All posts by Chief

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Study: Global Climate Unlinked from CO2

Sun, Not Man, Main Cause of Climate Change, New Study Says

The Chief has been following the science on this for some time. In spite of the scientific mantle assumed by the IPCC, its much-ballyhooed major “scientific” paper cited ad nauseum by AlGor and others selectively ignored science that ran counter to its pre-determined and politically driven summary conclusions.

While being certainly significant and welcome, this paper is only the latest in a series of scientific studies that rather thoroughly debunk the connection between CO2 and global warming.

According to a new study on global warming, climate scientists at the University of Rochester, the University of Alabama, and the University of Virginia found that the climate change models based on human influence do not match observed warming.

That is contrary to the views held by former Vice President Al Gore, who accepted the Nobel Prize on Monday along with the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and who thinks that climate change is largely caused by human action….

The new report, which challenges the claims of Gore and the IPCC, was published in the December 2007 issue of the International Journal of Climatology of the Royal Meteorological Society.

The report was written by David Douglass at the University of Rochester, John Christy at the University of Alabama, and Benjamin Pearson and S. Fred Singer at the University of Virginia.

Throw another log on the fire.

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Religion Becomes Bigger “Non-issue” in GOP Race

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A couple of items out on this today, firstly concerning Huckabee performing a good demonstration of Orwellian double-speak.

Huckabee Questions Mormons’ Belief

One has got to assign credit where credit is due. In this case, Huckabee Finn floats a statement that, “Shucks, gee-whiz, I don’t know nuttin’ about Romney’s religion…but ain’t they the ones that say…?” as he then procedes to bring up the issue, while simultaneously saying that he’s not doing so.

Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee, an ordained Southern Baptist minister, asks in an upcoming article, “Don’t Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?”

The article, to be published in Sunday’s New York Times Magazine, says Huckabee asked the question after saying he believes Mormonism is a religion but doesn’t know much about it. His rival Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, is a member of the Mormon church, which is known officially as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The authoritative Encyclopedia of Mormonism, published in 1992, does not refer to Jesus and Satan as brothers. It speaks of Jesus as the son of God and of Satan as a fallen angel, which is a Biblical account. A spokeswoman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said Huckabee’s question is usually raised by those who wish to smear the Mormon faith rather than clarify doctrine.

“We believe, as other Christians believe and as Paul wrote, that God is the father of all,” said the spokeswoman, Kim Farah. “That means that all beings were created by God and are his spirit children. Christ, on the other hand, was the only begotten in the flesh and we worship him as the son of God and the savior of mankind. Satan is the exact opposite of who Christ is and what he stands for.”

Romney spokesman Kevin Madden said Romney will not debate candidates on their faith or question their faith. “For those who want to know how Governor Romney’s faith informs his values, they can look at how he lives his life and how he has raised his family,” Madden said.

It would be incorrect to deny that the former Arkie Governor has no political character…it would be more accurately said that the political character he does have is that of a weasel.

Predictably (under the circumstances) enough, Romney refuses to take this with no reply.

Romney: Attacks on Religion Go Too Far

Republican Mitt Romney, amid questions about his faith raised by rival Mike Huckabee, said Wednesday that comparing political records on the stump and through the airwaves is legitimate for presidential contenders, but “attacking someone’s religion is really going too far.”

In an article to be published Sunday in the New York Times, the front-running Huckabee, an ordained Southern Baptist minister, asks, “Don’t Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?”

Romney, vying to become the first Mormon elected president, refused to answer that question during an interview Wednesday, saying church leaders in Salt Lake City had already addressed the topic. “But I think attacking someone’s religion is really going too far. It’s just not the American way, and I think people will reject that,” Romney told NBC’s “Today” show.

Asked if he believed Huckabee was speaking in a coded language to evangelicals, Romney praised his rival as a “good man trying to do the best he can,” but he added, “I don’t believe that the people of this country are going to choose a person based on their faith and what church they go to.”

As you may be able to tell from some of the Chief’s remarks here, Romney is being overly generous to the former Arkansas governor,

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GOP Wins Off-year Elections

Republicans Retain 2 Vacant House Seats

While it would be foolish to attach too much significance to this, it HAS to be a real disappointment to SanFranNan Pelosi and her fellow House Donks.

Republicans maintained control of both congressional seats that were up for grabs in special elections Tuesday in Ohio and Virginia, disappointing Democrats who had hoped to extend their gains in the House.

In Ohio, a state representative defeated a Democrat making her third run for the seat. And in Virginia, a first-term state legislator easily won.

