A playful meditation on the bounties of listening to the delicious sounds of the four seasons.
Book Review: Up, Up, Up!
A salute to the exhilarations of human flight by three children in a hot-air balloon.
Spiritual Literacy Blog: Unboxed — Yes, People Still Read, But Now It’s Social
The new phenomenon of sharing "popular highlights" from books on Kindle emphasizes the new communal dimension of reading.
DVD Feature Film Review: Welcome
An astonishing film about a Kurdish immigrant trying to get to England and the help he gets from a Frenchman who empathizes with his dreams.
DVD Feature Film Review: Date Night
A funny film about the adventures of a bored suburban couple in which they rediscover their love for each other.
Book Excerpt: Visionaries
Satish Kumar and Freddie Whitefield on people who made the greatest impact in creating and projecting a holistic world-view.
Media Closures an Attempt to Stifle Government Criticism in Pakistan
The recent closure of independent television stations and burning of newspapers in Pakistan signals continued intolerance
Freedom House Demands Immediate Release of Baha’is in Iran
The Iranian government should immediately release the seven Baha'i leaders who received twenty-year prison sentences Monday
Prisoner Abuse in Iran Demands International Outcry
Freedom House is deeply concerned for the health and safety of sixteen political prisoners in Iran's infamous Evin prison
Tuesday’s Primary Elections: AntiWar Leftist Ned Lamont biggest loser, McMahon over Schiff in CT, Buck over Norton in CO, Handel fails barely in GA
Lamont now with a permament 'L' on his forehead
From Eric Dondero:
There were a number of very close races on Tuesday in GOP primaries.
However, the big story of the night, under-played by the liberal media, Ned Lamont lost in Connecticut. Lamont was the ultra-AntiWar Leftist who challenged Independent-Moderate Joe Lieberman for Senate in 2006. Lamont savaged President Bush, and fiercely criticized the War in Iraq. Despite having spent millions on attack ads against Lieberman, including ads saying he wanted to "privatize education," get rid of affirmative action, and supported the Bush Tax Cuts, Lamont was trounced in the general election by over 10%.
Now, Lamont, a Greenwich Billionaire, has gone down again, losing to moderate Dan Malloy in the Democrat primary for Governor. No doubt when the reports come in, they will show that he spent yet even more millions to lose this race as well. Lamont, the darling of the NetRoots, Moveon.org., DailyKos, and even some in the AntiWar wing of the libertarian movement, is now officially a two-time Loser.
The night's other big news on the Democrat side, incumbent Michael Benet eked out a victory in the Colorado Senate primary. Benet was appointed to fill the seat of Interior Sec. Ken Salazar.
Important Republican Primary results
Also in Connecticut, fiscally conservative, social moderate Linda McMahon easily won the Republican nomination for Senate with 49%. Libertarian favorite Peter Schiff polled 23%.
For Congress, a Tea Party favorite, fiscal conservative firebrand state Sen. Sam Caligiuri won the nomination for the 5th CD.
In Colorado, Tea Party-backed Ken Buck squeezed out a victory over hardnosed campaigner Jane Norton for the Republican nomination for Senate. A dissapointing result for Congress in southern Colorado: Libertarian-backed individualist Bob McConnell lost with 46% to standard conservative Scott Tipton. Though, McConnell and Tipton did not disagree much on issues. Their differences lay more with style and approach. McConnell had the backing of Colorado Tea Party groups. But on another front Tea Partyer Ryan Frazier, occasionally described in the media as a "libertarian," easily won his primary for Congress. Frazier's district is east of Denver.
Finally, in Georgia, Sarah Palin-backed Karen Handel lost in a squeeker to longtime Congressman Nathan Deale. The finaly numbers appear to be 51% to 49%. Though, absentees still need to be counted.
Ryan Frazier wins Republican nomination for Congress – Colorado
"Free Markets, Personal Responsibility, Limited Government"
Former Aurora Mayor and Tea Party member Ryan Frazier won the GOP nomination with 65% of the vote last night. Frazier's opponent Lang Sias called him immediately to concede and express his support.
Frazier's victory speech:
We can be better, if we elect Americans to Congress who will put forth solutions that don't require more government, but require less. Free markets, personal responsibility, limited government..."
Editor's comment - what's up with Ryan's kids? They seem completely uninterested and bored with their Dad's big victory.
