Newspaper Bailout? No Way!

Cross-posted by Gary Fouse
fousesquawk



(For you current or recent university students, Truman defeated Dewey.)




Even crazier than the bailouts of the auto industry, banks and Wall Street is this latest idea being floated around of Government stepping in to bail out the newspaper industry. Representative Frank Nicastro (D-CT) has spoken out in favor of government action. Senator Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) has just introduced the so-called "Newspaper Revitalization Act", which would allow newspapers to file as non-profits. All this has implications that go far beyond the question of whether failing newspapers ought to be saved or allowed to die.

First of all, let's examine the reason newspapers are dying out (The San Francisco Chronicle and Seattle Post Intelligencer are the latest big papers to fold). One reason is the revolution in news reporting and coverage. It is difficult for newspapers to compete with 24-hour news coverage offered first by cable channels such as CNN and Fox. In addition, news can be obtained instantly via the Internet from a myriad of sources. By the time you receive your daily paper, you already know the news that's in there. While I still subscribe to the Orange County Register, my main focus is the editorial page and the sports page in that order. I basically skim the front pages.

In short, newspapers are becoming more and more obsolete.

Another reason the newspapers are failing is that the public realizes that much of what they are getting is opinion rather than fact. The editorial page is 80-90% slanted to the liberal point of view while even front page writing is often written in such a manner as to slant the news in the liberal direction without the reader seeing between the lines.

The problem is (not a problem, really) the readers are increasingly reading between the lines, and they don't like the bias they are seeing.

Rightfully or wrongfully, many followers of the news are increasingly going to news sources they are comfortable with, whether it be Public Radio, CNN, Fox News or MSNBC. It is the same with the Internet and blogs. People go to the sites they tend to agree with and occasionally check opposing views on other sites.

It doesn't leave a lot of room for newspapers.

Now come various figures who say that government should step in and save the newspapers, either by bailout, takeover or giving them tax breaks on things like advertising revenue. If government can step in and save failing enterprises that are so important to the country, why not newspapers? Are they not crucial to the American Way of Life?

Well, not really for the reasons I listed above. When something becomes obsolete, it naturally dies out in the free market. (Should the government have stepped in and saved elevator operators a few decades ago?)

But even more serious a consideration is the idea of government being involved in newspapers in any form. We are already seeing the effects of government bailouts of GM and Chrysler. Now, President Obama is deciding who should or should not be the CEO of GM. Now, President Obama is telling Chrysler they should merge with Fiat.

Fiat??? When I was living in Italy, I owned a used Fiat. Fiat stands for:

Fix
It
Again,
Tony.

I know, I am digressing. Back on track.

The point is that once government steps in and bails out newspapers or gives them any financial breaks that allow them to keep operating, they have a voice in the editorial content of that paper-whether they ask for it or not. What newspaper is going to bite the hand that feeds it? If we are sceptical of the political agenda of our newspapers now, how trusting can we be if they owe their continued financial well-being and very existence to the government?

I say no. I know what it is like to live in a country at a time they didn't have a free press (Thailand in the 1970s). As much as we complain about the biased coverage of most of our newspapers, we haven't seen anything yet if government steps in to save those that are failing. In fact, I suspect that most of the folks in Washington who are clamoring for government assistance are Democrats who recognize that they may lose a valuable ally.

I say let the newspapers go the way of the elevator operator if they have become obsolete or the customers are rejecting them. The government should have no role whatsoever in the operation of a newspaper-even in a financing role. This would set too dangerous a precedent in a nation like America.

Bill Maher : "(American Troops) Are Going to Have to Learn to Rape Themselves"

Cross-posted by Gary Fouse
fousesquawk

I have nothing but contempt for Bill Maher, that smug comedian who delights in insulting every great American tradition we have left in the hope that it will die out. Maher, an atheist, takes delight in insulting people of faith. He has impugned George W Bush's reserve military service-even though he himself (Maher) never served a day of his life in uniform. He has also implied that our military were cowards in the manner in which they fought. Now, Maher, (in questioning why we have troops in Germany and Japan) has used our troops as the butt of a joke, in which the punch line implies that our troops in German and Japan are rapists.

See for yourself:



"At some point, these people are going to learn how to rape themselves."

There is nothing funny about this joke-though obviously some of Maher's fans think there is. As a veteran who served in Germany back in the 1960s, I would like to tell Mr Maher that I never raped anyone. Were there cases of rape in Germany (and Japan)? Yes, unfortunately, there were. As an MP, I had occasion to respond to a couple of sexual assault incidents. But to imply there was or is an epidemic of rapes committed overseas by American troops is just plain wrong.

Maher prides himself on attacking "sacred cows" in American society. He has the freedom to do that. But to make accusations (or imply though the use of a tasteless joke) that our troops are rapists is unconscionable. One wonders how Maher will explain this one away in the coming days.

The Wagoner "Resignation" and Government Abuse of Power

Cross-posted by Gary Fouse
fousesquawk


Rick Wagoner, ex-CEO of GM (a private company) fired by the President of the United States


Let me say at the outset that I have no idea whether Rick Wagoner was or wasn't an effective CEO at General Motors. Maybe he deserved to be canned from the top position in a company for which he had worked for 32 years. For all I know, he may be the biggest villain in the whole auto industry mess. However, I am bothered greatly by the manner he was forced out. Doesn't it bother anybody in America that a CEO of a private company was fired by the Federal Government, specifically, the Treasury Department and the White House? This points out a much greater problem than the future of the auto industry. This goes right to the future of our democratic and capitalistic system.

Of course, one might argue that when a private enterprise accepts government bailout money, the government has a right to make decisions and call the shots. That's what government does when it hands out money. It sets rules.

I won't waste a lot of time pointing out that no one in the federal government knows the first thing about making automobiles, and darn few know how to run a business, let alone a major corporation. That's common sense. As a retired government employee, I know first-hand how inefficient government is, at least when you get into the depths of Washington DC HQs. Now that the government has taken over GM and Chrysler, they can only run them further into the ground. Does anybody seriously think that Chris Dodd (who recently called on Wagoner to resign) has the answers? Speaking of resigning, Dodd probably has too many questions of his own to answer these days without having to worry about the auto industry.

But let's get to the crux of the problem: Since when does a president of the United States and his cronies in the Treasury Department have the legal or constitutional right to fire a CEO of a private company? That is precisely what happened here. One wonders what discussions went on between the White House and Treasury Department with the United Auto Workers. The UAW has spent decades building job protection rules for its members that have greatly led to the auto-industry's financial problems. Do they care that Wagoner was fired by the President of the United States?

Of course they don't. They know that this administration is on their team and will make them and other unions stronger with their card check legislation that is in the works.

But back to the point: In this headlong rush toward socialism, we are seeing the creation of a system whereby the US Government can come in and seize any company or industry it wants-even if no bailouts are involved. What they are designing is the acquisition by the government of any business entity whose failure would impact the US economy. Who in the government will decide which companies are in danger of failing? Who decides if the company's failure represents damage to the US economy?

