(Image courtesy Cox & Forkum)

The American Thinker reminds us to get the whole story before blatantly condemning Israel for the Lebanese civilian casualties. The blame for these deaths falls completely on those who are encouraging, or forcing civilians to remain in areas being used as military staging areas.

The idea that killing innocents – children, non-combatants—is moral and desired by God is embedded in the Quran. Islam has elaborate legalistic discussions about killing, but it grew out of a culture of desert warfare, where raiding, raping, and killing innocents was celebrated and glorified. Mohammad was a desert raider who committed genocide more than once. That easy acceptance of what the civilized world calls murder still pervades Muslim cultures today.

I join the world in hoping for a quick end to the violence – but I also believe Israel has the right, and the responsibility to destroy Hezbollah completely. The dispicable acts of the terrorist animals need to be realized for what they are, and if an international force is brought into the area, they need to go in with the facts in hand. Unless they know who the “bad guys” are and are willing to deal with them, they’ll solve nothing.

Clear, concise, well referenced, and eye opening. If you can’t comprehend why this is, and has been a religious war (not to mention World War III, or IV depending on how you count), try this article on for size.

The American Thinker: We are already in a Religious War

Given the enthusiasm the Muslim culture has for those who die in battle with infidels (and the rewards promised in the afterlife to those who make that sacrifice), one would think that Islamists around the world would be enthusiastically trumpeting the deaths of those dying in American or Israeli battles. I can easily imagine them spouting something along the lines of “Drop all the bombs you want! We embrace death. Our martyrs go straight to Paradise, and more will line up to take their place.” Certainly the thought of an unending supply of willing victims would unnerve me, especially since the Russian experience during WWII shows that a nation that has enough cannon fodder can defeat a better trained, better equipped army.

Yet that’s not what the Islamists do. Instead, they bemoan – and make causes célèbres of – the civilian dead, whether in Lebanon, on the beaches, or on the streets. Since Islamic precepts indicate that they should be embracing and celebrating these deaths, not bewailing them, the Islamists’ public declarations of outrage can be aimed only at our sensibilities, not theirs. And our all-American naval gazing, which forces us to deny that there is a religious element to this war, prevents us from understanding events through the Islamic lens. Instead, it sees us agonizing over these deaths through our guilt-ridden Western perspective. Each death, therefore, is not only a numerical loss to the opposition, but a disabling blow to ourselves as well.

Cox & Forkum has a host of links you should be familiar with. That American citizens would openly support these people is dispicable.

Charles Johnson is doing a excellent job of rounding up photos and reports of anti-Israel demonstrations around the world. The fact that a pro-Hezbollah sentiment has been repeatedly witnessed is disgusting, especially in America. Below are links to his posts but be sure to click on the links within the posts for many more photos.

It’s late, I’m headed to bed, but thought I’d drop this here for you to consider before I go.

ACLU Sues for Anti-Gay Group That Pickets at Troops’ Burials

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas church group that protests at military funerals nationwide filed suit in federal court, saying a Missouri law banning such picketing infringes on religious freedom and free speech.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit Friday in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, Mo., on behalf of the fundamentalist Westboro Baptist Church, which has outraged mourning communities by picketing service members’ funerals with signs condemning homosexuality.

In case you don’t know who Fred Phelps is… he’s the christian fundamentalist who sends these people to military funerals:

I’m not a supporter of gay rights, but this behavior is disgusting.

Trust me, you don’t want to… Read more »

I admit it, I listen to talk radio – and Neal Boortz is among the good ones. Here is Neal’s semi-famous rant following the outbreak of muslim outrage over the publishing of certain cartoons, juxtaposed with some appropriate imagery.

Read more »

An interesting thing about the whole “back massage” controversy became obvious when I finally stopped seeing the still images and caught the 5-second video clip. My clarifying point? Still images can be interpreted in ways completely contrary to the actual events. Click the video link, and watch the “event” as it unfolded.
Read more »

It’s a common theme. The UN must end the hostilities. UN Peacekeeping forces needed to end fighting. Send in the ‘peacekeepers’!

But most seem to forget that there are already UN peacekeepers in the area. Unfortunately, they’re led by an ever-so-effective Frenchman – and make a habit of providing aid to terrorists.

