The Fear of Ideas

(ZDNet) The FBI appears to have adopted an invasive Internet surveillance technique that collects far more data on innocent Americans than previously has been disclosed.

Instead of recording only what a particular suspect is doing, agents conducting investigations appear to be assembling the activities of thousands of Internet users at a time into massive databases, according to current and former officials. That database can subsequently be queried for names, e-mail addresses or keywords.

Such a technique is broader and potentially more intrusive than the FBI's Carnivore surveillance system, later renamed DCS1000. It raises concerns similar to those stirred by widespread Internet monitoring that the National Security Agency is said to have done, according to documents that have surfaced in one federal lawsuit, and may stretch the bounds of what's legally permissible.

I am relatively convinced that someday, possibly someday soon, my online activities will come back to haunt me. How amazing is that? I have never done anything other than express opinions, opinions based upon principles I hold dear. My ideas are not widely read, and certainly have not influenced many - but I am still certain all the same that my name is inside of this massive database.

Bill suggests that perhaps he needs a new hobby....

Afterall, when your hobby is considered an enemy weapon system…. geez. Stalin once said, “Ideas are more powerful than guns. We don’t let the people have guns, why should we let them have ideas?” Well, it’s become quite apparent for those who can face reality that TPTB in the US have adopted Uncle Joe’s trite little outlook on the spread of ideas.

I fail to understand why anyone would fear ideas and words, no matter how much one might disagree with those words or ideas. Perhaps the fear itself speaks volumes about the moral rightiousness of those that express this fear with things like massive databases.

"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." George Orwell

UFO's Everywhere

I am not exactly a Fox Mulder sort of guy – I do not care if I believe or not. In the big picture I suppose that it is entirely plausible that God created other “people” on other planets. I also believe that for a lot of reasons - time, differing rates of development, a proclivity to self-destruct etc – we will never meet each other.

I am curious though about the extraordinary number of recent UFO sightings all over the place. The Air Force came out with an explanation last week for the sightings in Arkansas –flares – but it seems each day as I look through the news there are new reports in different places. Just Google the news for the last 2-3 weeks to see what I mean.

I am certain there are reasons and causes for all of this and I doubt it is mass hysteria all over the world. Nor do I actually believe these are little green men. Perhaps we shall see and then again maybe not.

More Confirming Opinions

Joshua has a bit more about the coming attack on Iran:

In Bush Is About to Attack Iran, former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Paul Craig Roberts quotes General Leonid Ivashov, vice president of the Academy on Geopolitical Affairs and former Joint Chief of Staff of the Russian Armies [...] The general says the attack will come by April.

Beware the Ides of March

Just Talk and Dreams

(Guardian) 'The reality is that they have got to the stage where they can run a small experimental centrifuge cascade intermittently,' said one Western source familiar with the Iranian programme. 'They simply have not got to the stage where they can run 3,000 centrifuges There is no evidence either that they have been stockpiling low-enriched uranium which could be highly enriched quickly and which would give an idea of a malevolent intent.'

Another source with familiarity with the Iranian programme said: 'Iran has put all this money into this huge hole in the ground at Natanz; it has put a huge amount of money in these P-1 centrifuges, the model rejected by Urenco. It is like the Model T Ford compared to a Prius. That is not to say they will not master the technology eventually, but they are trying to master very challenging technology without access to everything that they require.'

Nice Start

BOSTON (Reuters) - Maine lawmakers on Thursday became the first in the nation to demand repeal of a federal law tightening identification requirements for drivers' licenses, a post-September 11 security measure that states say will cost them billions of dollars to administer.

Maine lawmakers passed a resolution urging repeal of the Real ID Act, which would create a national digital identification system by 2008.

"Urging Repeal" is a good start and I am happy to see a few states addressing this issue. I really want to see a few states nullify this law entirely and simply ignore this un-Constitutional imposition from on high.

Looking For Clues

(Daily News Tribune) Years from now, will we refer to these early days of 2007 as "the run-up to the Iran War"? That's what it feels like in Washington as President George W. Bush prepares to deliver his seventh State of the Union address tonight at 9.

[...]

Four years ago, George W. Bush used his State of the Union speech to make the case for the invasion of Iraq. He talked about Saddam Hussein's stockpiles of chemical weapons - stockpiles that were never found. He talked about Iraq's attempts to purchase uranium in Africa - a fiction he officially retracted months later.

So listen closely to what Bush says about Iran. If he tries to hang a Saddam Hussein mask on Ahmadinejad; if he warns of the growing threat of Iran's WMD program; if he stresses Iran's connections to terrorists like those responsible for 9/11, we may be watching a frightening sequel to a movie we've already seen.

Watch as well for the reaction, from Congressional Democrats, presidential contenders and media pundits. If George W. Bush appears intent on launching what would be his third war against a Moslem country in six years, who'll stand in his way?

Look for clues I shall.

The Big Sky Country Stands Up

The Charleston Voice passed along this little tidbit.

HELENA -- Lawmakers in the Montana House of Representatives collectively thumbed their noses at the federal government Monday by approving two bills exempting guns from federal regulations and driver's licenses from national standardization requirements.

The bills by Reps. Diane Rice, R-Harrison, and Roger Koopman, R-Bozeman, do different things but are driven by the same concern: the erosion of personal liberties by the federal government.
Koopman said Monday his gun bill, House Bill 366, would inspire a home-grown industry of gun-makers who produce firearms to be sold in Montana. It also sends a message reaffirming states' rights.

[...]

Rice is sponsoring HB 304, which would prevent the state from cooperating with the federal government in establishing nationwide standards for noncommercial driver's licenses.

[...]

There was virtually no debate about the bill before lawmakers voted 94-6 to pass it, with a third and final vote expected today.

My question is - how do we find and elect state legislators in other states that actually understand The Constitution, the nature of the federal compact and the concept of States' Rights?

Montana is apparently leading the way in the battle to preserve the rights of the states against the continuing usurpations of the Federal Government.

Robert E. Lee's Birthday - Jan. 19

I will be otherwise engaged on the 19th so I have posted this a bit early.

January 19 is the 200th anniversary of the birth of a great man and a great American. We certainly could use a few men like Robert E. Lee around today - folks that understand faith, humility, loyality to what matters, duty and honor.

Chuck Baldwin recently posted a wonderful piece regarding two great men of honor and integrity with birthdays in January.
___________________

by Calvin E. Johnson Jr.

Robert E. Lee, a man whose military tactics have been studied worldwide, was an American soldier, educator, Christian gentlemen, husband and father.

Robert E. Lee said, "All the South has ever desired was that the Union as established by our forefathers, should be preserved, and that the government, as originally organized, should be administered in purity and truth."

Tell your children that Robert E. Lee was born at Stratford Hall, Westmoreland County, Virginia, on January 19, 1807. The winter was cold and the fire places were little help for his mother, Ann Hill (Carter) Lee, who was also suffering from a severe cold.

