In a June 18 news item, congressionial candidate Goli Ameri responded to terrorist acts with a vow to stand firm against terror if elected to represent Oregon's First District. "These terrorists hate Americans because we are pluralistic, prosperous, and free. There is no negotiating or reasoning to be had with these fanatics. We must find them and destroy them before they can realize their evil intentions. ... In Iran I watched as radicals gained power through the use of terror and maintained it through fear. These terrorists are attempting to cow Americans in the same manner. Today’s atrocity should strengthen our resolve to win this deadly, painful, but necessary war," Ameri said.
2004-08-08
2004-08-02
Iran Regime Change Petition
has over 500 signatures. Is yours one of them? Click here:
True Security Begins with Regime Change in Iran
True Security Begins with Regime Change in Iran
2004-07-29
Just a few quick thoughts ...
... before I go back to schlepping.
I believe President Bush spoke wisely when he said of the War on Terror, "This is not a war against a religion." In a December 3, 2003 post, Ali at Iraq the Model wrote: 'I think that the governments can not create criminals or saints, but a wise one makes it easier for the good ones to use their free will as it makes it harder for the bad ones to use theirs. And the opposite applies for the bad government; it just acts as a catalyst to the potentialities within each human soul.' I believe this applies to religions as well. Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are what their adherents make of them. A religious teaching provides the framework to strengthen and ennoble the human soul, but it is up to people to use their free will to build on that framework in a positive way. There is, in Irshad Manji's words, a "trouble with Islam"; and as a Muslim acquaintance of mine recently said, "No religion today is more sick than Islam." But it doesn't have to be that way. This is why you'll never find sarcastic comments about "the religion of peace" or "72 virgins" on this site.
I really do believe in all that good liberal stuff about "understanding other people/cultures/religions". At the same time, everything in the world doesn't reduce to this. You need to "understand" bin Laden, Arafat, and Saddam only well enough to know that they are trying to destroy you. It's important to know how to "win friends and influence people", but there are some folks in the world who are immune to the Dale Carnegie treatment. They will continue killing innocent people, and they will not stop no matter how nicely you ask.
Understanding other people means relating to others as people, not as "strange objects on a laboratory slide". And it applies equally to everyone, regardless of religion, politics, ethnicity, or social class. It's a strange kind of "liberalism" that can be more "open-minded" about fascist terrorists than about conservative Americans. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
I'll post again when I get the chance. Meanwhile, as always, thanks for reading my blog - drop me a comment sometime.
I believe President Bush spoke wisely when he said of the War on Terror, "This is not a war against a religion." In a December 3, 2003 post, Ali at Iraq the Model wrote: 'I think that the governments can not create criminals or saints, but a wise one makes it easier for the good ones to use their free will as it makes it harder for the bad ones to use theirs. And the opposite applies for the bad government; it just acts as a catalyst to the potentialities within each human soul.' I believe this applies to religions as well. Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are what their adherents make of them. A religious teaching provides the framework to strengthen and ennoble the human soul, but it is up to people to use their free will to build on that framework in a positive way. There is, in Irshad Manji's words, a "trouble with Islam"; and as a Muslim acquaintance of mine recently said, "No religion today is more sick than Islam." But it doesn't have to be that way. This is why you'll never find sarcastic comments about "the religion of peace" or "72 virgins" on this site.
I really do believe in all that good liberal stuff about "understanding other people/cultures/religions". At the same time, everything in the world doesn't reduce to this. You need to "understand" bin Laden, Arafat, and Saddam only well enough to know that they are trying to destroy you. It's important to know how to "win friends and influence people", but there are some folks in the world who are immune to the Dale Carnegie treatment. They will continue killing innocent people, and they will not stop no matter how nicely you ask.
Understanding other people means relating to others as people, not as "strange objects on a laboratory slide". And it applies equally to everyone, regardless of religion, politics, ethnicity, or social class. It's a strange kind of "liberalism" that can be more "open-minded" about fascist terrorists than about conservative Americans. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
I'll post again when I get the chance. Meanwhile, as always, thanks for reading my blog - drop me a comment sometime.
