Wow! According to Rep Young of Alaska, during the 1973 Arab oil embargo we imported 39% of our oil from foreign sources. That embargo inspired the building of the Alaska oil pipeline. That was completed in 1976. Today in 2008 we important nearly 70% of our oil from foreign sources. There has been no energy legislation since 1973! What's Up!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
Political Tea Leaves in Afghanistan
America’s 2008 election for the Office of President may go down in American history as one of the dirtiest Democrats v. Republicans campaigns ever.
Did you know that one of the closest thing to a Mohammedan democracy is about to have a Presidential election as well. Afghanistan will be preparing for a 2009 Presidential election. Current President Hamid Karzai has indicated he will run for a second five year term.
It will be interesting if America will allow a free election that allows all that qualify to run in Afghanistan. The interest is that there is a strong Islamist influence from those that admire the Taliban.
The terrorist organization Hamas of the Palestine Authority government and their fiefdom in Gaza has proven that democratic elections do not mean democratic people are elected to Office. Hamas is a Jew/American hating murdering group that has the hearts and minds of the voters of Gaza.
That would indicate Gazan voters are in harmony with the death-cult version of radical Islamic terrorism.
If Afghanistan elects a person other than Karzai in Afghanistan and that person is an Islamist, it could be a big wrench in America’s effort in the Global War on Terror (GWOT).
Will the successes of Karzai in bettering the quality of life economically be enough to defeat a rival or an Islamist?
JRH 9/12/08
**********************************
Political Tea Leaves in Afghanistan
By Greg Bruno
Updated: September 11, 2008
Council on Foreign Relations
On most matters of social development, from health care to literacy, the United States and Afghanistan are worlds apart. But on presidential politics, the disparate democracies both find themselves enmeshed in prolonged electoral contests with potentially transformative results. A year before Afghans cast ballots for their president, voters, politicians, and analysts already are dissecting President Hamid Karzai's political record. And like the American contest, the race for Afghanistan's top office often is cast as a referendum on the country's future.
In five years as Afghanistan's first democratically elected president, analysts view Karzai's record as decidedly mixed. Afghan officials point to progress expanding citizens' access to health care, education, and a healthy growth in tax revenue. According to the International Monetary Fund's most recent figures, Afghanistan's gross domestic product (GDP) increased 8.2 percent between 2006 and 2007, to $7.7 billion (PDF). And in a new 2008 survey of the opium trade, the United Nations credited strong leadership (as well as bad weather) for a 19 percent decline in opium poppy cultivation from 2007. The majority of the heroin-derived crop is now confined to the country's southwestern provinces (PDF), where permanent Taliban settlements and organized crime rings remain active.
Karzai has vowed to build on these gains. In an interview with the Associated Press on August 19, Karzai confirmed he would seek reelection. Afghanistan's constitution allows for presidential candidates to run for two consecutive five-year terms (PDF); Karzai was elected to his first term in 2004 with 55 percent of the vote [*SlantRight: This is a cache link of the original]. But Karzai's mandate has not translated into unwavering support. An October 2007 opinion poll (PDF) by the Asia Foundation found that despite generally positive feelings about the direction of their country, the vast majority of Afghans felt the government cared little about the public's problems. Of late, Karzai has appeared intent on challenging those opinions by highlighting popular nationalist themes. Reacting to continued anger over errant U.S. air strikes, including an August 22 strike in Herat that may have killed dozens of children (Reuters)—the Pentagon disputes the death toll—Karzai fired two senior Afghan army officers for "negligence" (al-Jazeera). Karzai's government has also called for a status of forces agreement to govern the presence of U.S. and NATO troops (Guardian).
Some aspects of Afghanistan's troubles are beyond Karzai's control. Resurgent Taliban and al-Qaeda elements have regrouped in neighboring Pakistan, and the lawless border region has become a staging ground for the planning and execution of attacks in Afghanistan. Pakistani officials are unwilling or unable to reign in the militants, according to an investigation by the New York Times' Dexter Filkins. To fill the void President Bush has said he will increase the number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan in coming months, and has called for a massive increase in the size of the Afghan National Army. U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Michael Mullen, meanwhile, told House lawmakers on September 10 that he is commissioning a strategy overhaul for the Afghan war effort, one that covers both sides of the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. "I'm not convinced we're winning it in Afghanistan; I am convinced we can" (Stars and Stripes), he said.
But the help can't arrive soon enough for critics and potential challengers, who see many reasons to dump Karzai. They cite a surge in insurgent violence (CDI), drug-related corruption (NYT), and high poverty rates among them. Former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani, an ethnic Tajik with roots in the Soviet-era insurgency whose 1996 ouster cleared the way for the Taliban's rise, called Karzai's tenure "a great tragedy" (Bloomberg). Rabbani says Afghans are "looking for a change," and opposition candidates are already stepping forward to offer it.