And once this idea takes effect, make no mistake- corruption is on the way. Right now, these people are thinking about saving the US economy or instituting socialism. How long will it be before members of Congress start taking advantage of their "oversight" powers to start padding their own wallets?

This is scary stuff, indeed.

Maxine Waters & Goldman Sachs- Just What is Your Point, Ms Waters?

Cross-posted by Gary Fouse
fousesquawk

Sadly, there is a certain amount of poison going around the Internet about "The Jews on Wall Street who are behind" this whole financial catastrophe. Certain elements in the Middle East are also pushing this theory for their own obvious purposes. The Wall Street Financial firm of Goldman-Sachs (with a strong Jewish history)is the target of a lot of these anti-Semitic accusations. It appears that Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) may be buying into this stuff as well. Last Tuesday, Waters was grilling Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner-specifically about Goldman Sachs. In her questioning,......well, as Jeno Leno would say, "here, take a look at the tape."




First of all, Waters has two absolute defenses in that:

1 She never mentioned the word, "Jews".

2 She is basically an ignorant woman.

But she is a congresswoman and wields a certain amount of power, which she has not hesitated to abuse over and over again. She also has a reputation for playing racial politics, so I think it is fair to ask, just what is it you are getting at Ms Waters?

Did you note the manner of how she formulated the questions? First of all, it is clear that Goldman Sachs was the focus of her questioning. Waters was obviously fixated on Goldman Sachs. Without naming names and sources, she referred vaguely to "linkages" and "connections" and "a small group of Wall Street types" making decisions. She referred to "the talk underneath", "people are thinking", and "you hear a lot....".

Ms Waters, who is talking "underneath"? Underneath what? What people are thinking about "the small group of people" on Wall Street? What linkages and connections are you talking about? Why are you so fixated on Goldman Sachs?

Is it "those damn Jews" again, Ms Waters?

If Maxine Waters is prepared to make charges of illegality on the part of Goldman Sachs and its officers, she should do so. But for a congresswoman to sit up there and talk vaguely about "linkages", "connections" and "you hear a lot about" is pretty irresponsible, in my view. She is feeding into a dark undercurrent because she knows that her viewers and supporters are making inferences. She knows the game because that type of talk has been historically used to imply negative thoughts about blacks.

But what can one expect from Maxine Waters?

Luton March Cancelled

by Maggie Thornton at Maggie's Notebook

The March for England organization scheduled a planned peaceful demonstration for March 28th in Luton, England. The purpose of the march was to demonstrate against Muslim thugs who loudly "protested at a homecoming parade in Luton on March 11th for forces of the Royal Anglican Regiment returning from Iraq." See videos below.

Luton, England

The Home Secretary [similar to the U.S. Homeland Security] said the Muslim protest was not against the law, but it was clearly upsetting to the community. Much of the community believes
that Luton is a front for al-Qaeda in Britain.

So the community planned a peaceful protest against the radical Muslims who yelled obscenities at the returning soldiers (see first video below). They were not forbidden to march, but in the end, the march was canceled out of respect to authorities because authorities did not:

...want to inflame the situation when the town is doing well in returning to its usual state of harmony.

Those wanting to demonstrate against the Muslim thugs were called Right Wing Fascists by some city Fathers. One said they need to "have a look at their sad lives." You see other statements in the second video below. How would you feel if the same happened in your neighborhood?

So while either Muslims or non-Muslims can gather to demonstrate, it is only the white and maybe blue eyed Brits that are called upon to keep the peace, no matter the cost. And liberty and freedom of speech slip through the cracks of a inept government. And Islam laughs up it's sleeve.

Luton is located 32 miles north of London and has a population of about 230,000. The parade has been rescheduled for St. George's Day, April 23rd. Another gathering in Luton is scheduled for April 12th. Details are in the video. To learn more about what is happening in Luton, browse through Lionheart's blog.

The first video below shows the angry Muslim response to the soldiers, and the second gives details of the parade cancellation.

Muslim Demonstration in Luton, England (Video)

Luton Demonstration Canceled (Video)

Photo credit: Getty Images

A.C.O.R.N. BEHIND PROTESTS AT AIG HOMES

TSUNAMI RELEASE as featured today in W.A.M. News Room

Breaking News: A.C.O.R.N. Ties to S.E.I.U. Exposed Post follows this introduction

It's no news to those who participate in TSUNAMI MEDIA that Obama's community organizers and Mobama's favorite Socialist Union are co-operative cornerstones in his Regime's GAME PLAN to take over the U.S. - via social re-engineering, immigrant union intrusions plus no-volunteer National Service - all to establish the permanent rule of his Administration and the no-longer-democratic party. The use of these sleazy team players to disrupt the business world and break down the already weakened economy has been at the core of the Obama/Alexrod/Emanuel strategy all along. But, until now, the MainStreamMedia has ignored and buried this under-belly of collusion.

Note to Bloggers:

SEND QUICK REPLY to this address with the PERMA-LINK of your related POST and your site will be HIGHLIGHTED on W.A.M. News Room with a link for readers to come to your site for more on this critical topic!

Please do include the ACTION LINK here, within your post, encouraging your readers & contacts to get ACTION TOOLS (FREE PREPARED FAX and ALL CONTACT INFORMATION to their SENATORS will be provided as soon as they sign in here:                    

LINK TO: http://www.wam08.org/GetInvolved.html ACTION PAGE FEATURES ORIGINAL BECK EXPOSE

 

EXPOSE! A.C.O.R.N. BEHIND PROTESTS AT AIG HOMES - Under S.E.I.U. RENT-A-MOB CONTRACT

A Glenn Beck interview with an election attorney has exposed the fact that the SEIU (Service Employees INTERNATIONAL

Union) contracted the angry mob which intimidated AIG employees at their own homes this past week. According to this report,

the "Muscle for Money" program, revealed by a former A.C.O.R.N.employee at hearings held last October, involves formal

work contracts between the SEIU & A.C.O.R.N. in which poor persons are paid to make targeted, aggressive protests.

These "protests" are then covered by the MainStreamMedia with the appearance of spontaneous events led by "everyday

citizens."

Beck followed up on the mobs which terrorized AIG executives homes when he noticed the protesters were arriving in

organized buses, which were rented by A.C.O.R.N. Referencing A.C.O.R.N.'s shady history, the reporter referred back

to A.C.O.R.N.'s arrangements of voting booths in Nevada casinos as their instrument for assuring Obama's "win"

of last year's Primary caucus in the state. A.C.O.R.N is also being investigated on criminal vote fraud complaints

in several other states for related misconduct.

The "bus tour" attack on AIG families was, specifically, arranged by Connetticcut's (sp) Working Families Party

as one of A.C.O.R.N. & S.E.I.U.'s many public faces. Cleta Mitchell, an attorney who has followed the underlying

connections of these groups explained that the S.E.I.U. has spent tens of millions of dollars on all kinds of

organizations over the last five years. Federally funded in part, and also supported by George Soros, one of

A.C.O.R.N.'s multifold "campaigns" for change includes the legalization of drugs in the U.S.

As Beck noted, former A.C.O.R.N. employees repulsed by the organization's methods and associations have

contributed to exposing their tactics but avoid public statements. One such witness invited on air declined,

expressing fear for her two year old daughter's safety.