Hopefully a sign of things to come!

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NATIONAL REVIEW Speaks up on GOP Race

Romney for President

After getting the nod from the American Conservative Union’s David Keene last week, National Review signs onto the Romney candidacy, signaling his acceptance by what is arguably the heart of the conservative establishment.

romney.jpg

Many conservatives are finding it difficult to pick a presidential candidate. Each of the men running for the Republican nomination has strengths, and none has everything — all the traits, all the positions — we are looking for. Equally conservative analysts can reach, and have reached, different judgments in this matter. There are fine conservatives supporting each of these Republicans.

Our guiding principle has always been to select the most conservative viable candidate. In our judgment, that candidate is Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts

The endorsement goes on with NR’s literate style to go into more detail – stuff not really new to the Chief – but IMHO welcome to see, especially considering the quality of the source.

They conclude:

More than the other primary candidates, Romney has President Bush’s virtues and avoids his flaws. His moral positions, and his instincts on taxes and foreign policy, are the same. But he is less inclined to federal activism, less tolerant of overspending, better able to defend conservative positions in debate, and more likely to demand performance from his subordinates. A winning combination, by our lights. In this most fluid and unpredictable Republican field, we vote for Mitt Romney.

The Chief concurs.

China Watch, Defense Matters!, National Insecurity

ChiComs Going for new Rope-a-Dope

Pentagon eyes China nuke talks

The Pentagon this week proposed holding a strategic nuclear “dialogue” with China, as Chinese military officials asked that Congress lift its guidelines banning military exchanges with Beijing on nuclear operations.

Defense officials said yesterday that the Chinese military’s request to end the 1999 “Smith guidelines” was made during the two days of meetings between U.S. and Chinese defense and military officials that ended Tuesday.

Hmmmm. Let’s see. maybe we should do this…after all, haven’t the ChiComs been nice lately?

Officials familiar with the talks said they also included a discussion of China’s refusal to permit the U.S. aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk from docking in Hong Kong for a long-planned Thanksgiving port call.

Oh. Never mind.

If we go for this one, it’ll only prove that something in the Pentagon water turns brains to mush, and we’ll once again take on the role of Charlie Brown trying to kick the football being held by Lucy.

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Oz P.M. Flips on Enviro Policy

Kevin Rudd recoils from climate change pledge

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd last night did an about-face on deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, days after Australia’s delegation backed the plan at the climate talks in Bali.

A government representative at the talks this week said Australia backed a 25-40 per cent cut on 1990 emission levels by 2020.

But after warnings it would lead to huge rises in electricity prices, Mr Rudd said the Government would not support the target.

Dang! What’s a pol to do? Another case of mugging by that evil thuggish reality.

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Homeland Security? WHAT Homeland Security?

Iraqi officers go missing in U.S.

Here’s another heartwarming tale from cloud-cuckoo land:

Numerous Iraqi military and law-enforcement officials brought to the U.S. as part of special intelligence and training programs have run away and are seeking asylum in this country or disappeared altogether, The Washington Times has learned.

Huh?

Army officials yesterday confirmed that five Iraqi military personnel whom the Army had been training disappeared between 2005 and 2007. They did not know how many other Iraqis sponsored by the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy may have done the same.

“Nothing that this command is aware of would suggest that any of those students who departed from their training or returned back to Iraq pose any threat to the United States,” said Harvey Perritt, civilian spokesman for U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), which oversees all the schools the Army has in the continental U.S.

OK. So there is nothing “that would suggest that any of those…pose any threat to the US.”

Reassured? Don’t be!

“We don”t know the reasons why they elected not to return to Iraq,” he [Perritt] said.

Uh…Mr. Perritt (or is he really Parrot?)…point of order here: if you don’t know their reasons for taking it on the lam, then how can you say there’s no threat? (Darned ole pesky logic raising it’s ugly head again out of turn!)

On the other hand…maybe his assumption is that they can read a newspaper…and it it works for the Mexicans…why not for them, so what’s the big deal?  A valid point?  Are YOU willing to bet on it?  The Chief isn’t.

China Watch, National Insecurity

Extension of Corporate Ability to Sell-out US Sought by Admin.

Justice, DHS ‘still object’ to CFIUS order

National security and trade officials are deadlocked over provisions of a draft White House order aimed at bolstering the security aspects of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, The Washington Times has learned.

