14 August 2006 | PatriotPost.US | Patriot No. 06-33
GOVERNMENT
"Our system is so complicated—i.e. rigged—that it's almost impossible to know how much agricultural subsidies cost U.S. taxpayers. But we know from The Washington Post's recent reporting that since 2000 the U.S. government paid out $1.3 billion to 'farmers' who don't farm. They were simply 'compensated' for owning land previously used for farming... Cash payments have cost $172 billion over the last decade, and $25 billion in 2005 alone, nearly 50% more than what was paid to families receiving welfare. But those sorts of numbers barely tell the story of our appallingly immoral agricultural corporatism. Subsidies combined with trade barriers (another term for subsidy) prop up the price of food for consumers at home and hurt farmers abroad. This is repugnant because agriculture is a keystone industry for developing nations and a luxury for developed ones. This keeps Third World nations impoverished, economically dependent and politically unstable... There's a lot of romance about the family farm in this country. But that's what it is: romance. Most of the Welfare Kings are rich men—buffalo farmer and CNN founder Ted Turner is one of the biggest. Of course, there are small farmers out there, but they have no more right to live off the government teat than the corner bakery I so loved as a child but that couldn't keep up with the times. We don't have a political system addicted to keeping bakers rich." —Jonah Goldberg
RE: THE LEFT
"What is wrong with Democrats? Can't they see that when the face of their party belongs to ultra-leftists like George McGovern, Michael Dukakis and John Kerry, they lose? For those who still believe not only in a strong two-party system, but also in compromise and conciliation in order to promote the general welfare and seek the common good, the [Joe] Lieberman defeat strikes an especially harmful blow. At the height of social conservative power in the Republican Party, pro-choicers and pro gay rights officials like Mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York City and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger were featured speakers at GOP conventions. Republican officials described their party as a 'big tent' with room for everybody. Lieberman's loss reduces the size of the Democrats' tent to that of a pup tent. The message it sends is that only those who conform to the left-wing fundamentalist worldview will be allowed in. Is that a message Democrats want to take into future campaigns?" —Cal Thomas
POLITICAL FUTURES
"How does [Joe] Lieberman fend off attacks of insiderism, go-alongism, Establishment Boy? Bolt. Not to the left and not to the right but to the outside. Which is what he's doing. He's going to distance himself from his own success and point an accusing finger at the two parties that control Washington... If Mr. Lieberman can persuasively position himself as an outsider—as a famous independent, aligned with neither of the reigning roving gangs—he could win. There's another thing he has going for him, and it's the flip side of insiderism. He's a grownup. He's not an angry kid. When America gets in trouble, and everyone thinks more trouble is coming, you want grownups around. In this, Mr. Lieberman is in sharp relief to Mr. Lamont's supporters. Everyone in public life gets tagged. But this is one of the first times in a long time that somebody's base got tagged. The [Daily] Kos crowd is viewed by most people outside that crowd as hate-fueled, bitter and stupid—the devil's flying monkeys making their 'Eeek! Eeek!' sounds. As a political phenomenon such people do not inspire. They're not like the young lefties of old trying to be 'Clean for Gene.' They seem like people who do not—cannot—create and cohere. They seem driven by a spirit of destruction. This will take you only so far." —Peggy Noonan
FOR THE RECORD
"[Thursday] British police and MI-5 'thwarted' a plot to blow up between six and ten US airliners while they were crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Heathrow to JFK or Dulles or LAX... [G]reat (and well deserved) kudos were heaped on the police, intelligence, and security services in the U.K., the U.S. and Pakistan for banding together to stop this horrific act. Meanwhile in Marietta, Ohio another plot was broken up... Two guys walked into the Radio Shack and bought a number of pre-paid cell phones—maybe a dozen. The two guys refused to give the Radio Shack salesman their names when they wanted to purchase time on two of the phones, which the Radio Shack salesman thought was strange. So, he called the Sheriff's office and told them about these two guys and the cell phones and the name thing. The Sheriff sent a car out looking for the two guys, found it, and [stopped it after a minor traffic violation]. The Sheriff's deputy gets up to the car, sees about a dozen cell phones and what turned out to be $11,000 in cash. And smells Marijuana. The two guys [are] Osama Sabhi Abulhassan and Ali Houssaiky. After the bust, the deputies searched the car and found...airline passenger lists and airport security information, and so they called the Feds. Abulhassan and Houssaiky admitted to buying over 600 phones in the area over the past few weeks and...then they explained how 'they send these [phones] overseas and they use the chips against the troops detonating bombs.' Abulhassan and Houssaiky [are currently charged with] money laundering on behalf of Hizballah... That's the way this war on terrorism is fought. CIA, FBI, MI-5 on the one hand. A Radio Shack salesman who smelled something funny and the Sheriff's department of a small county in Ohio on the other. Both worked. It was a good day for the good guys." —Rich Galen