W.A.M. ALERT The spider-web of socialist intrigue doesn't stop there. The recent TV network

attention on waves of AIG protests has been used to fuel public enmity toward corporations in order to

gain Congressional passage of CARD CHECK. This union-organizing legislation, spearheaded by the S.E.I.U,

abolishes the secret ballot and would open the door for this INTERNATIONAL union to propagate

intimidation tactics, similar to those above, on successful non-union companies and small businesses

across the nation.

If you, as an "ordinary citizen" (not paid by A.C.O.R.N. or the S.E.I.U.) and have not yet contacted Washington

to block passage of this "Employee Free Choice Act" (aka CARD CHECK) link here to sign in and send

your State's Senators a FREE FAX now:

http://www.wam08.org/GetInvolved.html

Technorati Tags: A.C.O.R.N.,Tsunami Media,S.E.I.U.,Service Employees INTERNATIONAL Union,Obama,community organizers,Senate,Glenn Beck,Fox,George Soros,socialist

UNRWA, Rockets and DePaul University

by Findalis


From the Sderot Media Center

3 stories, 3 different tales.

UNRWA, where is the money going?

by Anav Silverman

In recent years, billions of dollars have poured into Gaza from hundreds of countries and international organizations. How much of that money has actually reached Palestinian civilians, effectively improving their quality of life and economy, has yet to be completely determined thanks to vague audits and on-line information.

Only recently, with a relatively silent international press, have there been questions from top political leaders, primarily from US, about the way in which the donor money will be transferred into Gaza.

At an Egyptian donor’s conference organized by Norway and Egypt in early March, more than 75 international donors and organizations met to announce their financial support of the reconstruction in Gaza. Over $5.2 billion were pledged at the conference, surprising the Palestinian Authority who originally called for $2.8 billion needed to build-up Gaza.

In light of the US pledge of $900 million, the second largest following Saudi Arabia‘s $1 billion at the conference, US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton stated that no US funds earmarked for Gaza would end up in the “wrong hands.”

By wrong hands, Clinton meant Hamas, the militant Islamist Palestinian party in complete control of the Gaza Strip. Over $300 million dollars of the US pledge money will be going to Gaza reconstruction, while the rest of the $600 million has been earmarked to Palestinian Authority‘s Mahmoud Abbas.

However, there is another set of “wrong hands” in this scenario through which the transfer of funds may very well pass through, hands that are not considered a neutral player in the Arab-Israeli conflict. US State department spokesman, Gordon Duguid stated that Gaza support would be provided through USAID, in coordination with UN agencies that will most likely include UNRWA.

UNRWA, the United Nations Relief Works Agency, established in 1949 to aid Palestinian refugees, has shown dangerous partiality to Hamas terrorists.

In 2004, former UNRWA commissioner-General Peter Hansen revealed to the Canadian Broadcasting Company that UNRWA may very well employ Hamas members. “I am sure that there are Hamas members on the UNRWA payroll and I don’t see that as crime,” Hansen infamously stated. He further added, that “We do not do political vetting and exclude people from one persuasion as against another.”

UNRWA has employed several high profile terrorists which include top Islamic Jihad rocket maker, Awad Al-Qiq who was killed in an Israeli air strike last May 2008. Al-Qiq was the headmaster and science instructor at an UNRWA school in Rafah, Gaza. Another terrorist, Hamas’s interior minister and head of the Executive Force, Said Siyam, was a teacher for over two decades in UNRWA schools.

Fox News recently reported that UNRWA does not ask its employees whether they are members of, or affiliated with, a terrorist organization such as Hamas or Islamic Jihad. UNRWA also offers no formal screening to ensure that its employees are not affiliated with terrorist organizations.

During Operation Cast Lead, UNRWA officials accused Israel of firing into an UNRWA school, killing dozens of Palestinian civilians seeking refuge. Israel maintained that Palestinian rocket launchers locate next to the school had fired mortars on IDF soldiers, which prompted the army's response. Later, UN official Maxwell Gaylord, reversed the UN’s stance stating that the shelling and fatalities had actually taken place outside of the school. But the media damage to Israel had already been done.

Mortar Bombs Shot from UN School in Gaza 29 Oct. 2007




View at YouTube

Continue reading here.

Have you ever wondered where all the money is ending up? Billions of dollars and Euros. Some
of it from US taxpayers. The United Nations is to be supporting peace not war.

Over 180 Palestinian rockets strike Israel since ceasefire

by Anav Silverman

Over 180 Palestinian rockets have been fired at Israel since the unilateral ceasefire began on January 18, according to the IDF Spokeperson's Unit. The latest Qassam rocket attack targeted Ashkelon on Tuesday, March 24 after a 10 day lull. A Qassam rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit the Ashkelon are on Tuesday afternoon. No injuries or damage were reported.

Between March 17-24, three Palestinian mortar shells were fired at IDF forces operating along the border security fence. Hamas's Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility for the mortar shells fired on March 22.

The last rocket attacks on Israel took place a week ago, on March 14, when Palestinian rockets slammed into the western Negev. The last rocket attack on Sderot took place on March 5, when a Qassam slammed into an open area in Sderot.



Although Hamas recently condemned the Qassam rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, the rocket attacks have continued throughout March. Hamas stated that although it has fired thousands of rockets in the past, its military wing was not behind recent attacks. The militant Islamic group in control of Gaza also stated that it was actively investigating who was responsible for the rocket fire.

On the day on which Israeli PM Ehud Olmert declared the ceasefire effective, January 18, Palestinian terror networks fired a total of 19 rockets at Israeli civilians in the south. Three of the rockets were fired after Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other Palestinian networks declared a truce on the afternoon of January 18.

A week into the ceasefire, one IDF soldier was killed and three wounded in a roadside bombing on January 27.

Qassams, mortar shells, and Grad rockets have continued slam into Israel sporadically since the truce, with Sderot and western Negev residents entering bomb shelters between one to two times a week.

On February 1, the first grad-Katyusha was fired at Israel since Operation Cast Lead, following two more Grad rockets fired at southern Israel on February 13 and February 21 respectively.

On February 28, nine rockets including two newly advanced Grad-type rockets slammed into Ashkelon. In what was the worst attack since the ceasefire, a Grad rocket slammed into an Ashkelon school, causing heavy damages. The Grad rocket tore through the school, after the air raid siren sounded in the morning, with shrapnel destroying several classrooms. Seven people living nearby the school suffered from stress-related trauma.

The Ashkelon municipality was forced to shut down the school for sometime until repairs could be made. The Grad rocket that hit the school had a range of about 14 km or 8.6 miles, and was designed to cause massive damage.

*Ha'aretz.com, Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and YNet News contributed to this report.

For the people of Southern Israel, there is no cease-fire, no truce. Yet the liberals moonbats cry that Israel must honor the cease-fire, the truce. Why aren't they screaming for Hamas to do the same?

