Bill Clinton wants Ministry of Truth

Former president Bill Clinton is agitating once again for what amounts to a Ministry of Truth from Orwell’s 1984.

If Bill Clinton had his way, there would be an Internet agency created by the U.S. government or United Nations to debunk malicious rumors that originate and spread online.
–Fox News, clinton muses creating internet agency, FoxNews.com, May 2011

[pullquote]How dare an American president, current or former, propose to arbitrate truth?[/pullquote]

This is remarkable for a number of reasons.  First of course is the horrifying vision of a totalitarian state which finds this sort of thing necessary, as opposed to free nations, which do not.  I think that is the obvious part, which I will not belabor.  I’ll belabor the second reason a little though, … Continue reading

Bye Bye, Romney

[Update 25AUG2011: I wrote this on 14May, after the first debate.  I’ve corrected some spelling and phrasing, but nothing substantial.  Rick Perry has just passed Mitt Romney in at least one, perhaps two significant polls.  This post has stood up rather well.]

Mitt Romney had a golden opportunity to seize the nomination and skewer the president.  In my opinion, all he needed to do was cast off his illegitimate offspring, RomneyCare.  He should have said that he used the laboratory of democracy called Massachusetts, with its rich history of political innovation, to see once and for all if a large role for government can improve critical services in health care.  He would have been in a unique position to assail the president on ObamaCare.  “I have already implemented … Continue reading

So Sorry Japan

Look, this has some sauce on it, so allow me to start by expressing my admiration for the resolve of the Japanese people, my aghast sorrow at what many here have had to endure, and especially my agnostic little prayers for those who spend (as in quickly) their lives working on the dying reactors to keep the rest of us as safe as possible.

From an article in the Japan Times on the ordered evacuation of Iitate village; downwind of Fukushima:

“We’ve been told to quit our jobs and move out by the end of the month,” said Miyoko Nakamura, 59, a clerk in the village office. She is near retirement and says she’ll manage. “A lot of people have no idea what to do. They’re just … Continue reading

Tex, Lies, and Videofeeds

The president went down to Texas, where he told several breathtaking lies, mocked Americans in text and tone, and pretty much kicked off his 2012 compaign with another campaign speech intended for foreigners to consume, not Americans. Like in Berlin for Christ’s sake.
Really, I don’t have much to say about this sorry speech from this sorry man. He incorrectly frames the overriding debate over immigration as one of “who is and who isn’t allowed to come to this country,” when in fact it is about how people will come to this country, it was settled long ago as it is now a matter of law, and the problem is that the laws are not enforced.
Acknowledging that, however, would force the Democrats to address this … Continue reading

Immigration — Obama is Bluffing

I don’t ever endorse “win by losing” as a viable strategy, but in this case I can’t rule it out as a gambit.  In fact, I think that’s what he’s doing.

He doesn’t want to pass immigration reform right now.  He wants to pick a fight with the GOP  to curry favor with illegal immigrants and their power base (Democrats).  The tougher the fight is, the more he stands to identify with the reinforced victimhood of illegals.  Also, the more he can paint GOP as a bunch of racist recession reactionaries.

If he wins on his amnesty and more plan, the center swings against him, and he reinforces ONLY his base.  If he loses, however, the base is still the base, but the center is sympathetic.  At the … Continue reading

No Football to Spike

I was flabbergasted by the President’s idiotic comment about not wanting to “spike the football”. This is not a sport, and he gets the whole point of this wrong by viewing it as such. I have been quite supportive of the things he has gotten right in this, and given the benefit of the doubt where possible. This is an egregious unforced error, however. This is more of his reflexive blame-America-first-ism. How so?

The fact that he does not want America to be perceived as unsportsmanlike in our big win over whomever serves only to broadcast his gut feeling that it is the approval of our enemies which we must obtain, and that those on the fence, or who may not be enemies but don’t like us very … Continue reading

With Military Gay Marriage, Why Have Chaplains?

Frankly, I would expect to see a lot of resigned commissions. Especially this guy’s:

“Anticipating the elimination of the military ban on homosexuality, the Office of the Chief of Navy Chaplains has decided that same-sex couples in the Navy will be able to get married in Navy chapels, and that Navy chaplains will be allowed to perform the ceremonies — if homosexual marriage is legal in the state where the unions are to be performed.”

I’m not religious, but I always supported having Chaplains because they were supposed to provide something for the troops which is as important as medical care *if you need it*. Chaplains are expected to uphold the tenets of their own faith (maintain accreditation, as it were) as well as live up to the … Continue reading

Movement in the Treeline

Communists marching in the streets of America.  The May Day rallies in 2006 were a turning point in the ability of the international communists to flex muscle in the United States.   I predicted it, and sure enough it’s here.  We have a Marxist in the White House, Big Labor running quasi-governmental organizations, some with quasi-judicial powers, and the Communist Party of the United States of America marching in the streets with signs, shirts, banners.

Some of us have never taken our eye off the Communists.  Did … Continue reading