Islam exposes Cowardice of the Left, and other P.C. Yellow Bellies
GUEST EDITORIAL
by T.L. Davis
Let a Christian minister remind his congregation that homosexuality is a sin and you will have the rainbow brigade on the steps of the church in two seconds flat, but if Islamists execute a homosexual, dead silence. Is it fear? Just outright cowardice that keeps these rainbow warriors from protesting Islam? Yep, out and out cowardice, why there might be a jihad against gays!
Let a redneck beat his wife and you know, it's just the way they are, the scumbags, the pieces of crap! They should be put in jail and refused access to weapons and kept away from their wife and children. And, I'm not saying that is wrong, it just baffles the heck out of me why it is perfectly acceptable (based on the utter deafening silence of NOW) for Muslim men to beat their wives with not only a chorus of crickets from the feminists, but support by them for Diversity!
It is the civility of Christianity that allows these abuses. Fairness, the willing to listen to different points of view, kindness, order, decency, these are all virtues of Christianity, not Islam. Do not expect understanding of your homosexuality, they will execute you. Don't castigate them for beating their wives, they will execute you. Perhaps this is why you do not raise an objection. Perhaps this is why you allow other homosexuals in Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and other nations to suffer for your cowardice. Inspiring.
Sharia Law? Aw, you know, we ought to be more understanding, more culturally sophisticated and accept that not everyone is the same. Cowards!
What's worse is that all of the work done by these groups to achieve resolutions in our own society is lost when they willingly turn a blind eye to the coming wave of Islamic progressivism and I mean that in a sense of progressing across the globe, progressing into European legal codes, progressing as a culture that dominates and obliterates others.
No, your kindness and complicity will not be taken into account when the Muslim masters rule the globe. The only resistance to this wave has been from European and American institutions, institutions that now tremble at the arrival of Sharia Law. Your silence is akin to suicide for your cause. Your utter fear at criticizing Islam will be the last act of your organizations and your freedoms. And, for all of your demonization of the right, I think I will be too busy defending my own ideals to be of much help to you.
Editor's Note - T.L. Davis is editor of Tea Party News Central. You can also learn more about his book, pictured above, at his site.
GOP congressional candidate says fellow Republican Doug Cloud "more libertarian"
WASHINGTON STATE
From Eric Dondero:
In two weeks Washington State will hold its multi-party participant "playoffs" primary. For the 6th CD (Bremerton to Tacoma), longtime incumbent Democrat Norm Dicks is being challenged by two Republicans.
The leading challenger to Dicks Doug Cloud has an impressive list of endorsers:
Mainstream Republicans (more libertarian than moderate), Tea Party Coalition PAC, and the Republican Liberty Caucus. Joining in with a personal endorsement, arch conservative, anti-Islamo-Fascist activist and two-time candidate for Congress against Jim McDermott, Steve Beren of Seattle. (Beren is a friend and sometimes contributor of LibertarianRepublican.net)
Also running on the Republican label, 33-year old software engineer Jesse Young of Tacoma.
From the Seattle Times, Aug. 10:
Young said he doesn't worry about Cloud being in the race: "He's more libertarian in his thoughts. I'm more fiscally and socially conservative."
CORRECTION: We originally reported this was the "5th" Congressional District. We heard from the Cloud campaign. It is the 6th.
Rubio retakes lead in "seesawing" Florida race
From Eric Dondero:
The Florida Senate race continues to be a nail-biter for conservatives and libertarian Republicans supporting Tea Party favorite Marco Rubio.
From Rasmussen:
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Florida shows Rubio with 38% of the vote and Crist at 33% if Congressman Kendrick Meek is the nominee. Meek earns 21%. Only one percent (1%) prefer some other candidate, and seven percent (7%) are undecided.
If billionaire Jeff Greene is the Democratic candidate, Crist gets 37% support to Rubio’s 36%, with Greene trailing at 20%. two percent (2%) like another candidate, and five percent (5%) are undecided...
the lead in this race has seesawed between Crist and Rubio for months... The race remains a Toss-Up in the Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Balance of Power summary.
A Rubio victory is critical for Republican hopes of re-gaining the Senate. Without it, the GOP is likely to fall just short 51 to 49. Independent Crist is refusing to state which party he would caucus with if elected.
