Rational Review News Digest ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Published Monday-Friday, except for holidays Made possible by the generous support of our readers http://www.rationalreview.com/news
Produced in cooperation with the International Society for Individual Liberty http://www.isil.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Volume III, Issue #799 Tuesday, December 27th, 2005 Email Circulation 2,071 ------ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS -------------------------------------- LIBERTARIAN? TIRED OF BEING A SLAVE? Discover how to locally build, market and popularize liberty. No need to move or give up. Free libertarian outreach materials, eBooks and more. You can be free. Join us. http://libertopia.net/pages/downloads.html BUREAUCRASH CONTRABAND Buy a subversive tee or 5 for your favorite free-thinker. They make great Chrismukkahwanzadan gifts! http://bureaucrash.com/contraband LIBERTYSTICKERS.COM The world's most dangerous stickers! http://www.libertystickers.com THE THIRD REVOLUTION Follow libertarian governor Ben Kane as he walks a harrowing tightrope between his conscience and the law. "[D]eserves to attract the attention of Libertarians and fiction lovers alike." -- LP News http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1591135001/rationalrev08-20 -------------------------------------- SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS ----- Today's News: 0) RRND -- 4th quarter fundraiser 1) Iraq: US soldier, others killed 2) Sri Lanka: Ten soldiers killed by mine 3) Israel: Air raids target Gaza Strip 4) Europe "behind on Kyoto pledges" 5) New York: Spitzer subpoenas record companies 6) Bezos launches space venture 7) Chile: Pinochet ruled fit to stand trial 8) Study warns of deep permafrost thaw 9) Kuwait: Death sentences for six in terror plot 10) Kerry Packer, 1937-2005 11) SLAPP, counter-SLAPP 12) UK: German history syllabus "doesn't mention the war" 13) UK: Thousands turn out to defy hunting ban 14) Australia: Murder trial for woman who shot robber 15) Alabama: Man kills brother in DeKalb shooting 16) New Hampshire Republicans drift from national party 17) Libyan court orders retrial of Bulgarian nurses 18) Missouri: Swallowing cell phone maybe not voluntary 19) Whooping cough makes resurgence 20) Washington's struggle to cut spending Today's Commentary: 21) It's my party and I'll spy if I want to 22) Presidential power 23) Bush's secret surveillance state 24) Poisoned politics 25) Are you being searched? 26) George Walker Lyndon Baines Johnson Bush 27) The torturous Bush administration 28) Question the PATRIOT Act now -- before it's too late 29) Economic freedom in the Arab world 30) Waking up to a Bill of Rights culture 31) The power of 55 32) Bring on the rebels 33) Monopoly blues 34) Keep the front door of legal immigration open 35) Bush's game of fiscal "chicken" 36) Ten best tech moments of 2005 37) Chinese Internet vs. free speech 38) India: Is the government reading your email? 39) Oversight needed for feds to spy on U.S. citizens 40) South Africa: Firearm saved us from hijackers 41) Wandering through the looking glass 42) Beyond the imperial presidency 43) Big Brother Bush is listening 44) Silent night 45) The usurpers of our freedom 46) Baby Boomers' unhappy future 47) "Private" public schools 48) "Negative option" as marketing ploy 49) Ditch Kyoto 50) Patriot Act extension allows for calm debate 51) The war on terror should not supersede the laws of the land Today's Movement News and Events: 52) Demand Congress investigate illegal wiretapping 53) Action: Special counsel on domestic spy ring 54) ISIL: Koln Conference Report 55) Book Forum: Electing to Fight 56) Austrian Scholars Conference 2006 Today in Political History: 57) Carrie Nation v. demon rum News 0) RRND -- 4th quarter fundraiser Update, 12/27 -- Last 24 hours: One contribution (thanks, TQ!) brings our total to $2,387 ... and the US Snail had yesterday off. It looks very likely that, for the first time ever, we'll actually bust one of our fundraiser top goals. $613 to go. Thanks for the support! http://www.rationalreview.com/content/4245 ----- 1) Iraq: US soldier, others killed Ely Times & County "Guerrillas killed 10 Iraqi policemen and soldiers in attacks north of Baghdad on Monday, while in the capital five major explosions left at least eight dead and one U.S. soldier was killed on a patrol. It was one of the bloodiest days in Iraq since the largely peaceful election on December 15, when rival ethnic and sectarian groups took part in a vote for a new parliament. By nightfall, at least 20 were killed and over 40 injured." (12/27/05) http://www.localnewsleader.com/elytimes/stories/news-00116986.html ----- 2) Sri Lanka: Ten soldiers killed by mine Reuters "Fuelling fears of a return to civil war, suspected Tamil Tiger rebels killed 10 soldiers in the island's far north on Tuesday in the second mine attack in less than a week, the military said. The blast followed a string of guerrilla ambushes on the military and the assassination of a pro-rebel member of parliament at a Christmas mass that are straining a 2002 truce to breaking point." (12/27/05) http://tinyurl.com/e4eef ----- 3) Israel: Air raids target Gaza Strip International Herald Tribune "The Israeli military on Tuesday fired a barrage of artillery and missiles at the Gaza Strip, hitting two offices of the militant Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and a bridge the army said was used by militants to reach areas where they fire rockets. Hours later, about two dozen armed Al Aqsa militants took over the governor's office and two other government buildings in northern Gaza -- the latest outbreak of lawlessness that has undermined the rule of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. Israel's pre-dawn aerial strikes were part of the army's attempt to halt rocket fire on Israeli towns bordering Gaza. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has approved a buffer zone in northern Gaza, although the army said it has not yet implemented the plan. Enforcement -- including firing at anyone who enters the area -- is not likely to begin in the coming 12 hours, the army said." (12/27/05) http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/12/27/africa/web.gaza.php ----- 4) Europe "behind on Kyoto pledges" BBC News [UK] "The UK is almost alone in Europe in honouring Kyoto pledges to cut greenhouse gases, a think-tank claims. Ten of 15 European Union signatories will miss the targets without urgent action, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) found. The countries include Ireland, Italy and Spain. France, Greece and Germany are given an 'amber warning' and will not reach targets unless they put planned policies into action, the IPPR said." (12/27/05) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4561576.stm ----- 5) New York: Spitzer subpoenas record companies Forbes "New York state attorney general Eliot Spitzer has issued subpoenas to the world's leading music companies in an effort to discover whether the industry has broken any laws regarding the wholesale pricing of digital music downloads, the Financial Times reported. The subpoenas were issued to Sony BMG, Time Warner Inc's Warner Music, EMI Group PLC and Vivendi Universal unit Universal Music last week, people involved said, but the probe is still at a preliminary stage. 