http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Fri, 26 Nov 2004 02:26:25 EST http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding. Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/11/26/022625.php EvilwhiteguyArafat is dead (and there was much rejoicing). Which leaves an open spot at the top of the Palastinian Authority. We've been hearing hopes of renewed talks between the Palastinians and Israelis since his death, pending new leadership. So who's up for this coveted position? Currently Mahmoud Abbas is in the spot now until an election can be held. Who's his opponent going to be? Why, none other than Marwan Barghouti. And by all accounts, Barghouti seems to have a pretty good chance of winning. I'm sure you're asking yourselves, "Well, what's the difference between these guys? Who's the red guy and who's the blue guy?" Having just endured a rather lengthy election cycle here in the US, election politics are still fresh in our minds. So briefly, here is a rundown. Abbas (apparently) has the support of both the US and Israel. Barghouti is a convicted terrorist who is currently serving multiple life sentences in an Israeli prison. Here's a little history on the guy: Barghouti was born in 1958 in the village of Kobber, west of Ramallah in the West Bank. He descended from a poor family that was part of the big clan in the West Bank. Barghouti received his primary education at schools in Kobberand finished his secondary education in Ramallah.At the age of 18, Barghouti was arrested by the Israeli army forthe first time in his life. He spent five years in jail.After being freed, Barghouti entered the Beir Zeit University in the West Bank, where he got a master's degree in the French-Arabrelations. In 1987, he was deported to Jordan by Israel which accused himof leading the first Palestinian Intifada (Uprising).When he was in Jordan, he was an aide to chief of Fatah's armed wing Khalil Al Wazeer. In 1994, Barghouti returned to the West Bank after the Oslo Accords were signed between Israel and the Palestinians.In 1996, he was elected as a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, or the parliament. Within Fatah, Barghouti was one of the seven senior leaders. He represented the stream of reformists in the movement, calling for holding internal elections and giving a chance for the younger generation to lead. Since the outbreak of the second Intifada in September 2000,Barghouti has become more popular among the ordinary Palestinians.Considered as the uprising leader, Barghouti ever stated that the Palestinians would defeat Israel one day. On April 15, 2002, Barghouti was detained in Ramallah by the Israeli army during a large-scale military operation code-named the "Defensive Shield". In early 2004, he was sentenced five life terms in imprisonment by an Israel court after being convicted of plotting the murder of at least four Israelis and a Greek monk. Wow, tough choice there. I sincerely hope that the Palastinian people realize that it's not in their best interest to elect this guy. I doubt Israel will be willing to work with a "leader" who resides in one of their jails. Of course, it would be really easy to keep track of what he's up to... And running for office from prison? What, has this guy been taking political advice from James Trafficant? Politics22633@blogcritics.org Fri, 26 Nov 2004 02:26:25 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/28/161331.php EvilwhiteguyThis is incredible. The tagline on the article reads, "Immigrant activists say roadblocks discriminate against those without licenses." What? Those without licenses are breaking the law, how is that discrimination? Of course this story originates from Oakland where liberalism runs amok. OAKLAND -- Oakland police officers have stopped setting up roadblocks to check whether drivers are under the influence because of a rash of complaints from the Latino community and City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente. The checkpoints, which allow officers to demand licenses and proof of insurance, are an effective way to get drunken drivers off Oakland's streets, city leaders agree. But the checks also have ensnared dozens of illegal immigrants who are not licensed to drive yet otherwise obey the law. This article is written by a staff writer for the Oakland Tribune named Heather MacDonald. However, I'm having trouble following Heather's statement "illegal immigrants who are not licensed to drive yet otherwise obey the law." How can an ILLEGAL immigrant otherwise be obeying the law? They are here illegally. Every moment of every day their bodies are on this side of our national border, they are in violation of federal law. Legislation that would have allowed illegal immigrants who submit to background checks to apply for a California driver's license was vetoed this week by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Thank goodness for Arnold. If Davis were still in office, that would have been rubber-stamped and on its way to implementation. Oakland at least seems to have one Council member with a modicum of common sense. However, the month-long moratorium on checkpoints has outraged Council member Larry Reid (Elmhurst-East Oakland), who calls the change a threat to public safety. "It is absolutely insane to stop these checkpoints," Reid said. "I would not want to explain to a mother why we stopped doing these checkpoints when we know they work and her son or daughter was killed." He's quoted