Attacking Sderot at DePaul University

by Jacob Shrybman

One week ago I shared the human side of the conflict in southern Israel and told my personal stories from Sderot in a presentation at Depaul University in Chicago sponsored by StandWithUs, Hillel, and the university’s Political Science department. As a representative of Sderot Media Center, I traveled from Israel to explain the daily reality of rocket fire that has been plaguing the country for the past eight years. Still one week after I told personal stories of having 15 seconds to run for my life, because of the overshadowing anti-Semitic harassment and disruption caused by pro-Hamas student and non-student organizations my message of understanding and empathy for the people of southern Israel has not yet permeated peoples’ minds.

Tolerating Intolerance - Trailer



View at YouTube

I wasn’t 30 hours off the plane from Israel before I was greeted with more direct anti-Semitism than qassam rockets fired at Sderot. Several anti-Israel posters draped the entrance to the building in which I was to tell my personal stories. I began my presentation with a small audience of around 20 people and as my presentation went on the room began filling with people not merely against Israel’s political policies and action but people in clear support of the terrorist organization Hamas.

When I welcomed the custom of a question and answer period following my presentation the very right of free speech that I welcomed to the audience of now over 100 people was thrown in my face and denied to me. To start the question and answer period, an audience member verbally attacked me, stated his support for the firing of rockets into Israel, and ended his anti-Semitic rhetoric filled rant with a question irrelevant to anything in my presentation. I then pointed out to the audience the same fact I want to point out in this article, that this person was not simply criticizing Israel but was clearly expressing his support for the terrorist organization Hamas. Before I could finish answering the question that was underneath all the threatening hate filled propaganda in this audience member’s statement I was interrupted and silenced by the overwhelming Hamas supporters. Next another audience member rose up in the front of the room and screamed out calling me a “dirty whore” in Arabic and proceeded to grab his crotch and scream “Here’s your qassam!” in Arabic.

Continue reading here.

I am not surprised at the reaction from DePaul University. It is an established fact that the majority of US Collages and Universities openly support anti-Semitism and this rhetoric. In fact a student who is Jewish will get lower grades by the majority of their professors if it is brought to the professor' s attention that the student is a Jew. It is chic to be an anti-Semite now on 99% of the campuses today.

Documentation of this has become a goal of Gary Fouse of Fousequawk.

I ask you, my reader to remember the people of Sderot and Southern Israel in your prayers. I am going to ask you to consider carefully what school you are planning to attend (or your child) and whether that school allows hate speech such as is seen in the video above and others that can be found on the internet. Do you want your child indoctrinated into Nazi rhetoric? Do you want your hard earned dollars supporting Nazi ideology disguised as sympathy for Palastinians? If you are an allumni of such a school and a supporter of Israel, why are you sending the school money to continue these activities?

And like I always do, I will ask you to donate to the Sderot Media Center. Just click on the logo at the top or bottom of this post. It will take you right to the donation page.

Now is not the time for people to be silence.

Evil flourishes when good men do nothing!

Norman Finklestein Posting on a Terror Attack in Israel

Norman Finklestein


Of all the controversial professors who infest American universities, few can match ex-DePaul University Professor of Middle East Studies Norman Finklestein. I say ex-professor because Finklestein lost his position at DePaul (after a nasty fight)when they refused to give him tenure. He is one of those many professors who detest the state of Israel and deny its right to exist. Since losing his job at DePaul, Finklestein, now going under the label "independent scholar", has joined the lecture circuit traveling around the country and appearing at one university after another where he accuses the Israelis of every crime imaginable while also pouring insults on his own country-especially the previous administration. Finklestein's main thesis is that the Jews and Israel are using the Holocaust to drive their own agenda in favor of the Jewish state at the expense of the Palestinians. Interestingly, he is the son of Jewish Holocaust survivors. Whatever his motives, Finklestein is one of many Jewish academics who allow themselves to be used as "Jewish voices" in opposition to Israel.

As we speak, more universities around the nation are extending invitations for this character to speak:

4/04/09 – Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis
4/07/09 - University of Connecticut
4/08/09 – University of Maryland
4/09/09 – University of Massachusettes, Lowell
4/13/09 - California State Universty, Chico (Political Science
Department, Middle East Studies Program)


In at least one(California State University at Chico), his appearances are being sponsored by academic departments, a testament to their "dedication" to bringing a fair debate to the issues for the benefit of their students.

On January 31, I attended a completely one-sided forum on Israel/Palestine at UC Irvine. Finklestein was one of several left-wing academics who sat on a couple of panels and poured abuse on the Jewish state. According to Finklestein et al, Israel committed a massacre in the recent fighting in Gaza, deliberately targeting innocent Palestinians and using bombs given by dear old Uncle Sam. According to Finklestein, the reason Israel has fought virtually all of its wars was to instill fear in the Arab world and put a halt to any peace efforts when cute little groups like Hamas got too "moderate" and desirous of peace. These are all statements that Finklestein made in my presence and are included in the two reports I wrote both for Campus Watch/Frontpage and my own blog.

Finklestein is a character who oozes arrogance and condescension. In a previous appearance at UCI, he angrily berated a young student who had the temerity to ask him about his invitation to attend a Holocaust denial conference in Iran. Once he has the podium, you need to send in the Army to get him to relinquish it. The man can literally drone on forever. Yet, college audiences love him-especially at UC Irvine where deans and above gather at his feet, laugh at his nasty quips and applaud his insulting statements. Finklestein has few words of praise for anyone and plenty of insults for those he doesn't like-which is just about everybody. At UCI in the space of a few hours, he called Israeli historian Benny Morris, who has produced many works on the Middle East conflict, a "part-time historian and full-time propagandist", George W Bush "an idiot" and Dick Cheney a "thug and a murderer".

At that same event, I sent up a written question to the panel which was selected and directed to Finklestein. I asked if he and his colleagues would condemn recent comments and chants heard at anti-Israel rallies around North America in the wake of the Gaza fighting, such as "Long live Hitler", "Jews go back to the ovens", etc (all of which are readily available on YouTube and can be seen on this blog). Finklestein's answer was that he had not heard of such statements, suspected they were wildly exaggerated, made up, or committed by "Zionists" masquerading as Jews. (That answer caused the audience to erupt in cheers when he closed by making a reference to people who should pull themselves out of their navels.)

This, ladies and gentleman, is an academic-a professor!! This is what I want to be when I grow up.

Enough of the background on Finklestein. I would like to make a comment here about something that has appeared on his website (normanfinklestein.com):


On March 6, 2008, an Israeli-Arab terrorist entered a Jewish seminary in Jerusalem (Yeshiva Mercaz HaRav) and opened fire on the occupants. By the time it was over, eight Jewish students, seven of whom were teenagers, were dead, senselessly murdered for no other reason than they were Jewish.

Victims of the terror attack at Yeshiva Mercaz HaRov


While the reaction in Israel was one of shock and horror, many Palestinians in Gaza, Lebanon and other places took to the streets to celebrate in joy. Some imams in mosques praised the killer as a hero. Below are photos of Palestinians celebrating this incident.




Finkelstein's website features a statement written by the board of the Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME) in March 2008 condemning the horrific terrorist attack. The statement is posted without comment but appears under the title (apparently added by Finklestein): NAZI PHDs For Peace mourn death of ubermenschen.