'It is too early to call it an investigation,' a spokesman for Spitzer said." [editor's note: If it's not an "investigation," then on what authority are subpoenas being issued? - TLK] http://www.forbes.com/technology/feeds/afx/2005/12/27/afx2415044.html ----- 6) Bezos launches space venture ABC News "Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos expects a rocket-ship complex for his aerospace venture Blue Origin to open early next year. [Kent, WA city] records show that an office and warehouse he's revamping in this south Seattle suburb will be used to design and build spacecraft and engines. Blue Origin has released few details about the project. But a Texas newspaper editor who interviewed Bezos earlier this year said the billionaire talked sending a spaceship into orbit that launches and lands vertically, like a rocket, and eventually building spaceships that can orbit the Earth possibly leading to permanent colonies in space." (12/27/05) http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=1442471 ----- 7) Chile: Pinochet ruled fit to stand trial Washington Times "Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet is fit to stand trial for the 1975 disappearances of six dissidents, judges have ruled. The Chilean Supreme Court on Monday rejected calls from Pinochet's lawyers that the 90-year-old was unfit to stand trial because he suffers from a number of maladies including dementia, El Mercurio newspaper reported Tuesday." (12/27/05) http://washingtontimes.com/upi/20051227-041926-3195r.htm ----- 8) Study warns of deep permafrost thaw Columbia Tribune "Climate change could thaw the top 11 feet of permafrost in most areas of the Northern Hemisphere by 2100, altering ecosystems across Alaska, Canada and Russia, according to a federal study. Using supercomputers in the United States and Japan, the study calculated how frozen soil would interact with air temperatures, snow, sea ice changes and other processes. The most extreme scenario involved the melting of the top 11 feet of permafrost, or earth that remains frozen year-round. 'If that much near-surface permafrost thaws, it could release considerable amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and that could amplify global warming,' said lead author David Lawrence of the National Center for Atmospheric Research. 'We could be underestimating the rate of global temperature increase.'" (12/27/05) http://www.columbiatribune.com/2005/Dec/20051226News016.asp ----- 9) Kuwait: Death sentences for six in terror plot Voice of America "A Kuwaiti court handed down death sentences Tuesday, to six Islamists linked to the al-Qaida terror network. The six condemned men were among a group of 37 people accused of plotting to attack Kuwaiti security forces and U.S. troops in the Gulf emirate." (12/27/05) http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-12-27-voa1.cfm ----- 10) Kerry Packer, 1937-2005 SABC News [South Africa] "Kerry Packer, Australia's richest man whose fierce business reputation dominated corporate Australia and whose companies control one of the nation's major media groups, died in his sleep overnight, his family said. Packer's Channel 9 television station in Sydney said his wife Roslyn had issued a statement saying the 68-year-old billionaire died peacefully at home in his bed. ... The statement did not give a cause of death." (12/27/05) http://www.sabcnews.com/world/other/0,2172,118606,00.html ----- 11) SLAPP, counter-SLAPP Myrtle Beach Online "A year ago Tom and Barbi Diehl were sweating a $5 million libel and slander suit, filed against them by a company that objected to Tom Diehl's public opposition to a proposed garbage holding pen in his suburban St. Louis neighborhood. The lawsuit was tossed out by Missouri courts this year and now the Diehls are suing the garbage company for damages, arguing that the suit against them was malicious. Defamation lawsuits are filed every day, but amid the clutter of allegations claiming damaged reputations and hurt feelings is a trend of countersuits against corporations, public officials and others that have used so-called SLAPPs to silence opposition in public forums. The reaction to strategic lawsuits against public participation, or SLAPPs, varies from state to state, but legal analysts say there is a growing backlash against these suits that many say are designed solely to stifle public dissent and discourage involvement in civic affairs." (12/25/05) http://tinyurl.com/d4bo9 ----- 12) UK: German history syllabus "doesn't mention the war" Independent [UK] "The Cold War would replace the Second World War in secondary school classrooms under a syllabus published today on how to teach German history. The new unit, designed for 11 to 14-year-olds, is in recognition of the criticism that too much time is being spent on studying Hitler in history lessons and -- as a result -- UK youngsters are building up a picture of today's Germany as being full of goose-stepping Nazis. ... The new 'don't mention the war' syllabus comes a week after an official report from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority -- the Government's exams watchdog which has devised the new syllabus -- repeated claims that the study of Hitler was dominating GCSE and A-level history lessons." (12/27/05) http://education.independent.co.uk/news/article335231.ece ----- 13) UK: Thousands turn out to defy hunting ban Guardian [UK] "Some landowners may be denying police access to fields and woods in order to shield illegal hunts from prosecution, animal welfare groups suggested yesterday. The allegation surfaced as tens of thousands of riders and spectators braved the cold for the first traditional Boxing Day meetings held since hunting with dogs was banned. The Home Office is now coming under pressure to strengthen the Hunting Act, which critics on both sides of the blood sports controversy describe as unenforcable." (12/27/05) http://www.guardian.co.uk/hunt/Story/0,2763,1674031,00.html ----- 14) Australia: Murder trial for woman who shot robber Sydney Morning Herald [Australia] "The security guard Karen Brown will stand trial for murdering [sic] a man who bashed and robbed her outside the Moorebank Hotel in