Now we’re waiting for Hans Blix to explain why he didn’t go digging in this man’s backyard when he had his wonderful team of U.N. inspectors in Iraq.
Seriously … this shows why the inspections were virtually useless. It also illustrates why U.S. forces haven’t turned up Saddam’s nasty weapons yet. We’ve all heard of the thousands of gallons of this and that Saddam had. You won’t read this in the New York Times, but the totality of all of the chemical and biological weapons material Saddam admitted to having would fit into one good-sized hotel swimming pool. Now … go out there and find THAT in a country the size of California.
We probably won’t find out what happened to these weapons until the people with direct knowledge of those weapons come forward. As long as Saddam is out there, or as long as they think he may be preparing for his comeback tour, most of these people are going to keep their lips zipped.
posted by Nick 12:44 PM
Tuesday, June 24, 2003
Let Me Give You an Example of What Racist Affirmative Action Has Done...to harm blacks. Back during the Iraq war, I used to watch the CentComm briefings. A few days into the war, Brigadier General Vincent Brooks made his appearance as the CentComm officer giving the briefings. Now, Vince Brooks (BIOGRAPHY HERE) is an extraordinary man. He was born in Alaska, but grew up in California. At West Point, he was both Cadet Brigade Commander (basically the leader of all the cadets) AND the valedictorian of his class. His list of accomplishments is quite real and quite impressive. In other words, he was entirely deserving of the prominent role he was assigned during the war.
And you wanna know the very first thing that crossed my mind the first time I saw him give a briefing? "Oh boy...the military thinks they have to trot out the token black guy just to garner some extra support for the war". Now, as repugnant as that thought was, it was hardly irrational. The stigma which affirmative action has affixed to blacks is very, very real. And I think it's a crying shame that someone like Vincent Brooks- who rose through the ranks entirely of his own merit- had to have millions of people think that about him.
Affirmative action is a cruel and crude brush which has the effect of tarring it's "lucky recipients" with a color that is even more hurtful than their natural skin color purportedly is.
posted by Nick 12:11 PM
I'm White, But I Want the Government to Think I'm Black...I've often encouraged my friends who were applying to business school or law school to check "black" next to race on their applications. (I plan on doing this someday, I just haven't had the opportunity yet). My thinking goes like this: One of the following scenarios will happen
A)Nobody will notice, and you will get to reap all the unfair benefits that are heaped upon the annointed minorities (Chinese, Indians and Jews do not qualify as annointed).
B)Somebody WILL notice, and you will get to take your case public, perhaps all the way to the Supreme Court. No doubt, one of the fine organizations who filed the Michigan case will step forward to take up you defense pro bono. You will be in the fun position of telling the government to "prove" that you aren't black.
Either way, you win. I would go so far as to say you should never accurately answer the government on any question dealing with race. Race should be literally no concern of theirs.
posted by Nick 11:35 AM
"President Bush could order that “race,” if used as a factor in employment or admissions, must exclusively refer to a person’s “race” as officially designated by the Federal Government. In other words, if Democrats want to use “race” for preferences, then they must vote for a law requiring each citizen to carry an official “Race I.D.” card – as was done in Apartheid South Africa. We cannot authorize racial preferences and then let each person’s “race” be defined by whim or arbitrary guesswork."
or
"President Bush could order the creation of a Department of Racial Classification, with Cabinet rank, to investigate, determine and define each citizen’s official “race” for purposes of issuing government race I.D. cards. This department will establish criteria for defining race and will require citizens to submit evidence of their “race,” including documentation of family history and DNA samples. Every political advocate of racial preferences ought to be asked to co-sponsor the legislation setting up this Apartheid-like department.
Of course, this won't happen, as there is no difference between the Democrats and the Republicans.
US Supreme Court Opts to Allow Government-Enforced Racism...There's really not much I can say about this. It's terrible. Any type of affirmative-action is terrible. The pro-affirmative action argument basically boils down to: "We like to have stuff. Also, we don't care about the real-world ramifications of our stuff-having". Then again, that's pretty much the liberal argument for everything.