The interagency dispute over a draft executive order on the Treasury Department-led committee, known as CFIUS, took place during several interagency meetings over the past two months, but differences on the wording and authority remain unresolved, according to officials close to the debate who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

So what’s the argument about, really?

However, the official said that the National Security Council staff are ready to push ahead with the current order despite the objections from security officials and members of Congress from both parties.

Additionally, several members of Congress have asked for briefings on the executive order but have been put off by the White House, the officials said.

At issue are the law’s implementing regulations, which critics in the administration say will limit the authority that national security agencies had to order “mitigation agreements” designed to curtail national-security threats from proposed foreign acquisitions of U.S. companies. Under the draft order, the Treasury secretary will have more power to resolve disputes when before the committee, while the White House National Security Council staff gets more authority in the appeals process.

In other words, these administration moonbat internationalist corporate lackeys want to smooth the path for a continuing program of literally and figuratively sellling out the US to the ChiComs, with minimal regard to the US’s own national security.

What’s the solution?

Rope. Tree. Traitors. Some assembly required.

Culture Wars

Romney Testifies for God and Country

The Chief saw an evening replay of Gov. Mitt Romney’s statement today concerning faith and politics.

IMHO it was one of the best political addresses since the days of the Gipper himself.

Romney Vows to Serve ‘The Common Cause’

His campaign at a crossroads, Republican Mitt Romney said Thursday his Mormon faith should neither help nor hinder his quest for the White House and vowed to serve the interests of the nation, not the church, if elected president.

“When I place my hand on the Bible and take the oath of office, that oath becomes my highest promise to God,” Romney said in a speech that explicitly recalled remarks John F. Kennedy made in 1960 in an effort to quell anti-Catholic bias.

There are plenty of descriptions of the Governor’s remarks, in the above noted article, as well as many others. Pat Buchanan however, goes considerably farther with his impression, which is more in keeping with the Chief’s above noted evaluation:

Mitt’s Hour of Power

If Mitt Romney wins the Republican nomination, it will be due in large measure to his splendid and moving defense of his faith and beliefs delivered today at the George Bush Presidential Library.

The address was courageous in a way John F. Kennedy’s speech to the Baptist ministers was not. Kennedy went to Houston to assure the ministers he agreed with them on virtually every issue where they differed with the Catholic agenda and that his faith would not affect any decision he made as president. He called himself “the Democratic Party’s candidate for president who happens also to be a Catholic.” It was like saying: “I happen to be left-handed. I can’t help it.”

Romney did not truckle. He did not suggest that his faith was irrelevant to the formation of his political philosophy. While declaring, “I will serve no one religion, no one group, no one cause and no one interest,” he did not back away an inch from his Mormon faith.

Going on, Buchanan isn’t afraid of expressing a strongly positive response:

Romney understands that while the First Amendment proscribes the establishment of religion, it guarantees the free expression of all religions, even in the public school. Supreme Court, take note. “I will not separate us from the God who gave us liberty,” said Romney.

This was a tour de force, and it was delivered before perhaps the largest audience Romney will have for any speech before the January caucuses and primaries. It will be the subject of editorials and columns in coming weeks. And it is hard to see how Romney does not benefit hugely from what was a quintessentially “American” address.

With this speech, Romney has thrown on the defensive his main rival in Iowa, Mike Huckabee, the Christians’ candidate who, when asked if Mormonism is a cult, left the impression it might well be.

The issues of religious tolerance, what it means to be a Christian in politics and of secularism versus traditionalism are all now out on the table, and will likely be the social-moral issues on which the race turns between now and January.

To this writer, Romney is on unassailable grounds. Nor is he hurt by the fact that his wife and five children testify eloquently that he is a man of principles who lives by them.

Amen.

Defense Matters!

Naval News from Across the Pond

British Site Supports R.N. Buildup & Maintenance

The Chief’s posting concerning the current sad state of the UK Royal Navy (no doubt affecting the rest of the British military also) attracted a thoughtful comment from a recently minted website over there called SAVE THE ROYAL NAVY.

Albeit a very sad day indeed when some from the Sceptered Isles find it necessary to proclaim such a need, their site looks like an excellent source of information on the British Front of the long standing struggle against the moonbat sentiments that “all we need is love” to just get along with each other and sing Kumbayah.

The Chief subscribes more to the statement of Lord Charles Beresford: “Battleships are cheaper than battles.”

Anyway, if you’re interested in the state of things over there, this looks to be a good source to check out concerning the state of the Royal Navy in its fight to survive more of the current EngSoc regime.

