Judeopundit: November 2008

Saturday, November 29, 2008

That's a relief

"Can al-Qaeda be Defeated?" asks a recent opinion piece on the attacks in Mumbai. On the ideological level, according to this author, things are looking up:

A more fundamental question is whether al-Qaeda can be defeated. On one level, the answer is yes. The puritanical vision of a unified Islamic theocracy at permanent war with nonMuslims no longer appeals even to alienated young Muslims. Not only is its anachronistic conception of a new caliphate unfeasible; in Bradford as well as Baghdad, Muslims find the carnage orchestrated from caves on the Afghan border an insult to their faith.

Except for the ones that volunteered for the operation that occasioned this article, of course.

Ahmadinejad: "Iran ready to help in drawing up justice-based economic system"

Iran, the OPEC nation that instituted gas-rationing last year, wants to help "all-governments" establish an economic system based on "rights of human beings and nations and friendship and serving masses":

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Saturday that the Islamic Republic of Iran is prepared to cooperate with all governments to devise a justice-based economic system.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is prepared to cooperate with all governments and institutions that care for justice and welfare of nations, in draw up a fair economic system," President Ahmadinejad said in an address to the four-day UN Conference on Financing for Development.

President Ahmadinejad said it is necessary to assess the consequences of the ongoing "unprecedented" economic crisis hitting the capitalist block.

"Evidently, identification of root causes and factors (behind the crisis) is the best way of tackling the problem," he added.

He enumerated the main causes of the current crisis as follows:
I. Nature of the capitalist economy
II. Unfair and dictated approaches
III. Development planning;
IV. Global monetary, financial and banking systems
V. Aggressions, conflicts and interventions
President Ahmadinejad proposed having an economic system in which there will be no room for lies, deception, harming others' economy and domination.

He said all governments and thinkers should think of an economic system that is based on justice, rights of human beings and nations and friendship and serving masses.

He added that there should be an economic system on the basis of ethics, honesty and respect for others, aiming to establish a society based on justice and public welfare and not based on unlimited and excessive profit making.

He said that especially, an independent and new monetary, financial and banking mechanism should be designed and implemented.

A progressive planning system should be based on indigenous and inward looking models and on justice and real contribution of all, he added.

"It is incumbent upon all of us to resist dictation and ambitions of capitalist world and invite them (the capitalist states) to justice, friendship and abandoning discrimination," he added.

Golly, Mr. Mahmoud. I guess you're right. We're going to stop being capitalist and start basing our economic system on friendship and serving masses.

Update: The latest Haveil Havalim is not based on unlimited and excessive profit making. Another blog carnival based on indigenous and inward looking models and on justice and real contribution of all is Shiny happy dhimmi.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

"Three-revolution standard-bearers of the Taehongdan Potato Processing Factory" brave fire to save "eternal revolutionary relics"

Nothing compared to this, but somewhat in the same vein:

They who have grown to be ardent fighters defending the leader at the cost of their lives, the people strong in idea and faith in the course of the Three-Revolution Red Flag Movement are making uninterrupted innovations and feats, surmounting manifold difficulties and trails through the vigorous three revolutions.

When a fire broke out unexpectedly near the revolutionary site, the three-revolution standard-bearers of the Taehongdan Potato Processing Factory made no scruple to plunge themselves into the flames to save the eternal revolutionary relics. Their deed showed the people what is the worthwhile life.

In a way.

Pal Press: "Hamas militias abduct several girl students from 'Al Aqsa' university in Khan Yunis"

Just some news:

Hamas militias abducted today several young girl students from "Al Aqsa" university in Khan Yunis southern of Gaza Strip.

The students were wounded inside the university campus after being attacked by Hamas militia men.

Reliable sources said that Hamas militias raided "Al Amal city" hospital affiliated to the Palestinian Red Crescent, a number of injured students were nabbed from inside the hospital.

Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis which is under the control of Hamas rejected to receive students who were wounded by Hamas militias.

The ones "nabbed" in the previous paragraph?

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

eHarmony displays unexpected enthusiasm for new mission

eHarmony, the matchmaking service founded by an evangelical Christian, recently announced, as a settlement in a lawsuit, that it would expand its service to cater to people seeking same-sex partners. Despite the fact that the new developments stem from litigation, the company seems to be warming to its new clientele. Explained company spokesman, Fred Shadchan, "Suppose you had an unshakable commitment to traditional morality. It isn't like you'd object to having a bunch of gay people put their prospects for successful long-term relationships into your hands." Shadchan admits that eHarmony's famed match-making algorithms need some fine-tuning when it comes to men-seeking-men and women-seeking-women. "So far the couples we have tried to match have done nothing but fight around the clock," admitted Shadchan. "Some of those people are really physically fit, too. They inflict damage when they're riled."

Middle Climate trashed

George Monbiot, writing in the Guardian, offers some metaphors about our President:

George Bush is behaving like a furious defaulter whose home is about to be repossessed. Smashing the porcelain, ripping the doors off their hinges, he is determined that there will be nothing worth owning by the time the bastards kick him out. His midnight regulations, opening America's wilderness to logging and mining, trashing pollution controls, tearing up conservation laws, will do almost as much damage in the last 60 days of his presidency as he achieved in the foregoing 3,000.

His backers - among them the nastiest pollutocrats in America - are calling in their favours. But this last binge of vandalism is also the Bush presidency reduced to its essentials. Destruction is not an accidental product of its ideology. Destruction is the ideology. Neoconservatism is power expressed by showing that you can reduce any part of the world to rubble.

If it is too late to prevent runaway climate change, the Bush team must carry much of the blame. His wilful trashing of the Middle Climate - the interlude of benign temperatures which allowed human civilisation to flourish - makes the mass murder he engineered in Iraq only the second of his crimes against humanity. [...]