further down the article as well: Reid said he has little sympathy with Rodriguez's position. "I don't care if they are illegal immigrants," Reid said. "They should not be driving on our streets without a license, without insurance. I expect the Oakland Police Department to do its job and get them off the street." What's most appalling about this is that the city is debating new checkpoint guidelines. The new checkpoint guidelines, which are not final, may call for police to notify Latino community organizations of the time and location of coming checkpoints. The checkpoints will be held after the evening rush-hour commute and rotated throughout the city, officials said. So they want to call the people who will be breaking the law and let them know how to avoid the police? Why not call up some bank robbers and arrange for them to get keys to all the area bank vaults? How can you run a city that way? If political correctness was a country, it seems Oakland would be a good choice for its capital. Politics20380@blogcritics.org Tue, 28 Sep 2004 16:13:31 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/22/012851.php EvilwhiteguyJacques Chirac is calling for an international tax to help fight international poverty. And guess what he wants to tax? Arms sales, including gun purchases by individuals. Fighting poverty? Good idea. Taxing a gun purchase I make to do it? Piss off. You know who that tax is going to hit? Americans. This is a proposed tax to take more money out of the hands of Americans and give it to (presumably) the United Nations. Well, after the oil for food thing, no thanks. And why just Americans? Because we have the right to purchase firearms. Any revenue from France? Nope. Britain, Canada, Switzerland, Australia? Nope. This is just more anti-Americanism from the French. Thanks for the help back in 1781, but let me ask you a question, Jacques. Do you speak German? No? You're welcome. Politics20107@blogcritics.org Wed, 22 Sep 2004 01:28:51 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/22/000111.php EvilwhiteguyWhat is it with dressing up like Batman and climbing to high places in the UK these days? Two Fathers 4 Justice campaigners dressed as Batman and Robin were arrested today after mounting a rooftop protest outside the courts where Jason Hatch was attending a custody hearing with his ex-wife. This comes just after Jason Hatch dressed up like Batman and perched himself high up in Buckingham Palace. He is a father's rights activist, too. What, do these guys get group discounts on Batman costumes? And Hatch says he's not done yet. Jason Hatch, the fathers' rights activist in the "Batman" scare at Buckingham Palace, pledged yesterday to return to scaling buildings. He was speaking in Bristol after a hearing in a custody battle with his ex-wife. Two other protesters, in Batman and Robin guise, were arrested at the court. Somehow, I'm just not seeing the connections between father's rights and Batman. Politics20103@blogcritics.org Wed, 22 Sep 2004 00:01:11 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/15/004159.php EvilwhiteguyOver the weekend, the AP filed this story: WASHINGTON (AP) - John Kerry suggested Saturday night that Republicans may try to keep black voters from casting their ballots to help President Bush win in November. "We are not going to stand by and allow another million African American votes to go uncounted in this election," the Democratic presidential nominee told the Congressional Black Caucus. Well, the campaign has officially entered the race-baiting stage. Shouldn't some reporter call him on this? Oh yeah, they're all liberals and probably spouting the same bogus statistic. And then there's the fact that Kerry hasn't held a press conference in about six weeks, after he promised to hold on at least once a month. For a different angle, here's an excerpt of an interview that Larry Elder had with Peter Kirsanow, who sits on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Larry Elder: Peter, John Kerry said a million black voters were disenfranchised. I assume he means all over the country, not just in Florida, in the year 2000. Is that true? Peter Kirsanow: No, absolutely not. This kind of rhetoric has been trafficked in for the last going-on-four years now by a number of individuals. It's kind of surprising that a presidential candidate would actually do the same. But, as you may recall, before the polls were even closed in Florida during the 2000 election, activists had descended upon the state and already were proclaiming that voters were being disenfranchised, harassed, intimidated. In fact, some people were saying that dogs and hoses were being used on black voters and that tens of thousands were either being obstructed from going to the polls or otherwise harassed. There was a six-month investigation by the U.S. Civil Rights Commission . . . also an investigation by the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department. . . . There was absolutely no truth to any of those allegations . . . not one person who was intimidated . . . (or) had their vote stolen. There was no disenfranchisement . . . no truth to any of those allegations. Elder: Kerry continues to say this. Nobody seemed to call him on it . . . or challenge him. It's just unbelievable. Kirsanow: It's one thing when you have kind of fringe individuals, people on the far left or far right . . . but when you have the person with whom we hope to invest the highest degree of authority and credibility