Thursday, November 25, 2004

Why we are in Iraq - for all the right reasons

I just read this very compelling speech that was delivered by David Horowitz (a former leftist) on October 14, 2004 - weeks before the Presidential election.

"How is it possible that people who think of themselves as advocates of social justice can lend aid and comfort to Islamic radicals who behead people and blow women's heads off with AK-47s when they are suspected of having sexual relations outside of marriage? How can self-styled progressives embrace these people? They embrace them under the logic that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and their enemy is the United States. They do it under the delusion that is common to all radicals. It's the radical analog to the 72 virgins that await jihadists in heaven. Think of how sick our enemy is."

Boy Scout Support Okayed For DoD

AN UPDATE.

I just read this in the Armed Forces Digest:

A partial settlement Nov. 15 of an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit against the Defense Department and other organizations allows the military to continue supporting the Boy Scouts of America, as long as commands don't officially sponsor Scout units. The ACLU lawsuit, filed in 1999, alleges that the Boy Scouts religiously discriminate because the Scout Oath requires youth to swear to do their duty to God and country. The partial settlement requires DoD to issue a letter reminding commands of its policy: "The Boy Scout Jamboree will still go on as scheduled at Fort A.P. Hill," said Defense Department spokesman Lt. Col. Joe Richard. "We are still fully supporting the Boy Scouts. But, we are reminding base commanders and post officials they can't sponsor non-federal organizations in their official capacity. It's not a new policy, but we are reminding people." The jamboree will be held July 25 through Aug. 3.

This is not to mention that a Florida Senator (Bill Nelson) has weighed into the issue and has introduced a resolution urging the Defense Department to continue its traditional support of the Boy Scouts.

"That support includes spending for national and world jamborees, allowing Scouts to hold troop meetings on bases and letting military personnel participate in summer camps as adult leaders without losing leave time, said the AP report. "

James Lileks latest column is also about this issue:

"And we're talking about the BOY SCOUTS, for heaven's sake, not some Junior Klan League noted for torchlight parades through Jewish neighborhoods. Who has the time to worry whether the scouts are meeting in the local library? Isn't there some real, actual evil handy you could sue?

Better yet: If you don't like the scouts' oath or rules, how about you drink a nice hot cup of LIVE AND LET LIVE and start your own group?"


Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving.

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Paul Wolfowitz - the next Secretary of Defense?

Front Page has a very intesting interview with Paul Wolfowitz. This interview gives some insight on how this man thinks:

"We're not trying to graft our system of government on to people who are different from us. We're trying to remove shackles that keep them from having what they want. And it's astonishing how many of them want something that's similar to what we in the west have."

and

"The contradiction is to say that allowing people to choose their government freely is to impose our ideas on them. There was a wonderful moment at a conference here in Washington where someone said it's arrogant of us to impose our values on the Arab world, and an Arab got up and said it's arrogant of you to say these are your values because they are universal values."