Uebermenschen is a term originally associated with Friedrich Nietzsche, which is roughly translated as "superman" or "overman" and later became related to the old Nazi term Untermenschen-"sub-humans", which was used to refer to Jews and other groups not deemed worthy by the Nazis.

(See: http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/article.php?pg=11&ar=1553).

First of all, let me state that the SPME is a national organization made up largely of Jewish professors, current or retired. They support Israel and are concerned about the situation on US campuses where anti-Israel voices have made many campuses unpleasant for Jewish students. For Finklestein to label this organization as Nazi is outrageous. They are not anti-Muslim or anti-anything else. What Finklestein has done is take a moderate organization that defends Israel and label it as made up of Nazis. Also, why does Finklestein label the innocent, young, Jewish victims as "Uebermenschen? What kind of hateful message is he trying to send by implying a Nazi connection here? He should be ashamed of himself, but I suspect Mr Finklestein is beyond shame.

I don't know what drives this man, nor do I particularly care. Perhaps, he is just a product of the 1960s college generation (that I survived). What I do believe is that Norman Finklestein-along with others such as Ward Churchill-represent the very worst in American academia. Finklestein has the constitutional right to spout his venom and twisted version of history, but we have the same right to comment on it and shine the public spotlight on the ravings of this character.

He should take great care before he goes around calling people Nazis. (I have just recently called certain people Nazis, but I am prepared to back that up.) He should especially remember that it was the very people he champions who cheered and celebrated the massacre of March 2008.

The Oakland Murders

Cross-posted by Gary Fouse
fousesquawk





Last Saturday, four Oakland police officers were shot and killed by a man identified as Lovelle Mixon, who was a suspect in a rape case. Two officers were gunned down as they made a vehicle stop on Mixon, and two others were killed by Mixon as he was barricaded in a relative's apartment. Mixon was also killed in the final exchange of gunfire.

Police deaths always strike close to home for me because of my own law enforcement background with US Customs and DEA. Many years ago, I worked a case with the OPD in Oakland, and two of my former DEA colleagues were also ex-OPD officers. In addition, one of my fellow former Military Police colleagues from Germany was in the Oakland PD. Undoubtedly, they are grieving even if they didn't know the dead officers.

From most news accounts, it is heartening to read that the community is supporting the Oakland PD in numerous ways. Don't forget that Oakland is still trying to recover from a very questionable shooting by a BART transit officer of an unruly passenger. (That officer has since been fired and indicted.)

In spite of the massive support from the Oakland public, there was an unfortunate incident Wednesday, when a crowd of about 60 yahoos marched against the police and in support of Mixon. Even more unfortunately, the San Francisco media, no friend of the Oakland police, gave them wide publicity. CNN has also been accused of accentuating the negative in reporting the relations between the police and community in the wake of this tragedy. It is disgusting, but that should not be allowed to mar the otherwise impressive outpouring of support coming from the good people of Oakland.

The New Politically Correct Language

Cross-posted by Gary Fouse
fousesquawk


Illegal alien gang member




Nazis in London




Nazis in Iran hanging gays




Nazi in New York City



War on Terror


I thought the British couldn't be outdone when they recently began referring to Islamic terrorism as "anti-Islamic activity". Now comes the Obama Administration declaring that the war on terror will now be called "Overseas Contingency Operations"!!?? It looks like we are entering a new world of Orwellianism with the liberals running this country.

Already, schoolchildren in many American schools are coming back from school and informing their parents that St Patrick's Day is being called, "Potato Day" or Shamrock Day", as it was just labeled at the White House celebration.

For a few years now, many of us have been called to task for using the term, "Islamofascist" to describe terror carried out in the name of Islam, as well as everyday incidents of intimidation and calls for imposition of Shariah law in the West. Actually, radio talk-show host Michael Medved has it right; what we are experiencing around the world is not fascism (a rather difficult term to define), but more like Nazism-very easy to define and containing anti-Semitism at its core-as does militant Islam. I have no problem referring to Islamic terrorists and other radicals (such as we see on the streets of London damning everything about British society)as Nazis. Yes, those Muslims who are assaulting and intimidating Jews on the streets of European cities are acting like Nazis. Those who carry placards on British streets calling for the beheading of those who "insult" Islam are acting like Nazis. Those who recently demonstrated against Israel on American streets and campuses and shouted out, "Long Live Hitler" and "Jews go back to the ovens" are acting like Nazis.

Similarly, a person who is in this country illegally-or in any country illegally- is an illegal alien-not an "undocumented worker". (MS-13 gang members are not workers to begin with).

I recently wrote a piece on that insane university, the University of California at Santa Cruz, where the word "queer" has been injected into a myriad of courses and departments. Have you ever heard of "Queer Theory"? Don't take my word for it. Go to the UCSC course catalog. It's online. When I was growing up, the word "queer" was a pejorative-just like the word, "fag". Now it's in at UCSC.

Similarly, universities still use that silly term, "Chicano" to refer to Mexican-Americans. When I was growing up in Los Angeles, the word implied a young tough, not a self-respecting adult person of Mexican or Latin descent. Somehow, in the 1960s, universities fell in love with the term, and it is still used today.

In yet another example, when I was a child, polite terms for blacks were "Negroes" or "colored people". The term "Negro" has been out of favor for years now, as is "colored people". But "people of color" is in. Go figure. It is also frustrating to a lot of people of all races that as hard as we have tried to rid ourselves of the N-word, which should be dying out from simple disuse, so many young blacks are embracing the word among themselves.

What we see in the US, Canada and Europe is political correctness gone wild. First it was speech codes on our university campuses. Now it is the twisting of the English language to the point where it loses its meaning and becomes laughable. Certainly, any form of ethnic or religious epithet is unacceptable, but we should never lose the ability to call something what it is.

What to do About Mexico

Cross-posted by Gary Fouse
fousesquawk






As much as has been written about the situation in Mexico, at this point, it appears that the crisis is reaching critical mass. The cartel drug wars along the Mexico-US border have escalated dramatically and are spilling over across the border. Phoenix is now the kidnapping capital of the US as Mexican drug gangs kidnap other Mexicans-mostly over unpaid drug debts. Over 6,000 people have been murdered in Mexico in the past year, either by shooting or in some cases, by beheading. Some voices are even saying the country is in danger of collapsing. Police officials are also being gunned down in northern Mexican cities. As I write this, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in Mexico City conferring with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, who, to his credit, has sent the Mexican Army north to fight the cartels along the border. Clinton is pledging more financial aid to Mexico and laying much of the blame on the US for furnishing weapons in cross-border smuggling as well as our insatiable drug habit. She is correct in both those respects (though Mexico has always been awash in weapons), but both countries now have reached the point where drastic action is necessary. As a retired DEA agent, here is what I think needs to be done.

First of all, I don't think more money is the answer. We have pumped billions into Mexico in trying to help them fight the drug war. Much of it has been wasted due to corruption. Yes, we should step up our efforts to stop the weapon smuggling. Yes, we should try to decrease our demand for drugs-an effort that has failed to now to our national embarrassment.

