Only 1 in 10 Europeans see US as an ally — study
4 hours ago
Sunday, 6 February 2011
The Sunday Best...........
Reagan said "Nyet!"
Quartet urges Israel, Arabs to heed Egypt risk
Michelle Obama Shows Ravages of First Lady Role
Britney: Still Hot? Or Not?
Rule 5 Saturday Night: Lt. Col. “Mac” McKenzie
For Veteran's Day: A vet who understands the enemy we face
"The Fish Filet™ Commercial KFC Doesn’t Want You To See (Anymore).
Texas Woman, 76, Fights Off Cairo Crowd With Knife, Tea Kettle
State multiculturalism has failed, says David Cameron
Arab uprisings: why no one saw them coming
Dangerously underestimating the Muslim Brotherhood
Israel can meet electricity needs without Egypt gas, ministers say
Can complexity theory explain Egypt's crisis?
The country whose economy is coming in from the cold
Bikies trafficking in data secrecy using Mexican BlackBerrys
Egypt unrest: US disowns envoy comment on Hosni Mubarak
Police have 238 crashes in 18 months - without even leaving the station car park
Royal bodyguards to be issued with stun guns
Ronald Reagan statue to be unveiled in Grosvenor Square
The Middle East needs more than elections
Super Bowl viewers prefer chimpanzees to celebrities
Iran opens trial of 3 Americans on spy charges
Yes, we have no.............from Rico
While Benny sings "yes, we have no inflation" to us in the financial media, just take a look at the one year relative performance of commodities futures as of today.
Think of this when you are paying your ever-increasing grocery bills.
Yes, NO inflation here.....
Islam And World War III
By Alan Caruba
“I against my brother, I and my brother against our cousin. I, my brother and our cousin against the neighbors. All of us against the foreigner.”
– Bedouin proverb
Almost from its beginning, Islam has been a religion divided by warring camps. The tragedy of Islam is that Muslims are far more likely to die at the hands of their co-religionists than by those outside their faith. All religions have their sects and divisions, but Islam’s history is particularly defined by the violence that began shortly after the death of its founder, Mohammed.
If the turmoil in Egypt is about freedom than recent history gives little evidence that Arabs have any talent for it. Iran is a prison-nation. Syria is ruled by the son of its former dictator. Hamas rules Gaza. Monarchies. Et cetera.
I am beginning to think that the world is actually witnessing a repeat of the dispute between the two main branches of Islam, the Shias (also called Shiites) and the majority Sunnis. Meanwhile, in Egypt the killing of Christian Copts continues unabated while Iraqi Christians are being driven from that nation.
When the prophet Mohammed died in 632 AD, what followed was a struggle for control of Islam. Sunni Muslims, the largest of the two branches, believe that Ali, a cousin of Mohammed, was the fourth and last of the “rightly guided caliphs”, successors to Mohammed. Shias believe that Ali should have been the first caliph.
Preceding Ali were Abu Kakr (632-634), Umar (634-644), and Uthman (644-656). Uthman was murdered while at prayer and Ali then became the caliph. He was, however, opposed by Aisha, Mohammed’s widow and the daughter of Abu Bakr. A number of battles ensued. Ultimately, Mu’awiya declared himself caliph.
Here’s where it gets very odd. The line of Mohammed’s direct decedents through Ali ended in 873 CE when the last Shia Imam, Muhammed al-Mahdi disappeared within days of inheriting the title of caliph. He was four years old at the time!
Shias refused to believe he had died, concocting a story that he was merely “hidden” and would return.
This latter version of Shia is the heart of Iranian Islamic theology which includes the belief that, in order to facilitate his return, the world must first sink into complete chaos with massive loss of life, a kind of Islamic Armageddon.
Thus, the acquisition of nuclear weapons by Iran is looked upon by Sunnis and everyone else as truly a matter of life or death on a global scale. It would be the prelude to World War Three.
Sunnis take their lead from Saudi Arabia where the royal family is seen as the protectors of the faith and the two most holy sites of Islam, Mecca and Medina.