Ann Lee named her son "Robert Edward" after her two brothers.

Robert E. Lee's love for his country undoubtedly came from his close association with those who had lived during the American Revolution. His father, "Light Horse" Harry Lee, was a Revolutionary War hero, Governor of Virginia and a member of the House of Representatives.

Lee was educated in the schools of Alexandria, Virginia. In 1825, he received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. He graduated in 1829, second in his class and without a single demerit.

Lee was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant of the United States Engineer Corps. His first assignment was at Cockspur Island, Georgia to supervise the construction of Fort Pulaski.

Robert E. Lee wed Mary Anna Randolph Custis on June 30, 1831. Robert and Mary grew up together. Mary was the daughter of George Washington Parke Custis, the grandson of Martha Dandridge Custis Washington. George and Martha Washington raised him as their own son.

Mary was the only child; therefore, she inherited Arlington House, located across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. where she and Robert E. Lee raised seven children.

In 1836, Lee was appointed 1st Lieutenant. In 1838, with the rank of Captain, Robert E. Lee fought in the War with Mexico. His service in the war began under Gen. Wool but he was later reassigned to the staff of Gen. Winfield Scott. Gen. Scott wrote that Lee was "the best soldier I ever saw in the field."

Robert E. Lee was appointed Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1852.

Lee had served in the United States Army for nearly 32 years when he was offered command of the Federal Army at the outset of the War Between the States.

In a letter to his sister on April 20, 1861, Robert E. Lee said: "With all my devotion to the Union and the feeling of loyalty and duty as an American citizen, I have not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my relatives, my children, my home. I therefore, have resigned my commission in the army and save in the defense of my native state, with the sincere hope that my poor services may never be needed".

Gen. Lee and his family left "Arlington House" at the beginning of the War Between the States. Lee served as advisor to President Jefferson Davis, and then commanded the legendary Army of Northern Virginia beginning on June 1, 1862.

After four years of death and destruction, Gen. Robert E. Lee met Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia on April 9, 1865, that ended their battles.

Robert E. Lee was called Marse Robert, Uncle Robert and Marble Man.

Lee was a man of honor, proud of his name and heritage, After the War Between the States, he was offered $50,000 for the use of his name. His reply was: "Sirs, my name is the heritage of my parents. It is all I have and it is not for sale."

In the fall of 1865, Robert E. Lee was offered and accepted the position of president of troubled Washington College in Lexington, Virginia. The school was later renamed Washington and Lee College in his honor.

Gen. Robert E. Lee died of a heart attack at his Washington College home at 9:30 on the morning of October 12, 1870.

Lee is buried at the school's Chapel near his family and favorite horse "Traveller."

A prolific writer, Lee wrote his most famous quote to his son Custis in 1852: "Duty is the sublimest word in our language."

Sir Winston Churchill once remarked, "Lee was the noblest American who had ever lived and one of the greatest commanders known to the annals of war."

Lest We Forget A Great American Hero!

____________________

But forget him we do - Not only did Lee never own slaves (he freed those he inherited from his father-in-law) He also never attended a communist rally and as far as historians can tell never cheated on his wife or in his school work.

We have other folks with national holidays that we cannot say the same for. Even in the South the tradition of celebrating this man and his life is falling out of fashion.

A society is judged by its heroes!

Big Deal

It appears the "big announcement" I mentioned the other day from the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is that they have moved the "doomsday clock" to five minute prior to midnight.

According to CBC:

Now modern dangers such as global warming and the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea are expected to inch the clock two minutes forward — to five minutes to midnight — though scientists have not confirmed the exact change.

I say big deal, what of it? All the more reason to have your "kit bag" ready.

Where Does it End?

According to China's news agency (take it for what it is worth), Iran recently shot down a US drone (make and model not listed)

TEHRAN, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Iranian troops have shot down a U.S. pilotless spy plane recently, an Iranian lawmaker announced on Tuesday as the Islamic Republic was facing increasing military pressure from its arch rival -- the United States.

I am really uncertain where the folks in Washington think this will all go. If they are foolishly planning a second or third generation attack they will certainly succeed in the short-term.

Iran's air defense structure is porous - in large part because doctrinally, Iran based their defensive posture on the US model prior to 1979. That model involves a primacy of fighters in a defensive role - rather than the soviet model that stressed defense in depth and an interlaced system of missile and gun batteries.

The fact is Iran's air fleet has significantly deteriorated over the years - even with the addition of Saddam's "gifts" in 1991 and subsequent purchases from China as well as an indigenous fighter production effort (resulting in something roughly equivalent to an F-5). All of this comes to naught.

Iran recently purchased the TOR M air defense system from Russia - probably the best system in the world in its class - but this is not enough to fill the holes in their air defense grid.

But really all of this is not the point - the US can destroy anything in Iran it desires. That is second and third generational thinking. The aftermath will not be second or third generational - Iran will be left with but one option - full scale fourth generational operations within Iraq. That sort of escalation will permanently spell defeat for any plan Washington may have for the region.

Upside Down World

Fellow South Carolinian and, as I have told her, closet paleoconservative La Shawn Barber wonders today what many bloggers, writers, doers and thinkers wonder - why am I not heard?

If you do not know, La Shawn is well-spoken, succinct writer who also happens to be a black, southern, Christian woman. I say also happens to be but that is inaccurate, she was many of the later before she was the former but I think you get my point. Oh yeah, she also went to law school but don't hold that against her.

La Shawn does not fit the mold, in here own words she calls a spade a spade and pulls no punches on the racial aspect of issues that other folks simply could not touch without getting on Morris Dee's hall of fame list.

I actually think very seldom about issues in racial terms other than to acknowledge that some segments of the population are hell-bent toward looking at every issue in those terms. I suppose I just write all of that sort of people off entirely. Narrow minds of that sort are dangerous and they are plentiful but there is nothing I can do about it.

La Shawn is exactly the sort of person that people in the world ought to listen to. She has obviously had success, her site receives a lot of hits, she appears on MSM outlets from time to time but ultimately, in the big scheme of things, she is a failure.

She has failed to sway the blogsphere in the smallest measurable degree toward a right perspective in relation to important issues. Oh you say she is but one woman and the blogsphere is filled with many voices. That is true, many unenlightened and delusional voices fill our ranks - probably a solid representation of the world around us. There are however, a few opinion-leaders out there - folks that flunkies flock to for their latest ideological azimuth checks.

Why has La Shawn failed? She proposes three scenarios and leans toward the possibility that perhaps, she is just not as good as she believes herself to be. None of her scenarios hold water.

She fails because her message is not what people want to hear. It is as simple as that. If we lived in a better society, with better people that truly understood the relationship between individual liberty and responsibility and the importance of family La Shawn would probably be THE opinion maker on the blogsphere.

La Shawn's story is a cautionary tale for all of us lesser bloggers with ideas that do not fit the mainstream. Do we dare expect to succeed where she has failed? In a name drop world such as ours she has achieved what should amount to success, i.e. links in the right places, name recognition and face time with the MSM. Yet, she still fails to truly change the momentum of wrong ideas.

