The Dark side of the Moon

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The Computer is in the shop again. The reason I installed the Fundraiser to the post was for two reasons:

1) Help with the Computer problems and make it easier to post.
2) If I can raise the amount above, The Valley can go to a Military charity and raise money for them double of what is asked here (If you do the math, I hope to raise $16,000 for the charity). This here is the dry run. Nothing happens without causation, so please contribute.

Other news:

I am working on a couple of posts (the computer returns Wed.) on: The Juli0-Claudian theory on Modern Presidents, Why the Road to Darfur goes through Baghdad, and some paintings, art and movies to review.

Thanks again for reading. I will post again when the Computer returns.

While Pelosi and Reid Fiddles.....

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While the Democrats play at being a Majority Party, the real world moves forward and the adults in the Executive Branch must deal with problems, such as Iran's war Games. According to the Democrats owner, the Daily Kos, it is fine for Iran to attack Israel.

I await to hear what the Democrat party foreign policy is regarding threats to our allies. Instead, I hear crickets chirping.

The laws of Gravity and Hillary Clinton

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Obama has announced his exploratory Committee, and like clockwork, Hillary Clinton (or if your a liberal -- St. Hillary) announced this very weekend. As a Conservative Republican, this is good news. Why? Because I think she will bring up all the resentments of the '90s (Why is searching through FBI files OK if you're a Democrat?) and I have a lot of friends down south who do not like her.

My Uncle, who is a Liberal Democrat and Doctor (ear, nose and throat) who lives in Upstate New York does not vote for her. Now, my Uncle who spent a good deal of time trying to convert me back to being a Democrat, is no fair weather Democrat. He is old-school when the Democrats were from the FDR-Truman school.

Here are his reasons for not voting for Hillary:

1) During her Health care Reform issue, she depended on lawyers not doctors to determine the basis of her Health Plan. Not one Doctor or Doctor representative was called in to help with the Plan. (All this is detailed in the book, The System)

2) During her Senate campaign, she hugged Suha Arafat. Here is the picture. How many Jews did Yasir Arafat kill during his lifetime? How many innocents died under his orders? Then, the Nobel Committee gives him a prize for acting like a peacemaker? Why should St. Hillary take a picture with a wife of a murderer?

3) She stands for nothing, which means she'll fall for anything. However, that, for me, is the definition of the modern Democrat Party.

More speech, not limited speech

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Shall we play a game? Let's say you run a Liberal Blog (as I said, a game) and because you want to promote the Democrats' views, you don't want to write Republican views. Or if you podcast, the same problem.

Now let's introduce Rep. Kucinich's (D-OH) speech this weekend in Tennessee where he wanted to use the power of the Government to bring back the "Fairness Doctrine." Now, do you want the power of the State to determine what you write and what you say?

I've heard on Hannity and Limbaugh that the Fairness Doctrine will tamper their programs. If the Democrats were secure in their monopoly of Hollywood, the Academy, the Broadcast Nets, all of the Cable News (excluding Fox), most news magazines, Public Radio and Television, this would not be an issue. This is a Free Speech issue.

Volitaire said, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

One of my Blogger friends is a Liberal Democrat. We post on our differences and our sameness on the issues. Far be it from me to tell him what to post in his Blog, so why should the State? How many Democrat Bloggers (and Pod casters) will stand up for their Republican brethren? I'm betting that there will few, if any to support. Prove me wrong.

Democrats are Neimoidians

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This is why I am a Star Wars (Original Trilogy) and Firefly/Serenity fan. Rep. Wu (D-WA) tried to analogize about the Vulcans and the Klingons. The difference between Bush's Vulcans and Roddenberry's is seeing the power of their military and how they harnessed it. In Star Trek, they retreated from the use of force after being a bloodthirsty race. Bush's Vulcans saw what America would be if our Foreign policy was at ebb tide, otherwise known as the Iranian Hostage Crisis, OPEC gas hikes, losing Afghanistan and giving up the Panama Canal. Which President made that happen?