That rhetoric suggests that the buzzards are already circling around the Middle Climate--those Iraqis aren't coming back from the dead, after all. Later he concludes "Can we do it? Search me. Reviewing the new evidence, I have to admit that we might have left it too late." He goes on, of course, to affirm that we must try, but I think he fails to appreciate that we are approaching a policy consensus. Global Warming skeptics don't feel we need to do anything. Global Warming true-believers have grave doubts that anything can be done. So let's not do anything. We'll still have a motivation to develop alternate energy sources just to keep the world's wealth out of the hands of the Saudis, and most of the envisioned alternate energy sources involve less carbon emissions anyway. So let's concentrate on the economy.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Monday, November 24, 2008

Vodka bargains on the horizon?

Interesting. I wonder if there is any news from Scotland?

With retailers struggling to find credit and ordinary Russians being forced to change their spending, a vast lake of undrunk vodka is accumulating in distilleries across Russia.

Official statistics indicate a collapse in demand for vodka over the past two months. November inventories of unsold vodka stock have risen to 82 million litres, a 600 per cent increase from 2007, according to the National Alcohol Association.

The vodka lake has grown even as desperate producers have slashed output, which fell by 15 per cent in October according to industry estimates. [...]

Lechaim!

Sunday, November 23, 2008

IRIB: "Peruvian people call Bush fascist"

IRIB stands for "Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting." Mullahs love Moonbats. The article translates the slogan about "Hambre"--"hunger"--and "Desempleo"--"unemployment." "Fuera Bush" means "Get out, Bush"? And who is that on the poster on the left? Che Guevara is on the right, of course.

Hundreds of people rallied Saturday in Peru outside of the US ambassador's residence to denounce visiting President George W. Bush, blaming him for poverty and human rights abuses.

"Fascist Bush, you are the terrorist!" hundreds of people chanted as they marched through the streets of the capital of Peru.

It was the second straight day of peaceful demonstrations against Bush on the final foreign trip of his presidency. Bush is
attending a summit of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) body focused on the ailing global economy.

The protesters marched to the ambassador's residence denouncing Bush and the summit. One sign read, "APEC means hunger and unemployment."

"The neo-liberalism practiced by this bloc has plunged Latin American people into misery while the rich are getting richer," AFP quoted a student organizer as saying.

Some of the students dressed in orange jumpsuits and white masks to denounce the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba for "war on terror" suspects.

"This is to show the inhumane situation in which Arabs accused of terrorism are being imprisoned," the organizer said.

If only Che were here. He'd know what to do.

"Imperialists' Despicable Scheme to Lead DPRK to 'Reform' and 'Opening' Flailed"

Don't hold it in, say what's on your mind:

"Reform" and "opening" touted by the imperialists are a reactionary plot to block social progress and stem the trend of history and a sinister move to destabilize and undermine other countries under the signboard of "globalization" in a bid to attain their hegemonic purpose, says Rodong Sinmun Friday in a signed article.

The article says: The imperialists are using "reform" and "opening" as pretexts for political pressure, economic sanctions and blockade, while putting them up as preconditions. They have gone the lengths of crying out for "reform" and "opening" when dealing with humanitarian issues in a bid to make humanitarianism a plaything for their political bargaining.

What should not be overlooked is the pressure put by them upon the DPRK to accept "reform" and "opening" despite its firm adherence to the socialist principle.

They are groundlessly accusing the DPRK of opting for "isolation" and "closure", not "reform" and "opening". This is nothing but sheer sophism which can be uttered by those who distort reality and make profound confusion of right and wrong.

As far as reform is concerned, the DPRK transformed the old social system in a revolutionary manner decades ago and it has carried on a steady renovation drive to get rid of everything old and backward and create everything new.

So the whole concept of reform doesn't apply.

As for opening, the DPRK has always kept its door open. The DPRK has boosted foreign relations since it identified independence, peace and friendship with the avowed basic idea of its foreign policy.

The imperialists are unilaterally admonishing and pressurizing other countries to opt for "reform" and "opening" while not transforming their outdated social system and unpopular system though they are vociferous about "reform" and "opening". What a brigandish behavior.

Hey, we're implementing hope and change.

The ulterior aim sought by the imperialists and their followers in pressurizing the DPRK to opt for "reform" and "opening" is to bring down its socialist system and restore the capitalist system in it.

Their moves to destabilize and undermine Korean-style socialism centering on the popular masses through "reform" and "opening" will never work on the DPRK but are bound to go bust.

The people of all countries aspiring after independence should clearly see through the reactionary and dangerous nature of the imperialists' scenario to lead them to "reform" and "opening" and react to them with vigilance.

Blog carnivals aspiring after independence and reacting to Imperialists with vigilance include Haveil Havalim, KCC, and Shiny happy dhimmi.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Obama's stimulus plan to destroy jobs

Does the following sound good to you?

President-elect Barack Obama signaled on Saturday that he would pursue a far more ambitious plan of spending and tax cuts than anything he outlined on the campaign trail, setting the tone for a recovery effort that could absorb and define much of his term.

In the Democrats’ weekly radio address, Mr. Obama said he would direct his economic team to craft a two-year stimulus plan with the goal of saving or creating 2.5 million jobs.

You might want to read this on HRDC (Human Resources Development Canada):

A basic understanding of economics, however, is necessary to grasp that there is no free lunch. For every job "created" by government, an unidentifiable job will, tit-for-tat, be destroyed in the private sector.

The images of earnest men and women put to work allegedly by HRDC flood the propagandist Canadian national broadcaster, the CBC. The multitudes thrown out of work because private economic activity have been crowded out by taxing or borrowing to finance job programs remain invisible. So, too, does the destruction of jobs and reduction in investments, purchasing and overall wealth that ensues when money is taxed away from Canadians and funneled to the HRDC's patronage playground. Investors suffer the same fate and are much less likely to take employment-generating risks with their capital. Government borrowing simply serves to reduce capital available to the private sector. A further diminution of assets occurs when government expands the money supply and causes inflation in order to finance job creation schemes. [...]