One announced candidate is former Attorney General Abdul Jabbar Sabit, an anti-corruption crusader, whom Karzai tossed from office a day after announcing plans to run (Pajhwok). (Karzai claimed Sabit's presidential bid was illegal). A host of other current and former Afghan politicians have also announced or appear poised to do so, according to a list of "contenders" compiled by the Afghan news website Quqnoos. Other names cited among Afghan political analysts as possible contenders include former Interior Minister Ali Ahmad Jalali and U.S. Ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad (though neither man has announced plans to run).
Whether Afghanistan will see a strong opposition ticket, or even hold free and fair elections, is another matter. But as some U.S.-based Afghan experts see it, elections won't solve Afghanistan's problems. Seth G. Jones of the RAND Corporation says Karzai remains the most popular politician in a war-ravaged country, is Pashtun, and owns broad multiethnic support. "In other words," Jones writes in Foreign Policy, "Karzai is still the best game in town."
_______________________________________________
Copyright 2008 by the Council on Foreign Relations. All Rights Reserved.
Did you know that one of the closest thing to a Mohammedan democracy is about to have a Presidential election as well. Afghanistan will be preparing for a 2009 Presidential election. Current President Hamid Karzai has indicated he will run for a second five year term.
It will be interesting if America will allow a free election that allows all that qualify to run in Afghanistan. The interest is that there is a strong Islamist influence from those that admire the Taliban.
The terrorist organization Hamas of the Palestine Authority government and their fiefdom in Gaza has proven that democratic elections do not mean democratic people are elected to Office. Hamas is a Jew/American hating murdering group that has the hearts and minds of the voters of Gaza.
That would indicate Gazan voters are in harmony with the death-cult version of radical Islamic terrorism.
If Afghanistan elects a person other than Karzai in Afghanistan and that person is an Islamist, it could be a big wrench in America’s effort in the Global War on Terror (GWOT).
Will the successes of Karzai in bettering the quality of life economically be enough to defeat a rival or an Islamist?
JRH 9/12/08
**********************************
Political Tea Leaves in Afghanistan
By Greg Bruno
Updated: September 11, 2008
Council on Foreign Relations
On most matters of social development, from health care to literacy, the United States and Afghanistan are worlds apart. But on presidential politics, the disparate democracies both find themselves enmeshed in prolonged electoral contests with potentially transformative results. A year before Afghans cast ballots for their president, voters, politicians, and analysts already are dissecting President Hamid Karzai's political record. And like the American contest, the race for Afghanistan's top office often is cast as a referendum on the country's future.
In five years as Afghanistan's first democratically elected president, analysts view Karzai's record as decidedly mixed. Afghan officials point to progress expanding citizens' access to health care, education, and a healthy growth in tax revenue. According to the International Monetary Fund's most recent figures, Afghanistan's gross domestic product (GDP) increased 8.2 percent between 2006 and 2007, to $7.7 billion (PDF). And in a new 2008 survey of the opium trade, the United Nations credited strong leadership (as well as bad weather) for a 19 percent decline in opium poppy cultivation from 2007. The majority of the heroin-derived crop is now confined to the country's southwestern provinces (PDF), where permanent Taliban settlements and organized crime rings remain active.
Karzai has vowed to build on these gains. In an interview with the Associated Press on August 19, Karzai confirmed he would seek reelection. Afghanistan's constitution allows for presidential candidates to run for two consecutive five-year terms (PDF); Karzai was elected to his first term in 2004 with 55 percent of the vote [*SlantRight: This is a cache link of the original]. But Karzai's mandate has not translated into unwavering support. An October 2007 opinion poll (PDF) by the Asia Foundation found that despite generally positive feelings about the direction of their country, the vast majority of Afghans felt the government cared little about the public's problems. Of late, Karzai has appeared intent on challenging those opinions by highlighting popular nationalist themes. Reacting to continued anger over errant U.S. air strikes, including an August 22 strike in Herat that may have killed dozens of children (Reuters)—the Pentagon disputes the death toll—Karzai fired two senior Afghan army officers for "negligence" (al-Jazeera). Karzai's government has also called for a status of forces agreement to govern the presence of U.S. and NATO troops (Guardian).
Some aspects of Afghanistan's troubles are beyond Karzai's control. Resurgent Taliban and al-Qaeda elements have regrouped in neighboring Pakistan, and the lawless border region has become a staging ground for the planning and execution of attacks in Afghanistan. Pakistani officials are unwilling or unable to reign in the militants, according to an investigation by the New York Times' Dexter Filkins. To fill the void President Bush has said he will increase the number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan in coming months, and has called for a massive increase in the size of the Afghan National Army. U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Michael Mullen, meanwhile, told House lawmakers on September 10 that he is commissioning a strategy overhaul for the Afghan war effort, one that covers both sides of the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. "I'm not convinced we're winning it in Afghanistan; I am convinced we can" (Stars and Stripes), he said.