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Venezuelan Musssolini Slapped Upside the Head by Vote

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Hugo Chavez’s president-for-life bid defeated

Frankly this one took the Chief by surprise. Not the feelings of the people of Venezuela, but the admission by the Chavez regime that they actually lost the vote.

President Hugo Chavez was narrowly defeated today in a referendum on his wish to run for re-election as President of Venezuela indefinitely.

Voters said “no” by 51 per cent to 49 per cent to reforms that would have, among other things, freed him from presidential term limits, scrapped the autonomy of the central bank and given him control over foreign currency reserves, swelled by soaring oil revenues.

One has to fear that Chavez, like Dracula, will be back for another try…but for now at least, the news is better.

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Savage in Islamofascists’ Cross-hairs

A number of items concerning efforts of CAIR (Congress on American Islamic Relations of Angry Islamic Radicals) to destroy and eliminate radio talker Michael Savage’s ‘Savage Nation” program because of Savage’s outspoken highlighting of the efforts and ways of the Islamofascists to impose Sharia on the world through all means necessary…including any available force.

Islamists Target Michael Savage

Americans don’t have to look to Sudan to see Islamic fanaticism and extremism in action. The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) is trying to destroy the Savage Nation radio show featuring Michael Savage. Having forced the firing of radio host Michael Graham from WMAL in Washington, D.C., CAIR is trying to force independent conservative Michael Savage off the air nationally by intimidating his advertisers. Officially, CAIR claims its mission includes encouraging “dialogue.” But this is a big lie.

This so-called “dialogue” is a one-way street. CAIR has found Savage “guilty” of having an “anti-Islam” bias in the same way that a British teacher was jailed and expelled from Sudan for naming a teddy bear Mohammed.

We had better wake up fast. “They’re applying Sharia law here,” says Bill Warner of the Center for the Study of Political Islam. “In the United States we’re getting Sharia law by the inch. Islam cannot be criticized. It is a sin against Allah. What Savage has done is a grievous sin against Allah, Mohammed and Islam. They are not making this up. CAIR has no choice here. As a real Muslim, they must condemn anyone who criticizes Islam.”

There’s more, well worth reading.

Savage Sues Muslim Group

Nationally syndicated radio host Michael Savage has filed a lawsuit against CAIR, the Counsel on American-Islamic Relations, charging that the Muslim group has misused copyright material from his show.

The group, which identifies itself as the nation’s leading watchdog group protecting the rights of Muslims, has used clips of Savage’s radio show to raise funds and to get supporters to demand Savage’s sponsors cease advertising on his “Savage Nation” broadcasts….In the suit he alleges that instead of being what it claims to be — a civil rights organization — it is actually a political organization “designed to advance a political agenda that is directly opposed to the existence of a free society that includes respect and dignity for all people and all religions.

If CAIR is able to continue its program unhindered, it’ll be no good for us at all. Savage’s website (linked above) will be the definitive spot for tracking the course of these procedings…and will continue to link to other sources concerning this also. The Chief considers this one to be well worth watching.

Defense Matters!

Royal Navy Taking on Water

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Navy would struggle to fight a war – report

As a former naval person, the Chief is saddened to see this, and is concerned over some evident declines in our own naval forces, especially in the face of the ChiCom drive towards a 600 ship fleet of their own.

The Royal Navy can no longer fight a major war because of years of under­funding and cutbacks, a leaked Whitehall report has revealed. With an “under-resourced” fleet composed of “ageing and operationally defective ships”, the Navy would struggle even to repeat its role in the Iraq war and is now “far more vulnerable to unexpected shocks”, the top-level Ministry of Defence document says.

The report was ordered by Des Browne, the Defence Secretary, who had intended to use it to “counter criticism” on the state of the Navy in the media and from opposition parties.

At least that was the plan…but it looks like the Brownian EngSoc regime got mugged by reality instead:

But in a damning conclusion, the report states: “The current material state of the fleet is not good; the Royal Navy would be challenged to mount a medium-scale operation in accordance with current policy against a technologically capable adversary.”

Key findings of Royal Navy report
• Funding shortfall is “eroding” Navy’s fighting capability
• Fleet is “ageing” and ever more “thinly stretched”
• Anti-submarine capability is now below a “prudent minimum level”
• Royal Marines’ ability to conduct amphibious operations is being “eroded”
• Too many ships are putting to sea with “operational defects”
• Navy’s ability to “deliver influence at strategic level” is under threat
• Navy vulnerable to unexpected shocks compared with 20 years ago
• In 1987 35 ships patrolled UK waters, compared with just 10 today
• New aircraft carriers “provide significant global and military leverage”
• Navy’s modern ships are more capable and cost-effective

Admittedly the last two points are hopeful, but there’s far too much that’s not for an island nation (or its friends) to feel comfortable with the current state of affairs.