A reader emailed in with the following:
"Justice Thomas, with whom Justice Scalia joins as to Parts I-VII, concurring in part and dissenting in part.
Frederick Douglass, speaking to a group of abolitionists almost 140 years ago, delivered a message lost on today's majority:
"[I]n regard to the colored people, there is always more that is benevolent, I perceive, than just, manifested towards us. What I ask for the negro is not benevolence, not pity, not sympathy, but simply justice. The American people have always been anxious to know what they shall do with us... . I have had but one answer from the beginning. Do nothing with us! Your doing with us has already played the mischief with us. Do nothing with us! If the apples will not remain on the tree of their own strength, if they are worm-eaten at the core, if they are early ripe and disposed to fall, let them fall! ... And if the negro cannot stand on his own legs, let him fall also. All I ask is, give him a chance to stand on his own legs! Let him alone! ... [Y]our interference is doing him positive injury." What the Black Man Wants: An Address Delivered in Boston, Massachusetts, on 26 January 1865, reprinted in 4 The Frederick Douglass Papers 59, 68 (J. Blassingame & J. McKivigan eds. 1991)."
Liberian Women Beg for US Interference...File this one under "I wonder how liberals who see America as an evil, imperialist entity can reconcile this incident with their warped world view."
A few choice quotes from the female peace protesters outside the US embassy in Liberia:
"America, America, we say come now and intervene, we are tired of being killed, raped and displaced...".
"America, Help Stop The Bloody War In Liberia...We Will Not Relent Until You Intervene, So Please Get Involved Now!!!".
Now, now, now. Girls. You know you are only inviting trouble when you ask the US to help you out. The only thing we'll do is systematically stomp you with our imperial heel. We'll ruthlessly exploit you by giving you low wage jobs that are clearly preferable to no jobs at all. We'll introduce the ugly concepts of Rule of Law and the value of human life. Are you sure you're ready to be dominated, both culturally and economically by the United States, resulting in a sharply increased standard of living for yourselves? Be sure that you are. Living comfortably in the 21st century can get quite ugly- you might, horror of horrors, not even have France on your side!
What's with the Stock Market?...In the past, the libs have LOVED to correlate every move in the stock market with non-liberal politicians. So, I have to ask: Exactly why has the Dow gone up 500 points since the tax cut was passed on May 31?
posted by Nick 11:07 AM
Ranting Rationalist Might Cash in on Unpaid Taxes...Read THIS NEWS STORY about how the House just passed a permanent repeal of the inheritance tax (death tax). Now it's on to the Senate for the inevitable shooting-down. Anyway, I really hope they pass this thing, because I haven't inherited enough wealth to have paid any death taxes. And the way I figure it, that's exactly what qualifies me to "get some money back" from this tax cut. Why should the rich get so much money back "at my expense"?
posted by Nick 10:32 AM
Tuesday, June 17, 2003
Quote of the Day...
Thomas Sowell:
"When politicians talk about bringing down the cost of prescription drugs they are exploiting a widespread confusion between prices and costs. Prices are not costs. Prices are what pay for costs -- and if you don't pay those costs, you are not going to keep on getting what you want."
posted by Nick 7:54 PM
"We do not need military intervention in Iran. We do not need clandestine operations either. We need nothing but your resolve. Lend us a hand and we will take care of the rest. How, you ask? Simple: Do not deal with our mullahs."
"We want more freedom. For 25 years we have lived without any freedom. We want social freedom, economic freedom and political freedom" .
Most relevantly: The fall of the governments of Iraq and Afghanistan, although both despised by Tehran, created a certain sense of vulnerability here. The United States now has troops stationed along Iran's east and west flanks... "
That's beautifully right on. Where are all the liberal carpers now? They were at least right about one thing: the war in Iraq has made the world a much more dangerous place--for the retrograde brutalists and theocrats who once ran that part of the globe with impunity. Their days are numbered. I boldly repeat my favorite prediction: Iran WILL FALL to the secular, pro-West student movement in under 5 years. And when Iran goes, the rest will be just historic inevitability.