July last year. A magistrate ruled on Friday that although it could be said she had a strong defence for killing William Aquilina, there was a reasonable prospect that a jury would reject her defence and convict her of murder." (12/24/05) http://tinyurl.com/7lb9d ----- 15) Alabama: Man kills brother in DeKalb shooting Huntsville Times "A DeKalb County man was killed and his brother and sister-in-law were hurt in a gun battle Friday morning in Collinsville, a Sheriff's Department spokeswoman said. Gary Kenneth Craig, 57, died after being shot once or twice during a gunfight with his brother, James Earl Craig, 62, said investigator Rhonda Jackson. The brothers were neighbors in Collinsville. ... Jackson said an alcohol-related dispute led to James Craig removing his brother from his home. Gary Craig then got a rifle from his pickup truck and fired through his brother's front door, striking his brother and sister-in-law. James Craig returned fire, killing his brother, Jackson said." (12/24/05) http://tinyurl.com/b47kj ----- 16) New Hampshire Republicans drift from national party Boston Globe "With signs pointing to a resurgent Democratic Party in New Hampshire, the state's all-Republican congressional delegation is becoming increasingly at odds with the national Republican Party in a state that was long a GOP bellwether, according to an analysis of votes and other actions in Congress over the past year. Congressmen Jeb Bradley and Charles Bass voted for expanded stem cell research and opposed drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and Bradley notably declined to endorse Bush's Social Security plan. Senator John E. Sununu opposed Bush's plan for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, joined a filibuster to insert civil liberties protections into the USA Patriot Act, and voted against his party leadership on several major spending bills." (12/26/05) http://tinyurl.com/afayp ----- 17) Libyan court orders retrial of Bulgarian nurses Sydney Morning Herald "Libya's Supreme Court has overturned death sentences against five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor and ordered them retried on charges of infecting children with the HIV virus, in an attempt by Libya to resolve a case that has poisoned its ties with the West. Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is believed to have been looking for face-saving way out of the stand-off over the case, which brought condemnations from Europe and the United States and stalled his campaign to bring his country out of its international pariah status. The verdict, welcomed by Bulgaria, came after European and Libyan negotiators reached a deal by which the West will provide aid to families of the 426 children infected in the 1990s with the virus that causes AIDS. About 50 of the children have reportedly died." (12/26/05) http://tinyurl.com/cqnt3 ----- 18) Missouri: Swallowing cell phone maybe not voluntary San Francisco Chronicle "A woman who police thought deliberately tried to swallow her cell phone during an argument with her boyfriend was apparently the victim of an assault instead, authorities said. Police have a suspect in the bizarre incident that sent the 24-year-old woman to the hospital last week, Sgt. Allen Kintz said. Police would not say whether the boyfriend was the suspect and would not explain exactly what they believe happened. 'It appears she didn't voluntarily swallow this phone,' Kintz said. 'It's not quite the way it was first portrayed.' Early Friday, police responded to a call from a Blue Springs man who said his girlfriend was having trouble breathing. Police arrived to find a woman with a cell phone lodged in her throat. Police were initially told the boyfriend wanted the phone and the woman tried to swallow it so that he could not get it." (12/26/05) http://tinyurl.com/8f7fg ----- 19) Whooping cough makes resurgence Washington Times "Pertussis, the highly contagious disease also known as whooping cough, has become a growing problem in adolescents in recent years despite its history as primarily a disease of infants and young children, federal data show. 'Even though the highest rate of pertussis is still among children under 6 months of age, the highest proportion of cases is now among adolescents,' said Dr. Amanda Cohn, an epidemic intelligence service officer for the Atlanta-based U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Cohn is one of the authors of a report titled 'Pertussis -- United States, 2001-2003,' published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report that was released last week. The study showed that reported cases of pertussis increased from a historic low of 1,010 in 1976 to 11,647 cases in 2003. 'A large increase in reported cases has occurred among adolescents' as vaccinations they received as young children have lost effectiveness, the authors wrote." (12/26/05) http://www.washtimes.com/national/20051225-113959-8842r.htm ----- 20) Washington's struggle to cut spending Christian Science Monitor "If nothing else, Washington's tortured, year-long budget debate shows that cutting federal spending may be even more difficult today than it used to be. Not that it's ever been easy. For at least the last quarter-century, the federal deficit has been a perennial problem of US politics. As defense and entitlement spending has grown, most everything else that the US government does has been squeezed and squeezed again in search of savings. Many of the obvious cuts have now been made, while major reductions in domestic entitlements have proved politically elusive. The result: a deficit reduction bill that's far smaller than fiscal conservatives wanted, whose cuts may be offset by the loss of federal revenue expected from furthering the Bush tax cuts." (12/27/05) http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1227/p02s01-uspo.html ----- RRND MEDIASHELF -------------------------------------------- Books, CDs and other tchotchkes from today's edition: 1984, by George Orwell: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0451524934/rationalrev08-20 Seven, DVD: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000050FEN/rationalrev08-20 Note: Affiliate links generate commissions for RRND's editors. -------------------------------------------- RRND MEDIASHELF ----- Commentary 21) It's my party and I'll spy if I want to Lahontan Valley News by Glenn McAdoo "Okay all you conservatives out there who have mistakenly claimed that all liberals want to take away your guns -- try this on for size. President Bush's (hardly a liberal) interpretation of the Constitution would give him the power to disregard the Second Amendment, come into you home without a warrant, and take away your guns because he had intelligence that you might have ties to Al Qaeda. Oh, you