But the help can't arrive soon enough for critics and potential challengers, who see many reasons to dump Karzai. They cite a surge in insurgent violence (CDI), drug-related corruption (NYT), and high poverty rates among them. Former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani, an ethnic Tajik with roots in the Soviet-era insurgency whose 1996 ouster cleared the way for the Taliban's rise, called Karzai's tenure "a great tragedy" (Bloomberg). Rabbani says Afghans are "looking for a change," and opposition candidates are already stepping forward to offer it.
One announced candidate is former Attorney General Abdul Jabbar Sabit, an anti-corruption crusader, whom Karzai tossed from office a day after announcing plans to run (Pajhwok). (Karzai claimed Sabit's presidential bid was illegal). A host of other current and former Afghan politicians have also announced or appear poised to do so, according to a list of "contenders" compiled by the Afghan news website Quqnoos. Other names cited among Afghan political analysts as possible contenders include former Interior Minister Ali Ahmad Jalali and U.S. Ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad (though neither man has announced plans to run).
Whether Afghanistan will see a strong opposition ticket, or even hold free and fair elections, is another matter. But as some U.S.-based Afghan experts see it, elections won't solve Afghanistan's problems. Seth G. Jones of the RAND Corporation says Karzai remains the most popular politician in a war-ravaged country, is Pashtun, and owns broad multiethnic support. "In other words," Jones writes in Foreign Policy, "Karzai is still the best game in town."
_______________________________________________
Copyright 2008 by the Council on Foreign Relations. All Rights Reserved.
Will Hillary Replace Biden?
Apparently the rumor mill is speculating Governor Palin may drive Obama to dump Senator Joe Biden as his VP nominee.
Both Biden and Slick Willie Clinton may have contributed to this rumor.
First Biden in a speech spoke endearingly of Senator Hillary Clinton as a friend, colleague and a person not only qualified to be a Vice-President but a President as well. Biden went on to say Hillary may have been an even better choice than him.
Second BHO went to hang out with Slick Willie for a couple of hours on 9/11. The media picked up on some parting comments from Slick which indicate BHO will win in November handily.
Who knows what was discussed behind closed doors.
To happily contradict Slick Willie, if Biden leaves the Democratic ticket for any thing other than medical reasons it will be a demonstration of desperation by the Democrats and BHO. No matter how the BHO Campaign would spin such a decision, the Republicans could crucify BHO as indecisive and politics as usual to win. That would dismember his core campaign of “Change.”
Now Hillary is no slouch to politics. If the rumor pans out and Biden leaves, then the Hillary political machine will make some very good pot shots: nevertheless a McCain/Palin smart campaign could well overcome Hillary’s pot shots by sticking to a BHO indecisiveness that could only be dealt with if Hillary and BHO switch Offices before the election.
JRH 9/12/08
Both Biden and Slick Willie Clinton may have contributed to this rumor.
First Biden in a speech spoke endearingly of Senator Hillary Clinton as a friend, colleague and a person not only qualified to be a Vice-President but a President as well. Biden went on to say Hillary may have been an even better choice than him.
Second BHO went to hang out with Slick Willie for a couple of hours on 9/11. The media picked up on some parting comments from Slick which indicate BHO will win in November handily.
Who knows what was discussed behind closed doors.
To happily contradict Slick Willie, if Biden leaves the Democratic ticket for any thing other than medical reasons it will be a demonstration of desperation by the Democrats and BHO. No matter how the BHO Campaign would spin such a decision, the Republicans could crucify BHO as indecisive and politics as usual to win. That would dismember his core campaign of “Change.”
Now Hillary is no slouch to politics. If the rumor pans out and Biden leaves, then the Hillary political machine will make some very good pot shots: nevertheless a McCain/Palin smart campaign could well overcome Hillary’s pot shots by sticking to a BHO indecisiveness that could only be dealt with if Hillary and BHO switch Offices before the election.
JRH 9/12/08
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Know Your Enemy from 9/11
You know I have been trying to write all day something about 9/11.
I could not do it.
Every time I dwelled on what I witnessed live on TV on September 11, 2001 I began to weep for innocent Americans who died as victims and the official responders who died trying to rescue 9/11 victims.
Then I dwelled on those Americans on American passenger jets being hijacked and seeing their death as they flew toward radical Islamic targets.