In June 1982, UNIFIL failed to stop Palestinian terrorist groups from attacking Israel and forced an occupation of much of Lebanon, leading to the destruction of the Palestinian terrorist bases there. With substantial Syrian and Iranian complicity, Hezbollah supplanted the PLO as the dominant terrorist organization in Lebanon. In 1985, Israel withdrew from Lebanese territory but for a small security zone on Lebanon’s southern border, required to prevent attacks on Israel. Over the next 15 years, UNIFIL was mostly worthless, unable to stop Hezbollah attacks but remarkably successful in getting in the way of Israelis defending themselves. Dore Gold, a former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, describes how this worked: “Hezbollah would launch military attacks 50 meters from a UNIFIL outpost, Israel would shoot back and UNIFIL would protest against the Israeli response.”

Yep. More UN peacekeepers. Perfect solution.

Will someone please clue in the world that the UN: is not an effective organization, does not have any interest in protecting Israel, and in fact enables terrorists? I don’t think they’re listening to me.

Later addition: Another crystal clear example of the UN’s work in Lebanon, Getty Images via LGF, don’t look if you’ve just eaten

Just disgustingly stupid people to whom the questions are directed.

I have a much more interesting article in mind regarding the calls for UN troops to “fix” things in S. Lebanon and UNIFIL which hasn’t “fixed” a thing in nearly 20 years… but I accidently caught an MSNBC talking head asking Al Sharpton (sorry, the REVEREND Al Sharpton) his opinion on solving the (current) middle East conflict.

Why does this moron get called on for his opinion? Not only has he no diplomatic credentials at all, he’s also a liar, a racist, a hypocrite, and a criminal. (Wikipedia touches on the salient points, but there’s plenty more here, here, here, and… oh hell, here.)

Sometimes I think it’s no wonder some people hate us. We demonstrate our bad judgement so often, afterall.

Have I mentioned my disdain for religion in this post yet? … oh, nevermind, it was inferred when I stressed the word “reverend” up there. Apparently, at some point in his shady past, at least a few people were ignorant enough to consider him a “man of god”. Evil masquerading as religion is not confined to islam afterall, eh? (I say that completely tongue in cheek, as it’s never been the domain of any single religion, but instead a trait they all share at some point)

Sorry to veer off on a rant there.

Simple, make up a few “experts” out of thin air, attribute all sorts of slanderous quotes to them, and let the press and blog corps do the rest. 1984 is here and gone… but George Orwell’s vision is not (just) the tool of the government.

It’s downright frightening to see the broad-range of attacks and slanderous quotes that have been thrown around by those opposed to the President for years… and then to discover they’re attributed to people who never existed.

Who’s George Harleigh?

“The very future of this Republic may well rest on whether or not anyone can, or will, stop George W. Bush.”

Agree or disagree, it’s a very famous quote from an obviously famous man, one George Harleigh.

He’s so famous I feel like a complete idiot going to my readers for help like this, and I’m sure I’ll feel even more idiotic when someone finally provides me with the details I cannot find anywhere. (I want to know where he taught, and in what capacities he worked for Nixon and Reagan.)

“George Harleigh” is quoted in innumerable web sites, and he’s a retired Political Science professor who worked in both the Nixon and Reagan administrations. I feel like a total idiot, because I’m unable to find out anything about him. His name doesn’t appear in the indexes of any of my books on Nixon or Reagan, I can’t find a Wikipedia entry on him, and I can’t even ascertain the university where he taught.

And George isn’t the only one… click through to read more.

Classical Values :: Where’s George? And where’s Doug?

If a picture is in fact “worth a thousand words”, which thousand words support this picture of Kofi Annan’s handshake with the leader of Hezbollah in Lebabon?


These?
(taken from UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s address to the UN Security Council, 20 July 2006)

I have already condemned Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel, and acknowledged Israel’s right to defend itself under Article 51 of the UN Charter. I do so again today. I also condemn Hezbollah’s reckless disregard for the wishes of the elected Government of Lebanon, and for the interests of the Lebanese people and the wider region.

Israel has confirmed that its operation in Lebanon has wider and more far-reaching goals than the return of its captured soldiers, and that its aim is to end the threat posed by Hezbollah. The mission was informed that the operation is not yet approaching the achievement of this objective.

