Archive for the ‘internet/free speech’ Category

What a phony Jeffrey Goldberg is

Posted: December 29, 2010 by datechguy in internet/free speech, middle east
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In his latest he laments the possibility that Israel will cease to be a democracy. Although on topic Israel Matzav answers him the better question is this. Why isn’t Jeffrey denouncing the lack of democracy among Israel’s enemies?

The idea that this fellow who worships at the altar of Fidel Castro is crying about the limits of democratic government is laughable. I hope the Babalu guys weren’t drinking when they saw this story.

The brilliant Ron Radosh explains the whys and wherefores of this kind of attitude now evident in David Remnick

“liberals like Remnick are simply tired of standing up for a cause that has become unpopular on the left.” In making his comment, Remnick announces that he is officially adopting the position taken a few years back by the London leftist intellectuals

Because in the end nothing is more important than being considered part of the right club. And in a slight variation of the old social club model being a supporter of Jews in Israel is enough to keep you out.

I’m with Fr. O’Malley on this one.

I purchased my tickets for CPAC yesterday

Posted: December 29, 2010 by datechguy in internet/free speech, special events
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I’m going to be flying down on the day before and flying out on the day after.

I can’t even think of affording to stay at the CPAC hotel so I’ll be staying farther out and Metroing back and forth to the conference.

My plan is to broadcast live from the conference (although technically it will be over by the time the show is on) but I’m sure there will be no shortage of national bloggers available to talk when things are all done.

Because I’ve been so involved in the show I missed the debate over GOPproud at CPAC.

I actually think both sides have a point here, if the agenda of GOP Proud is antithetical to a group it certainly can oppose its inclusion, but once it has been included the question becomes do I access this group of potential conservative voters or don’t I.

I submit it is very hard to make your case to a voter if you don’t show up, why cede the ground to ones opponent? Additionally when you have a good case on the merits as Thomas Peters et/al do one should move forward without fear into the breach directly.

All that being said right now conservatives are celebrating one of their biggest victories in history and when it comes time to stop the Obama agenda and repeal Obamacase I’d just as soon have gay republicans and conservatives voting with me on those issues.

In the last Election Bill Gunn opposed the war in Afghanistan. I absolutely disagreed with him but had no problem supporting him. Andrea Shea King is iffy on Obama’s birth place, but we agree on most issues and I will never forget her kindness toward me. On Gay Marriage Cynthia Yockey and I couldn’t be farther apart, but she is a delightful lady and a friend and one issue does not a friendship break.

Rather than boycotting, lets celebrate our common victories while unapologetically clashing when we disagree.

BTW feel free to help defer the cost of CPAC by hitting DaTipJar. It is much appreciated.

This is a good thing

Posted: December 28, 2010 by datechguy in internet/free speech
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Will it make a difference? Who knows, but if the Hollywood types want to protest something is a nice change for them to protest an actual tyranny:

Academy Award winners Paul Haggis and Sean Penn, along with film producer and movie studio chairman Harvey Weinstein, have joined forces with British-Iranian actress and Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) spokesperson Nazanin Boniadi to condemn the harsh sentence imposed on distinguished Iranian film director Jafar Panahi.

Both Panahi and his artistic collaborator, Mohammad Rasoulof, have been given six-year prison sentences after being convicted of “propaganda against the state.” Panahi was also sentenced with a twenty-year total ban on artistic activities. The Hollywood greats have signed a petition that Boniadi initiated with AIUSA to urge Iranian authorities to overturn Panahi’s sentence and encouraged others to go to http://www.amnestyusa.org to do the same.

“As someone who has often gotten in trouble for opening his mouth, it is hard to fathom the idea of being incarcerated for six years simply for speaking my mind, or to be banned from making films for 20 years,” said Haggis, who is best known for becoming the first screenwriter to write two Best Film Oscar winners back-to-back: “Million Dollar Baby” and “Crash.”

There is not a lot of support in comments for these guys over this move but lets face it, even if it is just talk, it is talk in a good cause for a change. When these guys actually fall on the side of the angels I say good!

If you want to know how far left the panel is on Morning Joe

Posted: December 23, 2010 by datechguy in internet/free speech, media
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When Joe Scarborough quoted this Victor Davis Hanson piece today a panelist (Jeffrey Sachs) pooh poohed him as an “extremist” and nobody on that panel challenged him. He maintained Victor Davis Hanson is an extremist who has gotten us into a bunch of wars.

Yes this writer and grape grower who pens books on military history is the cause of all evil.

When you don’t have the intellectual power to match a Hanson then all you can do is attack.

Update: Ron Radosh notes that the idea of “No Labels” and civility doesn’t seem to apply to conservative thinkers:

And what did Joe “Mr. No Labels” movement Scarborough, who talks every day about the need for civility, camaraderie and dialogue between folks of different opinions, have to say to Jeffrey Sachs after this most vile outburst?

The answer: absolutely nothing, but move on to the next point as if Sachs had never spoken these words. Sachs has accused the estimable historian of causing us to get into more wars than anybody else in America, and of being an extremist, and all Scarborough could come up with is a lame joke about Hanson not being on his Christmas card list.

All labels are bad, but some labels are more equal than others apparently.

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