It’s full speed ahead for Ground Zero Mosque, but endless delays for the Church destroyed by Muslims on 9/11
Freedom of Religion, Equal Rights for Christians be Damned?
by Clifford F. Thies
Among the people killed and the buildings destroyed when our country was attacked on 9-11 by Muslim terrorists, to shouts of Allah Akbar in many places in the Islamic world, was a Christian church, specifically, St. Nicholas Church of the Greek Orthodox Catholic Church. When the foreign government-financed mosque needed zoning and other permits for construction on the site of a building damaged on 9-11, New York City was forthcoming, saying "religious liberty" was involved. Yet, freedom of religion is no consideration when Christians are concerned.
The City and the Port Authority of New York have delayed the re-building of St. Nicholas Church for years, have reneged on promises made in negotiations with the church, and are in the process of using the power of emminent domain to "take" the land below the church site. The Orthodox Church has been willing, all the while, to trade the land on which the church formerly stood, for a nearby, slightly larger parcel owned by the Port Authority, so it could go ahead and rebuild St. Nicholas in a manner befitting the location, accessible to visitors to the site as well as to its parishioners.
George Demos, a Greek American, and a Republican candidate for the U.S. Congress from New York State, has called for an investigation into the entire matter, including the financing of the mosque and the bad faith of the city and the Port Authority with regard to the church.
From his campaign:
Our campaign first highlighted the tragic failure to rebuild the St. Nicholas Church that was destroyed on September 11 while at the same time plans are underway to construct a Mosque near the sacred land of Ground Zero... this unbelievable story has received national media attention and highlights the fact that our government puts roadblocks in the way of our Judeo-Christian traditions while Islamic extremists continue to provoke us.... I will do everything in my power to protect our nation from Al Qaeda and other terror groups that threaten our way of life.
With regard to freedom of religion, how could "religious liberty" be invoked when the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is involved? The Kingdom opposes religious liberty 100 percent and, until recently, has even avoided condemning Muslim terrorism against non-Muslims. The imam for its ground zero mosque said, following 9-11, the United States was an "accessory" to the attack, and yet has not condemned Muslim terrorist groups saying that his role is not to criticise his co-religionists. The ass-kissers at the State Department may have to put up with this kind of bull shit, but we, as a nation, don't. We, as a nation, can demand reciprocity. Freedom of religion, here, for Saudi-financed mosques and imams, in return for relaxation of restrictions of the free exercise of religion in the Kingdom (outside the viciinity of the holy places for which the King is guardian). Recognizing the delicacies that would be involved, initial, small steps in relaxing these restrictions should be acceptable. We are happy for the recent, more forthright ruling by the Saudi scholars on terrorrism, for expanded opportunities for the free exercise of religion in numerous places in the Islamic world, and for the continuing evolution of public opinion among Muslims globally. And, we hope that the mosque at ground zero enables justice to be done for St. Nicholas Church, so that religous liberty and equal rights of all Americans is respected, including of those who are Christian.
Sources:
NYTimes, July 3, 2008, Churches troubles typify Ground Zero delays
OrthodoxNet.com George Demos: We must rebuild Orthodox Church
Aug. 3, 2010
Dr. Thies who grew up in Brooklyn, NY, is a professor of economics at Shenandoah Univ. in Virginia.
Paterson backs down on Ground Zero Mosque – Major Victory for Libertarians and Republicans opposed to the project!
Just Breaking...
Offers Alternative Location away from GZ
From Eric Dondero:
New York Governor David Paterson has backed off earlier statements in favor of the Ground Zero Mosque at the current proposed location. He issued the following statement this afternoon (via the NY Times):
“I’m very sensitive to the desire of those who are adamant against it to see something else worked out,” Mr. Paterson said at a news conference in Midtown Manhattan, where he was discussing efforts to curb identify theft.
Mr. Paterson added, “Frankly, if the sponsors were looking for property anywhere at a distance that would be such that it would accommodate a better feeling among the people who are frustrated, I would look into trying to provide them with the state property they would need.”
Meanwhile the AP is reporting that Paterson went so far as to offer state funds, if the project is moved:
ALBANY – New York Gov. David Paterson offered state help Tuesday if the developers of a proposed mosque near the site of the Sept. 11 attacks agree to move the project farther from the site.
Paterson plays a key role in the approval of the Mosque, given his position on the Public Service Commission overseeing Con-edison. It was revealed two days ago that Con-ed, owns half of the property proposed for the Mosque.
The leading voices against the Mosque at the current proposed location, have included Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs blog who has emerged as the unofficial spokesperson for the anti-GZ Mosque movement, Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, Republican Congressman Peter King of NY, fmr. Cong. and current Republican for Governor Rick Lazio and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been the leading proponent.