China Watch, National Insecurity

Report: Nix on 3Com + ChiCom Funny Business

Intelligence report hits China deal

More blowback via Bill Gertz in the D.C. Times to the proposed merger of 3Com into a ChiCom “business”:

U.S. intelligence agencies informed a Treasury Department-led review committee recently that a merger between 3Com and a Chinese company would threaten U.S. national security, The Washington Times has learned.

Bush administration intelligence officials said the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) recently submitted a required threat assessment to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, known as CFIUS, which is conducting a 30-day investigation of the proposed deal between 3Com and China’s Huawei Technologies.

The assessment, which is classified, described the deal as posing a “threat” to U.S. national security, according to officials familiar with the document.

Another maladroit attempt, with even more of a problem than the late, unlamented Dubai ports deal.

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Huckabee Finn’s True True Colors

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The False Conservative

Who would respond to criticism from the Club for Growth by calling the conservative, free-market campaign organization the “Club for Greed”? That sounds like Howard Dean, Dennis Kucinich or John Edwards, all Democrats preaching the class struggle. In fact, the rejoinder comes from Mike Huckabee, who has broken out of the pack of second-tier Republican presidential candidates to become a serious contender — definitely in Iowa and perhaps nationally.

Robert Novak goes on in even more detail concerning the background and state of mind of yet another Arkansas governor with presidential aspirations…this time from the Rebublican…or at least RINO…side of the aisle. The last thing needed right now is a GOP version of Bubba Bill Clinton to further muddy the political waters.

To paraphrase an old saying: “If it doesn’t walk like a duck, or quack like a duck, it’s not a duck”, and neither is the Arkansas governor a conservative…any more than Bush is…which isn’t much at all.

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“In the name of the beneficent, the all merciful…”

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Saudi Arabia Marks 136th Beheading of 2007

Saudi authorities on Sunday beheaded a citizen convicted of shooting a man in the head with an assault rifle, the Interior Ministry said. In a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, the ministry said that Ali bin Suweid Al-Domnan killed Diyab bin Ali al-Mansour following an argument in the southern city of Najran.

Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islam under which those convicted of murder, drug trafficking, rape and armed robbery are executed in public with a sword.

Sunday’s execution brought to 136 the number of people beheaded in the kingdom this year, according to an Associated Press count. Saudi Arabia beheaded 38 people last year and 83 people in 2005.

Hmmmmm. Immediate execution for murder, drug trafficking, rape, and armed robbery….

Maybe they DO have something right over there!

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British Buffoonery

Guards to go soft on prisoners

This piece is not very lengthy, but it’s proof-positive that moonbattery is alive and well in EngSoc’s Airstrip One just as it is over here.

PRISON guards have to call lags by their first name and ask permission to search their cells under new rules. A Government report into boosting prisoners’ “quality of life” at HMP Winson Green, Birmingham, made the recommendations after finding inmates did not live in a “good environment”.

HUH? Prison is not a “good environment”? Isn’t that the general idea? That’s why they call it…PRISON! It’s NOT a Sandal’s Resort Hotel.

As Isaac Asimov wrote once: “Such folly smacks of genius. A lesser mind would be incapable of it.”

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French Cooking

Thirty French police need treatment as Paris explodes into riots after teens die in police crash

Looks like the immigrant population has resumed its efforts to reform French cuisine, with their celebratory re-introduction of the auto-des-fetes, otherwise known as gasoline-roasted car. Hey, they aren’t discriminating either…it didn’t matter to them whether it was Chirac at the helm, or (now) Sarkozy.

Dozens of French police were seriously injured by rioters last night as President Nicolas Sarkozy appealed for calm. At least 30 officers had received treatment in the northern Paris suburb of Villiers-le-Bel, as they were attacked by hooded youths clutching metal bars and baseball bats.

In the earlier round of festivities two years ago, Sarkozy attracted the enmity of the Paris Muslim mob by properly identifying them as “scum”, while he was Interior Minister.

The trigger for the current round of Muslim-barbecued cars was the death of two (Muslim) youths riding a stolen motorcycle to evade police, who exceeded their ability to control their vehicle, and thereby exited their earthly existence. This was (of course!) held to be the fault of police who for some reason cling to the outmoded belief that they are there to enforce the law and foolishly acted on that assumption, resulting in the flight & crash of the no doubt innocent practitioners of the “religion of piss”.