2004-07-23
Morning Report: July 23, 2004
Congress on Sudan: It is genocide. AFP article in the Sudan Tribune, without further comment: "The US Congress unanimously passed a resolution declaring the atrocities being committed in Darfur, Sudan, a genocide, and calling on the White House to intervene multilaterally or even unilaterally to stop the violence. By a vote of 422 to zero, the House of Representatives and "the Senate concurring" passed the resolution introduced a month ago by New Jersey Democrat Donald Payne stressing that in Darfur 30,000 people have been "brutally murdered", 130,000 have fled to neighboring Chad and more than one million have been internally displaced by the violence. Quoting the United Nations Resident Humanitarian Coordinator who said that the violence in the poverty-stricken region "appears to be particularly directed at a specific group based on their ethnic identity and appears to be systemized," the resolution "declares that the atrocities unfolding in Darfur, Sudan, are genocide." It urges the US administration of President George W. Bush to "call the atrocities ... by its rightful name: 'genocide,' and calls on it to lead an international effort to prevent it. The resolution, adopted late on Thursday, further calls on the Bush administration "to seriously consider multilateral or even unilateral intervention to prevent genocide should the United Nations Security Council fail to act." It also demands "targeted sanctions, including visa bans and the freezing of assets of the National Congress and affiliated business and individuals directly responsible for the atrocities in Darfur," and urges USAID to help the refugees resettle and rebuild their communities." (Sudan Tribune / Agence France-Presse, via Google)
Israel dispatches Islamic Jihad head man. According to the latest Debka bulletin, "Israeli helicopter-borne rocket hits car in Zeitun district of Gaza City killing two Islamic Jihad terrorists, according to witnesses. One identified as Hatem Rachim who paraded head of Israeli soldier after IDF APC blown up three months ago." (Debka)
Wretchard on the ransom tax. Latest post at the Belmont Club discusses hostage negotiators' " habit of skimming stuff off the top when handling ransom money." Wretchard observes that of about one million offered by the Philippines government for the release of hostage Angelo de la Cruz, the hostage takers only saw about a quarter-million. (Belmont Club)
Danger present for Democrats, Republicans alike. Cliff May reports that Senators Joseph Lieberman (D - Connecticut) and Jon Kyl (R - Arizona) have moved to revive the bipartisan Committee on the Present Danger (CPD), originally a Cold War -era organization dedicated to educating Americans about the danger of Soviet Communism. According to Cliff May on CPD, the organization, founded in 1950, enjoyed a revival in the 1970s under Democratic Senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson, a staunch anti-Communist. Today, "in its third incarnation, with Senators Lieberman and Kyl as honorary chairmen, the CPD is to focus on terrorism and the movements that are using terrorism to damage and, ultimately they pray, destroy America." (Foundation for the Defense of Democracies)
Goli Ameri out-raises opponent Wu. The Republican challenger for Oregon's first congressional district, Goli Ameri, has outpaced the Democratic incumbent David Wu in fund-raising by more than $100,000, raising nearly $500,000 in the second quarter. Ms. Ameri, the first Iranian-American woman ever to run for US Congress, is running on a strong pro-business and pro-freedom platform. The Tehran-born business leader is the founder of eTinium, a consulting firm for high-tech corporations such as Lucent and Nortel. Oregon's First District includes parts of downtown Portland and extends through the Oregon coast, also including tech-oriented cities like Hillsboro, Beaverton, and Tigard. (Goli Ameri 2004)
Israel dispatches Islamic Jihad head man. According to the latest Debka bulletin, "Israeli helicopter-borne rocket hits car in Zeitun district of Gaza City killing two Islamic Jihad terrorists, according to witnesses. One identified as Hatem Rachim who paraded head of Israeli soldier after IDF APC blown up three months ago." (Debka)
Wretchard on the ransom tax. Latest post at the Belmont Club discusses hostage negotiators' " habit of skimming stuff off the top when handling ransom money." Wretchard observes that of about one million offered by the Philippines government for the release of hostage Angelo de la Cruz, the hostage takers only saw about a quarter-million. (Belmont Club)
Danger present for Democrats, Republicans alike. Cliff May reports that Senators Joseph Lieberman (D - Connecticut) and Jon Kyl (R - Arizona) have moved to revive the bipartisan Committee on the Present Danger (CPD), originally a Cold War -era organization dedicated to educating Americans about the danger of Soviet Communism. According to Cliff May on CPD, the organization, founded in 1950, enjoyed a revival in the 1970s under Democratic Senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson, a staunch anti-Communist. Today, "in its third incarnation, with Senators Lieberman and Kyl as honorary chairmen, the CPD is to focus on terrorism and the movements that are using terrorism to damage and, ultimately they pray, destroy America." (Foundation for the Defense of Democracies)
Goli Ameri out-raises opponent Wu. The Republican challenger for Oregon's first congressional district, Goli Ameri, has outpaced the Democratic incumbent David Wu in fund-raising by more than $100,000, raising nearly $500,000 in the second quarter. Ms. Ameri, the first Iranian-American woman ever to run for US Congress, is running on a strong pro-business and pro-freedom platform. The Tehran-born business leader is the founder of eTinium, a consulting firm for high-tech corporations such as Lucent and Nortel. Oregon's First District includes parts of downtown Portland and extends through the Oregon coast, also including tech-oriented cities like Hillsboro, Beaverton, and Tigard. (Goli Ameri 2004)
2004-07-20
Free Thoughts, Free Words, Free Deeds
There's a wonderful blog you should know about, called Free Thoughts. It's done by a young woman in Italy named Stafania, who is a strong supporter of the cause of Iranian freedom. Recent posts include an article on Zbigniew "Dr. Z" Brzezinski. Go check it out.