Faced with such a circumstance some would ask if perhaps their ideas are out of touch because they are simply wrong. Of course we all know principles never change, people do (Stephens). This fact is still true today, and will forever remain true.

La Shawn, there is nothing wrong with you, it is the world around you that is upside down.

Come Down and Take it Down Yourself Big Man

The headline reads "Biden Wants Confederate Flag Off Grounds", the article is referring of course to the South Carolina Statehouse grounds.

My reaction - who in Hades cares what somebody from Delaware thinks about what is or is not on the statehouse grounds. I know of nobody in or from SC that is concerned with telling Delaware what they should or should not do.

You see, I full well realize that my home, my state, my country in effect, has a history that stretches back over 400 years. The period between 1861 and 1865 is but a flash in the pan compared to such a rich legacy. Four years cannot and do not define a people.

I realize something else, every time some trouble-maker tells us that we have to forget, and be sorry for ever daring to assert our independence the symbols of the period from 1861-1865 have a greater significance.

In our society it is perfectly ok to celebrate each and every culture; unless that culture is Southern. White Southern culture is viewed as backwards, oppressive and evil, black Southern culture is considered stupid and unenlightened - the smart blacks left the country for work in the cities don't you know (or so the folks in the urban 'dirty south' would tell you).

How can those that worship at the altar of multiculturalism sleep well at night - knowing full well they are nothing but hypocrites?

Biden's words were intended for the worst sorts of the polity - RASCIST. Defending one's culture and history is one thing - so long as that defense is based upon truth. Wrapping your entire identity into the color and tone of your skin is simply racism. The flag on the statehouse grounds belongs to all South Carolinians -black and white, for we all lost and suffered in that war. It represents our history, a shared history, and our proclivity to stand against others telling us what to do.

Biden aspires to be President of these united states and one of the first tactics he unveils is race-bating and catering to racist. The multiculturalist of the world should be ashamed of their silence. The folks I grew up with in SC, black and white, ought to be outraged.

Sins of the past are certainly something all cultures and people share - none of us are completely innocent of some historical wrongdoing. My question is, just who in hell is Joe Biden and Christopher Dodd and to tell South Carolina what is right and what is wrong?

The flag on the South Carolina Statehouse grounds does not stand for past oppression - it stands for resistance to other people trying to dictate and meddle in affairs that are not their own. It also represents fallen anscestors that stood up against oppression. I guess Biden and his ilk are just too stupid to actually understand that.

Double-Talk

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The White House said Sunday it is not planning military action against Iran, but refused to rule out the possibility, bucking pressure from several senators who said the administration is not authorized to do so.

Asked whether the United States is preparing for a potential military conflict with Iran, President Bush's national security adviser Stephen Hadley told NBC's "Meet the Press," "No, the president has said very clearly that the issues we have with Iran should be solved diplomatically."

But, on ABC's "This Week," Hadley would not rule out the possibility of such an attack and would not say whether he agrees with those senators who say that the Bush administration would need congressional backing for such a move.

Clearly the President did not mention anything about diplomacy in his speech last Wednesday when he referenced Iran. The Sunday talking head shows were filled with duplicitous double-talk from various Executive branch folks and others close to Bush - "we are not planning to attack", "we have not ruled out an attack", "we will deal with Iran", "crossing international borders is a difficult legal question" are but some of the statements that came out of the Sunday media blitz.

All in all it seems that the Bush administration attempted to put a different face on things, one of we are not pushing this conflict. However. through it all occasionally more bellicose words came through.

People's Daily Online (a CHICOM paper published in Kuwait- so take it for what it is worth) reports that the US will attack Iran before April 2007. I hate it when communist agree with me.

Wondering

On January 17 at 14:30 GMT the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists will make a major announcement.

A lot of folks are abuzz over this - we will see.

Little Drummer Girl

WASHINGTON -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice refused yesterday to rule out cross-border US military action against Iran, a day after President Bush pledged in a major speech to "seek out and destroy" Iranian and Syrian networks providing weapons and training to anti-American forces in Iraq.

Speaking before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rice said the United States plans to target the networks inside Iraq, but added, "obviously the president isn't going to rule anything out to protect our troops."

Yes Condi, we all clearly understood what Bush meant by "networks" - but thanks for the clarification.

And the Beat Goes On

During a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on national security threats, National Intelligence Director John D. Negroponte and other officials expressed a new level of concern over Iran's capabilities and intentions, saying the Islamic regime's pursuit of nuclear weapons was only one element of its increasingly aggressive behavior.

"Iran's influence is rising in ways that go beyond the menace of its nuclear program," said Negroponte, ticking off several developments that had emboldened the country in the last year.

Among them, he said, was an increase in oil revenue that allowed greater funding of terrorist activities, and a belief in Iran and Lebanon that Hezbollah — the Tehran-sponsored militant group based in Lebanon — was the victor in heavy fighting with Israel last summer.

Iran "regards its ability to conduct terrorist operations abroad as a key element of its national security strategy," Negroponte said, adding that Hezbollah, which the United States classifies as a terrorist organization, "could decide to conduct attacks against U.S. interests if it feels its survival — or that of Iran — is threatened." (LA Times)

I suppose most of us have lost all confidence in the US intelligence community -at least the top-men - as anything other than political lackeys carrying the water for the "greater good".

Thus, this this multi-pronged approach by Negroponte, laying out multiple reasons why Iran is a threat is no surprise. He is just one more drummer in Bush's band beating war drums. We will see more and more of this.

It appears that Bush and company learned a little from their initial WMD failures in Iraq. Instead of focusing just on Iran's terrorist connections or their nuclear program they have decided to take the smorgasbord approach - listing many reasons early on. That way, after it all begins they have a fall back plan.

Great Idea

All volunteer my eye - you volunteer to get in but you have to ask permission to get out or to retire, and now this.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon has abandoned its limit on the time a citizen-soldier can be required to serve on active duty, officials said Thursday, a major change that reflects an Army stretched thin by longer-than-expected combat in Iraq.

[...]

In other words, a citizen-soldier could be mobilized for a 24-month stretch in Iraq or Afghanistan, then demobilized and allowed to return to civilian life, only to be mobilized a second time for as much as an additional 24 months. In practice, Pace said, the Pentagon intends to limit all future mobilizations to 12 months.

Citizen-soldiers are supposed to be citizens most of the time, not just toys for delusional presidents to take out and play with every time they have a "great" idea to save their own legacies. If I were an employer, particularly in a small company I would have a hard time hiring one of these guys under such circumstances. It is too much of a risk.

That has to hurt the quality that the Guard and Reserve can recruit from. Citizen-soldiers have to earn a living in relation to their capabilities. Joining up just might endanger that.

Of course recruiting for active and reserve has taken on an entirely new set of problems....