For some reason, when the natives became restless and began to flic their Bics, the police decided to exit the scene. AH HA! “Omar Sehhouli, brother of one of the victims, said: ‘It is 100-per cent a police blunder. They know it, and that’s why the police did not stay at the scene.”

Right, Omar. The police MADE your brother steal a motorcycle and attempt to evade. Then they left the scene instead of staying around to be victims #31 and #32 to the expressions of concern of your piece-loving compatriots…so their act of self-preservation makes them guilty.

(If they had stayed around to get attacked, would they have then been innocent?)

France, whether or not she wants to admit it, is at war, as is all of Western Civilization.

Deus vult!

China Watch, Defense Matters!, National Insecurity

ChiComs to USN: Go away!

Admiral ‘Perplexed’ by Snub at Hong Kong

It was just last week that the Chief commented that in his humble opinion that the US Navy’s top brass was being taken for a ride by their ChiCom counterparts, who effectively were playing them for a bunch of chumps. After this incident, there are signs that this is starting to penetrate their awareness.

The top U.S. military commander in the Pacific said he’s “perplexed and concerned” by China’s last-minute decision to deny a U.S. aircraft carrier entry to Hong Kong for a previously scheduled port visit. The USS Kitty Hawk and its escort ships were due to dock there for a four-day visit Wednesday until they were refused access. Hundreds of family members had flown to Hong Kong to spend Thanksgiving with their sailors.

Nice slap in the chops from our ChiCom “friends”. Commenting further, CinCPAC noted:

“It’s hard to put any kind of positive spin on this,” Adm. Timothy Keating told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Thursday…

Gosh Admiral, d’ya think so? Can you remember something about the ChiComs – Chinese COMMUNISTS – maybe not REALLY having the interest of the world’s leading capitalist power at heart? (Hmmmmmm. Think. Think. THe clue’s right there on the edge of awareness….)

It’s even better that it’s part of a pattern:

It was the second time in a week that China refused to let U.S. Navy ships into the port. Two U.S. minesweepers seeking to refuel and shelter from bad weather in the South China Sea had asked for permission to enter Hong Kong three or four days before the Kitty Hawk. Those ships were denied, Keating said.

And all this unfriendliness came after we extracted our own spinal columns in our effort to be pals and play nice with the ChiComs:

The developments come as the U.S. military has been trying to bolster ties with the Chinese military to prevent misunderstandings and the potential for miscalculation.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited Beijing earlier this month and high-level commanders have traveled back and forth between the two Pacific powers. Chinese warships visited U.S. naval bases in Pearl Harbor and San Diego last year, and the two navies have since held basic search-and- rescue exercises together.

Asked if the refusal to let the Kitty Hawk into Hong Kong would hurt the U.S.-China military relationship, Keating said: “We’ll keep working it of course, but it is difficult for me to characterize this in a positive light.”

DUH!

It’s an ill wind indeed that blows no good…and at least now there MAY be an inkling of what we are really up against with what is shaping up to be a significant Communist superpower.

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Border Agents’ Case Garners Support

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Pressure mounts to pardon Border agents

This case is a travesty of justice. Evidence that would have greatly benefitted the defense of these border agents doing their jobs were with-held from the jury by the feckless weasel prosecutor Johnny Sutton. (Piss Be Unto Him).

Top conservatives have joined ranking House leaders in their bid to pressure the president to pardon two jailed El Paso Border Patrol agents for the nonfatal shooting of a Mexican drug smuggler in 2005.

In a letter to be delivered tomorrow to the White House, 31 major conservative petitioners joined a campaign being led by Rep. Duncan Hunter, California Republican and presidential candidate, to ask President Bush to pardon Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean before Thanksgiving.

The letter comes on the heels of the arrest of admitted drug smuggler Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila on charges of trafficking marijuana while he was profiting from the federal-immunity deal as the star witness in the shooting case against the agents.

Will Dubya do the right thing in this case. One would HOPE so, but don’t be surprised if he doesn’t, with his head so far up the fecal excretory orifice of the Mexican government that he can’t see the daylight.

The all too sad fact is that an appeal from “top conservatives” won’t be enough, for another reason than the one cited above: Dubya isn’t a consrvative…so why would he give tow hoots in a holler about what real conservatives think.

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Why guns.