don't have ties to Al Qaeda? Well shut my mouth, you mean the president's intelligence was faulty? Sorry, it's your word against his. Maybe you trust this president's intelligence, but I wouldn't if I were you. I don't." (12/26/05) http://www.lahontanvalleynews.com/article/20051226/Opinion/112260005 ----- 22) Presidential power The Price of Liberty by Nathan A. Barton "[O]nce more, it is time to remind all and sundry that IF George W. Bush is indeed walking in the steps of one Abraham Lincoln, that there are more than ever grounds for considering our current president to be nothing more than a dictator and a hypocrite who will use any means to further his aims. For indeed, to most of those familiar with history and not national myth, Abraham Lincoln is indeed that and more. To them, having the face of Abraham Lincoln on the front of Mount Rushmore, that 'Shrine to Democracy' is as inappropriate and upsetting as it would be to have his figure carved on Stone Mountain. Abraham Lincoln was nothing more than an elected dictator, and for that matter, elected by a minority vote even weaker than Bill Clinton's election and even more subject to claims of fraud than either of George W Bush's elections. Far from being a supporter of Black Americans' rights, he was a bigoted racist who cruelly and opportunistically used the abolition of slavery as the means to an end. ... he was nothing less than a tyrant who foreshadowed the totalitarian regimes that drenched the world in blood; and in fact, the blood of more Americans than every other president combined stains his hands." (12/26/05) http://www.thepriceofliberty.org/05/12/26/nathan.htm ----- 23) Bush's secret surveillance state Future of Freedom Foundation by Anthony Gregory "The real threat to American liberty, the defense of which the administration still insists is the purpose of the war on terror, is a federal government without strict checks and limits on its power, whose executives feel comfortable using the military to spy on peaceful Americans, while telling the media not to report their secret and unconstitutional surveillance activities. The use of a military intelligence agency against the American people, with or without judicial oversight, is far more a 'shameful act' than reporting such activities to the American people, who have a right to know." (12/26/05) http://www.fff.org/comment/com0512i.asp ----- 24) Poisoned politics Boston Globe by Cathy Young "Even as the war in Iraq goes on and the war with a global terror network shows no signs of abating, our domestic political scene seems to have become a war zone as well. It's happening on political websites, where 'debate' often consists of trading invective and where opponents are ridiculed with slurs like 'libs' and 'repugs.' It's happening in mainstream politics, too. Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean slams Republicans as 'brain-dead' people many of whom 'have never made an honest living in their lives.' Republican master strategist and senior Bush adviser Karl Rove slams liberals as wimps whose reaction to Sept. 11 was to 'offer therapy and understanding for our attackers.' Everyone seems to agree that there is far too much nastiness in American political discourse today. And everyone seems eager to blame the other side for it." (12/26/05) http://tinyurl.com/cf53q ----- 25) Are you being searched? Reason by Julian Sanchez "They know when you are sleeping, they know when you're awake, they know if you've been bad or good: They're the National Security Agency, and as The New York Times reported this Christmas Eve, they've been conducting analysis of telecommunications on a scale far beyond that of the targeted program of eavesdropping on domestic-to-international communications revealed earlier this month. Both programs remain shrouded in secrecy, but there's at least some reason to think that, under the logic of a Supreme Court ruling issued earlier this year, it's the more expansive one that will meet fewer constitutional obstacles." (12/26/05) http://www.reason.com/links/links122605.shtml ----- 26) George Walker Lyndon Baines Johnson Bush Independent Institute by Ivan Eland "Although George W. Bush likes to compare his presidency to that of Ronald Reagan, it most resembles that of Lyndon Baines Johnson. Some conservatives and liberals alike may be horrified at the comparison, but that is where the facts lead. Although Ronald Reagan's efforts to reduce the size of government were mostly rhetorical, his philosophy was one of small government conservatism. Certainly, the deficits Reagan racked up by cutting taxes more than spending and the percolation of his philosophy into public opinion probably played at least some role in reducing the growth of federal spending during the Clinton presidency. In contrast, both George W. Bush and LBJ ran 'guns and butter' presidencies -- that is, spending other people's money was their specialty." (12/23/05) http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=1642 ----- 27) The torturous Bush administration LewRockwell.Com by Bob Murphy "All this talk about torture bans seems a bit silly to me; it reminds me of when the movie Seven first came out and everyone debated as if any jury in the world would have convicted Brad Pitt's character. Let's suppose the government does adopt an absolute ban on torture. Does anyone really think, a few years down the road, that someone from the FBI is going to come forward and announce in a press conference, 'I hate to say this, but my partner extracted a confession from a terrorist yesterday. Sure, we saved forty thousand lives, but the law's the law?' If government officials ignore the Constitution, why would they respect a mere statute?" (12/27/05) http://www.lewrockwell.com/murphy/murphy100.html ----- 28) Question the PATRIOT Act now -- before it's too late AntiWar.Com by US Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) "We're told that Sept. 11 changed everything, that new government powers like the PATRIOT Act are necessary to thwart terrorism. But these are not the most dangerous times in American history, despite the self-flattery of our politicians and media. This is a nation that expelled the British, saw the White House burned to the ground in 1814, fought two world wars, and faced down the Soviet Union. Sept. 11 does not justify ignoring the Constitution by creating broad new federal police powers. The rule of law is worthless if we ignore it whenever crises occur. The administration assures us that domestic surveillance is done to protect us. But the crucial point is this: Government assurances are not good enough in a free society." (12/27/05) http://www.antiwar.com/paul/?articleid=8310 ----- 29) Economic freedom in the Arab world Cato Institute by Ian Vasquez "The idea economic