As a Marine Colonel with almost 25 years active duty, I can tell you that Mark Alexander's analysis on Operation Iraqi Freedom "Sounding the Retreat" is both comprehensive and correct in its assessment that our success in OIF is critical. The perspective from the ground here in Iraq is vastly different from the one painted by the media in the U.S., and if we do not stay the course here, many of my young Marines will likely die in much greater numbers closer to home—and for what, political fodder? Retreat is an option, but God forbid!" —Baghdad, Iraq
"Your link in the 06-32 Digest regarding 'profiling' of suspects (read: perpetrators) of terrorist acts made me realize that I am not a racist or bigot of any sort for any profiling I may do in regards to 'Middle Eastern male Islamists between the ages 17 and 40'... just logical and informed. If the shoe was on the other foot, and Caucasian, Christian guys like myself were bombing, killing and pretty much wiping people out in a land of Islamic peoples I would expect to be closely scrutinized—and would be. By all means, in that case, profile me...its only logical. Thank you for the article, it just proves the old saying 'Those who don't know the past..."' —St. Paul, Minnesota
I have to confess that one of my first thoughts on hearing about the latest terrorist plot involving the airlines was 'now we'll have more white-haired American grandmothers strip searched in TSA security'." —Canton, Ohio
"Patriot readers—thanks so much for sponsoring Shields of Strength! You all are awesome. I handed out over 150 in the first hour here. I just tell the soldiers, airmen and Marines that they are from Americans who wanted to let us know that we are being prayed for. Everyone is very thankful. God bless you all." —LTC, CENTCOM
THE LAST WORD
"As some of us have been trying to tell you, Democrats don't oppose the war on terrorism because they hate Bush: They hate Bush because he is fighting the war on terrorism. They would hate him for fighting terrorists even if he had a 'D' after his name. They would hate Bernie Sanders if he were fighting a war on terrorism. In the past three decades, there have been more legitimate sightings of Big Foot than of 'Scoop Jackson Democrats.' That's why Hillary Clinton has anti-war protestors howling at her public events. That's why she has drawn an anti-war primary opponent, Jonathan Tasini, who appears to believe that Israel is a terrorist state. If those rumors I've been hearing about a Hezbollah/Hamas/DNC merger are true, we might be in for a slightly longer fight." —Ann Coulter
Lex et Libertas—Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus, et Fidelis! Mark Alexander, Publisher, for the editors and staff. (Please pray for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world, and for their families, especially those of our fallen Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, who have died in defense of American liberty while prosecuting the war with Jihadistan.)
*PUBLIUS*
The Patriot Post (PatriotPost.US) is protected speech pursuant to the "inalienable rights" of all men, and the First (and Second) Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America.
In God we trust.
2006 © Publius Press, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
GOVERNMENT
"Our system is so complicated—i.e. rigged—that it's almost impossible to know how much agricultural subsidies cost U.S. taxpayers. But we know from The Washington Post's recent reporting that since 2000 the U.S. government paid out $1.3 billion to 'farmers' who don't farm. They were simply 'compensated' for owning land previously used for farming... Cash payments have cost $172 billion over the last decade, and $25 billion in 2005 alone, nearly 50% more than what was paid to families receiving welfare. But those sorts of numbers barely tell the story of our appallingly immoral agricultural corporatism. Subsidies combined with trade barriers (another term for subsidy) prop up the price of food for consumers at home and hurt farmers abroad. This is repugnant because agriculture is a keystone industry for developing nations and a luxury for developed ones. This keeps Third World nations impoverished, economically dependent and politically unstable... There's a lot of romance about the family farm in this country. But that's what it is: romance. Most of the Welfare Kings are rich men—buffalo farmer and CNN founder Ted Turner is one of the biggest. Of course, there are small farmers out there, but they have no more right to live off the government teat than the corner bakery I so loved as a child but that couldn't keep up with the times. We don't have a political system addicted to keeping bakers rich." —Jonah Goldberg
RE: THE LEFT
"What is wrong with Democrats? Can't they see that when the face of their party belongs to ultra-leftists like George McGovern, Michael Dukakis and John Kerry, they lose? For those who still believe not only in a strong two-party system, but also in compromise and conciliation in order to promote the general welfare and seek the common good, the [Joe] Lieberman defeat strikes an especially harmful blow. At the height of social conservative power in the Republican Party, pro-choicers and pro gay rights officials like Mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York City and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger were featured speakers at GOP conventions. Republican officials described their party as a 'big tent' with room for everybody. Lieberman's loss reduces the size of the Democrats' tent to that of a pup tent. The message it sends is that only those who conform to the left-wing fundamentalist worldview will be allowed in. Is that a message Democrats want to take into future campaigns?" —Cal Thomas
POLITICAL FUTURES