saying those kinds of things, it's disturbing. . . . The problem here is that, from the very beginning, a number of myths flowed from the 2000 election. People who are in a position of authority and responsibility, who should be dispelling those myths, fan the flames even more. . . . It just so happened that Florida's vote was so close, and the electoral vote so crucial to the outcome of the election, that it provided anyone who wanted to try to suggest that the outcome was somehow tainted with a remarkable opportunity to engage in partisanship. Elder: Isn't it insulting and condescending? You are making a lie in order to get people to embrace your point of view and to have hostility toward the Republican Party based on a falsehood. Kirsanow: The same kinds of statements are said to black audiences before every election cycle. . . . When I say "same," I mean distortions, falsehoods or myths that suggest one party is out to get you, or one party is out to discriminate against you. There are always these ads before an election cycle that a vote for a certain party is a vote for another person being lynched, or another black church being burned. . . . For the last 15-20 years, I can remember before every election cycle, hearing that, well, the Voting Rights Act is about to expire and blacks won't be able to vote. . . . These things can get a kind of saliency because it was only 20-30 years ago that blacks were subject to poll taxes, literacy tests, and other overt and appalling abridgements of voting rights . . . for partisan advantage, there are some who seek to perpetuate that myth hoping that will energize the base. So a six-month investigation by the US Civil Rights Comission and an investigation by the Justice Department turn up nothing, and yet Kerry keeps spitting out this hateful, race-baiting rhetoric. Maybe he could obtain some "documents" from Dan Rather to back up his case. Politics19840@blogcritics.org Wed, 15 Sep 2004 00:41:59 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/05/035307.php EvilwhiteguyThe Middle East Media Research Institute has translated a sermon aired on Qatar TV this past Friday. This is amazing: We must know that [wife] beating is a punishment in Islamic religious law. No one should deny this because this was permitted by the Creator of Man, and because when you purchase an electric appliance or a car you get instructions - a catalogue, explaining how to use it. The Creator of Man has sent down this book [the Koran] in order to show Man which ways he must choose. Ok, I will admit I haven't read the Koran, but apparently it says that beating your wife is permissible and even encouraged. And this cleric is comparing a woman to an electric appliance or a car, and the Koran as an owner's manual for a wife. I wonder if beating your car is permissible, and if insurance will cover the damage. He continues: We shouldn't be ashamed before the nations of the world who are still in their days of ignorance, to admit that these [beatings] are part of our religious law. We must remind the ignorant from among the Islamic Nation who followed the [West], that those [westerners] acknowledge the wondrous nature of this verse. There are three types of women with whom life is impossible without beatings. You're saying it's Ok to beat your wife, and I'm the ignorant one? I wonder how may types of women there are that don't require a beating? In America six million women are beaten by their husbands every year. These are their own official statistics. 4000-6000 women die as a result of their husbands' beatings. London police, every year, answer 100,000 phone calls and complaints of attacks against wives. In France, their slogan is, "Beat the wife morning, noon and night, and don't ask her why - she knows the reason." But they use their media to blow this out of proportion. They blow what is happening in the Muslim countries out of proportion. They bring a woman from South-Eastern Asia with a swollen face and present her on TV, claiming this was done by a Muslim who attacked his wife. They forget that Islam is a religion that forbids beating the face even of beasts. It is forbidden to beat even a donkey on its face. Hey, guess what? When men beat their women here, it's called assault and it is punishable by prison time, which will likely include some "salad tossing" for the offender. Well, at least women get the same protections as a donkey when it comes to beatings in the face. The intelligent people in the [West] admit that a woman does not feel comfort and is not happy unless she's under a man who commands, forbids, controls, and leads. This is the nature of people according to Allah's creation. Allah has created woman, whether Muslim or infidel, so she is happy under a strong man who will protect her and lives with her. It is not surprising, then, that a French woman came before a judge in the land of false freedom and equality and said: "I don't want this husband." The judge asked her: "Why?" and she replied: "He didn't lead me, didn't oppress me, didn't castigate me, didn't talk to me violently, didn't say: Don't do this, do that." The judge replied: "Don't [his actions] support those who call for equality between man and woman?" The infidel woman answered, "No, no, I don't want him to compete with me, I want a man who leads and rules me." I think that Hillary Clinton is fairly intelligent. Let's ask her how she'd feel about Bill commanding, forbidding, controlling and leading her. She'd tear