The reason government job programs destroy jobs also lies in the fact that much of the money extracted from taxpayers does not go to the wages of job recipients, but to the elaborate bureaucracy of consultants and planners who administer the programs . . .

Perhaps Obama should emulate Bill Clinton.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Friday, November 21, 2008

Pirates face Islamists, high overhead

Business seems to be booming, but is there a piracy melt-down on the horizon? From Reuters:

Dozens of Somali Islamist insurgents stormed a port on Friday hunting the pirates behind the seizure of a Saudi supertanker that was the world's biggest hijack, a local elder said. [...]

The Sirius Star -- a Saudi vessel with a $100 million oil cargo and 25-man crew from the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Croatia, Poland and Britain -- is believed anchored offshore near Haradheere, about half-way up Somalia's long coastline.

"Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country and hijacking its ship is a bigger crime than other ships," Sheikh Abdirahim Isse Adow, an Islamist spokesman, told Reuters. "Haradheere is under our control and we shall do something about that ship." [...]

A pirate identifying himself as Jamii Adam told the Saudi-owned Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that negotiations were taking place with the ship's owners, saying the ransom demanded was not excessive but declining to give a figure.

He said it had cost the pirates $500,000 to seize the vessel. "We bore many costs to hijack it," he said. [...]

Maybe they could use some bailout money to retool and go green.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Thursday, November 20, 2008

More on the holy mountain of revolution

On our last excursion to this great landmark, "Thaw has begun in Mt. Paektu, the holy mountain of revolution" the emphasis was on scenic wonders. The present article delves more into the political (religious?) significance of the HM of R:

There are three grandiose and mysterious peaks on Mt. Paektu, the ancestral mountain, associated with the spirit of the Korean nation where the Korean revolution was pioneered.

They, more than 2,700 meters above the sea level, are called Janggun (general) Peak, Hyangdo (leader) Peak and Haebal (sunbeam) Peak.

Janggun Peak, the highest one (2,750m) in Korea, had been called Paektu Peak representing Mt. Paektu. Paektu Peak was renamed as Janggun Peak in accordance with the ardent desire of the Korean people to convey the undying revolutionary exploits of President Kim Il Sung down through generations and to hold him in high esteem for ever.

A monument to Mt. Paektu, telling immortal feats of the President, was erected on a fairly flat area on the northeastern slope of the peak. Near to the monument, there is the place chosen by the President to have a photograph taken against the Lake Chon.

Standing on the top of the peak is a 1.5-meter high granite monument engraved with the letters Janggun Peak.

Hyangdo Peak rising 2,712 meters above the sea is similar to Janggun Peak when viewing it on the shore of the Lake Samji and on the shore of the Lake Chon.

It had been once called Chonwang (King of the Heaven) Peak where the king descended. It was renamed as Hyangdo Peak in accordance with the noble desire of the Korean people to convey long, along with Mt. Paektu, the immortal revolutionary exploits of General Secretary Kim Jong Il who is carrying forward the revolutionary cause of Juche pioneered by the President and firm will to follow and hold him in high esteem.

Haebal Peak, 2,719 meters high, which had been nameless, was given the name of Haebal Peak in order to hand down to the rising generations the immortal feats of Kim Jong Suk, an anti-Japanese war woman hero, who took part in the war against Japanese imperialism under the warm sunrays of President Kim Il Sung, the sun of the nation, and defended the headquarters of the revolution at the cost of her life fighting sanguinary battles for many years and gave birth to Kim Jong Il.

The three peaks on Mt. Paektu are associated with the distinguished revolutionary exploits performed by the three peerlessly great persons.

Two deceased, and one soon-to-be-deceased.

MPAC-UK on a certain ethnic group

This one is called "Muslims Busy Sleeping While Political Power Slips Away." And to what is this due?

This is due to the fact that the President, the politicians, the businesses, and anyone high up in the political and business system know that AIPAC (or the Jewish Lobby) has so much influence on their careers and businesses.
The Muslims, on the other hand, are insignificant in comparison.

And why shouldn't the up and coming politicians fear the Jewish Lobby?

While Muslims were busy sleeping, shouting "no-voting", "khalifah", "kaffir laws", etc, etc, for the last 50 years or so, Jewish people were busy consolidating their positions from World War 2 in the political arena, the banking systems, and the businesses, to the extent they have become so powerful that they can bring businesses and politicians down.

They are UNITED in preserving the state of Israel and their faith irrespective of the costs - unlike Muslims. [...]

Ah yes, the unity, nay UNITY, of the Jewish Ummah . . .

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

MPAC-UK: Zionists "use politics to harm innocent people and kill millions"

This article is called "Taking on dense Muslims," and the idea is to get out the Muslim vote. The Iraq war here exemplifies how the "Zionists" "use politics to harm innocent people and kill millions." This isn't one of your more nuanced world-views:

You know we've tried being nice, and we've tried explaining things logically, but it seems that there are some Muslims who just don't get it. For the sake of the Ummah these dense Muslims deserve to hear the truth, so here it goes:

By not voting you are an idiot.

Any Muslim that says "oh but I have a choice to not vote like any other member of the public" is an idiot. No, you don't have a choice, because other members of British society aren't being demonised or oppressed to the extent we are!

You vote because you can help the Ummah, how dense does someone have to be to understand that? It's not about you, or about me, it's about the Ummah.

Let me break it down for you extra-dense Muslims (i.e. HT members):

When Iraq was bombed, some Muslims went on a march (even then, there were more non-Muslims present there than Muslims) but that was all they did, thinking it was the be all, and end all of their duty as a Muslim, whereas the Zionists were working relentlessly to ensure that the war happened.