Why the Gun is Civilization

Marko, in Tennessee has nailed it cold with this post. It hearkens the Chief back to some similar observations made my Robert Heinlien in some of his writing.

Human beings only have two ways to deal with one another: reason and force. If you want me to do something for you, you have a choice of either convincing me via argument, or force me to do your bidding under threat of force. Every human interaction falls into one of those two categories, without exception. Reason or force, that’s it.

In a truly moral and civilized society, people exclusively interact through persuasion. Force has no place as a valid method of social interaction, and the only thing that removes force from the menu is the personal firearm, as paradoxical as it may sound to some.

Check it out for the rest…definitely worth a look.

H/T to Instapundit on this one.

Defense Matters!, National Insecurity

Brit Commander: Time for Reality Check!

Our forces can’t carry on like this, says General

With the Clintonista administration, indeed, under BOTH Bush administrations there has been a marked tendency to try tu run our military “on the cheap”. This, to any rational mind, must inevitably result in ony one outcome: deterioration of the ability of military forces to successfully perform its mission. This reality is coming home with a vengeance to the Brits after the Blair-Brown EngSoc regime has had its way for years of skimping and shortchanging what remains of the once proud Royal Army.

The head of the Army has warned that years of Government under-funding and overstretch have left troops feeling “devalued, angry and suffering from Iraq fatigue”, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal.

General Sir Richard Dannatt, the Chief of the General Staff, reveals in a top-level report that the present level of operations is “unsustainable”, the Army is “under-manned” and increasing numbers of troops are “disillusioned” with service life.

Gen Dannatt states that the “military covenant is clearly out of kilter”, and the chain of command needs to improve standards of pay, accommodation and medical care. “We must strive to give individuals and units ample recuperation time between operations, but I do not underestimate how difficult this will be to achieve whilst under-manned and with less robust establishments than I would like.”

This is NOT the way that a nation’s military forces deserve to be treated…whether they are the Brits, or us.

The report, a copy of which has been seen by this newspaper, reveals for the first time the general’s concerns on virtually every aspect of the Army, from levels of pay to the quality of food in canteens.

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Fun, with Physics

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Surfer dude stuns physicists with theory of everything

This in from this weekends Sunday Telegraph:

An impoverished surfer has drawn up a new theory of the universe, seen by some as the Holy Grail of physics, which has received rave reviews from scientists….

…his proposal is remarkable because, by the arcane standards of particle physics, it does not require highly complex mathematics.

Even better, it does not require more than one dimension of time and three of space, when some rival theories need ten or even more spatial dimensions and other bizarre concepts. And it may even be possible to test his theory, which predicts a host of new particles, perhaps even using the new Large Hadron Collider atom smasher that will go into action near Geneva next year.

If this holds up, it will be the greatest advance in theoretical physics since Relativity. Einstein’s work paved the way for the development of nuclear energy, in both its explosive and non-explosive forms. Who could predict where THIS may lead us? One thing the Chief wouldn’t do is limit the possible outcomes…the sky, or perhaps the galaxy is the limit.

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Naval difficulties, if not worse:

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The uninvited guest: Chinese sub pops up in middle of U.S. Navy exercise, leaving military chiefs red-faced

When the U.S. Navy deploys a battle fleet on exercises, it takes the security of its aircraft carriers very seriously indeed. At least a dozen warships provide a physical guard while the technical wizardry of the world’s only military superpower offers an invisible shield to detect and deter any intruders. That is the theory. Or, rather, was the theory.

Uninvited guest: A Chinese Song Class submarine, like the one that surfaced by the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk

American military chiefs have been left dumbstruck by an undetected Chinese submarine popping up at the heart of a recent Pacific exercise and close to the vast U.S.S. Kitty Hawk – a 1,000ft supercarrier with 4,500 personnel on board. By the time it surfaced the 160ft Song Class diesel-electric attack submarine is understood to have sailed within viable range for launching torpedoes or missiles at the carrier.

Several thoughts occur to the Chief, as an old Destroyer sailor:

Firstly, the Chief can full well imagine the “Holy sh_t” reaction of the carrier group at the appearance of the Chicom’s “People’s Liberation Army Navy” under the reported circumstances.

It is admittedly not a trivial task to detect a quiet submarine. Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), certainly uses a lot of science in its efforts, but given the variables of sea conditions, temperature layers, currents, etc., success at times is as much a matter of successful art as it is of successful science.