The Real Reason for the War in Iraq...OK, I've finally had it with all of the carping about the WMD's. It's an absurd argument, and one built strictly for partisan gain. In short: The simple fact is that NO ONE doubted their existence. I could go to a lot of trouble linking to quotes from President Clinton and other Heads of State as well as many members of Congress and even the UN buffoons themselves. But I won't. It's easy for you to go do the research yourself. Anyway, the absolute burden was on Iraq to prove that they had completely destroyed the clearly existing WMD's that were stockpiled and known about throughout the world for many years. They did not. We moved to swiftly to oust the regime. End of story. Next.
Of course, the REAL reason for the crushing of Iraq was simply for the US to reassert its latent power and sovereignty. The Iraqi and Afghani wars have sent concussive shockwaves to every corner of the globe. You might not like it, but it was necessary. Of course, due to the nature of international diplomacy (which, IMHO, is absurd and infantile), the US could not simply go around knocking on doors and saying, "OK, we're about to stamp our boot down on about 50 necks around the world, but don't worry- it's just a necessary flexing of our military muscle. We know you guys will understand". So, of course we have to offer other "reasons" for war. It's not that these reasons are invalid or fallacious. Rather, they are tertiary to the broader goal.
So, carp about all the "hyped-up justifications" if you must, but at least have the gumption to admit that your only goal is to get a different president elected. Certainly you can see that our actual reasons for war can never be our most overt, stated reasons. That's just the nature of the beast.
UPDATE: Via InstaPundit, I found the following collection of WMD quotes from the most prominent carpers. Make sure to pay special attention to the one from Hillary Clinton.
posted by Nick 11:09 AM
I'm Not an "American People"...Would somebody please tell Dick Gephardt and Tom Daschle to quit referring to the "American People"? And while you're at it, tell them to stop making wholesale assumptions about the supposed members of this group. The term is presumptuous and partrician and just outright creepy-sounding.
Sample remark from Tom Daschle regarding, say, gun control:
"We've worked hard today in Congress to limit your gun freedoms even more. The American People support this type of legislation, and it's truly sad that there has been so much obstructionism today. Just truly sad."
Let's see- the "American People" number roughly 300 million. That means that probably 150 million of them are diametrically opposed to what the Senator just said. Perhaps he should say "some American People", or even "many outliers residing on the fringe of society". Seriously, I would like it much better if these guys would start saying "the American public". It just strikes me as a much more general term, and I feel myself left out of its scope much easier.
posted by Nick 10:47 AM
Tuesday, June 10, 2003
Notes on the "Working Class"...One thing that continually sticks in my craw is the use of the term "working class" in the ongoing class wars. As we all know, certain politicians (usually Democrats, but not always) have a vested interest in playing various socio-economic groups off of one another. "Working class" has just become an accepted part of the political lexicon. In fact, the liberals have been so successful in this endeavor, that I'll bet most of you use the term yourselves without even thinking twice about its implications. With that in mind, let's take a closer look...
The term "Working class" is meant to evoke images of soot-covered coal miners diligently going about their daily duties. This hearty class of men doesn't ask much in return for their unenviable labors- just an honest paycheck and a brewski at the end of the day. Or perhaps the image is of a construction worker. This forgotten member of our society builds our grandest structures in virtual anonymity. And for what? He is constantly harassed by a petty foreman hellbent on extracting more from him than the union says he has to give. The point is- this is the working class! They have crappy jobs. They work harder than you. And it's not their fault at all that they occupy this particular socio-economic stratum.
So just which part of our labor force isn't "working" these days? Why, it's all of those horrible white-collar types who do nothing but boss around the "working class". It's the middle-manager who works 55 hours a week and moves up the totem pole, only to find the tax code turn increasingly punitive. And why not? He isn't working. His family of 5 lives quite large on the $35,000 that's left over from his $50,000 salary. Hell, this guy is RICH!
