacked. ... DeLay's
modus operandi -- the ruthless accumulation of money and favors to
benefit corporate interests and far-right Republicans -- may
ultimately secure his demise. In essence, he got caught for doing
business as usual." (09/28/05)
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20051017/berman
-----
54) Permanent occupation
In These Times
by US Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA)
"No one disputes that the military bases are of a physically permanent
character. The only question is whether Iraq will be under permanent
U.S. military occupation. If you are inclined to believe the
president, we will be in Iraq, in his words 'as long as necessary, and
not a day longer.' Members of the Bush administration, including the
president, have been at pains to dispel any notion that they have
plans for a permanent military presence in Iraq. On April 13, 2004,
President Bush said, 'As a proud and independent people, Iraqis do not
support an indefinite occupation and neither does America.' On
February 17, 2005, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, testifying
before the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate, said, 'We have
no intention, at the present time, of putting permanent bases in
Iraq.' The circumstances on the ground, however, tell another story."
(09/29/05)
http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2323/
-----
55) Don't waste your vote -- deal it!
from Reason to Freedom
by Truman West
"The deal is win-win. Each major party candidate has his support
reduced in equal measure and your vote is not 'wasted.' Rather you,
and the person you trade with, can make it count in the increased
percentages -- which are actually more reflective of popular opinion
-- for the candidates and parties you truly believe in. In turn, the
increased percentages for a good 'minor' candidate can move public
policy more in that direction." (09/17/04)
http://www.reasontofreedom.com/Vote_Exchanging.html
Movement News and Events
56) Libertarian writer: Want to get paid?
from Reason to Freedom
ongoing
"Are you a libertarian writer who can produce an article on roughly a
weekly or biweekly basis? And you would like to get paid for it? Would
you rather use your time writing and thereby spreading the libertarian
message than learning search engine optimization techniques (SEO),
researching revenue generation methods, understanding visitor
acquisition techniques, or devoting time to marketing? ... we are now
adding writers."
http://www.reasontofreedom.com/Libertarian_Writer.html
-----
57) Second European Resource Bank Meeting
Lithuanian Free Market Institute
10/14/05--10/15/05
"The European Resource Bank Meeting draws on the Heritage Foundation's
similar Resource Bank Meeting event and the Atlas Foundation's Asian
Resource Bank Meeting, the forums which gather outstanding
free-marketeers to discuss how free market principles can be applied
in addressing economic and social concerns and conducting reforms. The
topics of this year's ERBM are the future of the European social
policy and economic security." Vilnius, Lithuania, October 14-15.
Speakers include Jose Pinera, Richard Rahn and John Blundell. Online
registration available.
http://www.rbeurope.org/
-----
58) The economics of fascism
Ludwig von Mises Institute
10/07/05-10/08/05
"Join us at the Mises Institute Supporters Summit 2005, October 7-8,
Auburn, Alabama. The senior and adjunct faculty will discuss the
history, theory, and contemporary meaning of the fascist temptation,
and what the Austrian economists are doing to combat it. Sessions
begin at 1:00pm Central Time on Friday, continue all day Saturday, and
conclude with dinner on Saturday." Online registration.
http://www.mises.org/upcomingstory.aspx?control=75
Today in Political History
59) Saladin takes Jerusalem
Details, and the "quote of the day," from Leon's Political Almanac at:
http://perspicuity.net/cgi/hypercal.cgi
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