Having said that, the Chief hopes that the Admirals allegedly leading the fleet these days get ulcers to help them realize the fecklessness of their policies that draw down the fleet while the Chicoms build up towards their planned Reaganesque 600 ship Navy. (How’s THAT: the Communists copy the Gipper’s policy, while we move ever more firmly into the realm of Chamberlain’s appeasement.)

The Chief fears that the position of the Carrier these days is starting to look like that of the Battleships in 1914. Nothing more powerful afloat, but such a major investment, that fear of losses dominated their use, or non-use.

The result of the first Naval arms race with the Brits and Kaiser Bill’s Kriegsmarine was the interesting but less than decisive Battle of Jutland. The ChiComs are making the point to us, that if we bring in the flat-tops to…let us imagine…defend Taiwan against forcible reunification with the mainland…that these marvels of naval technology, each with 4500-5500 US sailors aboard could be subject to destruction by a modern version of WW-II German technology in the form of the diesel-electric U-boat.  (And wouldn’t THAT be grist for the political mills inside the beltway, to say nothing of the popular reaction.)

What makes things even worse, and the fecklessness of the Admirals even more evident (as if it were possible) is their penchant for inviting their ChiCom counterparts to come visit and learn how we operate, and see our strategy, tactics, and weapons at work (in exercise mode), all of which would certainly be of help to them in a possible (or probable?) future war.

The whole mess just leaves the Chief with a sick sensation in the pit of the stomach. God help the USA – ’cause our so-called leaders are badly botching their responsabilities.

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Inconvenient Economics

More of this…as previously reported by the Chief.

Firstly, Mogambo Guru continuing to sound off in his imimitable style:

More generous inflation protection

Around here, governments are freezing open staff positions and trimming budgets, which is bad news for an economy that depends on government spending, like America’s. And so it seems natural that we learn from Bloomberg.com that, “New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered agency heads to freeze all city hiring and cut their budgets this year and next, anticipating less revenue as Wall Street profits drop and real estate sales slow.”

The net effect is that “New York state faces a budget gap of $4.3 billion next year, up from $3.6 billion estimated three months ago, as Wall Street job cuts and losses reduce tax revenue, the Division of Budget said. The state normally collects about 20% of its revenue from taxes on Wall Street companies and employees.” 20%! Wow! No wonder Wall Street sharpies are always sticking me with fees, expenses and commissions!

But rememebr – the economy is REALLY doing just fine! Didn’t the Dow go up 300 today? Besides, inflation is low, right?

Read on…

Gold: A barbarous relic

The dollar is now worth less than 1/800th of an ounce of gold – the most significant financial development in the world today. Why is this more important than crude oil over US$95, or copper over $3, or wheat over $7? Because, unique among all the commodities and industrial products in the world, gold is money.

What does this mean: “gold is money”? It means that gold has the primary desired characteristic of money, which is stability of value. Thus, when the “price of gold goes up”, the value of gold doesn’t change much. What you are witnessing is the value of
currencies declining. The dollar, yes, but also the euro, yen and yuan. The result of declining currency value is inflation.

Read more for a pretty good primer on the gold standard and our current inflationary environment.

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Blow to Campus P.C. in California Case

CSU students not ready to make nice – and they don’t have to

The 417,000 students at California State University’s 28 campuses are expected to be civil to one another, the university says in its policy manual.

It sounds innocuous – but a federal magistrate says it’s an unconstitutional restriction on speech when the policy is used to investigate or discipline students, such as the College Republicans whose members stomped on two flags bearing the name of Allah during an anti-terrorism rally at San Francisco State last year.

Dang! A California Federal judge ruling against political correctness! Who woulda thunk it!

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Every picture tells a story…

A Stirring Iraq Photo You Won’t See on the Cover of Newsweek

thankpraise400.jpg

Described by Michael Yon who has released it for free dissemination for a limited time use:

A Muslim man had invited the American soldiers from “Chosen” Company 2-12 Cavalry to the church, where I videotaped as Muslims and Christians worked and rejoiced at the reopening of St John’s, an occasion all viewed as a sign of hope.

The Iraqis asked me to convey a message of thanks to the American people. ” Thank you, thank you,” the people were saying. One man said, “Thank you for peace.” Another man, a Muslim, said “All the people, all the people in Iraq, Muslim and Christian, is brother.” The men and women were holding bells, and for the first time in memory freedom rang over the ravaged land between two rivers.

Given stuff like this, the total fecklessness of the Donk Cong surrender monkeys is ever more surreal.

H/T to Newsbusters on this one.