The day after President Bush announced his plan for a deeper U.S. military commitment in Iraq, Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters the change in reserve policy would have been made anyway because active-duty troops already were getting too little time between their combat tours.

The Pentagon also announced it is proposing to Congress that the size of the Army be increased by 65,000, to 547,000 and that the Marine Corps, the smallest of the services, grow by 27,000, to 202,000, over the next five years. No cost estimate was provided, but officials said it would be at least several billion dollars.

I suppose now the military will have to accept folks with felonies, mental defects, physical ailments, 50 year old grandmas, 16 year old girls and illegal Mexicans. I see no other way that this increase can be pulled off otherwise - nobody else is showing much interest.

Half-Stepping Toward War

US troops raided Iran's consulate in northern Iraq yesterday, arresting five staff, hours after US President George W. Bush vowed to cut off Iranian and Syrian support to "terrorists" in Iraq. (The Australian)

Subtle But Clear Statement of Intent on Iran

I previously shared an essay with you written by Sam Gardiner, COL USAF (RET) in which he described the build up to a war with Iran as not being a CNN event. Instead he described the telling signs as increased rhetoric and mention of Iran as a destabilizing force in the Middle East.

Today, Bush subtly but certainly, made his intentions, insofar as Iran is concerned, clear.

"These two regimes are allowing terrorists and insurgents to use their territory to move in and out of Iraq," he said.

He then singled out Iran, adding that she "is providing material support for attacks on American troops."

Bush made an implied military threat against both nations: "We will disrupt the attacks on our forces. We will interrupt the flow of support from Iran and Syria. And we will seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq." (NewsMax)

He continued this veiled threat and statement of intent with something else I told you 02 January:

"We are also taking other steps to bolster the security of Iraq and protect American interests in the Middle East. I recently ordered the deployment of an additional carrier strike group to the region. We will expand intelligence sharing — and deploy Patriot air defense systems to reassure our friends and allies.

We will work with the governments of Turkey and Iraq to help them resolve problems along their border. And we will work with others to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons and dominating the region." (NewsMax)

Notice that diplomacy is now absent in Bush's words regarding Iran.

Who are these "others" - well we already have a pretty good idea, the same folks that are pressing Bush to take action. The Patriot missiles Bush mentioned will go to Israel and possibly Saudi Arabia - we will see very soon - probably already there or enroute (the US leaves a battery in Israel all the time - the additional missles are just to make them feel wam and fuzzy and keep their aircraft on the tarmac).

Israel can only interpret these words one way - "stand down little buddy, I have this one". Likewise, Iran can only interpret this one way "stand down or I will shock and awe you".

Complete LOSP take on the coming US-Iranian Conflict

A Definition of Terror

(CBS/AP) A U.S. Air Force gunship has conducted a strike against suspected members of al Qaeda in Somalia, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports exclusively.

The targets included the senior al Qaeda leader in East Africa and an al Qaeda operative wanted for his involvement in the 1998 bombings of two American embassies in Africa, Martin reports. Those terror attacks killed more than 200 people.

The AC-130 gunship is capable of firing thousands of rounds per second, and sources say a lot of bodies were seen on the ground after the strike, but there is as yet, no confirmation of the identities.

One night in November of 2005 I had an odd moment of reflection. I sat in relative quiet as a storm raged just a few thousand meters south of me. I watched the sky for nearly an hour as an AC-130 Spectre gunship circled the city of Fallujah. The sky was filled with many other sites and objects but the gunshp was the most interesting and fascinating. From within the belly of this beast spewed the most horrendous and awe inspiring sight - fiery death in short bursts.

The aircraft carries three automatic cannons ranging from 25mm to 40mm and one 105mm gun. It has an IR and radar package that allows the plane to see in day or night, fog, rain, snow, sandstorm or any other nuisances.

Imagine for a moment not being 2000 meters away from the target area but instead actually being the target. All you see is a flash of light, by the time you hear the thud of the 105 or the burp of the automatic cannons you are also hearing the explosions around you.

These weapons certainly give the US a tremendous advantage but if you ever really want a definition of terror - seek out and find someone that has been in the target area of one of these monsters, if they still live.

Victory in Small Measures

My little county - Anderson, SC - and our new county council righted a wrong and reinstated our Blue-laws that the former council dumped a month ago. No more shopping at the Wal-Mart on Sundays. I wrote previously of my anger at the former council concerning their decision to eliminate our Blue Laws.

This is a significant step-forward in the preservation of our culture and traditions. Kudos to Ron Wilson and crew.

Why should I share this with you - folks that do not live in my county? Because I believe you ought to put my home in your radar and watch us over the next couple years. We have big things in mind to thwart the destruction of our culture. I only wish I were there and not here!

Going Wide is Looney, But Consider Who is in Charge

Daniel Larison in his concluding comments yesterday related to the Robert Tracinski essay -the "go wide theory" - that I commented on 04 January states:

Why anyone else takes it as something other than the ravings of a looney, I will never know.

He makes an effective argument that such a course of action is just plain stupid, would not brief well to the rest of the world, could not be executed effectively and would not have the desired results. All thinking men know these things but that in no way affects the "deciders" decisions.

I cannot seem to get access to comment on his blog but here is what I would say if I could:

Well perhaps these are looney ravings, but I actually believe that there are enough looney people in power to make these sort of ideas dangerous.

I think the gears have been turned and events set in motion to make the possibility of a unilateral attack early this year a distinct possibility and have laid out my reasoning here, here, here and here.

Only time will tell if event contrive to allow these looney folks to actually execute - but I think that the evidence stands that they would actually like to carry out an attack, they think it would help matters and preparations have been made to actually execute such an event.

With Israel now threatening to strike unilaterally and use tactical nukes in the process, Bush may indeed feel he has no option but to act first and save our little "friend" the trouble such an action would cause them.

And to anyone that really thinks the Democrats would stop all of this, just listen to their words:

Iran with nuclear weapons is unacceptable, new House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told The Jerusalem Post hours after entering the party leadership position.

The Maryland Democrat said the view is shared by his party, rejecting assertions that the Democrats would be weaker than the Republicans on Iran.

He also said that the use of force against Teheran remained an option.

The Governator Takes a Stand

The governator declares secession for California - well not quite but at least there is one governor willing to use the phrase "nation-state".

From his second inaugural speech.

And yet here in this nation-state of California , people from all over the world live in harmony. I call California a nation-state because of the diversity of our people, the power of our economy and the reach of our dream. Every race, every culture, every religion has been drawn to California .

I may not want to live in a nation-state that apparently has no inherent culture as Schwarzenegger suggest for California, but I certainly support their right to establish within their borders the sort of republic and nation-state that they can live with - so long as what they do does not affect me and my nation-state.

The South Was Right

About most things prior to 1861. This assertion often becomes bogged down in straw-man arguments over slavery. Slavery was not the only cause of the war - there were in fact issues of profound importance at play in that conflict.

