Slavery, the Civil War, and States' Rights

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The Civil War was similar to the abortion issue in that you had two opposing sides who disagreed not on the nature of one thing, but on the relative importance of two things. The trap is in arguing about either one of the two things. In abortion it is quite possible to be both pro-choice and pro-life; I think most people are.
Similarly in the Civil War it is quite possible to be pro-States’ rights and pro-human rights; again, I think most people are.
The first struggles of the Civil War were actually the nogotiations nearly 100 years before to hammer out the Constitution. An uneasy negotiated settlement was reached, without which; it is useful to recall, there would have been no United States (the Articles … Continue reading →

This One's For Khaled

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Here’s the man behind Egypt’s revolution:
khaled
This is Khaled Said. He’s not an activist.  He’s not an organizer. He’s dead.

Egyptian police beat him to death.   Don’t go if you can’t hack it.   That picture is a large part of what brought Mubarak low, and continues to reverberate.

So yes, worry about extremists taking over, but do not make the mistake of thinking that the protesters in Egypt are a bunch of idiots led by extremists, or a bunch of extremists themselves. What they are is sick of being abused by an unwanted government. And that’s a good thing, right?

It’s not my revolution, so I don’t get to dedicate it.  Wasn’t … Continue reading →

Response to SandMonkey

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I have placed a response on my own blog, as I am unable to post a long comment on yours:
Sandmonkey article here.

Glad you are well.  This is “afghanmoon” from Twitter, an American who has served in Afghanistan.
I support you brave patriots completely in your quest to free yourself of a government which is no longer acceptable to you.  This is Freedom at its core.  Governments often have a different take, extending from narrow self-interest and love of power on one end, down to an enfeebling paternal “benevolent” dictatorship on the other.  But not as far as allowing the people themselves to actually select their own form and fill of government.

I believe that the involvement of Saudi … Continue reading →

UNM Today: UNM Regrets Duck Pond Incident

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There’s nothing like a little hometown news that’s, well, home-y.

On Saturday, May 22, during what is usually a routine lowering of the water level for cleaning the UNM Duck Pond, a larger than normal amount of sludge caused water levels to decline more rapidly than what was anticipated. As a result, the water level fell too low for some of the fish to survive.

Conservatism — Public Draft

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Conservatives have a serious problem, and it is marketing. There is nothing progressive about the Progressives, who feel that the masses must be forced to act as a limited elite will dictate. Look it up, that is the actual meaning of Progressive.
There is nothing more revolutionary or forward-thinking than a faithful exercise of the awesome rights and responsibilities spelled out in our Constitution, and nothing more backward or tyrannic than the imposition of will upon the many by the few.
Talk of revolution is good. We had one in the late eighteenth century, and I for one am committed to it. So, by the way, is every person who has sworn an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. Some are more clear on this point … Continue reading →

Settling In

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My new bloghome. I am consolidating to my long-held domain name. Blogger was always good to me, but since there is an engine right under my feet here at home, I figured I’d use it instead. This means that I am learning WordPress. So stand by for changes. That awful typeface up there, for example.

Either Hal Rogers Goes, or John Boehner Does

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Get an axe.
[Update: This post is already half obsolete.  It appears that the fiscal hawks succeeded in getting the big spenders’ attention, who now swear, swear that they will cut $100 Billion from 2011.  I still say it’s too late for Representative Hal Rogers, whose quote about federal layoffs indicates that he does *not* get it, and that he never will.  Fiscal conservatives pointed out his unsuitability for the Chairmanship of the Committee on Appropriations when his name first came up for it, and they have been proven right.

I do not advocate a “reign of terror” wherein our own party must run each day fearing the gong, but the combination of timing, importance, centrality to our whole GOP effort this session, and the flaming disconnection … Continue reading →

Why I Support The Egyptian Protesters

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I am a Tea-Party conservative, and I support the Egyptian protesters.

First, I refer you to my motto: Freedom is wasted on him who will not make others free.  Everything else is details, which begin here:

  • I feel that for the United States to not support the protesters is morally repugnant and strategically counterproductive.
  • I feel that President Mubarak should step down, that an experienced interim, caretaker successor should succeed him, and that neither man should stand in the regularly scheduled election next September.
  • I feel that this will create an opportunity for (not guarantee) a real democratic structure to emerge and solidify over time.
  • I feel that the immediate threat to Egyptian liberty is their current government which the United States seems to support but I do … Continue reading →

President Obama, say the 'D-Word' – Opinion – Al Jazeera English

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President Obama, say the ‘D-Word’ – Opinion – Al Jazeera English

This is the conclusion of an article by Mark Levine, Professor of History at UC Irvine. The point he makes is the point I have been making all across Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/afghanmoon), which is that America is failing its first test of Global Counterinsurgency, handed to us at a cost of zero. If we cannot bring ourselves to take the plunge and support the citizens in Cairo and Alexandria struggling to shake off their dictator, then nowehere in the world for a quarter century will our words of “freedom” or “democracy” be believed. We are losing the Long War right now in Egypt, not Afghanistan, not Iraq.

A gift that won’t be offered again
The … Continue reading →