Archive for the ‘opinion/news’ Category

On Morning Joe they spent first half of their second hour laughing at Republicans…

Posted: August 4, 2010 by datechguy in congress, opinion/news
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over the 14th amendment. There are actually 5 sections to this amendment. The irony here of course is the “why not just enforce the existing laws” instead of such “foolishness”

Why? For the same reason why Arizona felt compelled to pass their law, because the Federal Government hasn’t done it, and these same people who now say: “Just enforce the laws” Don’t favor them and don’t want them enforced.

To pretend that one side is playing politics with this issue and the other is not is disingenuous to say the least.

For those people in congress afraid of talking points memo might I suggest offering a new clean 28th Amendment as follows:

Section 1: Any child born after the adoption of this amendment of two non-citizens, those non-citizens being in the United States in violation of federal law, shall not be considered “born in the United States” for the purpose of determining citizenship.

Section 2: The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

Simple direct and to the point. Anybody want to sign on?

Memeorandum thread here.

Israel attacked from the north

Posted: August 3, 2010 by datechguy in opinion/news, war
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How many times do we have to read this story before the world get it though their heads what is going on in Israel?

Good thing we have that brave UN to prevent the Lebanese army from attacking Jews in Israel. Israellycool makes a good point:

What is not clear is whether the Lebanese soldier picture actually fired the RPG, but it is nonetheless problematic that UNIFIL would just happen to be “hanging out” with the Lebanese soldiers during the clashes with Israel.

Or even worse: shielding them.

No comment yet from Helen Thomas or Octavia Nasr.

This was done in broad daylight with plenty of witnesses that means it was done for a reason. Was it to prove Israeli response, to keep Jewish eyes elsewhere?

Time will tell.

Memeorandum thread here

The Rangel/Waters ethics case, a sign of racial progress?

Posted: August 3, 2010 by datechguy in congress, opinion/news
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I’ve always remembered a particular episode of Gilligan’s Island (Gilligan vs. Gilligan available online here) that had a particular exchange between Mr. Howell and the Russian spy posing as Gilligan. Mr. Howell puts his chess piece on an illegal square. Mr. Howell reacts indignantly:

Mr. Howell: Young man are you accusing a Howell of cheating? I’ll have you know I’m far too wealthy.

Spy Gilligan: To cheat?

Mr. Howell: No, to be accused!

It reminds me that there once was a time when our icons such as JFK were far too important to have their dirty laundry aired in public.

How does that relate to The Rangel/Waters issues? Consider this; as Black America gradually progressed in rights and influence, they also gradually took the places at the seats of power that their growing influence and the slow progress toward legal equality demanded.

Like all men and woman those people who attained power and office were individuals with their own strengths, weaknesses and foibles. However those foibles while they might be known in their own communities were not aired to the general pubic. Not because the community approved but because you didn’t tear down your own when it took so long to get to the mountaintop (this is of course not unique to the Black community). As blacks migrated to the democratic party and as the party became more dependent on their vote, it became a priority for the party as well to keep any problems in house with a tact cloak of silence. Thus any such suggestion became a racial issue and the proponent of such questions a racist.

Now however things are different, the digital age forces light on things that were once hidden (read Rev Wright) and with our first black president (sorry Bill Clinton) it is impossible to pretend that African American’s place in American society is defined primarily by the sins of the past.

James Clyburn not withstanding, Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters ethics issues have nothing to do with race and everything to do with actions. The actions against them are not signs of the return of the Jim Crow past meant to keep Black America underfoot. It also shows we have progressed beyond the equally offensive but less violent era of tokenism.

This is the sign of a new era where we can look at a member of congress of any race and see…a member of congress. This means we can judge said member not on the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I think that’s progress and America in general and the Black community in particular are better off for it.

Update: Morgan Freeman knew what he was talking about.

As does Col Allen West:

Two last things concerning Bainbridge’s post…

Posted: August 3, 2010 by datechguy in internet/free speech, opinion/news
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…first of all I must link to Roxeanne De Luca’s excellent piece that not only linked to mine, but puts the lie to his anti-intellectual point that the professor tried to make:

While Bielat is the only one of those guys (and gals) who pulled off the double-Ivy education, one can hardly call the small army of JDs, CPAs, MBAs, and professors “anti-intellectual”. One then has to wonder at Bainbridge’s assertions: who, among this growing conservative movement, is really “anti-intellectual”? Are we stupid? uneducated? have the audacity to think that our BC, Georgetown, and Tufts educations are not so dismal as to disqualify us from public debate and office? or just not relentlessly focused on degrees obtained two decades ago? is what is happening in Massachusetts not representative?

As they say, read the whole thing as the young lady with TWO DEGREES of her own defends the tea party she is so much a part of.

Secondly and more importantly as I re-read his piece I noticed something that I hadn’t caught in his 10th point, lets review:

Whatever happened to smart, well-read, articulate leaders like Buckley, Neuhaus, Kirk, Jack Kent, Goldwater, and, yes, even Ronald Reagan? emphasis mine

Even Ronald Reagan? EVEN RONALD REAGAN?! That sentence, the idea that: Today’s conservatives are so dumb they even make Ronald Reagan look smart, well-read and articulate, brings me back to my college days.

Starting college 8 months into Reagan’s first term I recall the way that liberals treated Reagan with disdain and/or fear. My favorite professor the spectacular Ed Thomas, (the best history teacher I ever had) used to talk about how Reagan “Scared him”. Liberals reacted with glee when he got the nomination. They couldn’t believe he won.

But I also remember how elite conservatives absolutely HATED him. They hated his small town background, they hated that he was a Hollywood actor, they hated his abandonment of realpolitik saying bluntly what the Soviet Union actually was, they hated him because he was so comfortable in his own skin and beliefs they he didn’t feel the need to seek their approval.

Most of all they hated that due to his success and popularity among the idiot people that they had to pay homage to someone so obviously beneath them to get elected or to be supported.

Remind you of anyone today?

We have seen this last point often in the last few years among the leftist media and pols (who can’t believe and won’t forgive Reagan for drawing more sympathy in death than Ted Kennedy) who now avoid criticizing him, acting as if they had been with him all the time.

I had almost totally forgotten the absolutely visceral hatred some Republicans had for Ronald Reagan. Thank you Professor Bainbridge for reminding me of an important lesson from the days of a full hairline.

Update: An Instalanche in my sleep. Very odd to wake up and find my first post of yesterday to be linked by Glenn at the very end of the day. Nice to have you all. You may want to check out the article I put up at Examiner.com on the subject called:
Conservatives in Massachusetts should be grateful not embarrassed by the Tea Party that answers the point concerning Tea Parties.

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