Can't you understand a simple fact that if Zionists can use politics to harm innocent people and kill millions, you and I can use our votes to save millions! [...]

Sunday, November 16, 2008

"People Called upon Not to Harbor Illusion about Imperialism"

Don't harbor illusion about imperialism!

Only when people bolster national power, weathering manifold difficulties by their own efforts, not harboring any illusion about imperialism, can they emerge victorious in the struggle against imperialism and exalt the dignity of their country and nation, says Rodong Sinmun Saturday in a signed article.

The U.S. and other imperialist forces are working hard to let other countries harbor illusion about them, after learning that they can not easily bring those countries to their knees with strength only although they have modern weapons and combat equipment, the article says, and goes on:

They are also craftily scheming to quell people's hatred against imperialism, anti-imperialist sentiment mounting in various regions of the world by creating illusion about it.

If one harbors illusion about imperialism, taken in by such scheme, this will entail miserable consequences.

Illusion about imperialism may become a factor of inviting a war.

The imperialists are leaving no means untried to appease and deceive anti-imperialist and independent countries. They absurdly claim that they will give "aid" and "economic cooperation" to those countries if they accept brigandish demands raised by them to force the countries to disarm themselves.

I kinda think the old olive branch is getting spurned here.

The historical lesson teaches that if one makes one-step concession in face of coercion and appeasement policy of the imperialists, one will be compelled to make ten and a hundred-step concessions and, finally, leave everything to the tender mercy of the imperialists.

The imperialists perpetrate military intervention and war without any hesitation if they are sure that anti-imperialist and independent countries are unable to counter them after those countries are disarmed. To harbor any illusion about imperialism is a suicidal act of inviting a war.

If one has illusion about imperialism, one can neither augment national power nor defend the dignity of the nation.

This thing has a veritable swarm of candidates for Juche Sentence of the Day, but the following seems to have a certain verve:

The imperialists' persistent pressure upon anti-imperialist and independent countries to accept the policy of "reform" and "opening" while showing off their money bag is aimed to completely neutralize their national power and reduce them to neo-colonies.

By doing so the imperialists seek to create illusion about them and put the whole world under their domination and control.

If one harbors illusion about imperialism, one will become an idiot and the country and the nation will meet ruin.

Depends on which illusion you mean, Songun Buddy.

Gaza gun glut

This is from a BBC story entitled "Questioning the ceasefire in Gaza," one of those stories from a journalist who has just dropped in on Hamas for a chat. Here are some paragraphs about the tunnel business:

[...] I was winched down into one of these tunnels last month. It is much more sophisticated than the one I was in less than a year ago where sand kept crumbling onto my head, provoking worries that the whole thing could collapse at any time.

These days there are no air holes poked through with small tubes to the surface. Air is simply pumped in mechanically and the roof of the tunnel is solid enough. This time they have burrowed through hard clay.

Some of the passages are equipped with thick plastic pipes that allow businessmen on the Egyptian side to deliver cheap petrol, a commodity in short supply on the Gaza side, which fetches a good price . . .

There is also a roaring trade in cows, sheep and goats. But Kalashnikov rifles and bullets (once the most popular of imports) are no longer coming in.

A tunneller told me there were so many of these weapons in Gaza now that there was no longer much demand.

The tunnel owners who have invested large sums in paying the diggers and supplying the equipment for construction work, make their money back after just two or three runs of merchandise. They say they have to pay a large tax to Hamas, but it is worth it. [...]

And I don't think they are counting those tax revenues by candlelight.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Saturday, November 15, 2008

The clown who is sick does the trick of disaster: Neil Young dictates his terms to the auto industry

Neil Young blogging on "How To Save A Major Automobile Company" at Huffpo is certainly an interesting development. Here's the plan:

[...] The big three must reduce models to basics. a truck, an SUV, a large family sedan, an economy sedan, and a sports car. Use existing tooling.

Is there a mini-van in there somewhere? This won't go over well with my crowd.

Keep building these models to keep the workforce employed but build them without [italics in original] engines and transmissions. These new vehicles, called Transition Rollers, are ready for a re-power. No new tooling is required at this stage. The adapters are part of the kits described next.

At the same time as the new Transition Rollers are being built, keeping the work force working, utilize existing technology now, create re-power kits to retrofit the Transition Rollers to SCEVs (self charging electric vehicles) for long range capability up to and over 100mpg. If you don't think this technology is realistic or available, check out the Progressive Insurance Automotive X prize. Alternatively, check out Lincvolt.com or other examples.

A bailed out Auto manufacturer must open or re-purpose one or more factories and dedicate them to do the re-power/retrofit assembly. These factories would focus on re-powering the Transition Rollers into SCEVs but could also retrofit and re-power many existing vehicles to SCEVs. These existing vehicles are currently sitting unsold at dealerships across America.

Auto manufacturers taking advantage of a government bailout must only sell clean and green vehicles that do not contribute to global warming. No more internal combustion engines that run exclusively on fossil fuels can be sold period. [...]

Will people buy these things when the alternative is, say, a Toyota? Neil asserts "People will buy those vehicles because they represent real change and a solution that we can live with." OK, Neil, I guess if you put the words "will" and "real" in italics it must be true. Of course, a southern man don't need you around anyhow.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Update: Young isn't the only blogger with ideas about the automotive future.

Obama to force terrorists to seek "new symbols"

This LA Times article speculates that an Obama presidency could "inspire an Internet-based revolt" against Middle East dictatorships and have all sorts of other possible effects:

[...] Religious devotion is growing in the Middle East, and Islamic puritans worry that the widening intrusion that the telegenic Obama personifies threatens their hold on society. Muslim rappers scat about women's rights and tolerance; sitcoms are embracing romance and sexual allure; and a new generation of TV preachers, the Islamic version of their Christian counterparts, are dynamic speakers, less rigid in their interpretations of holy texts. Tailored suits have replaced beards and tunics.