It is relatively safe to say now that the south was indeed right in terms of her view of the federal compact, the role and power of the Federal government and the importance of the local versus the centralized and distant.

As such it is important to mark significant days for remembrance. We mark July Fourth as the day that thirteen sovereign colonies declared their independence from Great Britain - seceding in effect.

It is important to remember the anniversary of Secession Day as well.

Wise men have described true conservatism as taking from the past and applying that to the present to preserve what is good for the future. The good folks in Alabama seem to understand that.

This year Alabama will celebrate their Secession Day (11 January) with speeches and a viewing of Aaron Russo's film "America: Freedom to Fascism".

I cannot imagine a more appropriate way to remember the stand that our forefathers took than to look hard at where we are now and where we ought to go and what we ought to do. Remembering history is worthless if we are unwilling to learn from it and keep true to the principles we find there.

If you are in Montgomery on 27 January 2007, go to the State Capital Auditorium at 9:30 am and support this effort - you just may learn something. If you have already seen the film, go there to show your support.

Keynote speakers for the event include: Dr. John Eidsmoe, Professor of Constitutional Law and Philip Davis (Ret) Attorney in Alabama State Attorney General's Office.

Thin Blue Line

To steal and then paraphase the opening line to each "Law and Order" episode -

Our system of rights consists of three separate but equal entities, those that make the laws, those that enforce them and those that empower the first two.

This is essentially a macro view, not an analysis of our federalist republic but essentially a step or two above that. Obviously, taking my analogy to ground, the first group consists essentially of the the three branches of government (legislative, executive and judicial) as each has a demonstrated propensity to make law from time to time. The second group is the police and lastly and most importantly the people. In that sense, ultimately the people are more than equal to the first two groups.

Three is a good number for most everything, perhaps the perfect number. In our system, two of the elements could be completely out of whack and the third ought to be able to check it.

Ideally, just as in our federal system of government where the three are supposed to be kept in check by a fourth - the states - if the system is looked at from a macro point of view we should expect that help from another source, i.e. the military, would be forthcoming if all three systems failed.

Well, the system is broken, the safety valves have been compromised at both the micro and macro level.

The three branches of the Federal government do not check each other, they may disagree at times on insignificant matters, but essentially all of their momentum is in the same direction.

The check on the federal government is non-existent - states' rights died long ago. The bitter reality is that no state government really desires to reclaim their rights, for doing so would cost the state money. Without statesmen at the state level there is no check or balance.

The people are no viable check, for the most part they are either too apathetic or too absorbed in material gain to truly care. We as a whole are too willing to buy temporary security and prosperity for long-term well-being.

In the macro view this leaves us with the police to guarantee our rights. The very people that are right now potentially collecting information on The People, these are our last defenders of our inalienable rights.

As I have said before, there is no further check or balance - you certainly cannot depend upon your military to defend you against "domestic" threats.

So what of the laws that our Congress passes, or our President merely signs via fiat that our Judiciary turns a blind eye to, our States choose not to resist and the majority of the American people say nothing about? Who will stand for us?

Greg Evensen, a former Kansas State Trooper writes:

Police officers will be given the ultimate responsibility to see that each one of us is carrying out the dictates of the government. They will do so because they have sworn to uphold the “law.” Ultimately, law will be what politicians and corrupted courts say that it is. Not what our constitution clearly states it actually is or is not. The due process protections will be gone as will be our dwindling Bill of Rights. Officers who have survived extreme background checks for compatibility with authority dictates and those who have proven that they will carry out ANY order given, will use this new definition of “character” to justify the investigation, arrest, detention, prosecution and imprisonment of “enemies of the state.” The same will be true of military forces. The failed Nuremburg defense (“I was just carrying out orders”) will be long forgotten or overlooked entirely. The only thing that will matter to the vast majority of American police forces will be that: 1) they obeyed their orders-and- 2) they obeyed their orders.

It is a frightening prospect to consider that after all other safety valves have been breached, all hope comes down to our police resisting. They will not resist - they will suit-up in their storm-trooper garb and kick in your door at 4am if you are deemed in violation of one of the government's laws - no matter how un-Constitutional that law may be.

There are still good men wearing blue, brown and gray and a badge - don't take me wrong in that regard. It is very important to elect good Sheriff's of character that understand their common law role as the high sheriff. But this is just not enough. If we simply allow all of our hopes for liberty to rest on the last line of defense we do not deserve liberty.

If he is correct.....

This has to go under the category of "we will just never know for sure". But if any or most of this were true it certainly would explain a lot.

As Joshua points out:

We are wise to be skeptical of such claims of dark forces at work in world events, but we would be fools to dismiss them outright.

Just take a gander at the article he is referring to (apparently a part II and III are forthcoming).

History certainly teaches us that many of the most tyrannical regimes were fascinated by and beholding to the occult. Perhaps this is not just "so much bunk".

Johnny the Brave

Congratulations to Johnny - he has freed himself from the grasps of servitude to leviathan. I only wish I were brave enough to follow the same course many years ago.

It often seems hypocritical to proclaim that something is wrong but then concurrently continue to act as a gear in the big machine that makes it all possible. Johnny has taken a stand. I commend and envy him.

At it Again

President Bush has "quietly claimed sweeping new powers to open Americans' mail without a judge's warrant," the New York Daily News writes this morning.

When he put his signature on a postal reform bill on Dec. 20, the newspaper notes, the president added a "signing statement" that "declared his right to open people's mail under emergency conditions."

The key phrase in that statement:

"The executive branch shall construe subsection 404(c) of title 39, as enacted by subsection 1010(e) of the Act, which provides for opening of an item of a class of mail otherwise sealed against inspection, in a manner consistent, to the maximum extent permissible, with the need to conduct searches in exigent circumstances, such as to protect human life and safety against hazardous materials, and the need for physical searches specifically authorized by law for foreign intelligence collection." (USA Today)

Never mind - "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated..."

It seems "secure" and "papers" and "rights" are simply redefined pragmatically to meet the "needs" of the government in their effort to protect us all.

Folks say I am over the top when I claim that Bush and his crowd are fascist. I hardly think that simply because people are averse to use the term changes the fact that Bush meets all of the qualifications of a fascist - he clearly does (coporatism+nationalism+militarism+socialism).

Almost weekly now we receive yet another report of some aspect of another right either redefined or stripped away. And with each new usurpation there is a deafening silence from the public.

Jose Padilla

In 1997, as the government listened in on their phone call, Adham Hassoun, a computer programmer in Broward County, Fla., proposed a road trip to Jose Padilla, a low-wage worker there. The excursion to Tampa would be his treat, Mr. Hassoun said, and a chance to meet “some nice, uh, brothers.”

Mr. Padilla, 36, a Brooklyn-born Puerto Rican who had converted to Islam a few years earlier, knew Mr. Hassoun, an outspoken Palestinian, from his mosque. Still, according to a transcript of the conversation obtained by The New York Times, Mr. Padilla equivocated as Mr. Hassoun exhorted.