Government Bureaucrats getting Bigger and Bigger Salaries at expense of American Taxpayers
From Eric Dondero:
A new study released by USAToday finds that salaries for federal employees are far outpacing those for comparable occupations in the private sector.
From USA Today "Federal workers earning double their private counterparts" Aug. 10:
At a time when workers' pay and benefits have stagnated, federal employees' average compensation has grown to more than double what private sector workers earn, a USA TODAY analysis finds.
Federal workers have been awarded bigger average pay and benefit increases than private employees for nine years in a row. The compensation gap between federal and private workers has doubled in the past decade.
Federal civil servants earned average pay and benefits of $123,049 in 2009 while private workers made $61,051 in total compensation, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The data are the latest available.
The federal compensation advantage has grown from $30,415 in 2000 to $61,998 last year.
Continuing:
Chris Edwards, a budget analyst at the libertarian Cato Institute, thinks otherwise. "Can't we now all agree that federal workers are overpaid and do something about it?" he asks.
One critic of the increase, Republican Cong. Eric Cantor of Virginia:
"Americans are fed up with public employee pay scales far exceeding that in the private sector."
Though USAToday also cites Democrats and Union officials who oppose any pay freeze for federal employees.
Bell City Scandal near L.A. widens – City Administrator Rizzo paid $787,000 a year, allegations of Voter Fraud
From Eric Dondero:
The scandal that broke last month, over salaries for employees of the downtrodden L.A. suburb of Bell, just got bigger.
From the L.A. Times Blog "More Bell employees earned huge salaries, city says" Aug. 6:
The Bell salary scandal grew Friday when the city acknowledged that more city workers received high salaries, including two who made more than $400,000 a year and three who made more than $200,000.
Bell's interim city manager, Pedro Carrillo, announced the salaries at a news conference Friday, vowing that it was "a new day" for Bell...
The lavish salaries released Friday show that at least seven additional city employees – beyond the top three administrators reported by The Times – were making more than the average city manager in Los Angeles County. Among the highly paid are the director of administrative services, $422,707; director of general services, $421,402; the director of community services, $273,542; business development coordinator, $295,627; and a police captain earning $238,075. The names of the employees were not immediately released...
The Times had previously reported that the city's top administrator Robert Rizzo was paid $787,637 a year, Police Chief Randy Adams' salary was $457,000 and Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia's was $376,000. All three resigned amid public uproar.
And now Rizzo is facing serious charges of voter fraud on top of the salaray scandal. From John Fund's column in the WSJ, Aug. 7:
The explosive scandal that saw officials in the lower-income city of Bell, California (population 40,000) purged last month due to outrageous salaries and pensions may have had its roots in voter fraud.
City Manager Robert Rizzo, who stood to collect a $600,000-a-year pension, and police chief Randy Adams, who was due a $411,300-a-year pension, were just two of the officials forced to resign after their platinum parachutes were uncovered. Now it turns out that they had been hired and kept in their jobs by elected officials who allegedly took advantage of Bell's traditionally low voter turnout to commit ballot fraud.
In 2005, fewer than 400 voters cast ballots in a special election that cleared the way for City Council members to dramatically boost their own salaries. In that election, more than half the votes cast were absentee ballots, the method of voting most susceptible to fraud.
Four voters told the Los Angeles Times that city officials walked door-to-door urging them to vote absentee. One later was counted as voting absentee even though she said she never filled out a ballot.
Though, city offices are officially non-partisan, every single elected official in Bell from State Rep. to the local Congressman is a Democrat.
Mug shot photo of fmr. city manager Robert Rizzo taken after a recent DUI arrest.
Yes Democrats, we Republicans actually do want to Privatize Social Security
During the seven fat years, Pharaoh taxed the people at the rate of twenty percent to fill his storehouses with grain. Then, during the seven years of famines, he did not simply return the people's grain to them, but instead used the grain to reduce the people to bondage. Today, we call this Social Security. The purpose of Social Security should be to secure financial independence and even wealth for all those who work regularly, not to convert those who work into government dependents upon their retirement. -- Dr. Clifford F. Thies, Eldon R. Lindsay Chair of Free Enterprise
Professor of Economics and Finance, Shenandoah University
by Eric Dondero
Our conservative Republican friends may be a bit too timid to admit to it, but we Libertarians inside the Republican Party will say straight out, loudly and boldly, that Yes, We Do Want to Fully Privatize Social Security!