We are in a fight against a Non-Governmental Organization [NGO] (picture Amnesty International with guns and suicide bombers) that plans on opening more franchises domestically, yet the Democrats can only argue about fictional sci-fi alien races. Someone give me a lightsaber.

Three Pillars and a Long Game

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One of my favorite shows, Doctor Who, had an episode called "The Long Game" (guest starring Simon Pegg of Shawn of the Dead). That episode was part of a season regarding the manipulation of a future Earth [The Fourth Great and Bountiful Empire] for a larger plan by a darker enemy. Thanks to Thomas Barnett (writer of the Pentagon's New Map), Bush's plan of Iraq is part of a Long Game as well. But we face a Stateless enemy (or an NGO) who is willing to wait 800 years to get their old territory back. According to the German magazine, Der Spiegal, there are seven phases the terrorists are working on. Read this:

"The First Phase known as "the awakening" -- this has already been carried out and was supposed to have lasted from 2000 to 2003, or more preciselyfrom the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in New York and Washington tothe fall of Baghdad in 2003. The aim of the attacks of 9/11 was to provoke theUS into declaring war on the Islamic world and thereby "awakening" Muslims. "The first phase was judged by the strategists and masterminds behind al-Qaida as very successful," writes [journalist Fouad] Hussein. "The battle field was opened up and the Americans and their allies became a closer and easier target." The terrorist network is also reported as being satisfied that its message can now be heard"everywhere."

"The Second Phase. "Opening Eyes" is, according to Hussein's definition,the period we are now in and should last until 2006. Hussein says the terrorists hope to make the western conspiracy aware of the "Islamic community." Hussein believes this is a phase in which al-Qaida wants an organization to develop intoa movement. The network is banking on recruiting young men during this period.Iraq should become the center for all global operations, with an "army" set up there and bases established in other Arabic states.

"The Third Phase. This is described as "Arising and Standing Up" and should last from 2007 to 2010. "There will be a focus on Syria," prophesies Hussein, based on what his sources told him. The fighting cadres are supposedly already prepared and some are in Iraq. Attacks on Turkey and -- even more explosive -- in Israel are predicted. Al-Qaida's masterminds hope that attacks on Israel will help the terrorist group become a recognized organization. The author also believes that countries neighboring Iraq, such as Jordan, are also in danger.

"The Fourth Phase Between 2010 and 2013, Hussein writes that al-Qaida will aim to bring about the collapse of the hated Arabic governments. The estimate is that "the creeping loss of the regimes' power will lead to a steady growth in strength within al-Qaida." At the same time attacks will be carried out against oil suppliers and the US economy will be targeted using cyberterrorism.

"The Fifth Phase This will be the point at which an Islamic state, or caliphate, can be declared. The plan is that by this time, between 2013 and 2016, Western influence in the Islamic world will be so reduced and Israel weakened so much, that resistance will not be feared. Al-Qaida hopes thatby then the Islamic state will be able to bring about a new world order.

"The Sixth Phase Hussein believes that from 2016 onwards there will a period of "total confrontation." As soon as the caliphate has been declared the "Islamic army" it will instigate the "fight between the believers and the non-believers" which has so often been predicted by Osama bin Laden.

"The Seventh Phase This final stage is described as "definitive victory." Hussein writes that in the terrorists' eyes, because the rest of the world will be so beaten down by the "one-and-a-half billion Muslims," the caliphate will undoubtedly succeed. This phase should be completed by 2020,although the war shouldn't last longer than two years."

I discuss this in an earlier post. According to the 9/11 commission report, this has been going on since the end of World War II. Back to Barnett, he writes of the strategy of "The Big bang" Once upon the time (as described in the book, The Prize), American Middle East post-WWII policy depended on three pillars: Iran (under the Shah), Saudi Arabia, and Israel. After Carter lost Iran, America had two pillars and Iran was able to move its pieces around the Middle East

By going into Iraq, we are building a second Democracy in the region. During Gulf War I, the Democrat critics harped on America's lack of support of Democracy across the region. 12 years later, autocrats are out and democracy is being tried and the critics (the same critics as before) want to deal with autocrats. Barnett, the Democrat, sees the hope in building up Iraq. Why can't Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid? Can some Democrat tell me what their stance is in this Long Game of Pillars?