his nuts off if he tried that. If she hasn't already, that is. And as for the French woman? Hey, he's using a French woman as an example. Surrender is in her genes, it's not her fault. This is the nature according to which Allah created people, but they contaminated and replaced it with licentiousness and evil. A woman there knows that she lost the battle, and was mislead in the worst way, and she became like gum that the husband chews and throws into the filthy garbage can. Nice metaphor, er simile. [The Koran says:] "and beat them." This verse is of a wondrous nature. There are three types of women with whom a man cannot live unless he carries a rod on his shoulder. The first type is a girl who was brought up this way. Her parents ask her to go to school and she doesn't - they beat her. "Eat" - "I don't want to" - they beat her. So she became accustomed to beatings, she was brought up that way. We pray Allah will help her husband later. He will only get along with her if he practices wife beating. The second type is a woman who is condescending towards her husband and ignores him. With her, too, only a rod will help. The third type is a twisted woman who will not obey her husband unless he oppresses her, beats her, uses force against her, and overpowers her with his voice. Ok, now we have the three types of women with whom life if impossible without beatings. What the hell is that? Being an American, it's hard to believe that this is still the predominant way of thinking in Muslim countries. It boggles the mind. Culture19471@blogcritics.org Sun, 5 Sep 2004 03:53:07 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/04/163605.php EvilwhiteguyIn a front-page web exclusive, Newsweek leads with a story titled "Bush's Big Bounce" that details the results of their latest poll. Just like the Time magzine poll released yesterday, they show Bush ahead 52 percent to 41 percent.As Bush's numbers climb, those of his challenger appear to have sunk to their lowest point this year. Solid majorities of registered voters now view the president as personally likeable (67 percent), someone who "says what he believes and not just want people want to hear" (66 percent), as a strong leader (65 percent) and someone who cares about people (53 percent)The article notes that in late July, Kerry was leading by 7 points. So in the span of about five weeks, Kerry has seen an overall loss of 18 points. That's quite a significant drop in such a short time period, and one that will be very difficult to reverse before November, given Bush's strong momentum coming out of the convention. Politics19462@blogcritics.org Sat, 4 Sep 2004 16:36:05 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/01/192708.php EvilwhiteguyLast night an attacker wearing a hood jumped the security line where Chris Matthews was broadcasting from and attempted to attack him. He was quickly removed by police.Perhaps broadcasting from a location practically in the street just wasn't the great idea someone at MSNBC must have thought it would be.You can see the video here: http://tiger.towson.edu/users/bstelt1/attack.mpegI've noticed that sometimes it doesn't work the first attempt, you only get about a second of the video, but a second attempt is usually successful. Politics19347@blogcritics.org Wed, 1 Sep 2004 19:27:08 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/08/25/024051.php EvilwhiteguyA group calling itself "The Axis of Eve" is gearing up for a protest at the Republican convention. But not your average protest. They're going to be doing a 10-minute mass panty flash. They will be showing their asses complete with slogans like "Give Bush the Finger", "Cream Bush", and "Drill Bush, Not Oil". They seem to have really thought out their issues and have something intelligent to add to the political debate. Or not. Hmmm, give Bush the finger... I wonder how long it took them to think that up? I still don't understand the left's idea that taking your clothes off makes for a sound political statement. Politics19040@blogcritics.org Wed, 25 Aug 2004 02:40:51 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/08/16/183312.php EvilwhiteguyThe lack of finding any substantial stockpiles of WMD in Iraq after the war has drawn into question their very existence. However, a story out today in the Washington Times offers up a suggestion of where they might have gone:Saddam Hussein periodically removed guards on the Syrian border and replaced them with his own intelligence agents who supervised the movement of banned materials between the two countries, U.S. investigators have discovered. The recent discovery by the Bush administration's Iraq Survey Group (ISG) is fueling speculation, but is not proof, that the Iraqi dictator moved prohibited weapons of mass destruction (WMD) into Syria before the March 2003 invasion by a U.S.-led coalition. The story goes on to detail the process of sending the Iraqi Intelligence Service to the borders and sending the border inspectors away. Then trucks carrying banned materials could then freely flow in and out of Syria. Once the trucks had crossed, the regular border guards would be brought back in.This story is confirmed by satellite imagery that spotted the heavy truck traffic across the Syrian border in the days and weeks leading up to the war.As the article states, this is not proof, but it is definitely a plausible scenario that the CIA and Pentagon are looking into further. Politics18720@blogcritics.org Mon, 16 Aug 2004 18:33:12 EDT