"How does [Joe] Lieberman fend off attacks of insiderism, go-alongism, Establishment Boy? Bolt. Not to the left and not to the right but to the outside. Which is what he's doing. He's going to distance himself from his own success and point an accusing finger at the two parties that control Washington... If Mr. Lieberman can persuasively position himself as an outsider—as a famous independent, aligned with neither of the reigning roving gangs—he could win. There's another thing he has going for him, and it's the flip side of insiderism. He's a grownup. He's not an angry kid. When America gets in trouble, and everyone thinks more trouble is coming, you want grownups around. In this, Mr. Lieberman is in sharp relief to Mr. Lamont's supporters. Everyone in public life gets tagged. But this is one of the first times in a long time that somebody's base got tagged. The [Daily] Kos crowd is viewed by most people outside that crowd as hate-fueled, bitter and stupid—the devil's flying monkeys making their 'Eeek! Eeek!' sounds. As a political phenomenon such people do not inspire. They're not like the young lefties of old trying to be 'Clean for Gene.' They seem like people who do not—cannot—create and cohere. They seem driven by a spirit of destruction. This will take you only so far." —Peggy Noonan
FOR THE RECORD
"[Thursday] British police and MI-5 'thwarted' a plot to blow up between six and ten US airliners while they were crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Heathrow to JFK or Dulles or LAX... [G]reat (and well deserved) kudos were heaped on the police, intelligence, and security services in the U.K., the U.S. and Pakistan for banding together to stop this horrific act. Meanwhile in Marietta, Ohio another plot was broken up... Two guys walked into the Radio Shack and bought a number of pre-paid cell phones—maybe a dozen. The two guys refused to give the Radio Shack salesman their names when they wanted to purchase time on two of the phones, which the Radio Shack salesman thought was strange. So, he called the Sheriff's office and told them about these two guys and the cell phones and the name thing. The Sheriff sent a car out looking for the two guys, found it, and [stopped it after a minor traffic violation]. The Sheriff's deputy gets up to the car, sees about a dozen cell phones and what turned out to be $11,000 in cash. And smells Marijuana. The two guys [are] Osama Sabhi Abulhassan and Ali Houssaiky. After the bust, the deputies searched the car and found...airline passenger lists and airport security information, and so they called the Feds. Abulhassan and Houssaiky admitted to buying over 600 phones in the area over the past few weeks and...then they explained how 'they send these [phones] overseas and they use the chips against the troops detonating bombs.' Abulhassan and Houssaiky [are currently charged with] money laundering on behalf of Hizballah... That's the way this war on terrorism is fought. CIA, FBI, MI-5 on the one hand. A Radio Shack salesman who smelled something funny and the Sheriff's department of a small county in Ohio on the other. Both worked. It was a good day for the good guys." —Rich Galen
As a Marine Colonel with almost 25 years active duty, I can tell you that Mark Alexander's analysis on Operation Iraqi Freedom "Sounding the Retreat" is both comprehensive and correct in its assessment that our success in OIF is critical. The perspective from the ground here in Iraq is vastly different from the one painted by the media in the U.S., and if we do not stay the course here, many of my young Marines will likely die in much greater numbers closer to home—and for what, political fodder? Retreat is an option, but God forbid!" —Baghdad, Iraq
"Your link in the 06-32 Digest regarding 'profiling' of suspects (read: perpetrators) of terrorist acts made me realize that I am not a racist or bigot of any sort for any profiling I may do in regards to 'Middle Eastern male Islamists between the ages 17 and 40'... just logical and informed. If the shoe was on the other foot, and Caucasian, Christian guys like myself were bombing, killing and pretty much wiping people out in a land of Islamic peoples I would expect to be closely scrutinized—and would be. By all means, in that case, profile me...its only logical. Thank you for the article, it just proves the old saying 'Those who don't know the past..."' —St. Paul, Minnesota
I have to confess that one of my first thoughts on hearing about the latest terrorist plot involving the airlines was 'now we'll have more white-haired American grandmothers strip searched in TSA security'." —Canton, Ohio
"Patriot readers—thanks so much for sponsoring Shields of Strength! You all are awesome. I handed out over 150 in the first hour here. I just tell the soldiers, airmen and Marines that they are from Americans who wanted to let us know that we are being prayed for. Everyone is very thankful. God bless you all." —LTC, CENTCOM
THE LAST WORD
"As some of us have been trying to tell you, Democrats don't oppose the war on terrorism because they hate Bush: They hate Bush because he is fighting the war on terrorism. They would hate him for fighting terrorists even if he had a 'D' after his name. They would hate Bernie Sanders if he were fighting a war on terrorism. In the past three decades, there have been more legitimate sightings of Big Foot than of 'Scoop Jackson Democrats.' That's why Hillary Clinton has anti-war protestors howling at her public events. That's why she has drawn an anti-war primary opponent, Jonathan Tasini, who appears to believe that Israel is a terrorist state. If those rumors I've been hearing about a Hezbollah/Hamas/DNC merger are true, we might be in for a slightly longer fight." —Ann Coulter
Lex et Libertas—Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus, et Fidelis! Mark Alexander, Publisher, for the editors and staff. (Please pray for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world, and for their families, especially those of our fallen Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, who have died in defense of American liberty while prosecuting the war with Jihadistan.)
*PUBLIUS*
The Patriot Post (PatriotPost.US) is protected speech pursuant to the "inalienable rights" of all men, and the First (and Second) Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America.
In God we trust.
2006 © Publius Press, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.