On the Beach with the Pemanently Indigent

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According to Article II, section 8 of the United States Constitution:

"The Congress shall have the power to... declare War, grant Letters of
Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and
Water; To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of
Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years; To provide and
maintain a Navy; To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land
and naval Forces;To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws
ofthe Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions; To provide for
organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Partof
them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the
States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority
oftraining the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress,"

So can someone please explain what Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid are doing making Executive Branch decisions in this letter? If I remember my Civics 101 correctly, the President makes choices on troop levels and disbursements. Congress is made up of 535 individuals, two parties and personal politics (i.e. Pelosi-Harmen fight), how can they tell the Joint Chiefs on how to conduct their affairs? If I remember my 1990's correctly , Newt was told by the network news and President Clinton's office: the Speaker is not the President.

The letter was generated because the Democrats had to satisfy their base; Otherwise known by P.J. O'Roarke as the Permanently Indigent. Led by Cindy Sheehan, she disrupted Rahm Emanuel's press conference. Then, the combined forces of the Democrats Inner Party had to act. Thus, the letter.

Once upon a time, when we were fighting a State entity (USSR and it's allies), Senator Vandenberg declared, "Politics stops at the waters edge," In Foreign Policy magazine in 1996, here is an article dealing with post-WWII Foreign Policy bipartisanship. Until 2000, both parties fought against enemies of the United States and it's allies. Now that we are fighting an enemy who is an Non-Governmental Organization [NGO], and where is the Democrat's Vandenburg?

In Memory of Stephen Fein (9/2/47- 1/3/03)

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This is going to be one of my last personal posts before the Political Theater opens tomorrow. Just note that during this past Thanksgiving-Birthday-Christmas-etc. season, a Conservative Republican can be nice and even-handed to the Democrats. If you know of any Democrat Blogger who returned the favor, please email me and I will compliment them as well. However, the guns fire tomorrow.
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My father died four years ago today. He wasn't perfect but he was great to me. Whereas I am skilled in the art of Government and writing, he was a salesman and entrepreneur. If he had an idea for a business, it would be up and running in a fortnight. Not every business succeeded, but he took a hell of a lot of shots.

My Dad was a radio listener. He used to listen to the New York Rangers on the radio (when we were living in NYC). He turned me onto Don Imus and Tom Leykis. Two iconoclasts with different views of the world, but that was my Dad. He was the type of guy who could get away with fart jokes at a Steak House among business partners. He was always a prankster and always had a smile on his face.

Two business' that he worked on before he died was Online Gaming and Credit Card Consulting. He died before the Poker Trend hit. Working out with the different banks, had he lived, he would have made pennies on every transaction made online. With Credit Cards, he was also making a percentage a transaction as well. When he died, all that money went away like smoke (hence the fundraiser).

Four years gone, I still miss him. Godspeed, Dad, godspeed.

New Year's Resolutions

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My Dad used to say not a lot of news or business happens between Thanksgiving and the second week in January. Well, in the past week, we lost James Brown, President Ford and Saddam Hussain was hanged. I will not go over already seeded ground regarding the well-deserved Hussain execution. Later on maybe, but not now.

Instead, here are some Resolutions for 2007.

1. Work out so I can run in the Marine Corps 10K Marathon in 5 Years.
2. Get onto my career path to write policy.
3. Raise all the funds in the Valley of the Shadow fundraiser.
4. Write a book to be published before my 40th birthday.
5. Travel.
6. Stay as loyal to my friends as they are to me.
7. Be there for my family.
8. Get a post linked by Instapundit. And by the way, post more.

100th Post

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"Great, kid! Don't get cocky!"

-- Han Solo to Luke Skywalker on the fight from the Death Star to Yavin

"...because only if you have been in the deepest valley can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain."

--- President Nixon Farewell Speech to the White House Staff, August 9, 1974