Or what about the cardio-surgeon? This guy is so rich that it's obvious that HE doesn't work. So what if he puts in 16 hour days bent over an unconscious human being whose life rests in his hands? Who cares if he put himself through 10 or 12 extra years of school that the "working class" just couldn't be bothered with? Who cares if he finishes his residency with $200,000+ in student loans? This bastard isn't part of the "working class". He's RICH! And, dammit, he should have his precious income extracted at the point of a gun and redistributed to the "working class". One thing is certain- this guy certainly does not qualify as a "working" American.
You wanna generalize about the working class? OK, how's this sound...Many members of this vaunted "working class" put in the bare minimum effort. They punch in 5 minutes late and they constantly are on the lookout for ways to punch out early. And while they ARE on the clock, they don't go out of their way to do a good job. In fact, they have no pride in their work. They don't seek higher education, regardless of the fact that anybody who tries can manage to get some. They don't save money or spend frugally. No, the "working class" parades around in jewelry and overpriced sportswear. Oh, and I almost forgot. The "working class" has no concept of family planning.
Here's my nominee for the actual "working class". The working class is the subset of Americans who try hard in high school. They find a way to go to college, no matter how hard this might seem. Along the way, they work crappy, minimum-wage jobs. They squirrel away the money from these jobs. They have bank accounts which they keep track of scrupulously. Once out of college, they continue to exert maximum effort. This virtually guarantees them upward mobility. Effort, not raw intelligence, is the primary factor in their degree of success. They wait until their late 20's or early 30's to start having children. Eventually, they pay income taxes at a punitive rate, all while being scorned by liberal politicians as being "greedy" or "rich".
What's in a name? Pretty much nothing and everything all at once.
posted by Nick 11:17 AM
Sunday, June 08, 2003
The US and Its Beautiful Landmine Technology...Since you're reading Kim du Toit, you might as well check out this little screed he wrote about the follies of enacting a worldwide ban on landmines. The money quote:
..the U.S. has an incredible technological lead over all other countries in the world when it comes to landmine design. To put it bluntly, our landmines are to others as an AK-47 is to a wooden club. Not only do we have the capability, thanks to GPS technology, to locate our mines (thus making their removal simple once the need has passed), but we also have the ability to remotely render them as inert as a lead bar, if we so choose, and to reactivate them later, years later if necessary. To allow our Army to lose this weapon would be foolish, if not traitorous...
posted by Nick 6:03 PM
My father lived in East Africa for 5 years, and a good friend of mine lived in West Africa for 2 years. I would go so far as to say that my studying of maps of Africa along with my questioning-at-length of both of these parties means that I know infinitely more about "The Motherland" than the great majority of "African-Americans" who so proudly parade around in their silly garb, often expressing out loud their profound love of a place to which none of them has ever been.
It sounds dreadful to say it, but if the entire African continent dissolves into a seething maelstrom of disease, famine and brutality, that's just too damn bad. We have better things to do--sometimes, you just have to say, "Can't do anything about it."
The viciousness, the cruelty, the corruption, the duplicity, the savagery, and the incompetence is endemic to the entire continent, and is so much of an anathema to any right-thinking person that the civilized imagination simply stalls when faced with its ubiquity, and with the enormity of trying to fix it. The Western media shouldn't even bother reporting on it. All that does is arouse our feelings of horror, and the instinctive need to do something, anything--but everything has been tried before, and failed. Everything, of course, except self-reliance.
I wholeheartedly agree. Interventionism certainly does not seem to have bred any improvement in conditions.
All we should do is make sure that none of Africa gets transplanted over to the U.S., because the danger to our society is dire if it does.
That's brutally honest, but, man, is it ever true.
Even worse would be to think that the simplicity of Africa holds some kind of answers for Western society: remember "It Takes A Village"? Trust me on this: there is not one thing that Africa can give the West which hasn't been tried before and failed, not one thing that isn't a step backwards, and not one thing which is worse than, or that contradicts, what we have already.
Hear, hear! I think I'll vomit if I hear one more lefty professor try to ascribe all the successes of the Western world as somehow having flowed from the intellectual coffers of Africa.