Muslims can be found in more than 200 nations these days and represent 23% of the world’s population. One out of every four people on planet Earth is a Muslim. Only 20% live in the Middle East and North Africa, the site of present conflicts.
It has been the fate of Middle Eastern and other Muslims to live with a conflict that began in the seventh century. Islam’s Sharia laws reflect seventh century values. They are at odds with hard won modern values of civilization.
The culture of the Middle East and northern Africa, dominated by Islam, has kept the people of that region in poverty and under the fist of oppression for the last 1,400 years. Mideast Muslims in the modern era have been striking out at the world blaming it, not Islam, for their problems. Al Qaeda is an example of this, along with the Taliban, and the Muslim Brotherhood.
The reappearance of a modern state of Israel in 1948 brought everything to a boil. If Islam is the one true faith, the presence in its midst of a Western, democratic, militarily powerful and economically successful Israel severely challenges that belief.
After successive wars on Israel, Arab nations were repeatedly defeated. Further aggravating Muslims is that Israel is holy to both Judaism and Christianity. Jerusalem is not even mentioned by name in the Qur'an.
Sunni-Shia battles commemorate its schism and include Suffin, Karbala, and Zab, the last having been fought in Egypt.
In the last century the Middle East has been treated as the West’s fiefdom, divided among colonial powers, manipulated for control of its oil.
In recent times Middle Eastern nations were invaded, first by the former Soviet Union invading Afghanistan and, after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait and 9/11, the U.S. invaded Iraq twice. From 1980 to 1988, Iraq waged a long war against Iran that ended in a stalemate. Syria occupied Lebanon for decades. There have been clashes as well between Muslim Pakistan and largely Hindu India.
President Obama’s insistence that the Muslim Brotherhood play a role in any future government of Egypt ignores the fact that it is sworn to kill Christians and Jews or make them dhimmi, subject to taxes and humiliation.
In its own words the Brotherhood’s guiding principles are, “Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. Qur'an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope."
The Mubarak regime ruthlessly suppressed the Brotherhood that, among other deeds, assassinated his predecessor, former prime minister, Anwar al-Sadat and just tried to assassinate his vice president, Omar Suleiman. Not exactly democracy in action.
Those who rule Egypt are sorting out their difficulties and will resume power, but while all eyes are on the land of the pharaohs, it is Iran that threatens World War III.
© Alan Caruba, 2011
Saturday, 5 February 2011
Touring Long Beach Production Facility, Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, February 4, 2011
Click on the image and enlarge for the full effect:
Quite an experience. Check the additional pictures here: "Long Beach Boeing C-17 Tour."
And previously: "The End is Near for Southern California's Conventional Aircraft Manufacturing."
Plus, at the Boeing homepage:
C-17 Globemaster III -- The C-17 is the world's premier heavy-airlift aircraft and has proven itself as a versatile strategic and theater airlifter in every recent worldwide operation, from Operation Iraqi Freedom to humanitarian relief missions. Worldwide, there are currently a total of 209 C-17s in service. Boeing is under contract with the U.S. Air Force to design, build and deliver 213 C-17s through July 2011. Boeing has delivered 202 aircraft to the Air Force as of September 2010.
Also, look for breaking updates on the Egypt crisis throughout the day.
WoW Weekend!
Honorable Mentions
- Liberty’s Spirit-Cultural Relativism, Political Correctness, Elitist Racism and the Death of Freedom in the Arab Middle East
- The Grouch-Beware of that Deadly Hickey!
- Thinking Strategically-Shi-lang!
- The Political Commentator – Rutgers University: Publicly funded institution or restricted country club?
