Archive for July 30, 2010

Like nobody saw this coming

Posted: July 30, 2010 by datechguy in Afghanistan war, internet/free speech, opinion/news
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Do the words: Blood on their hands ring a bell?

In an interview with Channel 4 News, Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, said they were studying and investigating the report, adding “If they are US spies, then we know how to punish them.”

This brought to mind something, twenty five years ago just out of college I started at Raytheon. In the list of document that had to be filled out when at my hire was one that caught my eye.

It was a list of offensives that made you subject to death or such lesser penalty as the law would allow.

When you’re 21 it’s really heady stuff to read that there are things you can do on the job that can get you executed. Of course I wasn’t planning to give classified info to the soviets in the middle of the cold war, but it was a sobering thing to read.

As I remember when the media convicted Richard Jewel I’m going to withhold judgment for now on the soldier who is being named in the media, but if an employee at a defense plant is aware that treason carries a possible death penalty how much more should a soldier, particularly during wartime?

If it is proved this or any soldier was complicit in the leaks, such an act that’s as clear a case of treason as there is.

And now it appears that those helping us will now pay for their support of America with their lives.

If this doesn’t warrant a firing squad I don’t know what does.

Memeorandum thread here.

My Shirley Sherrod Sucker post…

Posted: July 30, 2010 by datechguy in internet/free speech, the courts
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has produced some reaction in comments and from some friends who were surprised at my reaction. For those who are unsure, two posts at other blogs make my point best.

The short version comes from Robert Stacy:

A government official successfully pursuing a defamation suit against a private citizen is quite nearly impossible.

Any responsible lawyer would provide three words of helpful advice to Shirley Sherrod: “Discovery’s a bitch.”

The long version is at the American Thinker:

This past Sunday, in his weekly column for the San Francisco Chronicle, “Willie’s World,” veteran black politico Willie Brown confirmed that “there is more to the story than just [Sherrod’s] remarks.”

“As an old pro,” Brown acknowledged, “I know that you don’t fire someone without at least hearing their side of the story unless you want them gone in the first place.” Brown observed that Sherrod had been a thorn in the USDA’s side for years, that many had objected to her hiring, and that she had been “operating a community activist organization not unlike ACORN.” Although Brown does not go into detail, he alludes to a class action lawsuit against the USDA in which she participated some years ago.

In the way of background, in 1997, a black farmer named Timothy Pigford, joined by four hundred other black farmers, filed a lawsuit against Bill Clinton’s Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman, claiming that the USDA treated black farmers unfairly in all manner of ways, from price support loans to disaster payments to operating loans. Worse, they charged that the USDA had failed to process any complaints about racial discrimination.

The notion that the Clinton Ag Department had spent four years consciously denying black farmers their due defies everything we know about Clinton’s use of race and should have made the media suspicious about Pigford’s claims dating back to 1983.

Flush with revenue in 1999 and eager to appease this bedrock constituency, the administration settled with the farmers — more realistically, their attorneys — for fifty grand apiece, plus various other perks like tax offsets and loan forgiveness. If any of the presumably racist USDA offenders were punished, that news escaped the media.

Is this all talk? Is there an actual suit that will be filed? Boy does this administration hope not.

Quick FYI:

Posted: July 30, 2010 by datechguy in blogs
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Blogging might be a little lighter than normal as I have to be in and out of the house a bit today.

To all of you who have stopped by from both sides of the aisle thanks for stopping by, glad to have you around.

Interesting: America Refocused Aug 21st & 22nd: Franklin Indiana

Posted: July 30, 2010 by datechguy in internet/free speech, special events, tea parties
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One of the things about the tea party movement that you might have noticed is that although you will find quite a few religious and social conservatives in the moment, it doesn’t touch on social issues per se because that is not the mission of the group.

Now there is a social/religious conservative basis for tea party positions. If you are a social conservative and want to attend something with a more Christian spin on the topic a group called America Refocused may have just what you are looking for.

America Refocused revival is two-day event that will be joining the grassroots Patriot movement and Tea Party’s with the Christian Church.

I guess you could call it a Christian Tea Party. Details and Registration are available online. it will be held at the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Franklin Indiana. If you want some details on America Refocused’s principles they are here.

Given my job/employment situation and the lack of success of my last fundraiser (Feel free to kick into DaTipJar if you wish), I will likely be missing this event, but if you are in better financial shape than me or closer to Franklin Indiana that I am it would certainly be worth your time.

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