“We take the whole family and have a blast,” Mr. Hassoun said. “We go to, uh, our Busch Gardens, you know ... You won’t regret it. Money-back guarantee.”

Mr. Padilla, laughing, suggested that they not discuss the matter over the phone.

“Why?” Mr. Hassoun said. “We’re going to Busch Gardens. What’s the big deal!”

That conversation took place five years before Mr. Padilla, a United States citizen accused of plotting a “dirty bomb” attack against this country, was declared an enemy combatant. Given that Mr. Padilla and Mr. Hassoun are now criminal defendants in a terrorism conspiracy case in Miami, it sounds suspicious, as if Mr. Hassoun were proposing something more sinister than a weekend at the amusement park. He well may have been — but maybe, too, he was sincere or joking about a Muslim retreat. (NY Times)

Apparently our gestapo was keeping tabs on Padilla four years before the 9/11 attacks. They locked him up in 2002 (without charges) and have kept him locked up ever since.

We should not forget that Padilla is an AMERICAN CITIZEN. He has the absolute right to several things, including being charged when he is arrested and a speedy trial.

I do not know whether this man is guilty of anything or not - none of us ever really will at this point, no matter the outcome of the current criminal prosecution he faces.

We should all grieve because of this treatment of a fellow citizen by our own government. The goons' treatment of this man has not in any way protected any of us - it has merely established that the government truly is the master of all.

Lest we never forget the way our government treated another less than perfect group of citizens:

Seeing his dog, Striker, shot to death by masked intruders clad in camouflage, Sammy Weaver, 14, fired back in fear for his life. The 4 ft., 11" tall youngster was hit in the arm, then shot in the back as he turned to run for home. He died instantly, killed by an agent of the federal government.

Cradling her 10-month-old daughter in her arms, Vicki Weaver stood in the doorway of her home, mourning her slain son, unaware that she herself had only seconds to live. In an instant a bullet tore into Vicki Weaver's face, blew through her jaw and severed her carotid artery. The bullet was fired from 200 yds. away by an agent of the federal government.

What had the Weaver family done to bring FBI snipers and submachine- gun-toting U.S. marshals to the woods around their cabin on Ruby Ridge in northern Idaho? Why did the government act as though the Weavers had forfeited the protections guaranteed all Americans by the United States Constitution?

Do You Hear the Drums?

We all know Bush isn't going to accept the third option. America is not going to go home. Going long might be a nice aspiration, but Bush has only two years left in office. He has no idea who his successor will be and what he (or she) will do. If he wants to succeed in Iraq, he has to do something now. So we can expect President Bush to go big, ordering a "surge" in US combat troops in Iraq.

But there is another, far more effective option: go wide.

Going wide means recognizing that Iraq is just one front in a regional war against an Islamist Axis centered in Iran--and we cannot win that war without confronting the enemy directly, outside of Iraq.

Going wide means recognizing that the conflict in Iraq is fueled and magnified by the intervention of Iran and Syria. One of the reasons the Iraq Study Group report flopped was that its key recommendation--its one unique idea--was for America to negotiate with Iran and Syria in order to convince these countries to aid in the "stabilization" of Iraq. This proposal wasn't so much argued to death as it was laughed to death, because it is clear that Iran and Syria have done everything they can to de-stabilize Iraq, supporting both sides of the sectarian conflict there.

[...]

There is only one way to correct this massive strategic blunder--and that is to go wide.

(RealClearPolitics)

The author talks about warfare as if it were a football game. If running up the middle does not work and your receivers are not open go wide and run a sweep. Obviously this guy has never been shot at - probably never played football either.

Then of course there are the quiet little "leaks" one would expect - a way to test the waters so to speak:

A WAR against Iran could be launched within the next two years, a senior adviser to George Bush warned last night.

CIA specialist on Iran Reuel Marc Gerecht said there had been a "tidal shift" of opinion towards military action, especially in Israel. (Daily Mirror)

Of course we will continue to hear more and more from the MSM proclaiming a war as almost a foregone conclusion:

Within the next 12 months, the Americans or the Israelis, possibly both, are likely to launch military strikes aimed at crippling Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Those strikes may come sooner rather than later. And they will probably be nuclear.

Israeli military analysts say intervention is essential before Iran’s scientists are able to complete the nuclear cycle — some time during 2007 — and start producing weapons-grade uranium. President Ahmadinejad himself has boasted of ‘mastering the fuel cycle’ during the Ten-Day Dawn festival in early February when Iranians mark the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. (Spectator)

I believe they are right but I wonder if this is contrived to build within the public mind the notion that this event WILL take place - as in "it is for the best and you cannot stop it"- or if this is merely reporting the facts as they are seen. I believe it is the former.

Beware the Ides of March

Or as we called it down at The Citadel - f'ed up Febuary (long story there).

I decided to run this Iran strike theory as far into the rabbit hole as I can.

It seems the CVN-74 John C. Stennis ("Johnny Reb" - how ironic) will be on station in the Persian Arabian Gulf by 01 February. The Dwight D. Eisenhower is already there and has been there since October. My Navy buddies tell me the Ike could stay on station comfortably until April or May. With two carrier strike groups on station the Navy would be able to conduct continuous 24 hour ops and provide fleet security.

Redeploying additional Air Force assets is a logistical challenge but manageable and could be done within days - the Navy is always the first to move in these matters.

February is significant for Iran, 1-11 Feb is known as the 10-Day Dawn and marks the beginning of the Revolution. On 01 Feb 1979 Imam Khomeini returned to Iran and the revolution essentially began.

Nov 14 2006 Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said "that two major technological achievements of the government will be made public during the Ten-Day Dawn (February 1-11) ceremonies." He also said in the same speech, “We are determined to master the nuclear fuel cycle and commission some 60,000 centrifuges to meet our demands.“ Nothing new there but certainly a clue as to what the major technological achievements relate to.

Sep 28 2006 "Russia and Iran signed Tuesday a supplementary agreement on the delivery of 80 metric tons of nuclear fuel to a nuclear power plant in southern Iran in March 2007, the head of Russia's nuclear exporter said." Add this to whatever fissionable material they have already acquired and they have the 'stuff' required to go to work.

A strike in the February-March time frame makes sense. The US could shuttle additional ground troops into Iraq by that time to ensure that the country could be secured - at least from Iranian invasion, we already know we cannot secure that place from the Iraqis no matter how many troops we send.

And just today:

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad scorned the UN Security Council’s imposing sanctions on Iran, telling a crowd today that Iran had humiliated the United States in the past and would do so again.

These are the sort of words that Bush and company love as "justification" for war.

And then this "mother-of-all-battlesesqe" remark

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has kept up his defiance over Iran's nuclear programme, saying Tehran would deal an "historic slap" to Western nations if they launched military action.