Morning Report: July 20, 2004
Former Clinton aide probed for classified mishandling. The national security advisor for the Clinton administration, Samuel "Sandy" Berger, is under federal criminal investigation for allegedly removing classified documents from a secure area. During his preparation for the 9/11 commission hearings, Berger is said to have taken documents and notes from the National Security Archives without proper authorization. Berger states that he took the documents "inadvertently". (CNN)
Taheri: Iran to be 2004 election issue. In a recent article, Amir Taheri notes the importance of Iran in the upcoming US presidential campaign. Taheri notes that the IRI's nuclar ambitions are causing growing concern "even in European circles" and that a UN resolution on Iran could be on the table as early as this fall. He faults the Bush administration for its lack of a clear Iran policy - partly due to internal divisions in Washington. (See my May 6 post "State vs. Defense".) Kerry, on the other hand, unequivocally espouses an appeasement policy. Tahei concludes that he hopes the upcoming election will force Bush to clarify his policy on Iran (perhaps taking a harder line to distinguish himself from Kerry) while persuading Kerry to take a more "realistic" approach. (Benador)
Taheri: Iran to be 2004 election issue. In a recent article, Amir Taheri notes the importance of Iran in the upcoming US presidential campaign. Taheri notes that the IRI's nuclar ambitions are causing growing concern "even in European circles" and that a UN resolution on Iran could be on the table as early as this fall. He faults the Bush administration for its lack of a clear Iran policy - partly due to internal divisions in Washington. (See my May 6 post "State vs. Defense".) Kerry, on the other hand, unequivocally espouses an appeasement policy. Tahei concludes that he hopes the upcoming election will force Bush to clarify his policy on Iran (perhaps taking a harder line to distinguish himself from Kerry) while persuading Kerry to take a more "realistic" approach. (Benador)
2004-07-16
Farewell, cruel blogosphere ... oh, never mind.
Rachel Lucas has withdrawn her blogicide note and returned to blogging. It's great to have her back.
Rachel ... you go, girl!
Rachel ... you go, girl!
2004-07-13
Morning Report: July 13, 2004
RP surrenders to terrorists. The government of the
Phillipines announced it would pull out peacekeepers following the kidnapping of a Filipino in Iraq. In a refreshingly candid statement, RP foreign minister Rafael Segulis delcared on al-Jazeera that "following the demands of the hostage-takers, the Philippines will withdraw its humanitarian force from Iraq as soon as possible." (CNN)
OBL aide surrenders to Saudi authorities. A top aide to Osama bin Laden surrendered in Iran to Saudi Arabia under an offer of amnesty from the kingdom, according to recent reports. Abu Suleiman al-Makki (Khaled al-Harby) is reported to have given himself up at the Saudi embassy in Iran. (VOA)
Phillipines announced it would pull out peacekeepers following the kidnapping of a Filipino in Iraq. In a refreshingly candid statement, RP foreign minister Rafael Segulis delcared on al-Jazeera that "following the demands of the hostage-takers, the Philippines will withdraw its humanitarian force from Iraq as soon as possible." (CNN)
OBL aide surrenders to Saudi authorities. A top aide to Osama bin Laden surrendered in Iran to Saudi Arabia under an offer of amnesty from the kingdom, according to recent reports. Abu Suleiman al-Makki (Khaled al-Harby) is reported to have given himself up at the Saudi embassy in Iran. (VOA)
2004-07-12
A Few Thoughts About Blogging
They say blogging is the wave of the future, and I suppose it's true. It certainly can be addictive: after only about ten weeks, I find I'm compelled to blog. When I'm away from the keyboard, I can only think about what I want to write on my next post. And when I'm writing, I feel fulfilled and empowered - as if I'm finally able to communicate my ideas to the outside world, which had hitherto proved to be an indifferent and unsympathetic listener. And I know this is a good way for me to spend my time. But the question I have to ask myself is: how much of a good thing is too much?