The Obama presidency will intensify the influence of American culture, but that dynamic can't appear to diminish the permeating role that Islam -- be it moderate or conservative -- has on Arab society. Yet even Obama's facial characteristics emblazoned on T-shirts seem more a reflection of the region than a foreign-imposed graphic. Islamic militants probably will be forced to search for new symbols in rallying followers to blow themselves up in their war against the U.S. . . .

Or maybe not:

Skepticism, however, can spin like a desert storm, and even the most effervescent poster-sized smile can dim quickly in the Middle East. Arab newspapers are already criticizing Obama for his postelection comments and decisions, especially regarding the Arab-Israeli divide. Obama's campaign statements about Israel and his naming of Rahm Emanuel, a Jew whose father once had links to a militant Zionist organization, as his chief of staff have Arab commentators warning of an Israeli bias . . .

Bummer. Anyway, "it's a fascinating Bluetooth moment":

But for now, it's a fascinating Bluetooth moment; cyberspace is abuzz from North Africa to Damascus, Syria, to the white sands of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Arab world is about respect, saving face; you can cut a man, but you give him his dignity. Arabs say the Bush administration seldom understood this; they're hoping Obama's does . . .

Or the dignity part, anyway.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Dowd: Hillary, the "un-Clintonian" choice

Just a dash of Dowd:

If Barry chooses Hillary as secretary of state, a woman who clearly intimidated him and taught him to be a better pol in the primaries, it doesn’t signal the return of the Clinton era. It says the opposite: If you have a president who’s willing to open up his universe to other smart, strong people, if you have a big dog who shares his food dish, the Bill Clinton era is truly over.

Appointing a Clinton in the cabinet would be so un-Clintonian.

"Clintonian" as in non-food-dish-sharing, you understand.

"Elham: Zionist regime has secular nature"

From IRNA, Iran's most official news agency. The idea is that the real Jews are the ones that attend their Holocaust-denial conferences.

Government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham on Saturday condemned presence of the Zionist regime in the Saudi-sponsored UN interfaith conference, saying the regime has nothing to do with religions.

Talking to reporters at his weekly press briefing, he said the conference with participation of Israel cannot be successful.

The two-day special high-level UN General Assembly meeting on dialogue among different religions, attended by leaders and diplomats from 70 countries, was inaugurated by King Abdullah, who on Wednesday denounced terrorism as the enemy of all religions.

Elham reiterated that the Zionist regime has a secular nature.

The issue of Judaism is completely different from Zionism, he said, adding that today, the followers of the Judaism have announced their disavowal of the Zionists.

Judaism is a divine religion, Elham noted, stressing that all divine religions respect people's dignity.

Khomeinists are such experts on Judaism.

Ramattan: "Palestinian factions resume launching projectiles at israeli targets"

No doubt underscoring the need to reach out to the moderates at Hamas:

Palestinian factions resumed on Friday launching home-made rockets on Israeli posts and towns closed to the borderline with Gaza.

Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said that it launched eight rockets at the Israeli towns of Sederot on Friday morning.

Al-Qassam added that they also targeted the city of Ashkelon with "grad" rockets.

Several other armed groups of Fateh, PFLP Salahiddine Brigades also claimed responsibility over shooting projectiles at Israeli targets.

The groups said, in separate statements, that they launched rockets as retaliation to the "Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people".

"Rodong Sinmun on People's Unshakable Will to Follow WPK Forever"

"Forever" as in even after the imminent demise of the Dear Leader?

The Korean people will remain unshaken in their mindset to follow the Workers' Party of Korea to the end of the earth no matter which way the wind may blow, and no force can ever break the bonds of kinship between them.

In other words, don't think you are going to get out of this prison any time soon.

Rodong Sinmun Friday says this in a signed article.

The WPK is the invincible revolutionary party single-mindedly followed and upheld by the Korean people, the article notes, and goes on:

The Korean people call the WPK mother party. This reflects profound thanks of all the Korean people to it, guide of their life and struggle, protector of their destiny and creator of their happiness, and their firm determination to share intention and breathe the same breath with it to the last. It is the unchangeable mindset of the Korean people that the Party precisely means their destiny, dignity and future.

While only intermittently providing minimum nutrition needs.

They follow the WPK as it is a great guide providing them with the most precious political integrity and a worthy life and believe that it is a dependable guardian as it protects their sovereign dignity and honor to the last and helps to glorify them.

The WPK solves all problems in line with the requirements and interests of the people of the DPRK in reliance upon matchless military power and firmly adheres to the principle of independence under the uplifted banner of Songun. This politics is praised as a policy fully reflecting the mind-set of the people and as an ever-victorious policy supported by all the people.

The people of the DPRK are following and upholding the WPK as a creator of the eternal happiness of all generations to come.

They are dedicating everything to the prosperity of the country, regarding it as requirements of their life to materialize the plan and intention of the Party to build a great prosperous powerful nation on this land without fail by their own efforts, technology and resources and enable them to live as well as others.

The dull thud of low expectations sometimes appears in the middle of all the hyperbole.

The WPK's policy is a policy of attaching importance to the people which calls for believing in them as in Heaven, a policy of love and trust in them.

The Party is always dear to the people and the latter is linked with the former by the bonds of kinship. Herein lies the solidity of the harmonious whole and single-minded unity in the DPRK.

General Secretary Kim Jong Il's spirit of devotedly serving the people constitutes an engine for the WPK's activities and his noble popular trait an example of all its work and activities, the article notes, adding that its cause is sure to triumph as it is holding him in high esteem at its head and formed a harmonious whole with the people.

The new edition of Haveil Havalim is sure to triumph as it forms a harmonious whole with the latest from the J-blogosphere.

