Yes, A Good Portion of the World is Not Happy With Us

David Ignatius of the Washington Post, reprinted in first the Wall Street Journal and then in Intelligence Summit (where I found it), speaks to the fact that much of the known world, and particularly the Middle East, isn't very happy with America right now. Now, before you tell this veteran, "That article came from WAPO, it must be liberal!", I'd like for you to have a look at the original article. Mr. Ignatius asserts that the Iraqis are tired of being occupied. Yes, this assertion has been flung around by the left aplenty, and the veteran fully agrees with the sentiment. However, this writer for the Post goes on to take the stance of hardcore realpolitik; that is, the realist's view of foreign relations. He asserts, quite clearly, that once we "...learn to accept our unlovableness," we'll finally be able to pursue a foreign policy friendly to American interests. It sounds like this man from the Washington Post, a newsrag famed among conservative bloggers and net junkies for its 'liberal bias', isn't much of a liberal at all. Score one for the objective mainstream media, and screaming radicals be damned (on both sides).

The FACE

Don't get me wrong. I'm not criticizing Michelle Malkin's physical appearance. I just thought that this photo catches one of the most priceless expressions this veteran has ever seen on anyone's face. Also, it somehow cheers me up.

Jeanne Allen Emery, I love you

My grandmother passed away tonight.

Conservative Columnist Steve Sailer Describes How Birthrate Affects Party Ties

This article, from The American Conservative, highlights an interesting comparison between birthrates of major metropolitan areas and rural regions, and how they influence voting demographics. Specifically, Mr. Sailer speaks about white birthrate, and how the birthrate is typically lower in the major metropolitan areas than it is out in the boonies. Using this technique, he explains how the red states manage, with their lower population per square mile, to continue keeping up with the blue states, which generally have a very high population density in their cities (the blue states are mostly on the two coasts, with the red states overwhelmingly squeezed in the middle). Mr. Sailer seems to go off on a tangent of speculation toward the end of the article, speaking about how the blue staters are, in his view, more prone to racial prejudices than the red staters, and makes a rather poor, barely supported case to that effect. Overall, however, his theory of birthrates may be an important contribution to political science.

Outstanding! We Got Us A FORUM People!

Come on down to the veteran's personal, super-moderate forums. Here, you'll be treated as an equal, no matter what your political affiliation. The veteran's forum is here to foster further understanding and cooperation between the ends of the political spectrum, and to provide an airing place for moderates where they can feel comfortable. Come on in!

To the forums...

Dragging It Into The Light: Why The Left Keeps Harping About Bush Crimes

Here we are, again... The veteran got into a scuffle and had bullshit called on him when he mentioned some of the drunken escapades of the Bush twins during a casual forum conversation. What I'm providing here is simply a resource of mainstream news articles (links to the originals) so that any Bush supporters stopping by can see what all the ruckus about the 'Bush Family Crimes' is about. If any of the news companies listed wish to have their link(s) removed, please email me at modvavet@verizon.net, and I'll take them down immediately. That being said, here's the links, categorized by person or persons involved. More will be added as the veteran comes across them.

Barbara and Jenna Bush (the Bush twins) -Underage drinking

http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/04/27/bush.daughter (CNN)
http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/05/30/jenna.bush (CNN)
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/metropolitan/1042530 (Houston Chronicle)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1379000.stm (BBC News)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/03/02/national/main275777.shtml (CBS News)
http://www.caller2.com/2001/march/03/today/texasnew/19209.html (Corpus Christi Caller-Times)
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_20010601/ai_n10691906 (Chicago Sun-Times)

Noelle Bush (Jeb's daughter) -Prescription fraud and crack cocaine

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/LAW/10/17/noelle.bush (CNN Law Center)
http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/09/10/noelle.bush (CNN)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/01/29/national/main326007.shtml (CBS News)
http://www.sptimes.com/2002/09/11/State/Police__Cocaine_found.shtml (St. Petersburg Times)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002-09-10-cocane-bush-daughter_x.htm (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002/01/29/noelle-bush.htm (USA Today)

John Ellis Bush (Jeb's younger son) -Public drunkenness and resisting arrest

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9373195 (MSNBC)

Laura Bush (First Lady) -Vehicular manslaughter (no charges leveled)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/e1698.htm (USA Today)
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3910b26e685a.htm (reprinted from the Associated Press)

Columba Bush (Florida First Lady) -Smuggling/Defrauding U.S. customs

http://www.sptimes.com/News/62299/State/Gov_Bush_says_his_wif.shtml (St. Petersburg Times)

More links will be added as I find them.