So here's my solution for the African fiasco: a high wall around the whole continent, all the guns and bombs in the world for everyone inside, and at the end, the last one alive should do us all a favor and kill himself.
More Than 13,000 Arabs and Moslems May Face Deportation...Good. I would say that approximately 100% of illegal aliens in this country should be sought out and deported. If you want to go after the most dangerous--Arabs and Moslems--first, then fine. But just make sure you get around to eventually expelling them all.
I'm more pro-immigration than perhaps the most liberal of liberals. However, I insist that it be done legally. The first lesson I want the unwashed masses learning is that the rule of law reigns supreme in their new homeland.
posted by Nick 5:09 PM
The Matrix Revisited...In anticipation of seeing the sequel to The Matrix, I re-watched The Matrix itself. I had only seen the movie once back in 1999, and I remember being underwhelmed at the time. After seeing it again last night, I still find myself puzzled as to the movie's hyper-popularity.
Granted, the movie has a good number of innovative moments and visual delights. The main problem is that these nuggets are randomly dispersed throughout the film.
Keanu Reeves is terrible. I'm tired of entertaining the minimalist theories which argue that he is the perfect actor for the role of Neo. He is god-awful. End of story.
Lawrence Fishburne is well cast, although the air of self-importance surrounding the Morpheus character is quite off-putting.
Carrie-Anne Moss is the best-cast actor of the movie. She is sleek and physical yet still feminine.
Hugo Weaving is another good casting decision. He's fantastic to watch.
The action and special-effects are both well done and cataclysmically boring. The sequence in which Neo and Trinity enter the marble lobby and start blasting away caused my eyes to glaze over in a torpor of hyper-boredom. I'm still trying to figure out how exploding marble columns in slow motion ad nauseum could possibly hold anybody's interest. Then factor in Neo's cartwheels which are somehow suppoed to aid him in avoiding bullets, and you have a real laugher.
The reliance on martial arts for the fighting scenes renders the pugilism as also hopelessy boring. Karate sequences should be left exclusively to Jackie Chan, since he is the only director who seems able to understand how inherently funny they are.
The physical capablities for attacking opponents as well as for receiving abuse from opponents is annoyingly unclear and inconsistent.
The pseudo-philosophical questions which the movie purports to raise are shallow and trite. The fact that the "oracle" is a middle-aged black woman living in some anonymous slum is another infantile, pandering bore.
In short, this movie is 2 stars (out of 4). The pros- it's visually alluring and somewhat inventive. The cons- just about everything that happens in the second half of the movie.
posted by Nick 4:57 PM
Friday, June 06, 2003
Frog Commander Shows True Colors...I don't think it's hit the print services yet, but I just saw on TV that the French Commander of peacekeeping forces just deployed in the Congo actually HIT a journalist. More to follow on this, no doubt, absurdly entertaining tale of frustrated non-machismo...
posted by Nick 7:14 PM
Thursday, June 05, 2003
Why Does the Media Give the Libertarian Party Such Short Shrift? Neil Boortz asserts the following facts about the organized Libertarian Party:
--Across this country there are more than 340 Libertarians serving in elected office. That is more than ALL of the third parties …COMBINED.
--On Election Day in 2002 more than 3,424,000 people cast at least one Libertarian vote.
--Libertarian candidates for the House of Representatives have earned over 1 million votes for two congressional elections in a row. The only other political parties to have accomplished this are the Republicans and Democrats.
--A Libertarian candidate for president appeared on the ballot in all 50 states for the last three presidential election. No other third party has done this twice, let alone three times.
--Several election analysts have given Libertarian voters credit for controlling the outcome of several gubernatorial and Senatorial elections in the past two years.
Now, if all of these are true, then what the hell is going on?
Rush Has an Interesting Point About Bush in the Middle East...
He says this picture bushgolfcart.bmp is symbolic of the President's now-dominance over world affairs. He's in the driver's seat. He's driving these idiots around in a golf cart like he's the camp counselor and they are in 5th grade. (In all honesty, that's probably more substantively true than symbolic!)
posted by Nick 12:07 PM