Update: Soccer Dad's spirit of devotedly serving the people has resulted in a new Blog Carnival: Shiny Happy Dhimmi.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Islamic Jihad: "We are ready to show the innovations we've been acquiring"

The title of this article is "Hamas not to renew ceasefire." The ceasefire served its purpose, evidently. From Ynetnews.com:

[...] A senior Hamas official, Dr. Khalil al-Haya, called on members of Hamas' military wing to continue shooting rockets "at the Israeli settlements around Gaza."

Al-Haya spoke at a Hamas-organized rally against the arrest of organization operatives in the West Bank by associates of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The Palestinian organizations involved in a ceasefire with Israel consulted with members of an umbrella organization representing the Palestinian opposition and agreed that the ceasefire, in its current format, had failed and should not be renewed.

A member of the al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, told Ynet that, in his estimation, all Palestinian organizations understand that the ceasefire has ended and that a new round of hard fighting with Israel is about to take place.

"Israelis are not the only ones who can threaten and they are not the only ones who had the means to hurt Palestinians. We are ready to show the innovations we've been acquiring over the recent months, including more massive shooting of more precise and long-range missiles," he said. [...]

Israel needs to carry out a major operation in Gaza.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Guardian: "new form of political discourse and dialogue"

This is from a an article entitled "Half-white is an insult." You can guess what the article says about Obama's race, but what's with this opening paragraph?

Barack Hussein Obama's stunning victory against what was a thoroughly cynical Clinton campaign and a confused and morally bankrupt conservative Republican opposition is as historically significant as the fall of the Berlin Wall. His victory has revealed that a radical new form of political discourse and dialogue is possible, and that the tired dichotomies the political class have sustained for so long can be challenged by the people.

What would a "radical new form of political discourse and dialogue" be? Hip-hop performance art? Why should the fall of a racial barrier, which I guess is what the author means about the Berlin Wall, and the possibility of more leftist policies lead to a new "form of discourse"? Is this article an example of it?

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

MPAC-UK: "The Zionists and Islamophobes Have Won!"

Great news!

The Zionists and Islamophobes have won. This isn't about them throwing our brothers and sisters into jails or killing them in large numbers. This isn't about them carting our brothers off to Guantanamo Bay. They have taken the mind of my brother. They have taken the mind of my sister. Our brothers and sisters are ashamed of Islam. They are ashamed of being Muslim.

They have become nothing short of apologists falling at the feet of their Islamophobic, Western masters. But do you know what the worst part is? The worst part is that I don't know if I can even blame them because right from when they were in the cradle, right from when they began to make sense of the world they got their knowledge of Islam from the very Islamophobes and Zionists we call our enemies now. Right from when we were 2 years old we heard that Sharia law was oppressive; we heard that the Muslims were tyrannical; we heard that the hijab was a symbol of oppression. All we have heard about Islam was negative, negative, NEGATIVE. Forget that non-Muslims have heard that. WE have heard that. And we believe that. Our minds have been hijacked to such an extent that we don't even question it anymore.

If someone comes up to us and says that Sharia law is barbaric, we will apologise for it and say that Sharia law isn't a part of Islam. We would be ASHAMED of it and we would think that Western law is an excellent law, the most JUST law, the most civilised law. Our minds have been hijacked to such an extent that we will be BRILLIANT advocates for Western law. Our minds have been hijacked to such an extent that we allow justice and civility be defined by Islamophobes and Zionists - the way they define justice and civility in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan. And we will be happy to grovel at the feet of the very people who have hijacked our minds. [...]

It wasn't easy, you know. You try executing a joint conspiracy with a bunch of clueless Islamophobes . . .

Monday, November 10, 2008

"Kim Jong Il Sends Vehicles and Equipment to Chongjin Goat Farm"

The last time we covered the Dear Leader's invaluable goat-related field guidance, it was at the Hamju Phyongphungdok Goat Farm. He wasn't actually present this time. That doesn't sound too Songun. Will the goats soon be making their great leaps forward without their beloved general?

General Secretary Kim Jong Il sent vehicles and equipment to the Chongjin Goat Farm.

He gave field guidance to the farm in May last and advanced highly important tasks to be fulfilled in managing and operating it.

A meeting was held on the spot on Nov. 10 to convey the vehicles and equipment.

Present there were Hong Sok Hyong, chief secretary of the North Hamgyong Provincial Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, officials concerned and employees of the farm.

Hong made a conveying address at the meeting which was followed by speeches.

Speakers said that the vehicles and equipment carry the warm love of Kim Jong Il, tender-hearted father who is taking pains to provide the people with much more various dairy products, and his trust and expectation that the employees of the farm would achieve greater success in the efforts to realize the intention of the Party.

They called upon all the employees of the farm to always cherish deep in mind Kim Jong Il's on-site instructions and his warm benevolence and bring about a great advance in goat breeding and output of dairy products, thus contributing to the improvement of the people's livelihood.

The Dear Leader may be Juche-licious, but the latest Haveil Havalim is at Jewlicious.

Update: "Japanese TV: Kim Jong Il may have had second stroke last month"

Sunday, November 09, 2008

Huffpo hopes for change from World Arrogance

This piece is called "Ya Hussein!" Isn't emphasizing Obama's middle name supposed to be a Republican trick?

[...] Iran has long wished for a real détente with the U.S.; a détente that recognized Iran's legitimacy as an Islamic Republic, as a sovereign nation with its own concerns and interests, but above all, a détente based on mutual respect and recognition of Iran's legitimate rights under international law . . .

That "legitimate rights" rhetoric, coming from the Iranians themselves, usually refers to nukes.

While Iranians are under no illusions that the distrust and antagonism that exists between their country and the United States will disappear overnight, they are also hopeful that American foreign policy towards them will, at the every least, be re-directed towards understanding and reconciliation rather than demonization, hegemony, and military threats. [...]

As Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani recently put it:

"Other nations also expect war-oriented policies, occupation, bullying, contempt of nations and imposing discriminatory policies on them to be replaced by advocating justice, respect for human rights, friendship and non-interference in other countries' internal affairs."

The greatest human right of all: The right of every dictatorship to operate free of outside interference.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Tariq Alhomayed: "Obama and the Joy of the Inadequate"

More elegant bluntness from Asharq Alawasat:

. . . if we look at some of the reactions in our region to Barack Obama’s victory in the US presidential elections, one is overwhelmed by bewilderment. The statements of some figures in our region demonstrated that their joy for Obama’s victory is the joy of those who are inadequate.

Obama is the US president-elect; he is not a candidate of ours. The Americans elected him to serve their own best interests, not ours. However, some responses that have been issued in our region are evidence of the depth of the crisis that we are enduring.

For example, [Lebanese Parliament Speaker] Nabih Berri said, "By electing Obama, the Americans are trying to wipe the slate clean and a wonderful democracy has helped them do that." Where is your democracy? Where is the benefit in taking up weapons against your own people? [...]

That’s not all. The Syrian Minister of Information expressed his hope that Obama’s victory would help change Washington’s foreign policy and move away from the policy of war and siege towards diplomacy and dialogue and not ignore the problems from which the nations are suffering.

Is Obama a candidate for Damascus? Is he required to solve Syria’s problems? How has the Syrian role or the efforts of Damascus worked towards solving its own problems? How can the Syrian minister ask America to end its policy of siege and to follow the approach of dialogue whilst Damascus carries out blockades and commits other shocking acts in Lebanon? [...]

In the omitted paragraphs, which you'll want to read, Iran, Hamas, and the Muslim Brotherhood are given similar treatment.

"There has been no human rights issue in the DPRK and it cannot exist there."

From (North) Korean News. Just think: Someone out there is reading this and agreeing with it:

"Protection of human rights" and "democracy" touted by the imperialist reactionaries are nothing but sophism to cover up their moves for interference and domination over other countries.

Rodong Sinmun Thursday says this in a signed article.

It goes on:

It is ridiculous, indeed, for the imperialists to oft-repeat "protection of human rights" and "democracy" for the purpose of meeting their selfish aim, without having proper knowledge about genuine human rights and democracy.

It is the capitalist countries where human rights are most wantonly violated. The popular masses in those countries are denied any political rights and freedom and the gap between the rich and the poor is widening as the days go by.

In those countries the people are subject to imprisonment for demanding democratic freedom and rights. Due to the prevalence of the reactionary ideas and culture the people are spiritually and culturally deformed and fall victim to violence.

Socialist democracy is the only genuine democracy in the world. Socialist democracy helps the popular masses emerge masters of the state and society and fully exercise their rights as masters in all fabrics of social life.

The U.S. is so foolish as to dare find fault with the DPRK over "human rights issue" and do harm to it, the article notes, and goes on:

The ulterior aim of the U.S. imperialists is to damage the international prestige of the DPRK over the "human rights issue in the north", internationalize their moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK and secure a pretext to launch a military aggression against it.

There has been no human rights issue in the DPRK and it cannot exist there.

The desperate efforts on the part of the U.S. to do harm to the DPRK through a "human rights" offensive would only reinforce the anti-U.S. sentiment of the Korean people and their spirit of defending socialism in every way.

The world progressive people should clearly see through the hypocritical and dangerous nature of the imperialists' loudmouthed "protection of human rights" and "democracy" and wage a vigorous struggle for frustrating their criminal artifice.

Bush blamed for upcoming Obama failure

That was fast:

"Go enjoy yourself," said President Bush in his congratulatory telephone call to Barack Obama on election night. It was like a child who has just smashed up all his toys inviting another to come and play in his nursery. To inherit two wars and a broken economy would not be most people's idea of fun. But that's pig-headed Bush for you.

His remark made me brood about the trials that Obama will face as president and the sad likelihood of disappointed expectations. Even yesterday, with his first proposed appointments, a question mark was raised over his promise of "change" . . .

Prop. 8 opponents take out frustration on Mormons

Only in California:

Protesters gathered today outside the temple of the Mormon Church on Santa Monica Boulevard in Westwood to protest Tuesday's passage of Proposition 8, the initiative that bans same-sex marriage . . .

Sean Hetherington, a 30-year-old personal trainer, was with boyfriend Aaron Hartzler, 33, as the crowd moved up Selby Avenue past the temple. Hetherington was carrying a sign saying, "YOU HAVE TWO WIVES I WANT ONE HUSBAND."

Update: Huffpo weighs in.

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

"No religious discrimination in Iran: Ahmadinejad"

Great news!

President Mahmud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday that there is no religious discrimination in Iran and followers of different religions are living in the country peacefully.

Followers of different religions in Iran are living side by side and they share each other’s sorrow and joy, Ahmadinejad said in a meeting with Bishop of Armenian Orthodox Church in Cilici Aram I Keshishian.

The problems of mankind result from atheism, said the president.

Ahmadinejad stated that mankind is frustrated with the situation of the world and is waiting for the savior. Islam and Christianity believe that one day the savior will come and this is the source of unity between the followers of divine religions, he opined.

War, occupation, aggression, discrimination, and poverty must be eradicated in the world, Ahmadinejad stressed. If the religious faithful stay together they can play a constructive role in ending the current crises in the world, he added.

Keshishian, for his part, expressed satisfaction that all religious minorities live peacefully in Iran.

“In Iran, Armenians live with Muslims in friendship and brotherhood,” he stressed.

(North) Korean News: "All People Called upon to Live Their Own Way"

This one looks forwrd to the Juche centuries ahead:

The slogan "Let us live our own way!" put up by the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) serves as banner of independence and self-reliance, and to hold aloft to this banner forever provides a sure guarantee for demonstrating the dignity and honor of the DPRK for all ages.