freedom is essential to human progress catches on in the Arab world. At a gala dinner here attended by hundreds of Arab diplomats and other prominent guests, a new Omani organization, the International Research Foundation, released an 'Economic Freedom of the Arab World' report showing how big differences in policies in the region can produce big differences in economic outcomes. The report looks at 39 variables in 16 countries, ranging from size of government to monetary policy, trade openness, regulation and the rule of law. Published in conjunction with the Fraser Institute, whose global index on economic freedom is well known, the report suggests what is true of the world is also true in the Arab region: Economically free countries tend to be more prosperous and faster growing." (12/27/05) http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=5343 ----- 30) Waking up to a Bill of Rights culture Free Market News Network by Richard Stevens "What these two stories have in common is hope. The common man -- the ordinary American -- is beginning to wake up and realize what is happening around him. He is beginning to notice the society we live in is not the society our Founding Fathers intended. It's a small sign, but that it exists at all is cause for (cautious) optimism. Similar small victories and awakenings are evidenced by the responses we've received regarding Bill of Rights Day celebrations, proclamations, and published letters in newspapers." (12/23/05) http://www.fmnn.com/Analysis/105/3265/2005-12-23.asp?nid=3265&wid=105 ----- 31) The power of 55 The Weekly Standard by Terry Eastland "Any assessment of the prospects for the Alito nomination must begin with the fact that Republicans hold the Senate. That matters -- a lot. Under the Constitution the president and the Senate play the key roles in Supreme Court appointments. Simply put, the president nominates and the Senate approves -- or fails to approve -- the nominee. It makes sense to think that when members of the same party control both the White House and the Senate, a Supreme Court nomination is likely to succeed. And the history of Supreme Court nominations backs that up. David Brady, a professor of political science at Stanford and deputy director of the Hoover Institution, says that while two-thirds of all high court nominations have succeeded, the percentage goes up to 85 percent when senators of the same party as the president's are in the majority." (for publication 01/02/06) http://tinyurl.com/d6ucx ----- 32) Bring on the rebels AlterNet by William Greider "The political news from Connecticut did not seem earth-shaking on its face, but the New York Times and the Washington Post were both sufficiently alarmed to put the story on page one. Some upstart citizens are talking about challenging their warrior senator, Joe Lieberman, by running an antiwar candidate against him next fall. The Wall Street Journal went ballistic. Its hysterical editorial denounced the 'liberal animosity' toward Wall Street's favorite Democrat. Possibly, this rump-group assault on the established order will come to nothing, just another angry rant from frustrated Democrats. But it could be the start of something big -- a David-and-Goliath challenge that encourages other nascent insurgencies around the country. Rebellion can be fun -- who doesn't enjoy upsetting the mainstream media? -- but in these dispiriting times it is also good for one's mental health. Even better, rebellion could revive the Democratic Party." (12/27/05) http://www.alternet.org/story/29953/ ----- 33) Monopoly blues Rebirth of Reason by Tibor R. Machan "There are many other instances of economic inefficiency and other maladies caused by government supported monopolies -- just think of how elementary and high schools, as well as a great many colleges and universities, are monopolistic by coercing support from taxpayers for themselves, thus restricting other educational options for their clients. (Private schools aren't allowed to expropriate their operating expenses!) All in all, these unnatural monopolies -- as distinct form the natural ones that exist simply because they have managed to outdo competitors in their line of business -- impose serious burdens on many of us. But they are now so entrenched that hardly anyone even discusses breaking them up. The last time a serious change was made was when Ma Bell was broken up and even then the result wasn't quite what a free market would produce." (12/27/05) http://tinyurl.com/d4uht ----- 34) Keep the front door of legal immigration open Human Events by Jack Kemp "In the long run, the best way to fix our immigration system is not to militarize the border or to drive undocumented immigrants further into the shadows. The flood of illegal immigration exists, in large part, because U.S. laws do not provide legal channels to accommodate the labor demand of employers and the supply of immigrants willing to work. An estimated 70 percent of the current agriculture work force is illegal. Current guest-worker programs are capped at 66,000 annually for non-agriculture service industries, the current temporary agricultural-worker program is so bureaucratic that over 40 percent of applications to the Department of Labor are not acted upon until after the harvest, and current laws allow the admission of only 5,000 unskilled workers annually on a permanent basis." (12/27/05) http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=11112 ----- 35) Bush's game of fiscal "chicken" Mother Jones by Bernard Wasow "The year is ending with an honest touch. After the administration failed to get Congress to cut future Social Security benefits (in the guise of reforming the system), and after it chose to ignore the recommendations of its tax reform panel, the legislative year is ending with a flurry of tax and spending cuts which aim at, well, cutting taxes and spending. In the end, that is what this government has come to stand for: cutting taxes and non-military spending while waging war." [editor's note: Every time I think that "progressives" just may be starting to "get it," they get off on the tangent of mischaracterizing "reductions in the speed of growth of spending" as "cuts in spending." So, once more from the top -- not one thin dime of spending has been cut from the federal budget this year. Start from that factual premise if you want to get anywhere truthful - TLK] (12/23/05) http://tinyurl.com/8vptw ----- 36) Ten best tech moments of 2005 Wired by Kevin Poulsen "In the tech world, 2005 was a period of bold ideas and exciting breakthroughs -- shadowed, at times, by devastating reversals. New software apps changed the way we looked at the world, while hardware got smaller, faster and more fun. On the net, blogs provided many of the most dramatic moments, sometimes courting lawsuits, other times taking us places we could not otherwise go: New Orleans, Iraq, even inside the twisted mind of an accused killer. As we begin what's certain to be an exciting new year of Yahoo acquisitions and rising Google stock, it's perhaps a good time to stop and reflect on the highs and lows of the year that was. Here are our picks for the 10 best tech moments of 2005." (12/26/05) http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,69900-0.html?tw=wn_tophead_1 ----- 37) Chinese Internet vs. free speech Scripps Howard News Service by Carrie Kirby "U.S. tech giants are helping the Chinese express themselves online -- as long as they don't write about democracy, Tibet, sex, Tiananmen Square, Falun Gong, government corruption or any other taboo subject. Microsoft bans 'democracy' and 'Dalai Lama' from the Chinese version of its blog site. Yahoo recently turned over information that helped the Chinese government track down and imprison a journalist for the crime of forwarding an e-mail. Google omits banned publications from its Chinese news service. Critics say that cooperating with governments to suppress free speech violates human rights, international law and corporate ethics. But what the experts can't agree on is what the companies should do about it. The Internet -- even with limitations -- is generally considered a powerful democratizing force. If international companies withdrew from the Chinese Internet market, the result might mean even fewer chances for free communications there." (12/26/05) http://tinyurl.com/aqgva ----- 38) India: Is the government reading your email? Times of India by Ranjam Yumnam "The revelation that President Bush had authorised the National Security Agency, an intelligence agency, to eavesdrop on US citizens, has snowballed into a major controversy. But if one compares the violation of privacy rights by Bush administration to the rampant spying on Indian citizens by the state agencies, the American case seems almost harmless. The fact is that our emails are being read and telephone conversations tapped in a routine manner by the intelligence agencies." [Editor's note: Well, that makes ME feel better ... the Indian gov't is worse than ours :-) - MLS] (12/26/05) http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1345545.cms ----- 39) Oversight needed for feds to spy on U.S. citizens Daily Bulletin by staff "In the wake of the security-shattering terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, terrified Americans willingly, even gladly, conceded some of their privacy rights to help fight terrorism. Air travelers submitted to long lines and numerous inconveniences with little complaint. The people also, for the most part, supported the reallocation of billions of federal funds to fight domestic terrorism and backed the Patriot Act, which significantly increased the government's ability to investigate possible terrorists, and prevent them from committing more atrocities on American soil. The feeling of most Americans was if that's what it takes to keep the country safe, then so be it. But the revelations in recent days that the executive branch has been authorizing the National Security Agency to conduct secret wiretappings of Americans, sidestepping procedures set up expressly for the purpose of providing proper oversight, is unsettling to say the least." (12/26/05) http://www.dailybulletin.com/opinions/ci_3343389 ----- 40) South Africa: Firearm saved us from hijackers The Mercury [South Africa] by PA Webb "I recently took delivery of a new BMW X5 and soon afterwards the hyenas tried to take it away from me on the road leading to my house .... The hyenas pulled up behind my car and the driver proceeded to fire at me where I had taken cover behind my car. The driver pointed his semi-automatic over the roof of his car in my direction. He fired nine shots and I returned fire with shots through the windscreen, but he managed to reverse. ... After phoning, two cars from the security companies arrived within minutes. Two hours later three members of the police arrived. They asked me in a disinterested manner to explain what had happened, meanwhile trampling the crime scene forensic evidence into the ground that the security guys had carefully circled and flagged." (12/22/05) http://tinyurl.com/788kz ----- 41) Wandering through the looking glass Common Dreams by Gilbert Jordan "Poor Alice, indeed. But, more importantly, poor America. Since 9/11 we have witnessed the slow, deliberate undermining of the Constitution and Bill of Rights, both sacrificed by a craven Congress and a docile public paralyzed by the fear of terrorism. That fear has been nurtured by the Administration at every step. We have been conditioned in Pavlovian fashion to react to color codes, to cringe at every announcement of a potential attack, to sigh with relief when government triumphantly announces the interception of a dangerous cell in America. Typically, the notice is timed to divert attention from news that is embarrassing to the administration. It seems we have been transformed into mindless sheep, trusting that in return for our docility government will deliver us from the perils of the world." [editor's note: What's this "since 9/11" guff? - TLK] (12/26/05) http://www.commondreams.org/views05/1226-23.htm ----- 42) Beyond the imperial presidency Chicago Tribune by Steve Chapman "What's good for George W. Bush is good for America, and anything that weakens his power weakens the nation. To call this an imperial presidency is unfair to emperors. Even people who should be on Bush's side are getting queasy. David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union, says in his efforts to enlarge executive authority, Bush 'has gone too far.' ... What we have now is not a robust executive but a reckless one. At times like this, it's apparent that Cheney and Bush want more power not because they need it to protect the nation, but because they want more power. Another paradox: In their conduct of the war on terror, they expect our trust, but they can't be bothered to earn it." (12/25/05) http://tinyurl.com/796fo ----- 43) Big Brother Bush is listening Truthout by Marjorie Cohn "George Orwell's book '1984' was first published during the heyday of McCarthyism in 1949. In the society Orwell described, everyone was under surveillance by the authorities. The people were constantly reminded of this by the phrase, 'Big Brother is watching you.' During the McCarthy period, in an effort to eradicate the perceived threat of communism, the government engaged in widespread illegal surveillance to threaten and silence anyone who had an unorthodox political viewpoint. Many people were jailed, blacklisted and lost their jobs. Thousands of lives were shattered as the FBI