What Mexico must do-in its own defense-is make the drug traffickers disappear, and I don't much care how they do it. At the point when any segment of society is threatened with death if they stand up to the traffickers-as the police are-then I say let them do what they have to do and ignore the human rights crowd. At the same time, they need to be told that the US will no longer be a safety valve for their impoverished citizens to find a way to make a living. Mexico needs to clean up its corruption and provide a decent education and employment opportunities for their citizens or they can face the wrath of their own people.

What we must do is:

First, the State Department has to take the (for them) drastic step of issuing a full-scale travel advisory. Travel to Mexico is dangerous to your health. Don't go.

Then we must:

Secure the border-and the interior. This is way beyond the question of illegal immigration. As I have said before, we can't possibly round up and deport 12-15 million persons, and there are valid arguments for treating them in a humane manner. We can, however, go after the criminal element among them. That means that the federal government has to make it clear to sanctuary cities that their federal funding will be cut off if they persist in not cooperating with ICE. If we don't now have the laws to prosecute local officials who ignore federal immigration laws, then we need to pass laws and start locking up these officials. City and state police must work with ICE-in the jails, on the streets and in their file rooms to exchange information, identify criminal illegal aliens and go get them. Once they are in custody, they should be quickly deported and turned over to their own governments (I am talking specifically about Mexico and El Salvador.) It may take some changes in immigration laws or policies, but there is no constitutional protection for another citizen to be in this country illegally.

When I say secure the border, I am not talking about sending another 500 agents to the border along with more technology. Certainly, the government in Washington needs to stop treating the Border Patrol like bastard step-children and start supporting them. But that is not sufficient. What is needed is a double fence and a large military presence along the whole 2,000 mile border with Mexico. We could start by using the National Guard troops from the four border states. By doing that, we can put a serious crimp in the number of illegal aliens getting across the border as well as drugs. It could also help cut down on the weapons smuggling-though what may be needed is expanded Customs export search authority-which many nations have. We use it to enforce laws against smuggling of currency out of the country; we can use it for weapons as well. We can also tell all these banks that the Government wants to dictate to that they must stop giving mortgages to people who present nothing more than a Matricular Consular card (furnished by Mexican consulates) as ID.

The US-Mexican border is now probably the biggest crime area in the world. From Matamoros to Tijuana, people are dying every day. What is happening to the decent population of Mexico is an atrocity. We cannot allow this to continue to spill over onto our side. By allowing this situation to continue we do no favor to the Mexican people. It is a national security issue for both countries at this point. It should be treated as such.

Luton, England: Anti-Al Qaeda Protest: March 28th, 2009

by Maggie Thornton

The Pentagon, under the direction of Barack Obama, has banned the use of "The Global War on Terror." But we all know where the terror is, and it is global, and all of it is perpetrated by Islam. Our friends in England are fighting a battle that is being denied by those in the media and Parliament. Brits are running scared. They are afraid to speak out or show-up...with some brave exceptions. See a video below.

Lionheart - Luton, England

Lionheart is a frequent contributor here and other blogs passionately concerned about terrorism. If you do not know his story - and a story that is evolving and very serious to his life and liberty, and that of his family - then visit him at Lionheart. Don't stop at the homepage. Dig into his archives. Americans need to know what is going on in Britain, because we are the next stepping stone.

On March 28th, this Saturday at 12:25 p.m., there will be a protest in Luton, England, Lionheart's hometown and where his saga began. Here's what the march is all about:

After watching our soldiers from the Royal Anglian Regiment being aboused by the British wing of Al Qaeda on the streets of Luton, the wider community are now going to march in demonstration against them and in support of our troops.

Here's a message for Lionheart:

The threat to the life of the nation has never been greater since the Second World War, and it is happening now in our generation.

The militant wing of the Islamic religion is hell bent on causing mass murder and mayhem against the British people as they seek to force us to bend and bow in submission to their religious ideology – This cannot be doubted!

7/7, the Glasgow airport car bombing, the ‘Tiger Tiger’ nightclub failed car bombing and all other thwarted attempts are proof enough of their intent towards us. It might only be a small minority who carry out these acts, but that does not mean that they are not supported by the vast majority (a debatable issue).

The Home Secretary has now stated, after being given a new report on tackling Islamic extremism in Britain, that there is an increased threat of a dirty bomb attack being carried out against us.

The threat is not new, so as the report states regarding the proliferation of nuclear, biological and chemical substances, it is only a matter of time until there is a successful terrorist attack that outweighs in gravity the attacks that have already been perpetrated against us by Al Qaeda.

It’s not ‘if’. It is ‘when’, ‘where’, and ‘how big’?

The Home Secretary has said that it is the responsibility of not just the Government to tackle the threat now posed to our national security, but also that of the wider community.

Quote: She cited the example of the Muslim activists who recently protested at a homecoming parade in Luton for British forces returning from Iraq.

She said: "The civil challenge means that, if people feel it appropriate to demonstrate against our troops coming home from defending this country abroad, we - as Government and others - will say in turn that we think that that's wrong.

"Not that they've broken the law - one of the things we're defending in this country is the right to free speech, but that isn't free speech that will go unhindered or unchallenged by either Government or, I think, the broader community."

After watching our soldiers from the Royal Anglian Regiment being abused by the British wing of Al Qaeda on the streets of Luton, the wider community are now going to march in demonstration against them and in support of our troops.

The organiser of the official event pulled out of leading this through fear of controversy, and has rearranged for London in April. We the people, are so incensed at what took place on March 10th that we will be meeting in Luton on Saturday with or without Luton Council’s permission. That is just the common consensus amongst the people.

If we the people cannot stand up to this abhorrent behaviour by this civil enemy, then who is going to?

As the Home Secretary has said: “but that isn't free speech that will go unhindered or unchallenged by either Government or, I think, the broader community."

The broader community will be meeting in Luton on Saturday March 28th at 12.25 to demonstrate and challenge those extremists living in our country.

Each and every person working within the mainstream media have a responsibility to your country too. Are we not all in this together? What if it is you or one of your relatives caught up in a mass ‘dirty bomb’ attack in London at some point in the future?

We the people need your help to tell the country that we will be meeting in Luton on Saturday.

The BBC and ITV give Anjem Choudry, the Osama Bin Laden of British militant Islam a platform to promote his vile ideology, yet they refuse to help those seeking to challenge that.

Isn’t it about time, for the sake of the future life of the nation, that those in power start to help the common people with their aims and objectives?

Now is that time, and it concerns Luton, which has been the scene of so much Al Qaeda terrorist activity, including Al Qaeda’s deceleration of war against us on the morning of 7/7.

We can do what we do through the internet, and arouse the few, but with mainstream media coverage we can arouse the many from amongst the broader community to come out in support.

Now is the time for you to do what the Home Secretary has said, or go back to sleep and remember this message when you are reporting the next Al Qaeda terrorist attack to hit our shores.