Finally, Iran is pulling another Saddam trick from the bag - dumping dollars:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has asked state companies to cut dollar-based transactions to a minimum. Iran, the world's fourth-largest oil exporter, currently sells 57 percent of its oil in euros.

The plain truth is that Iran may have already reached peak production - particularly with her antiquated production facilities. She may actually need nuclear energy - they certainly cannot rely on say hydroelectric power. None of that matters. They have said all the bad words, done the bad deeds and made our little "friend" Israel upset.

If this is going to occur it must occur before the new Congress digs their heels in and settles in comfortably, while we have adequate troops on the ground across the border (aka "the surge") and far enough away from the 2008 election cycle to allow for things to blow over. February to March is my guess if I were a betting man.

From Sam Gardiner, COL USAF (RET)

When does it all come together? When could the United States pull the trigger on the military option? The most important point in understanding the window for an attack is that the military preparations will not be the determining factor. This operation will not resemble the six months of preparations for Operation Desert Shield in 1990. The preparations will be much less visible than the movements to the region in early 2003. We will not read about discussions with Turkey for basing permission. It will not be a major CNN event.

Instead, preparations will involve the quiet deployment of Air Force tankers to staging bases. We will see additional Navy assets moved to the region.

Iran

Stupid is as Stupid Does

Technology really does not make us "better" people. The Internet is filled with knowledge. As a child I completely enjoyed trips to the library where I was able to sit and simply read books that expanded my knowledge. My mother would take me at least once a week and let me sit for a few hours just reading whatever struck my fancy.

Imagine our circumstance now - much of what is available in a small town library is freely available online. A person can search, seek and come to an understanding of almost any issue or subject matter. You can learn philosophy, history, mathematics and science to a degree an undergraduate in, say, 1970 would have struggled to grasp. It only takes diligence, care and determination.

So what do we do with this wonderful tool?

in 2006 the top Google searches were as follows:

1. Bebo

2. MySpace

3. World Cup

4. Metacafe

5. Radioblog

6. Wikipedia

7. Video

8. Rebelde

9. Mininova

10. Wiki

The top news searches of 2006 were dominated by celebrity, illness, tragedy and the bizarre.

Orlando Bloom was the second most searched for item on Google News, followed by cancer, podcasting, hurricane Katrina and bankruptcy.

Google was asked a lot of questions in 2006 and the most popular "Who is....?" question was about Borat, the TV and film character created by Sacha Baron Cohen. (BBC)

Imagine that, we are as stupid online as we are in real life.

Debunking Myths

Among the branches of the U.S. military, the Army has suffered the heaviest losses. More than two-thirds of those killed were members of the Army, which includes reservists and Army National Guard.

For the much smaller Marine Corps, the war is exacting a heavy toll, as well. The Corps has lost nearly 900 Marines, including reservists. The Navy has lost more than 60 sailors; the Air Force, just under 30 personnel.

[...]

Seventy-four percent of all the fatalities were white; 11 percent were Hispanic or Latino; nearly 10 percent were African-American; about 3 percent were either Asian, American Indian, or native Hawaiian.(NH)

Charles Rangel has claimed - as Jesse Jackson before him - that America's wars of aggression are borne on the backs of urban blacks.

Blacks comprise 16.5% of the total force but the casualty rate in Iraq is only 10%. White and Latino casualty rates equate to the the percentage of their population in the force at nearly a 1:1 rate.

Furthermore the entire notion that urban areas provide the bulk of military recruits is false.

The constant increase in the recruit/population ratio contradicts the assertion that military recruiting targets youth in inner cities. In fact, entirely urban areas are the area most underrepresented among recruits. Both suburban and rural areas are overrepresented. (HF)

Then of course there is something we all know - the Army, specifically the fighting Army, drawls.

The South is overrepresented among military recruits. It provided 42.2 percent of 1999 recruits and 41.0 percent of 2003 recruits but contained just 35.6 percent of the population ages 18/24. (HF)

This is of course not a new revelation to those that know. I cannot find the data for Southerners in combat arms specialties but my 20+ years of experience tells me that the bulk of those positions are filled with Southern men.

Lastly, consider this nearly 1 Soldier in every 909 serving in the Active and Reserve force has been killed in Iraq. One Marine in 251 has died. The Marine Corps is a small and close organization - every Marine knows a fallen brother.

The Navy has contributed beyond what is expected of a sea service in a land war. The Air Force - the second largest service - is a group I have a real problem with. They manipulate the AFN news service with propaganda about the massive contribution they are making to the effort. Only one Airmen in 18,073 has actually died in combat - you bunch of windbags ought to consider shutting your mouths or perhaps extending your "tours" past 4 months and maybe actually leaving the wire a bit more if you are going to claim you are making a big contribution.

Happy New Year - 2007

Dr. Clyde Wilson is certainly not out to win friends or even influence many people. With words as hurtful (but true) as the ones below, few will hear and fewer still will act:

People who are ignorant of and indifferent to their background (and those who misrepresent it for present-time advantage) are barbarians—that is, people without a civilized culture. Our leaders view American society as a commercial enterprise in which profit and consumption are the only values. After all, a customer is a customer and yesterday is just a past opportunity for sales. Who worries about where the customer comes from? As a society we have lost sight of the truth that economic abundance is not a self-perpetuating technical trick but rests ultimately on mental and moral qualities. Mental and moral virtues are declining in power and the evidence is already there of the loss of prosperity that necessarily follows.

But a society without ancestors (bastards?) is not the worst of the American decline. The worst is a lost future. Our forebears felled forests, planted trees, built houses, fought wars in the consciousness that the benefits would accrue to their descendants more than to themselves.

A people who took any thought to the welfare of their grandchildren, much less future generations of their own blood, could not possibly tolerate the ongoing destruction of our human environment by politicians and plutocrats. Burke defined civilization as the awareness of the interconnection of past, present, and future. Conservatism was the preservation of the essence of civilization amidst the inevitable flux and chaos of existence.

In 2007 I expect that we will see much more of the same - bureaucrats and politicians catering to the here and now without care or concern for the here-after. Corporations run amuck and a population bedazzled by temporary things.

There are of course other possibilities for 2007 - hyperinflation spurred on by foreign governments dumping the dollar - perhaps that combined with years of runaway corporate and private debt could crack the entire system. More than likely the goons in the Federal district would simply find a way to declare yet another "emergency" to save us all if such circumstances actually played out.

Somebody will do something about Iran in 2007 - their economic policy is a direct threat to our hegemony, their nuclear ambitions make Israel nervous - that is enough to unleash the dogs of war.

Bush will ignore all advice and seek to follow his misguided surge strategy in Iraq. This will come to naught except additional casualties. Depending upon what happens with Iran I expect that Bush will announce a phased withdrawal from Iraq by the end of 2007 (after his "surge" fails). I cannot imagine that his party would stand to allow him to go into a presidential election season with Iraq hanging in limbo.

The two major parties will sort out their field for the presidential election - I suspect that McCain will end the year as the GOP front-runner. In the end it does not matter who comes survives the year for a 2008 run.