engaged in 'red-baiting.' Although Orwell's allegory was aimed at communism, it was the United States government that initiated COINTELPRO, designed by its own terms to 'disrupt, misdirect, discredit and otherwise neutralize' political and activist groups." (12/26/05) http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/122605I.shtml ----- 44) Silent night TruthOut by William Rivers Pitt "The only war on Christmas happening in the last week was fought by soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan who are away from family and in harm's way, many for their second or third tours. The war on Christmas this past week was fought by tens of thousands of soldiers who are learning how to face life without an arm, without a leg, without eyes, without a face, with permanent brain damage, and perhaps worst of all, with the prospect of diminished veterans benefits because those benefits were cut by an administration that needs money to pay for the production of more wounded soldiers. The war on Christmas this past week was fought by tens of thousands of Iraqi families who have had friends and loved ones killed, maimed or tortured. The war on Christmas this past week was fought by tens of thousands of American families who have friends and loved ones in harm's way, or in a hospital, or six feet under the ground. On Saturday night, the war on Christmas was fought by a family in Ohio who will never see their beloved boy again." (12/26/05) http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/122605A.shtml ----- 45) The usurpers of our freedom CounterPunch by Lawrence Velvel "At stake in the so-called war on terror is longer just treatment of detainees, but the freedom of Americans. Bush and company have very wrongly used the commander-in-chief power as a lever to make the President far, far too powerful, powerful far beyond anything intended by the framers, who created a government in which the legislature was to be the more powerful branch. John Yoo has despicably abetted this process by writing intellectually corrupt legal opinions, which were to be used to shield officials high and low against the possibility of criminal prosecutions even though their acts plainly are criminal. The legal opinions, moreover, were classified, were all kept secret, in major part because Congress and the public would never stand for what is being done if they were to learn about it by reading the opinions . Congress has been ineffective and cowardly." (12/26/05) http://www.counterpunch.org/velvel12262005.html ----- 46) Baby Boomers' unhappy future Washington Times by Herb Berkowitz "The U.S. economy speeds toward a brick wall. But instead of trying to stop or even slow the fiscal train wreck, many senior citizens want to push hard on the accelerator. Nothing was more evident at the recent 2005 White House Conference on Aging than the palpable greed of seniors. Perhaps they see it as getting even with their Baby Boomer kids for how we aggravated them in the 1960s and '70s. Whatever their motives, they are not very realistic. As U.S. Comptroller General David Walker, the chief federal auditor, made clear, our country can't afford existing programs for the elderly, such as Medicare. If more benefits are piled on, as many conference delegates demanded, we face economic disaster. Policymaking in Washington is often nine-tenths political theater and one-tenth deliberation. The Conference on Aging was no exception." (12/26/05) http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20051225-105129-8194r.htm ----- 47) "Private" public schools Los Angeles Times by staff "The underlying myth of public schools is that they provide a roughly equal education to all. This is clearly untrue, even in California, where schools get most of their money from the state and therefore should get about the same amount per student. Outdated funding formulas, which probably made some sense when they were set up more than 25 years ago, have some school districts getting hundreds of dollars per student more than others. The 50 or so wealthiest school districts get even more under a strange rule that allows them to escape the state's per-student funding altogether. Such inequities are heightened when private money enters the mix, as it does increasingly. School leaders, eager to raise achievement, are in the unenviable position of trying to figure out when private spending by parents enhances education -- and when it is simply unfair." [editor's note: This one is here for its surprising honesty about government schools and how they discourage parental involvement - SAT] (12/26/05) http://tinyurl.com/8fb7k ----- 48) "Negative option" as marketing ploy Arizona Republic by Rick DeBruhl "Beware the negative option. I'm not talking football here. This isn't a pass play, but it's something you should definitely pass up. The negative option is a marketing ploy. It's usually associated with things like free trial offers or other promotions. The negative option means that you're automatically signed up unless you specifically state you don't want the offer. Over the next month, there will be plenty of people who will find what they consider unusual charges on their monthly credit-card bill. It might be a service or perhaps a membership in some type of buying club. They'll wonder how it got there because they don't remember signing up. What possibly happened is that they bought something online. As they were clicking along, they neglected to un-click one particular item or box. By leaving the check in the box, the company then assumes it has your OK to sign you up for some fabulous service that you never knew you needed." [editor's note: Although this is not "news" to most folks, that doesn't mean it doesn't need to be said! - SAT] (12/26/05) http://tinyurl.com/aob4c ----- 49) Ditch Kyoto Washington Times by Michael Fumento "Do you think manmade global warming threatens the planet? Or it's little more than an environmentalist sham? Either way it's time to realize the celebrated Kyoto Protocol -- long touted by the greens as essential to preventing ecological disaster -- isn't just dying, it's decomposing. It's time for something new. The Kyoto Protocol was a 1997 pact to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, or otherwise reduce these gases in the atmosphere. Environmentalists and many scientists say gas-induced warming is already causing a cornucopia of ills including -- most recently -- polar bears drowning because of melting Arctic ice. More than 150 nations have now ratified the treaty, but the United States became a pariah for refusing to do so as did President Bush by abandoning it altogether. Turns out, though, there's little distinction between those who ratified and those who didn't. Of the original 15 European Union ratifiers of