From The Hill, "Dems plan to attack GOP on Social Security," Aug. 9:
House Democrats are planning more than 100 events around this week’s anniversary of Social Security to attack Republicans who want to reform the popular entitlement.
Democrats and interest groups on the left have scheduled “birthday parties” and other events to highlight Saturday’s 75th anniversary of the program signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt.
A Democratic leadership aide said Republicans are “highly vulnerable” on both Social Security and Medicare.
“This is a party that said they want Medicare to wither on the vine and want to privatize Social Security,” the aide said.
Burn your Social Security Card!
Curiously, in the entire piece there's no mention whatsoever of the Libertarian Party which advocates in their platform complete privatization.
From LP.org:
Libertarians believe you should be able to opt out of Social Security and invest your money in your own personal retirement account. An account that you own and control - one that politicians can't get their hands on.
Republicans and Democrats say it can't be done - that your Social Security taxes are needed to pay benefits to today's retirees. Instead of letting you invest in your own future, they want you to have faith that someone else will pay your benefits when it comes time for you to retire.
Although most won't admit it publicly, their "solutions" to the Social Security crises all come down to some combination of tax increases and benefit cuts.
Libertarians know that there's a better way.
Countries like Chile, Mexico, Britain, and Australia have successfully made the transition from their failed Social Security systems to healthy systems based on individual retirement accounts.
The Libertarian Party even went so far as to sponsor nationwide rallies in the 1980s to burn Social Security cards, and urge its members to drop out of the S.S. system.
Republicans gain Libertarian voters with boldness; not bland pastels
So here we have the Libertarian Party criticizing Republicans for not backing real Social Security privatization.
And if you think the LP is "fringe," consider for a moment their candidate for US Senate in North Carolina is currently polling between 8 to 10%.
But of course, the Dems can't attack the Libertarian Party. They have to portray the Republican Party as the "extremist Privatizers."
The Republican Party needs to not only appeal to moderate Centrists, but the libertarian swing voter, as well. Libertarians are not pacified by namby pamby proposals of soft reform, or tinkering around the edges.
A bold Republican stance for full privatization of Social Security and other failed government programs will undoubtably attract that hardcore libertarian vote. Without such boldness, the Republican candidate is likely to loose 3, 4 or 5% or maybe even like North Carolina with a strong articulate Libertarian candidate on the ballot, as much as 8 to 10% of the vote on their libertarian flank.
The job of us libertarian Republicans is to help the GOP appeal to that flank.
So, go ahead Democrats. Keep playing up the "Republicans want to Privatize Social Security" line. You only make our job much more easier.
Dr. Thies is a longtime Republican, former National Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus, and currently Senior Editor of Libertarian Republican. Eric Dondero is a former Senior Aide to US Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX), 1997-2003.
Florida Democrat successful in outlawing Marijuana Paraphernalia
Self-described "Crackhead" turned Drug Warrior
From Eric Dondero:
A new law went into effect on July 1 across Florida that would outlaw all sales of drug paraphernalia, unless the store sells more than 75% of their products for tobacco use. The so-called "Grateful Dead law," was sponsored by a recovered crack addict-turned-legislator. State Represenative Darryl Rouson (photo with supporters from SEIU) represents the Tampa area. He is a Democrat.
From StoptheDrugWar.org:
"I've been fighting the pipe industry for the longest, because it is all a part of the drug trade and the criminal enterprise that we know exists and destroys neighborhoods, families and order in our society," said sponsor Rep. Darryl Rouson (D-Tampa Bay) earlier this month. "When was the last time you stopped at a red light and saw someone smoking a hit of tobacco out of one of these one-shooters or water pipes?" he told NBC Miami.
Rouson, a self-described former crackhead, has gone after paraphernalia in the past, too. Last year, he proposed a bill that would have imposed an extra sales tax on smoking paraphernalia to pay for DARE programs that were facing cuts.
"Florida has a conscience and an awareness that marijuana and the smoking and ingesting of it is not healthy for an individual, nor is it healthy for public safety and the order in society," Rouson added.
Another Democrat was quoted in the Palm Beach Post, Aug. 9:
"I was concerned about the crack pipes that are sold in these stores," said state Rep. Joseph Abruzzo, D-Wellington, a co-sponsor of the bill. "I was going to be supportive of getting those out of the hands out the youth."
Republican legislators share some of the blame for the legislation. The bill was voted through committee and the floor unanimously, then passed through the Senate. It was signed into law by Independent Gov. Charlie Crist.
Head Shop owners have organized a legal effort to fight the law in the courts.