Council Winners
- Joshuapundit--Lipstick On A Pig – Whitewashing The Muslim Brotherhood
- Second place with 2 votes – The Razor-Accepting the Change In Egypt
- Third place with 1 2/3 votes – Bookworm Room – The Egypt crisis; or, the Community Activist and foreign policy
- Fourth place *t* with 1 vote – GrEaT sAtAn”S gIrLfRiEnD – Future Pyramidland
- Fourth place *t* with 1 vote – Right Truth – You have options if government shuts down Internet
- Fourth place *t* with 1 vote -Colossus of Rhodey- A “shut up and write” protest doesn’t quite work, but …
- Fifth place *t* with 2/3 vote – The Noisy Room – Of Philanthropists and Monsters – Rockin’ the Casbah
- Fifth place *t* with 2/3 vote – Rhymes With Right – Law Prof Gets It Wrong On Right To Revolt
- Fifth place *t* with 2/3 vote – Simply Jews – Egypt revolution: so this is what it’s all about…
- Sixth place *t* with 1/3 vote – VA Right – Obama Observes 30 Days of Silence on Egypt
Non-Council Winners
- TPM- Pakistan and the Mumbai Attacks: The Untold Story submitted by Joshuapundit
- Second place *t* with 1 2/3 votes – Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion – Big Law Firm Takes Down Big Conservative Blogger submitted by Rhymes With Right
- Second Place *t* with 1 2/3 votes –Energy Tribune – Is It Really The Warmest Ever? submitted by Bookworm Room
- Second place *t* with 1 2/3 votes –Iowahawk – B.Y.O.B. submitted by The Watcher
- Third place with 1 vote –Doug Ross – Constitutional Crisis Brewing: Administration Refuses To Submit to Subpoena Requests submitted by The Watcher
- Fourth place *t* with 2/3 vote -Center For Security Policy -The Muslim Brotherhood: the enemy in its own words submitted by The Noisy Room
- Fourth place *t* with 2/3 vote -American Thinker-The Story Of The Egyptian Revolution submitted by The Watcher
- Fourth place *t* with 2/3 vote -The Passing Parade-State Of The Union submitted by Simply Jews
- Fourth place *t* with 2/3 vote -Cato @Liberty-Judge Vinson’s Greatest Hits submitted by VA Right
- Fifth place with 1/3 vote -The Pagan Temple – Sarah Palin Responds To Obama’s State Of The Union submitted by The Colossus of Rhodey
- See ya'll next week! from the WoW grrls at GrEaT sAtAn"S gIrLfRiEnD
ARABIAN SEA (Feb. 2, 2011) A Sailor stands watch on the fantail of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) as bioluminescent organisms and aircraft on final approach light the night around her. The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is deployed supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class James R. Evans)
H/T Marc
Scientific Discovery........
Queens University researchers have discovered the heaviest element yet known to science: Governmentium.
The new element, Governmentium (symbol=Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called pillocks. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert. However, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact.
A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from 4 days to 4 years to complete. Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2 to 6 years. It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.
In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes. This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass. When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium (symbol=Ad), an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium, since it has half as many pillocks but twice as many morons.
H/T Rodney
SIGNS ON SYNAGOGUE BULLETIN BOARDS:
1. Under same management for over 5,763 years.
2. Don't give up. Moses was once a basket case.
3. What part of "Thou shalt not" don't you understand?
4 . Shul committees should be made up of three members, two of whom should be absent at every meeting.
5. Sign over the urinal in a bathroom at Hebrew University: "The future of the Jewish people is in your hands."
6. My mother is a typical Jewish mother. Once she was on jury duty. They sent her home. She insisted SHE was guilty.
7. Any time a person goes into a delicatessen and orders a pastrami on white bread, somewhere a Jew dies.
8. It was mealtime during a flight on El Al. "Would you like dinner?," the flight attendant asked Moshe, seated in front. "What are my choices?," Moshe asked. "Yes or no," she replied.
9. An elderly Jewish man is knocked down by a car and is brought to the local hospital. A pretty nurse tucks him into bed and says, "Mr. Gevarter, are you comfortable?"
Gevarter replies, "I make a nice living...."
10. A rabbi was opening his mail one morning. Taking a single sheet of paper from an envelope he found written on it only one word: "shmuck." At the next Friday night service, the Rabbi announced, "I have known many people who
have written letters and forgot to sign their names, but this week I received a letter from someone who signed his name .. and forgot to write a letter. "
H/T Amnon
News.............
GOP Poised to Win Senate
Is happiness a reasonable or worthy life goal?