Kyoto, at best four are on course to meet the treaty's target of an 8 percent reduction in greenhouse emissions by 2008-2012 from the 1990 base-year level." (12/26/05) http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20051225-105128-6633r.htm ----- 50) Patriot Act extension allows for calm debate Tennessean by staff "Before its recess, Congress made a reasonable choice to extend the Patriot Act by five weeks, thus allowing more time for debate, but that doesn't change the fact that objectionable elements of the law should be removed. The Senate had given the law a six-month reprieve, but a late maneuver in the House shortened the extension to five weeks. That reduces the time for debate, but the principle of an extension is sound. Some provisions in the law would have expired at the end of the year if no action had been taken. But troubling aspects of the act, including provisions that give the government sweeping powers to obtain personal information, need further discussion. The extension will provide another opportunity to have that debate. While many members of Congress were eager to approve the Patriot Act's renewal, the compromise prevents Congress from a misguided rush to make permanent a law that has been flawed from the beginning." (12/26/05) http://tinyurl.com/azdz2 ----- 51) The war on terror should not supersede the laws of the land Christian Science Monitor by Dante Chinni "In the process of declaring war on terrorism and terrorists and, of course, terror in general, the Bush administration has, inadvertently or not, declared war on the other two branches of government and they are not amused. So expect a contentious and argumentative 2006. The revelation that the administration, without the court's approval, ordered the National Security Agency (NSA) to tap phone calls and monitor e-mails going in and out of the country has led to a revolt by the judiciary and the Congress. The most vexing fallout for the White House at the moment is the extremely short-term renewal of the Patriot Act in the Congress. The law will be open for discussion again in five weeks, which is when the Hill will begin to debate the NSA phone-tapping, and the mood will almost certainly grow sourer as the revelations continue to drip out." (12/27/05) http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1227/p09s02-codc.html Movement News and Events 52) Demand Congress investigate illegal wiretapping Electronic Frontier Foundation ongoing "Journalists have revealed that President Bush personally authorized the National Security Agency (NSA) to wiretap the international phone and email communications of people within the U.S. -- without a search warrant. This surveillance clearly violates both the Fourth Amendment and criminal statutes that prohibit unauthorized electronic surveillance. But only one group has the power to get to the bottom of this scheme to invade Americans' privacy: the United States Congress. There is already bipartisan support on the Hill for such an investigation, but it needs shoring up. Send a message to your representatives, and urge them to hold hearings on this illegal eavesdropping." (12/25/05) http://tinyurl.com/du32d ----- 53) Action: Special counsel on domestic spy ring American Civil Liberties Union "When President Bush secretly authorized the National Security Agency to spy on Americans, he may [sic] have violated the Constitution and his oath of office. No American is beneath the law's protection. And no one -- not even a U.S. president -- is above the law's limits. Our system of checks and balances must be maintained if American democracy is to be preserved. Send an email to your senators telling them to insist that the Department of Justice appoint a special counsel ." (12/22/05) http://tinyurl.com/8oba8 ----- 54) ISIL: Koln Conference Report International Society for Individual Liberty by Vince Miller "The ISIL conference this year celebrated the 25th anniversary of the founding of ISIL in Ann Arbor, Michigan back in 1980. For history buffs, we started out as Libertarian International, but later in 1989 merged with the original Society for Individual Liberty (SIL) which dated back to 1969. We changed our name to ISIL. A historical review is included in this issue of the Freedom Network News. Our 2005 conference was held in Germany at the facilities of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Gummersbach (near Cologne -- or Köln as it is properly known). This year many hot topics were covered -- including the state of the European Union, globalization and free trade." http://www.isil.org/resources/fnn/2005fall/koln-conference.html ----- 55) Book Forum: Electing to Fight Cato Institute 01/12/06 Featuring the authors (of Electing to Fight: Why Emerging Democracies Go to War), Edward D. Mansfield, University of Pennsylvania; Jack Snyder, Columbia University; with comments by Christopher Layne, Texas A & M University; and Thomas Carothers, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Noon (luncheon to follow) at the Cato Institute, 1000 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC. Free admission -- online registration required. Webcast available. http://www.cato.org/event.php?eventid=2558 ----- 56) Austrian Scholars Conference 2006 Ludwig von Mises Institute 03/16/06-03/18/06 "The Austrian Scholars Conference is the international, interdisciplinary meeting of the Austrian School, and for scholars interested or working in this intellectual tradition, it is the event of the year. Over the course of three full days, the Austrian Scholars Conference offers eighty plus presentations on economics, history, philosophy, and the humanities, in addition to named lectures by the leaders in the field." Mises Institute campus, Auburn, AL. Free for students (application required), $200 for others. Online registration available. Group rate available at local hotel. http://www.mises.org/upcomingstory.aspx?control=77 Today in Political History 57) Carrie Nation v. demon rum Details, and the "quote of the day," from Leon's Political Almanac at: http://perspicuity.net/cgi/hypercal.cgi ---------------------------------------------------------------------- RRND is published every weekday except on holidays. Forward freely. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or financially support RRND, visit: http://www.rationalreview.com/news To support ISIL's Free-Market.Net Project (tax deductible) http://www.isil.org/store/membership.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Thomas L. Knapp ..... Publisher Mary Lou Seymour .... Editor Steve Trinward ...... Editor R. Lee Wrights ...... Editor ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> 1.2 million kids a year are victims of human trafficking. 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