I dread the goings-on in Congress. I foresee old bad ideas like national health-care coming back to the table. With fascist in the White House and Socialist in the Congress this cannot be a good year.

Nothing but talk will occur with North Korea. In fact if all really goes badly in the Middle East the US troop reductions on the peninsula may speed ahead by years.

China will continue to play it cool, snipping at the edges of the hegemon, building strength and artificially keeping her exchange rate favorable to cheap labor. The dragon still needs a few years before she rises.

We are due for another "terrorist plot" to be uncovered. The State of The Union speech is drawing near and GW does not have much good to talk about.

At the end of 2007 we will be just what we are now, as Dr. Wilson says - bastards without a real future. Most of us still won't know it though.

We Lost the Cultural War

One theme runs pretty constant through many of the blogs, sites and magazines I read. That being centered essentially around the cultural war. Major campaigns in this war include items such as the illegal immigration invasion from the south and the Muslim foothold in our Congress. Of course another major campaign that many folks I read or converse with deals with moral degradation and yet another topic of discussion and concern is of course governmental and corporate encroachment into our everyday lives. Many folks realize that all of these events are directly related to each other, some go so far as to claim that there is a conspiracy afoot responsible for all of this.

Well, there may or may not be such a conspiracy. After all a conspiracy is really nothing more than a group with a plan. I am relatively certain that some group, some where, that desires more centralized government, has realized that breaking down the family, destroying the church, and eliminating cultural ties is pretty necessary to the ultimate achievement of their goals. In that sense, I am certain discussions on these matters have and do take place. It is not such a mysterious thing, it is pragmatic and reasonable. Men like Robert Pastor are reasonable and pragmatic as were all the men of his ilk that came before. Conspiracy theorist probably go to far in filling in the blanks but they are right on in their presumption that something is afoot.

I read with great interest the cries and wails of many good intentioned individuals clamoring against this and that as it specifically relates to the various ongoing battles in the cultural war. Here though I give you all the plain and unvarnished truth - THE WAR IS LOST. Call me a defeatist if you will, but I speak only the truth.

We cannot rightly fear a Muslim in Congress and also be outraged because he wishes to swear in using the Koran - how can we possibly claim such an event in anyway violates our traditions. What traditions? Do we still presume to claim that the United States is a Christian nation?

Well, historically the United States never was a Christian nation - to be certain all of the original states were Christian nations, as clearly evidenced by their constitutions, but each abandoned that righteous position long ago. That aside, if we are merely talking about The People constituting a Christian nation we cannot make that claim either. We may have been in the past but we lost that, we are no more a Christian nation than Hollywood is a Christian town. Even among the millions that claim to be Christians I see little fruit to bear witness to the claim. We are a nation that claims religion but are far from being Christian.

Many claim that illegal immigration is destroying our culture. I say that is just so much bunk. Tell me what culture is being destroyed that we ourselves have not already killed and buried. Do a few hundred Spanish-speaking day-laborors in a town do more harm to culture than say - greedy parents that abandon their children just so they can afford more stuff? Our own greed, avarice and callousness destroyed our culture long ago. A few million Mexicans cannot do more than we have already done.

The first time a school board gave into political correctness and multiculturalism we began to lose the cultural war. This did not occur under GW's watch or during Clinton's time in office. This began in my childhood and maybe before. Why were these malcontents not run out of small towns on pikes? We were too weak to defend our culture when it counted.

As soon as we began latching onto flawed notions spewed by the likes of B.F. Skinner, we began to lose the cultural war.

In actuality it began long before the 1960's/70's. When men began to look to the government to fix their problems, no matter how great those problems might have been, the die was cast for us to lose our culture. Roosevelt's New Deal was more than an economic program, it was a social revolution - a revolution that fundamentally changed the nature of things.

Many of us talk about the foul perversion generated by Hollywood; but we still have televisions. We bemoan the loss of small town America as we shop at Wal-Mart. We are hypocrites.

The things that good Americans love about America are remnants of what was good, it is not the sum and total of what America has become. Looking across our land we see bright spots and hope that these are sign-posts to salvation. These are mere artifacts. If you really want to know what America is take a look at the culture we export. That is America, that is what we have become - the small glimmer of decent folk notwithstanding.

Don't be discouraged, the fight is still a noble cause - it is however lost in this generation. We should at least admit that so that our efforts might be geared toward what is winnable in the long-term. History and legacy do not conform to election cycles nor to the ebbing and waning of empires. Principles do not die like ideologies and dogma - they live on in the hearts of good men. Fight the good fight now and raise good men for the next generation to follow. The monsters our adversaries have built and are building cannot last long - in the historical sense.

Forced Consent

Telegraph - Britons flying to America could have their credit card and email accounts inspected by the United States authorities following a deal struck by Brussels and Washington.

By using a credit card to book a flight, passengers face having other transactions on the card inspected by the American authorities. Providing an email address to an airline could also lead to scrutiny of other messages sent or received on that account.

The extent of the demands were disclosed in "undertakings" given by the US Department of Homeland Security to the European Union and published by the Department for Transport after a Freedom of Information request.

If you have not figured it out already, the way this works is we do things like this to "them" first and then we do it to ourselves.

Despite what I may believe about the rights of citizens versus non-citizens our legal precedence is such that the Bill of Rights applies equally to all persons within the United States. A program such as this is a clear violation of those rights - and the kicker is that if we can so easily violate the rights of non-citizens it is an easy step to trample the rights of citizens as well. The goons at the Department of Homeland Insecurity Security know this full well.

Our federal gestapo would love nothing more than to be able to dig, unfettered, through the lives and affairs of anyone and everyone they please.

The military has long practiced the notion that a person consents to the abridgement of certain rights simply by deciding to enter a military base. This is of course all in the name of "security". So now the concept is applied to folks wishing to enter the country - take this to its natural conclusion, living and doing business might be defined as "consent" and eventually we all may have to give up all of our rights just to operate in society. All in the name of security.

Spot On

Sometimes, as bloggers, we are on and other times we are just submitting posts to keep our blogs active. Of course when a person is "on" or "off" is a rather subjective mix of what the reader takes from a post and what a blogger actually gets from the posting itself.

In my subjective opinion Bill Lospapio is on a streak - I suggest you visit his site while he is in the midst of producing viable fruit.

(Now I hope no one takes that wrong, the fact is all - well many - bloggers occasionally rise to greatness with particularly insightful posts. This generally occurs in a streak. When our brains are operating at peak production it is important to note that and glean knowledge from the event.)

Bill posted a piece on several of the articles contained in the January 2007 issue of Popular Science. Personally I love this magazine, as well as Popular Mechanics. I am not anti-technology, I am simply opposed to allowing technology to drive culture or allowing technology to replace entirely our humanity.

There is always an inherent danger in the notion that because technology makes something possible then it should be done.

Take a gander at Bill's commentary.