Those on the Left within the Establishment should not refuse what the Home Secretary herself, has said because this is their country too. If they do, it proves the point that they are just as much our enemy as militant Islam itself. No Moslems in positions of influence should refuse either because if they are true to their words about there being moderates from amongst them, then they should welcome a demonstration against the militants from within their own religion particularly as they have never demonstrated against this element themselves.

We will be in Luton on Saturday at 12.25pm whether it is just one elderly man with a sandwich board protesting against this disgusting behaviour on our streets, or 10,000 demonstrators.

Once again Al Qaeda in Britain has started this and this will be our response.

Help us or hang your heads in shame!!!

This is not a political march; this is a demonstration of the people.

Daily Mail: Threat of a 'dirty bomb'

Further reading: Luton link to ‘dirty bomb’ attack

Further reading: Shopping centre attack

End Lionheart.

Luton, England Anti-al-Qaeda March: Saturday - March 28, 2009

Notre Dame: Obama Commencement Speech - Bishop Boycotts

by Maggie Thornton

President Barack Obama is scheduled to deliver the commencement speech for the University of Notre Dame's 2009 graduation class. Notre Dame has not only invited President Obama to speak at the ceremony, they will bestow upon him an honorary doctor of laws degree. Bishop John D'Arcy, whose Diocese includes the University of Notre Dame, says he will boycott the ceremony.

Bishop John D'Arcy

Bishop D'Arcy is known for his efforts to protect parishioners from abusive priests. He had very harsh words for the University's choice of speakers. Speaking of Obama's decision to federally fund embryonic stem cell research, D'Arcy said the President:

...has now placed in public policy ... his long-stated unwillingness to hold human life sacred.

While claiming to separate politics from science, he has in fact separated science from ethics and has brought the American government, for the first time in history, into supporting direct destruction of innocent human life...

A White House spokesperson replied, saying that the President welcomes the "spirit of debate and healthy disagreement on important issues.

National Review Online gathered comments from educational experts and Catholicism. George Weigel, an American Catholic author, founder of The James Madison Foundation and a Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, was especially poignant:

Notre Dame’s decision to make President Obama its 2009 commencement speaker is a very bad thing. It’s bad for Notre Dame, bad for Catholic moral witness in America, and bad for the bishops who are trying to mount a defense against the Obama administration’s assault on the conscience rights of Catholic health-care professionals.

The invitation to deliver a commencement address, especially when coupled with the award of an honorary degree, is not a neutral act. It’s an act by which a Catholic institution of higher learning says, “This is a life worth emulating according to our understanding of the true, the good, and the beautiful.” It is frankly beyond my imagining how Notre Dame can say that of a president who has put the United States back into the business of funding abortion abroad; a president who made a mockery of the very idea of moral argument in his speech announcing federal funding for embryo-destructive stem cell research; a president whose administration and its congressional allies are snatching tuition vouchers out of the hands of desperately poor Washington, D.C., children who just as desperately want to attend Catholic schools.

Visit the National Review Online article. It offers some fine thinking on the matter. It is well-worth reading whether or not you are Catholic.

The Cardinal Newman Society has sponsored an online petition to encourage the University to rescind the invitation. The petition has 115,123 signers. Over 11,000 have signed since I first viewed the petition last evening. You can sign the petition at NotreDameScandal.com.

It is interesting to note that the Catholic vote for Obama was the largest faith vote among the "religions," with 54 percent of Catholics voting for Obama. The accompanying article with the chart below from The Pew Forum says that "Obama performed particularly well among Latino Catholics," - 67 percent voted for Obama.


The President's views on the sanctity of life were widely known during the campaign. As an Illinois state senator, Obama voted to kill a bill that would prevent killing a baby born alive. Nurse Jill Stanek was all over television and radio testifying to what Obama's views on infanticide really meant, and her personal experience with the issue. Really, it cannot get worse than that - but he won anyway. During the campaign, he told us that he would immediately recind a Bush executive order preventing taxpayer money being used overseas for funding abortions - and if you didn't believe him then, it was one of his first acts as President.

Barney Frank Attacks Antonin Scalia

Cross-posted by Gary Fouse
fousesquawk




Antonin Scalia





Barney Frank


I know I have been writing a lot lately about Barney Frank, but that's because every time I look around, the man sinks to a new low. Not only is this man doing more than any other person in Congress to destroy the American economy, now he makes a completely gratuitous attack against Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia-calling him a "homophobe" without any reason or proof.

In an interview with a Gay media outlet, Frank spoke about the possibility of the question of gay marriage going to the Supreme Court. Frank spoke pessimistically about the prospect because "that homophobe Scalia" was on the court and went on to say that he (Scalia) controlled other votes.

What a disgusting attack on a decent man like Antonin Scalia. One may not agree with Justice Scalia's legal opinions or legal philosophy (I do), but that is no reason to label him a homophobe or anything else without solid proof. Frank should remember the old adage about people living in glass houses before he goes around name-calling. Antonin Scalia has never been involved in the questionable controversies that Frank has been involved in over his long years in Congress.

In fact, Frank's entire Congressional career has been marked by one example of conflict of interest, poor behavior or poor judgement after another. This is the guy whose Washington residence was once used as a male-escort service HQs by his live-in boyfriend while Barney was on Capitol Hill. Later, Barney's significant-other was a Fannie Mae executive while Barney was on the Congressional Banking Committee.

Of course, the whole banking mess, just like the OJ murder scene, has Barney's DNA all over it since he was the one who pressured lending institutions to give mortgage loans to folks who couldn't afford the homes they were buying. Barney also took the lead in securing a 12 million dollar bailout to OneUnited, a bank in Massachusetts, in spite of the fact they were under investigation by the SEC (I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that Maxine Waters' husband, Sidney Williams, had been on the board of directors and had a couple of hundred grand invested in the bank. Nah, just a coincidence, strictly legit).

Now comes Congressman Frank, who should be in total seclusion hiding from the world, accusing Justice Scalia of being a homophobe. Where does this guy get the chutzpah?

But there is good news. Barney Frank, as we speak, is in the process of redeeming himself. He is one of the guys charged with fixing the whole financial mess. Why just the other day, he was grilling AIG CEA Edward Lilly and demanding the names of the AIG execs who had received big bonus payouts.

"The names, Mr Liddy."

Someday, hopefully, if we ever get to the bottom of this bailout mess, someone will demand "The Names" and one of the first given will be:

Barney Frank.

G.I.V.E for cramming ideology down the throats of young “volunteers”

Cross-posted from Faultline USA

P.S.A. from Wake up America Movement

Sign Petition to the Senate NOW! 

G.I.V.E. Act opens the door to Total Take-Over!

The “Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act” is Now before the Senate

HELP STOP THIS BILL NOW BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE -

or witness the first phase of Nazi history repeating itself here in U.S.

Passed by the House of Representatives in a 321 to 105 vote yesterday, this G.I.V.E. Act should come as no surprise - within our current economic crisis and near bankrupt status being used - once again - by the Obama administration  as an excuse for the civilian-military force he spoke of during his campaign. At a start-up cost of $6 Billion dollars, what makes this quantum leap of youth re-education so critically urgent right now? The answer lies in the pages of Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals, which states:"The first step in community organization is community disorganization. “The disruption of the present organization is the first step toward community organization. Present arrangements must be disorganized if they are to be displace by new patterns.... All change means disorganization of the old and organization of the new."  . . .