Rodong Sinmun Tuesday says this in a signed article.

It goes on:

Living our own way means that one should think and act in line with one's spirit as required by the Juche idea which scientifically indicates the way of achieving and defending the independence of the country and the nation and push ahead with the revolution and construction in the interests of the Korean people and in conformity with the specific conditions of the country.

The slogan "Let us live our own way!" reflects the glorious history and tradition of the DPRK in which it has firmly preserved the Juche character and national character and the unshakable faith and will of the WPK to solve anything with dignity in line with its idea, requirements and interests no matter what others may say. This slogan represents a rosy future of the country and revolution always ready to win one victory after another along the path of Juche.

While making revolution for the last several decades upholding the slogan the Korean people have keenly realized the justice of the above-said slogan and the great honor and happiness they have enjoyed under the leadership of General Secretary Kim Jong Il.

The DPRK has solved the issues arising in the revolution and construction its own way as required by the Juche idea, the Songun idea of the WPK under any circumstances, thus demonstrating its might to the whole world as a dignified sovereign power. It has, at the same time, pushed forward the revolution and construction its own way on the principle of self-reliance, thereby showcasing the dignity and honor of the nation at the highest level.

As long as the great Party provides leadership over the work to develop politics, military affairs, economy and culture its own way century after century, the DPRK will always stand as an eternal fortress of independence and the Korean people enjoy higher dignity and honor as the days go by.

How high can that dignity go?

Monday, November 03, 2008

Election Day

The formula for tomorrow is pretty simple: Vote, make sure your friends and family do too, and don't take the election coverage too seriously. Mark Steyn observes:

Exit polls skew Dem. In 2004, they overstated Kerry’s support by 5.5 points. Which doesn’t sound a lot. But, given that there were only ten states where the margin of victory was less than 5%, that was enough to make Kerry briefly appear the winner. The point of all the afternoon leakage is to depress turnout in the Florida panhandle and points west. Don’t fall for it.

Hugh Hewitt, in a similar vein:

Play the part of Charlie Brown if you like tomorrow and try and kick MSM Lucy's football, but the best advice is believe nothing until all the polls have closed and the real results are tallied.

It is an extremely close race in all of the key states.

Sunday, November 02, 2008

"39th Sports Contest of Artistes Held" (in North Korea)

As you probably know, Judeopundit is the premier blog for sports coverage. Last year we learned that at the 38th Sports Games of Artistes the "cinematic group" took first place. This time the educators have come out on top. Congrats Educators! That's a great leap forward in the Spirit of Mt. Paektu!

The 39th sports contest of artistes took place at the Kim Il Sung Stadium on Oct. 31.

The contest which was divided into groups of movie persons, stage artistes, educators and producers included football, basketball, volleyball, field and track and tug of war and other events.

In every event the players displayed high sports technique, collective spirit and noble moral traits.

The group of educators placed first in group standing.

Recent blog carnivals displaying collective spirit and noble moral traits include Carnival of the Insanites and Haveil Havalim.

Rooz: "committee to combat activities of members of religious ‎minorities"

Great news from Iran! Conspiracies against Shi'ism will now be dealt with:

In a measure to control people faithful to other religions and denominations, the Qom ‎Theological Center has formed a committee to combat activities of members of religious ‎minorities and schools. ‎

Cleric Mohammad Hassan Nabavi, the center’s public relations deputy, noted, "combating ‎deviant religions and denominations" was the reason behind the establishment of the so-called ‎‎"Minority Committee" during the latest meeting of Friday prayer leaders from across the nation. ‎According to this Qom Theological Center deputy, the "Minority Committee" was established at ‎the center to undertake "cultural confrontation" of religious minorities and prevent the growth ‎and spread of minority religions in Iran. ‎

According to the unpublished remarks of Nabavi on the official theological center’s website, "In ‎this respect, action groups dealing with Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Bahaism, Sufism, ‎Wahhabism and new spiritual schools have been set up with the duty to culturally confront any ‎conspiracy that is being undertaken." He added that the responsibility of the "Minority ‎Committee" at the Qom seminary is to monitor the activities of members of religious minorities, ‎especially with respect to their promotion of competing religions or beliefs, noting, "If these ‎religions and denominations advertised against Shiism or acted in a way that undermined the ‎principles of Islam or Shiism, we would become active to confront them." ‎

This high ranking cleric at the Qom seminary did not expand on the nature of conspiracies that ‎may be regarded by the "Qom Theological Center Minority Committee" as threats to the ‎country's official religion. However, he accused religious minorities in Iran of communicating ‎with foreigners, adding, "Religions and sects that are supported and empowered by agents ‎outside the country to weaken the centrality of the Islamic regime would be culturally ‎confronted." [...]

On that liberal sense of dread

I have been thinking for some time that Obama's election strategy is bound to eventually collapse. Exactly what do centrists who say they are voting for him expect him to do? Hot Air currently has a video of Obama asserting that his energy policies will make energy prices "skyrocket." The New York Times has an incredible article devoted to liberal anxiety about a possible Obama failure to win. For example:

A young woman, Shana Rosen, walks by. She is from Denver and said she had told her boyfriend that their love life was on hold while she sweated out Mr. Obama’s performance in Colorado. Ask Lucy Slurzberg, an Upper West Side psychotherapist, how many of her liberal patients speak of their electoral fears during their sessions, and she answers: "Oh, only about 90 percent of them."

The article attributes all this anxiety to worry that the polls could be wrong, inability to believe that anything could be this good for liberals, worries that those sneaky Republicans will "steal" yet another election, etc. But we know what the real worry is. In a video available at LGF, Obama promises that due to his policies investors in coal plants will inevitably be bankrupted. Obama has done too much to reveal his extreme side, and his devotees know he can't get away with the faux-moderation much longer. I wish the election were still a month away.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad