Tuesday, November 30, 2004
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MUSLIMS CANNOT VOTE!
Dig this my fellow post-modern nihilists. The franchise cannot be accepted by a Muslim. Hey, now! Don't call me racist or bigoted. I am not the one denying them a voice or the vote. Read what Abu Osama & Dr Abu Ziyaad say in their article on the Islaam-Online website,
"Voting for a secular party in the Western systems, regardless of a noble goal and the correctness of the intention, is something that contradicts the foundations of what it means to be a Muslim and without a shadow of a doubt is something that is prohibited."
Dig this my fellow post-modern nihilists. The franchise cannot be accepted by a Muslim. Hey, now! Don't call me racist or bigoted. I am not the one denying them a voice or the vote. Read what Abu Osama & Dr Abu Ziyaad say in their article on the Islaam-Online website,
"Voting for a secular party in the Western systems, regardless of a noble goal and the correctness of the intention, is something that contradicts the foundations of what it means to be a Muslim and without a shadow of a doubt is something that is prohibited."
THE END OF CHEAP OIL
Wow, read this!!!
Now, I'm not a doom-&-gloom-er, but there is something to the notion of a post hydrocarbon society. We are looking at the end of cheap oil sooner than later. That may not sound like much, but THINK about it. Oil powers our cars, airplanes, electric companies, fertilizers, plastics, and space program. Cheap oil underlies our current standard of living. In our lifetimes, oil will become a scares commodity. In our children's lifetimes, oil will cease to be a major part of society.
That is a new world order. I'm not being sensationalist. Read the article linked above. Life will change drastically. Peacefully or violently - there will be cataclysmic change.
Wow, read this!!!
Now, I'm not a doom-&-gloom-er, but there is something to the notion of a post hydrocarbon society. We are looking at the end of cheap oil sooner than later. That may not sound like much, but THINK about it. Oil powers our cars, airplanes, electric companies, fertilizers, plastics, and space program. Cheap oil underlies our current standard of living. In our lifetimes, oil will become a scares commodity. In our children's lifetimes, oil will cease to be a major part of society.
That is a new world order. I'm not being sensationalist. Read the article linked above. Life will change drastically. Peacefully or violently - there will be cataclysmic change.
SECRECY AND THE OSTRICH
Americans do not seem to notice the Bush Administration's obsession with secrecy. That really disturbs me. Lord Acton's famous dictum is as true the day he first uttered it:
"I cannot accept, your canon that we are to judge pope and king unlike other men, with a favorable presumption that they do no wrong. If there is any presumption, it is the other way against holders of power ... Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
This paradigm informs my unease over the accumulation of power - by anyone. When power is accumulated by one as powerful as the President of the United States, I am genuinely terrified. As Americans, we should take pride in our history of liberty. We should also recognize that liberty is a birth right as fragile as our first breath.
Power is necessary. Unchecked power is folly. The Executive Branch needs to be able to do its job. However, the President MUST be held responsible for his choices. Choices shrouded in secrecy undermine the publics ability to judge the Presidents actions and thereby hold him accountable. The traditional method that Congress hold the President accountable is through the Government Accountability Office (GAO). That is why I find the President's quote so disturbing:
"I have a duty to protect the Executive Branch from legislative encroachment. I mean, for example, when the GAO demands documents from us, we're not going to give them to them. These were privileged conversations."
In short, the President is saying "Trust Me, America". That is like letting the fox into the hen-house.
For further research on this Administration's pernicious pursuit of privacy, check out the Federation of American Scientists website on the Bush Administration Documents on Secrecy Policy.
For an interesting polemic against Bush's persuit of privacy, read John Dean's, Worse than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush.
Americans do not seem to notice the Bush Administration's obsession with secrecy. That really disturbs me. Lord Acton's famous dictum is as true the day he first uttered it:
"I cannot accept, your canon that we are to judge pope and king unlike other men, with a favorable presumption that they do no wrong. If there is any presumption, it is the other way against holders of power ... Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
This paradigm informs my unease over the accumulation of power - by anyone. When power is accumulated by one as powerful as the President of the United States, I am genuinely terrified. As Americans, we should take pride in our history of liberty. We should also recognize that liberty is a birth right as fragile as our first breath.
Power is necessary. Unchecked power is folly. The Executive Branch needs to be able to do its job. However, the President MUST be held responsible for his choices. Choices shrouded in secrecy undermine the publics ability to judge the Presidents actions and thereby hold him accountable. The traditional method that Congress hold the President accountable is through the Government Accountability Office (GAO). That is why I find the President's quote so disturbing:
"I have a duty to protect the Executive Branch from legislative encroachment. I mean, for example, when the GAO demands documents from us, we're not going to give them to them. These were privileged conversations."
In short, the President is saying "Trust Me, America". That is like letting the fox into the hen-house.
For further research on this Administration's pernicious pursuit of privacy, check out the Federation of American Scientists website on the Bush Administration Documents on Secrecy Policy.
For an interesting polemic against Bush's persuit of privacy, read John Dean's, Worse than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush.
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
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I've run into a number of website on energy policy that seem interesting. I havn't had the time to look into all of them, thus I'm posting them here. That way I'll have something to come back to when these cold mid-western winter nights arrive.
Oil Sites:
Hubbard Peak
Global Public Media - Public Service Broadcasting for a Post Carbon World
Life After the Oil Crash
Energy Bulliting
Iraq and the Problem of Peak Oil
Peak Oil.org
Nuclear Sites:
Nuclear Energy FAQ
Misc Energy Topics:
Alternative Energy Sources
Energy FAQ
Nine Critical Questions to Ask About Alternative Energy
Oil Sites:
Hubbard Peak
Global Public Media - Public Service Broadcasting for a Post Carbon World
Life After the Oil Crash
Energy Bulliting
Iraq and the Problem of Peak Oil
Peak Oil.org
Nuclear Sites:
Nuclear Energy FAQ
Misc Energy Topics:
Alternative Energy Sources
Energy FAQ
Nine Critical Questions to Ask About Alternative Energy
Sunday, November 21, 2004
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I admit to knowing next to nothing about H.L. Menckin. The slightly more than "nothing" I know was not favorable. However, a man that has the following creed deserves my respect. Not my admiration, but my respect.
Mencken's Creed
I believe that religion, generally speaking, has been a curse to mankind - that its modest and greatly overestimated services on the ethical side have been more than overcome by the damage it has done to clear and honest thinking.
I believe that no discovery of fact, however trivial, can be wholly useless to the race, and that no trumpeting of falsehood, however virtuous in intent, can be anything but vicious.
I believe that all government is evil, in that all government must necessarily make war upon liberty...
I believe that the evidence for immortality is no better than the evidence of witches, and deserves no more respect.
I believe in the complete freedom of thought and speech...
I believe in the capacity of man to conquer his world, and to find out what it is made of, and how it is run.
I believe in the reality of progress.
I - But the whole thing, after all, may be put very simply. I believe that it is better to tell the truth than to lie. I believe that it is better to be free than to be a slave. And I believe that it is better to know than be ignorant.
I especially like that last part.
Mencken's Creed
I believe that religion, generally speaking, has been a curse to mankind - that its modest and greatly overestimated services on the ethical side have been more than overcome by the damage it has done to clear and honest thinking.
I believe that no discovery of fact, however trivial, can be wholly useless to the race, and that no trumpeting of falsehood, however virtuous in intent, can be anything but vicious.
I believe that all government is evil, in that all government must necessarily make war upon liberty...
I believe that the evidence for immortality is no better than the evidence of witches, and deserves no more respect.
I believe in the complete freedom of thought and speech...
I believe in the capacity of man to conquer his world, and to find out what it is made of, and how it is run.
I believe in the reality of progress.
I - But the whole thing, after all, may be put very simply. I believe that it is better to tell the truth than to lie. I believe that it is better to be free than to be a slave. And I believe that it is better to know than be ignorant.
I especially like that last part.
Saturday, November 20, 2004
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I was reading Jihad Unspun this evening when I stumbled upon a writing by a learned Muslim scholar. The author is Sheikh Hammoud bin 'Uqlâ ash-Shu'aybî. He was known as the "scholar of the scholars" and taught many of the leading Muslim academics.
(both Jihad Unspun & Islaam-Online agree on this - you have to scroll down to the 1st footnote on Islaam-Online to find this reference)
The good Sheikh believes that the West is out to eliminate Islam. In short, he is a Saudi Samuel Huntington - it's all about the clash of civilizations. The good Sheikh believes that terror is useful for Muslims. If you can scare infidel, that is Allah's will. Note that such a gernerous view of terrorism doesn't extend to the infidels.
In the good Sheikh's world, America invaded Afghanistan unprovoked. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (aka the Taliban) were victims of unprovoked aggression. Israel persecutes INNOCENT Palestinians. Essentially, the Crusaders and Zionist are the boot heel delivering Muslim suffering.
Ironically the good Sheikh died of heart attack after spending years in a Saudi prison.
(both Jihad Unspun & Islaam-Online agree on this - you have to scroll down to the 1st footnote on Islaam-Online to find this reference)
The good Sheikh believes that the West is out to eliminate Islam. In short, he is a Saudi Samuel Huntington - it's all about the clash of civilizations. The good Sheikh believes that terror is useful for Muslims. If you can scare infidel, that is Allah's will. Note that such a gernerous view of terrorism doesn't extend to the infidels.
In the good Sheikh's world, America invaded Afghanistan unprovoked. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (aka the Taliban) were victims of unprovoked aggression. Israel persecutes INNOCENT Palestinians. Essentially, the Crusaders and Zionist are the boot heel delivering Muslim suffering.
Ironically the good Sheikh died of heart attack after spending years in a Saudi prison.
Friday, November 19, 2004
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For those of you interested in an alternative view of US politics, check out this editorial. It does a great job of skewering the current establishment.
Now, don't go off in a huff. Whether you be a liberal-flip-flopper or a right-wing-nut-job, read it. The author is Carlton Meyer, the editor of G2Mil.com. G2Mil.com is an independent website run by former US Military officers tracking US military spending on weapons technologies. It's an interesting site. Check it out.
As an added bonus, the site has the following quote on their main page:
"What someone doesn't want you to publish is journalism, all else is publicity".
I like that.
Now, don't go off in a huff. Whether you be a liberal-flip-flopper or a right-wing-nut-job, read it. The author is Carlton Meyer, the editor of G2Mil.com. G2Mil.com is an independent website run by former US Military officers tracking US military spending on weapons technologies. It's an interesting site. Check it out.
As an added bonus, the site has the following quote on their main page:
"What someone doesn't want you to publish is journalism, all else is publicity".
I like that.
Monday, November 15, 2004
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Hello again. I know I've been a bad blogger of late. I have a couple excuses though. I was really devastated by Bush's win. I can't say I was surprised. I can say I was saddened. Very saddened.
If you've read my rantings over the last 6 months, you know I am no fan of the President or his advisors. Their re-election speaks volumes about the Red States. I will be blogging about the so-called "divided America" in the coming months. I plan to explore the mechanics of the federal election system as well as the Rightwing propaganda machine. I think the results will surprise you. America is not nearly as divided as the pundits would have us believe. Just think back to the Scopes trial - But this is a conversation for another time.
My second excuse is far more personal. I recently got married! It was great. It was also a lot of work. I have been a busy Cracker.
Cheers!
If you've read my rantings over the last 6 months, you know I am no fan of the President or his advisors. Their re-election speaks volumes about the Red States. I will be blogging about the so-called "divided America" in the coming months. I plan to explore the mechanics of the federal election system as well as the Rightwing propaganda machine. I think the results will surprise you. America is not nearly as divided as the pundits would have us believe. Just think back to the Scopes trial - But this is a conversation for another time.
My second excuse is far more personal. I recently got married! It was great. It was also a lot of work. I have been a busy Cracker.
Cheers!