Obama's Blocking Of New Power Plants Triggers Nationwide Blackouts
American Universities and the Fate of the Middle East
Hollywood’s Top 40
Hold the Applause: Revolutions like Egypt's most often end badly.
Britain facing 'unstoppable wave of home-grown suicide bombers' warns MI6
Named and shamed: The European human rights judges wrecking British law
Axing speed cameras has caused road deaths to FALL
Underground world hints at China's coming crisis
Japan 'should develop nuclear weapons to defend itself'
Burma names career soldier as president
Mubarak's Hired Thugs: Rural Poor Paid to Attack Opposition Supporters
Firemen called to rescue beer
German freighter sinks Indian frigate
Four arrested after Bangladesh girl 'lashed to death'
Column One: Israel and Arab democracy
and finally........
When Putin met Reagan H/T DML
"If Only The Islamists Hadn't Lied To Me"............from Dan Friedman
There are times when some conservatives exhibit the same willful intellectual naiveté as liberals, and sound just as thumb-sucking dumb. For a classic example, I urge you to have a look at today’s Wall St. Journal editorial, “Hamas, the Brotherhood and Egypt.” At once a tortured whitewash of Bush’s costly (costly to Israel) mistakes in Gaza and a downright funny plan for Egypt’s transition to “a viable democratic future” that could be taken for satire. It is not to be missed.
Can't. Won't.............from Rico
Read the following in this context:
"What can't be paid back, won't."
You can safely ignore the National Debt. It is reported on a cash-basis, and it is only $1.4 trillion Dollars.
What you should NOT ignore are the unreported unfunded National obligations that are more tha $100 trillion Dollars!
This is exactly WHY the US has been debasing its currency...it beats defaulting [for Democrats (C) read: we can't pay this back, so we won't]. Better to 'pay back' loans on nickels or pennies on the Dollar.
In two years we'll be 'celebrating' 100 years of the Federal Reserve (the FED). Yippee! Let's ignore the dabate over 'policy' this or 'policy' that for a moment, and consider not what has been SAID but rather what has been DONE!
The monetary rate of decay under the FED since 1913 looks like this (you debate and decide if this is arithmetic or geometric; the end result is the same):
- The Dollar lost 50% of its value in the first 33 years of the FED from 1913 to 1946,
- That 1946 Dollar lost 50% of its value in the following 24 years.
- By 1970, the value of the 1970 dollar halved again (yes, it dropped another 50%) in the following 9 years.
- The 1979 Dollar took 14 years to decline-drop-tank another 50% (give due credit to Volcker).
Before terminal MEGO sets in (my eyes glaze over) let's illustrate this in a simpler way. In a tangible way. Let's call this "A Tale of Two $50's."
- Once upon a time, there were two men. It was 1914 and they were both rich.
-- One had ten freshly printed $50 Dollar bills...the 'new' Federal Reserve Notes. They were pretty, but redeemable for nothing. He hid the notes under the floor of his house.
-- The other man had ten $50 Dollar bills...gold notes. They were also pretty, but they were redeemable for roughly 2.5 ounces of gold. He redeemed them and hid the gold under the floor of his house.
- Skipping the whole nightmare of FDR and Soetoro-Obama and fast forwarding to today. It is 2011.
-- The heirs to the first man's house find ten $50 Dollar bills. They are still redeemable for nothing. They are 'worth' less than a nickel-on-the-dollar from 1914 to 2011. They all celebrate by eating from the Dollar Menu at MacDonald's. Whee.
-- The heirs to the second man's house find 2.5 ounces of gold. That gold is worth over $3,000 present-day Dollars. They decide to keep the gold. It might be worth a lot one day.
This is devaluation. The death of fiat (paper) money.
What would YOU do?
Friday, 4 February 2011
Updates on Egypt Protests
A theoretical essay, with video from Cairo: "Democratic Realpolitik and Egypt."
And previously: "Egypt Crisis Intensifies — Suleiman Could Take Power as Washington Plans for Mubarak Exit," and "Christiane Amanpour Interviews Hosni Mubarak."
Also, at the link, video footage from yesterday, with a content warning, since it's quite graphic: "Police Van Running Over Protesters in Cairo."
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