So thank you all, for your support. I have really enjoyed writing Dreams Into Lightning. I feel I've made an important and meaningful contribution to political discourse. I've learned a lot, and met lots of wonderful people online. But now the time has come to take stock of my priorities and to make some hard choices about how I expend my precious personal energy. And so I am going to make this post on Dreams Into Lightning my
... had you going there, didn't I?
DiL resumes normal operations tomorrow morning. Morning Report to report for duty. Wonder what's going to come out about Cpl. Hassoun? Oh, and I can't wait to tell you about my new place.
See you soon.
So thank you all, for your support. I have really enjoyed writing Dreams Into Lightning. I feel I've made an important and meaningful contribution to political discourse. I've learned a lot, and met lots of wonderful people online. But now the time has come to take stock of my priorities and to make some hard choices about how I expend my precious personal energy. And so I am going to make this post on Dreams Into Lightning my
... had you going there, didn't I?
DiL resumes normal operations tomorrow morning. Morning Report to report for duty. Wonder what's going to come out about Cpl. Hassoun? Oh, and I can't wait to tell you about my new place.
See you soon.
2004-07-06
The Home Front: Goli Ameri Campaign
Spent some time last Friday volunteering for the Goli Ameri campaign. I got to meet Ms. Ameri, she's really fabulous in person. I was with about half a dozen other volunteers; we put together signs for the Independence Day parade.
More News from the Home Front
It's confirmed: I pick up the keys to my new place tomorrow morning!
FM and TNG are still away traveling - they get back to San Francisco on July 20. She's a major travel addict - used to wear me to a frazzle, but it'll be great for the kid.
I've started "Absolution Gap", the third volume of Alastair Reynolds' terrific trilogy. Reynolds is a Welsh-born astrophysicist who works for the European Space Agency. He is also one heck of a writer. He's not only helped to revive space-based science fiction as a genre - he is turning it into an art form. The character of Scorpio is one I won't soon forget. For those of you who will never read Reynolds because "I don't read sci-fi", all I can say is, you don't know what you're missing. Really and truly.
Also working my way through the complete DVD series of Babylon 5 (all five seasons). Just about to finish Season 1. It's such a pleasure to watch really great actors like Andreas Katsulas and Peter Jurasik (as the mortal enemies G'kar and Londo), especially in a well-written show like this one. The creator, J. Michael Straczynski, writes most of the scripts himself; a few episodes are written by guest writers. (A couple of the guest-written episodes are a bit weak, I think; and there's one in particular I have some problems with. But I'll post on that later.)
I'm starting to take lessons in chanting the Torah from a friend at the synagogue. Her son Ari just joined the Army reserves. He's about to graduate boot camp - and he turns 18 today! Let's wish him all the best.
FM and TNG are still away traveling - they get back to San Francisco on July 20. She's a major travel addict - used to wear me to a frazzle, but it'll be great for the kid.
I've started "Absolution Gap", the third volume of Alastair Reynolds' terrific trilogy. Reynolds is a Welsh-born astrophysicist who works for the European Space Agency. He is also one heck of a writer. He's not only helped to revive space-based science fiction as a genre - he is turning it into an art form. The character of Scorpio is one I won't soon forget. For those of you who will never read Reynolds because "I don't read sci-fi", all I can say is, you don't know what you're missing. Really and truly.
Also working my way through the complete DVD series of Babylon 5 (all five seasons). Just about to finish Season 1. It's such a pleasure to watch really great actors like Andreas Katsulas and Peter Jurasik (as the mortal enemies G'kar and Londo), especially in a well-written show like this one. The creator, J. Michael Straczynski, writes most of the scripts himself; a few episodes are written by guest writers. (A couple of the guest-written episodes are a bit weak, I think; and there's one in particular I have some problems with. But I'll post on that later.)
I'm starting to take lessons in chanting the Torah from a friend at the synagogue. Her son Ari just joined the Army reserves. He's about to graduate boot camp - and he turns 18 today! Let's wish him all the best.
2004-07-01
Morning Report: July 1, 2004
"Real criminal is Bush." - Saddam Saddam Hussein was belligerent and sullen by turns at his first court appearance in Baghdad, giving his title as "President of Iraq" and challenging the judge's authority, but quieting down when ordered to do so. CNN's Christiane Amanpour reported: "He said please a lot, which I'm sure is a change for him." He defended the 1990 invasion of Kuwait, referring to the Kuwaitis as "dogs". He declared that "the real criminal is Bush", and, according to Fox News, labeled the hearing as "theater".
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