 

We need to let Washington know, loud and clear, that when JFK said “Ask what you can do for your country” he never said nor implied that such service should be supervised nor mandated -- BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT!

Here are direct quotes which hint at the scope of HR1388 aka G.I.V.E Act:

A “National Civilian Community Corps" shall be formed under the auspices of a nebulous “Commission” with “Powers of Members and Agents... if authorized by the Commission, (to) take any action which the Commission is authorized to” ... “improving the health, well-being, and economic opportunities of the neediest individuals in the Nation.” How dare the government legislate Volunteerism? The bill refers to:

Misc. section, #6104: (6) “ Whether a workable, fair, and reasonable mandatory service requirement for all able young people could be developed, and how such a requirement could be implemented in a manner that would strengthen the social fabric of the Nation and overcome civic challenges by bringing together people from diverse economic, ethnic, and educational backgrounds” (by) “(C) involv(ing) an increasing percentage of students in secondary school and out-of-school youth in the community in school-based or community based service-learning activities each year, with the goal of involving all students in secondary schools served by the local educational agency and involving an increasing percentage of the out-of-school youth in service learning activities. It goes on to state: “Each program funded under this part shall be carried out over a period of three years, including one planning year and two additional grant years, with a 1-year extension possible, if the program meets performance measures developed in accordance with section 179(a) and any other criteria determined by the Corporation (AmericaCorps)   . . with “Requirements” as follows: `It is the sense of Congress that the number of participants in the programs . . .  should grow to reach 250,000 participants by 2014” in service programs that combine the best practices of civilian service with the best aspects of military service, including leadership and team building, to meet national and community needs” It further states that the Director determines appropriate "Uniforms” with references to “camps” revised to “campuses.” There are also references to programs at even the elementary school level in SEC. 1201, though the specific contents and supervision of these programs remain unspoken. . .

 

According to FOX News, Critics oppose G.I.V.E for cramming ideology down the throats of young “volunteers” ...”many of whom could be forced into service since the bill creates a "Congressional Commission on Civic Service." Rep. Joe Wilson was one of three Republicans to oppose the legislation in committee. Wilson questioned “the utility of the cash-strapped federal government making such huge investments in what he says should be community-inspired projects and programs.” He also questioned "whether a workable, fair and reasonable mandatory service requirement for all able young people could be developed and how such a requirement could be implemented in a manner that would strengthen the social fabric of the nation." concerned that the increased funding will be used to promote one ideology over another. 

Read more here:

Forward this link to every sane American you know. Then make your voice heard in Washington. Let them know: If you pass G.I.V.E We the People won’t TAKE this abuse of power anymore!

Sign Petition to the Senate NOW!

Technorati Tags: G.I.V.E. Act,Rules for Radicals,Saul Alinsky,Obama,MainStream Media,Senate,National Civilian Community Corps,Volunteerism,mandatory service,ideology,community organizers,American Economy,AmericaCorps,re-educating,re-education,propaganda

Who Are the Real "Little Eichmanns"?

Cross-posted by Gary Fouse
fousesquawk


Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Amin al-Husseini,
aka "Little Eichmann", meets with Hitler in Berlin


My colleague Donald Douglas from American Power blog alerted me to the fact that the civil trial of Ward Churchill vs the University of Colorado is on-going in Denver. Perhaps, it is fitting that Churchill's current activities are passing without much notice. (While I hope he loses his lawsuit against CU, it is hard to sympathize with a university that hired Churchill in the first place.) Yet, his loony supporters, the usual collection of rag-tag "revolutionary organizations", are making a big production out of supporting Churchill-especially his infamous reference to 9-11 victims as "Little Eichmanns". It is not even worth my while to mention their names, yet it is worthwhile to take their defense of the "Little Eichmann" moniker and point out the obvious contradiction.

In browsing the words of these losers, I noted references to those who died on the top floors of the World Trade Center being "targeted because they made their living on the bodies of Arab children", thus justifying Churchill's sick description of those poor lost souls. I'll set aside the obvious link that has been established between Middle Eastern radicals and the far-left in America. The real point I want to make here is who are the real "Little Eichmanns?"

First, let us go back to when the real Adolf Eichmann was walking around in Europe during World War II. One of his allies was a certain Amin al-Husseini, the Jew-hating Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, a vile man, who was the most powerful and influential religious leader of his time in the Middle East. During WW II, Husseini actually resided in Hitler's Berlin, made anti-Semitic radio broadcasts back to the Middle East urging pogroms against Jews and helped to organize a Muslim brigade in Bosnia that fought alongside the Germans and carried out massacres of Jews in their region. Oh yes, he himself also collaborated with the real Adolf Eichmann. Only post-war realpolitik prevented this monster from being prosecuted for war crimes and hanged. In other words, the victorious allies were afraid of angering the Arab world.

There was a real Little Eichmann!

(Looking at the Left blog has a good essay on al-Husseini in connection with Churchill and the "Little Eichmann" issue at the below site.)

http://www.lookingattheleft.com/2009/03/americans-are-not-little-eichmanns/

Bringing us back to the present-day, Churchill's admirers might want to consider why Hitler's Mein Kampf is, to this day, a top best-seller in the Middle East-translated in Arabic as Mein Jihad. Or why millions of people in the Middle East still admire the memory of Hitler.

Do you think there are some "Little Eichmanns" running around the Middle East today?

Note that above I said the Middle East. Yet, in recent pro-Palestinian protests in the United States and Canada in the wake of the fighting in Gaza, some Arab protesters were heard (and seen on YouTube) shouting, "Long live Hitler!", "Jews go back to the ovens!", "You need a bigger oven!" "Hitler rest in peace!", "Go Nazi Germany!", "Hitler didn't finish the job!", and on and on. These words were heard from Ft Lauderdale to Los Angeles to San Francisco to Toronto to who knows where else.

Do you think there are some "Little Eichmanns" among the US and Canadian Muslim communities today?

Churchill and his supporters, of course, would argue that the references to Eichmann have been made because Eichmann never shot or gassed anybody personally, but was a bureaucrat who signed orders and helped run the machinery of the death transports. Does Eichmann have his modern-day counterparts, and if so, who are the real "Little Eichmanns" of today?

Are they those who believe that Jews should be killed?

Are they those who shout, "Hitler didn't finish the job"?

Are they the imams who preach hatred in mosques and call for the destruction of Jews and Western Civilization-knowing that their words will incite murder-as they have certainly done?

Are they those who, like in the UK, carry banners calling for the beheading of anyone who "insults" Islam-including cartoonists?

Are they those who recruit and send out suicide bombers?

Are they those who organize phony Middle East charities, whose real purpose is to support world-wide terrorism?

Are they those who contribute to these charities in the full knowledge that they are funding terrorism?

Are they those radical leftists in the West who form ideological bonds with terrorists as a way of venting their opposition to their own societies?

Are they the supporters of people like Ward Churchill?

Who are the real "Little Eichmanns"?