There is where I began to become angry. Even as I type these letters of the alphabet I become angry that Americans (particularly the Slanted Left) don’t get it. Unless Islam experiences a reformation it will be an attacking death cult intent on imposing Mohammed’s theo-political militancy on a Western World that has reformed itself from religious wars and is currently wrestling with the polarities of a political spectrum.
In America, the Left looks to the secular egalitarianism of Europe. In America, the Right clings to their guns, Bibles and the individualistic right of less government and all which that entails.
In America our politics has blinded us to the dangers of Islamism using our very laws to slowly end both the Leftist and the Conservative dreams for America.
Ughhhhhhhhhhh! The insanity of it all.
Dear God in Heaven Americans; remember 9/11!
JRH 9/11/08
**********************************
I could not do it.
Every time I dwelled on what I witnessed live on TV on September 11, 2001 I began to weep for innocent Americans who died as victims and the official responders who died trying to rescue 9/11 victims.
Then I dwelled on those Americans on American passenger jets being hijacked and seeing their death as they flew toward radical Islamic targets.
There is where I began to become angry. Even as I type these letters of the alphabet I become angry that Americans (particularly the Slanted Left) don’t get it. Unless Islam experiences a reformation it will be an attacking death cult intent on imposing Mohammed’s theo-political militancy on a Western World that has reformed itself from religious wars and is currently wrestling with the polarities of a political spectrum.
In America, the Left looks to the secular egalitarianism of Europe. In America, the Right clings to their guns, Bibles and the individualistic right of less government and all which that entails.
In America our politics has blinded us to the dangers of Islamism using our very laws to slowly end both the Leftist and the Conservative dreams for America.
Ughhhhhhhhhhh! The insanity of it all.
Dear God in Heaven Americans; remember 9/11!
JRH 9/11/08
**********************************
Muslim-American Organizations FINALLY Receiving Scrutiny
Finally! Muslim-American organizations which claim to be non-violent “moderate” Mohammedans are in fact very connected to Islamist/Wahhabi/Salafi/Shi’ite terrorism. I have noticed many of them claim to be the largest whatever representing Mohammedan interests in America. There are many and most with large budgets have had some kind of connection to foreign terrorism. The U.S. government has been giving these organizations a pass most certainly because the current doctrine of Political Correctness requires the government to keep their hands off a major world religion or be associated with racism or limiting Liberty or both.
The “Finally” I opened with is that the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is beginning to hear the word “NO” from official channels when they request Federal, State or Local governments not to follow through some anti-terrorist training because it could (god forbid) to lead Islamic victimhood.
I was alerted in an email from Act for America which included a repost of a Conservative Voice article by Jim Kouri.
I will repost the Act for America introduction then read the Conservative Voice.
JRH 9/11/08
**********************************
CAIR tries to sabotage terrorism training
Act for America Email
Sent: September 10, 2008 10:14:06 AM
What will it take for government agencies and elected officials who hold up CAIR (the Council on American-Islamic Relations) as a “mainstream” Islamic organization to admit they have been wrong?
How many CAIR and former CAIR officials have to be arrested or indicted?
How many times must links between CAIR and terrorist organizations be uncovered?
How many times must CAIR be on the wrong side of common sense anti-terrorism policies?
Here’s the latest…
Khadafi Gives the M-E Islamic View of BHO’s Faith
Some of you may already be aware of this video in which Muammar Khadafi (Moamar Ghadafi and et al versions depending on your generation or who you read) is delivering a speech. This is the Khadafi that President Reagan became fed up with and launched an air attack on his palace which nearly killed Khadafi.
The speech has Khadafi saying Obama is a Muslim. Which I think is untrue however the point is that is not how the Muslim and Islamofascist terrorist Middle East views BHO. Also Khadafi shares his version of JFK conspiracy theory: the Israeli Intelligence (ergo Mossad) killed JFK and are now conspiring to kill BHO.
I saw a MEMRI English subtitled version of the speech on YouTube. I was going to embed this speech on other blogs however the YouTube site says the embed code was requested to be removed. It does not say who the request is from. So it could be just a matter of time that the next step is taken which is its removal. I am guessing the BHO campaign requested the embed code to be removed.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Sarah Smile by Lloyd Marcus
This brings me back to the '70's and it is an awesome tribute to Sarah Palin as well.
It still amazes me Barack Hussein Obama’s Campaign is focusing on the Presidential qualifications of Governor Palin when she is running for the Office of Vice-President.
Could it be she is more qualified to be a President than I have done a lick of legislation of importance Obama while Palin has all kinds of management experience?
It still amazes me Barack Hussein Obama’s Campaign is focusing on the Presidential qualifications of Governor Palin when she is running for the Office of Vice-President.
Could it be she is more qualified to be a President than I have done a lick of legislation of importance Obama while Palin has all kinds of management experience?
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