Presidential Approval Ratings: The Clock Is Ticking

As approval ratings for the President hit a new low of 38% (NewWeek), many are wondering what effect, if any, this will have on the 2006 and 2008 elections. The President is quickly approaching the final approval rating of Jimmy Carter (34%), and slumping towards that of Richard Nixon (24%). (About.com) We're facing a political crisis the likes of which fully half of us have never personally been a party to. The Republicans are, in all likelihood, going to have to provide a candidate that, right off the bat, can show both charisma and talent. The current President has shown little of either. For those of us who see the slow merging of the Republican party and the Democratic party in America, however, we're going to have to see a very strong candidate, regardless of party affiliation. Next year, chances are excellent that the Congress will fall into the control of the Democrats again. When (and if) it does, the people must be there to tell them that we're tired of having the wool pulled over our eyes by BOTH parties, and they'd better be providing a viable alternative.

An End to the 'Mutual Annihilation' Policy, But Is It Worth It?

This should be simple. The Pentagon is proposing a stategy that will finally, permanently, put the Cold War policy of Mutual Annihilation on the backburner. The new policy, drafted by the Joint Chiefs, will allow for the use of a preemptive nuclear strike against even a vocalized threat of nuclear attack on the United States. The document still has a few heads to pass before it gets to Rumsfeld's desk, but even the concept of this plan may raise some serious points of debate. Do we, as a nation, have the right to attack on the basis of a mere threat? Well, we have to face the reality that a threat of nuclear attack may well be followed with an ACTUAL nuclear attack, something we, as Americans, must resist by every means necessary. There are problems, however, as to how this policy may be used by the government. There is always the possibility of falsification, as we have seen from the multiple, mostly debunked justifications for the conflict in Iraq. We will have to worry about this, not just from Mr. Bush, but from every Commander-In-Chief selected for office so long as this policy remains in effect. There are strong arguments to be made by both sides (and there WILL be sides), and this policy is one that may never be resolved within the American populace. If ever there was justification to accuse OR laud a government for playing at being God, this is, officially, it. Stay tuned for more information as your friend, the veteran, comes across it.

The Lowdown On That Katrina Chick

There seems to be some confusion as to whether the substandard response to Hurricane Katrina was the fault of the federal government or the state/local government of New Orleans and LA. While this is certainly a topic worth debate, it would seem that both sides are promoting a well-defined "It's the OTHER guy's fault!" style argument. The truth is that there were definite, horrible mistakes made on both sides of the proverbial fence. Were the Louisiana authorities partly to blame? YES! Due to the lack of a mandatory (and enforced) evacuation beforehand, thousands still remained in the affected area during and after the hurricane. School busses, which were earmarked as part of the published evacuation procedure, stood dormant prior to the storm. The issue of the already-filthy canal and sewage systems were not addressed properly. And so on, and so forth...
As to the federal side, there have also been numerous hiccups. There was the slow initial response from the President, which probably sowed much paranoia and fear in the citizens of New Orleans, possibly contributing to the current nightmare state that currently exists in the area. It took nearly a week for National Guard troops and extra police to arrive (in part due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East), which also created a detriment to orderly assistance and evacuation. There has also been talk of the previous cuts in funding to the Army Corps of Engineers in the area, who were working on numerous projects to strengthen the area against just such a disaster. All in all, the federal government has done little to remedy the situation, which is becoming increasingly out of hand. The veteran is rather tired at the moment, so he'll be signing off for now. As always, he welcomes your comments, both supportive and critical.