Israel states that it has no quarrel with the government or the people of Lebanon, and that it is taking extreme precautions to avoid harm to them. Yet a number of its actions have hurt and killed Lebanese civilians and military personnel and caused great damage to infrastructure. While Hezbollah’s actions are deplorable, and as I’ve said Israel has a right to defend itself, the excessive use of force is to be condemned.

Everyone wants to talk about civilian casualties in Israel and the “excessive force” used by the Israelis. If Hezbollah were concerned with such things, perhaps they’d stop encouraging (or forcing) the Lebanese to act as human shields. I have yet to see any formal condemnation of this vile practice.

There’s been a lot of discussion at work about the US citizens in Lebanon getting evacuated by the embassy. Most of it starts with “what the f*ck are they doing there to begin with? There are a few good answers; embassy personnel, relief workers, people visiting family… but not all the answers seem sensible. Students? Why in hell would you travel from the United States to such a dismal part of the world to go to school? Vacationers? Give me a break. And then there’s the entirely possible case of Hezbollah terrorists with US citizenship.

Apparently, most of the US citizens stuck in this war-zone are there of their own volition.

Hezbollah has been an active group in Lebanon for decades, and their history in regards to the United States is disgustingly violent. Their sponsors are openly aggressive to the United States, and repeatedly threaten their neighbor to the south, Israel, with annihilation.

All this screams, to a sensible American, that Lebanon is not an ideal vacation destination.

So why should my tax dollars be spent providing the casual, unwise visitor safe passage out of the area? Why should they not be expected to pay for the cost of their travel? They’re not paying for the actual cost, they’re being billed the rate of a commercial ticket – considerably less than the actual amount this little exercise will run – and the difference will come out of the taxpayer’s (your and my) pocket. Seems like a good start, though.

U.S. student worries about evacuation – Mideast/N. Africa – MSNBC.com

Nucho added that all evacuees have signed promissory notes pledging to pay the U.S. back for safe passage to Cyprus, plus interest. Once in Cyprus, she said the government would not pay for hotel fees nor a return flight to the U.S.

Update, seems appropriate for this post (linked via LGF) Hizballah Activity in North America

The American Thinker: Semper I

I hope I don’t offend The American Thinker or Mr. Russ Vaughn in quoting this here, but a smaller segment would not do it justice.

Semper I (a poem)

A bugle blows in Arlington,
Lilting notes fill still sad air,
An eagle’s tears a globe fall on,
Trail an anchor with despair,
For a man we’d wish had not to die,
Brave youth among the best,
A Marine, he lived for Semper Fi,
And with Semper Fi he’ll rest.

So sadly is the contrast,
Between those who talk and fight;
Fat Pols for whom their war’s past,
But now can’t see the light,
Accusing brave young fighting men,
Of crimes they can’t defend,
Disgraceful fat old congressmen,
Who’ve lost the will to win.

Yes there we see the difference,
Between those who fight to win,
And a congressman with no sense,
Who’s committed grievous sin;
He’s turned against his Corps,
And no one knows quite why,
Except he loves himself much more:
Classic case of Semper I.

Semper Fi to all Marines everywhere from an old paratrooper who holds Murtha in as much contempt as you do.

Russ Vaughn
327th Parachute Infantry Regiment
101st Airborne Division
Vietnam 65-66

NYT to cut paper size and close plant | Reuters.com

The newspaper will be narrower by 1 1/2 inches. The redesign will result in the loss of 250 production jobs, the company said.
[...]
The narrower format, offset by some additional pages, will reduce the space the paper has for news by 5 percent, Executive Editor Bill Keller said in the article.

Good news – less room for the Times to provide aid and comfort to the enemy.

The Times will join a list of several other papers from The Washington Post to the Los Angeles Times that have reduced their size as they cut newsprint and other production costs and try to stem a loss of readers and advertising to the Internet and other media.

Gotta love how they blame their dramatic loss in readership on “other media”, and ignore their own complicity in driving readers away. “All the secrets fit to print” doesn’t seem to be selling as well as Bill Keller would like.

Here are a few hints for the Slimes.

… and here is where their stellar reporting is taking them…