The Country Pundit

Crime Doesn't Pay

It's an article of faith that the best way to prevent yourself from being robbed is to make yourself a difficult target, yes? Likewise, the nation of riflemen must be armed and then nobody will mess with you, correct? Of course.

But then, someone goes and comes up with a better way to prevent being robbed. This just in, from Gaza:

Rather than give up his explosives, the [suicide] bomber detonated them, killing himself and the two robbers near the border fence between Gaza and Israel. Palestinian security officials said the gunmen were criminals who were involved in a car theft ring that brought stolen vehicles from Israel to Gaza.

The robbers were immediately denounced as "agents of Israel" by a Hamas official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Ostensibly, he's hoping to avoid the Hellfire how-do-you-do from a hovering Apache. The source also pointed out that, "Anyone who tries to stop a fighter from doing his work is a collaborator." On the other hand, Palestinian security forces declared the robbers to be ordinary thieves.

The full story is available from Ireland On-Line.

Tip of the Wisconsin hat to Interested-Participant

Word for the Day

Grim's Hall is like a box of chocolates. No, I don't mean a cheap, thoughtless, perfunctory gift that nobody ever asks for, unlike what my favorite character from The X-Files used to think, but more that you never know what you're going to get.

Today, Grim gives us a new word, one that I've got to use more often: Mufsidoon. Here's why:

This is the Arabic for "evildoer," and can be prefixed by "Saddam's" or "Osama's" as appropriate.

The idea is that Mujahedeen and Mahdi Army (Army of the Messiah) cast the enemy as soldiers of God. That makes Coalition forces the opponents of God, soldiers of the devil. Mufsidoon more correctly identifies them, and therefore, our forces likewise.

This may wind up being a new take on that whole "one man's mufsidoon is another man's mujahedeen" thing, but hey, who cares? It's an insult to these guys in their language, using their culture, and I'll be happy to use it. So what if it digs a little deep? As Khan Noonien Singh growled nigh on 22 years ago, "So much the better..."

Thanks a lot, Grim!

Interesting Google Results

It appears from the referrer logs that someone was looking for information on the FX-1400 guided bomb developed by the Germans in World War II. A quick trip to Google shows that I'm #2 in the search engine for "FX-1400 guided bomb". Interesting. The first result sent me to a picture of the aftermath (just barely!) of an FX-1400 in use.

11 September 1943: CL 42 USS Savannah is struck off Salerno, Italy, by an FX-1400. A picture shot during the bomb's detonation is available here. Wow.

The Nationalist Country Pundit

Daniel Pipes has an article drawing from the latest work of Samuel P. Huntington, Who Are We : The Challenges to America's National Identity. In his article, Pipes says that there are three basic lenses through which an American will see their home and the world:

Cosmopolitan: America “welcomes the world, its ideas, its goods, and, most importantly, its people.” In this vision, the country strives to become multiethnic, multiracial, and multicultural. The United Nations and other international organizations increasingly influence American life. Diversity is an end in itself; national identity declines in importance. In brief, the world reshapes America.

Imperial: America reshapes the world. This impulse is fueled by a belief in “the supremacy of American power and the universality of American values.” America’s unique military, economic, and cultural might bestows on it the responsibility to confront evil and to order the world. Other peoples are assumed basically to share the same values as Americans; Americans should help them attain those values. America is less a nation than “the dominant component of a supranational empire.”

National: “America is different” and its people recognize and accept what distinguishes them from others. That difference results in large part from the country’s religious commitment and its Anglo-Protestant culture. The nationalist outlook preserves and enhances those qualities that have defined America from its inception. As for people who are not white Anglo-Saxon Protestants, they “become Americans by adopting its Anglo-Protestant culture and political values.”

Mr. Pipes notes also that, "The left tends to the cosmopolitan vision; the right divides among imperialists and nationalists." He states that he wavers between the "imperialist" and "nationalist" modes, because he sometimes "want[s] the United States to export its humane political message and at other times [is] fearful that such efforts, however desirable, will overextend the American reach and end in disaster." (At the same time, Pipes notes that Huntington is strongly nationalist.) For what it's worth, the esteemable Rev. Donald Sensing considers himself to be one of the bilateralists, like Pipes.

This has bearing on peoples' opinions towards the Iraqi situation as well.

Uh, How's That Again?

I was reading Jeffrey A. Dvorkin's installment of his column as the NPR ombudsman. It's billed as a 'web exclusive' and focuses solely upon the soon-to-be-history Bob Edwards. Edwards, who's hosted Morning Edition since 1979, was recently given the boot by NPR management. Reasons vary on this, but the truth of it seems to be that a) Joan Kroc's $200 million gift makes men bold and b) the "new" management wants to appeal to different audiences. I'm amused at the ability of professional liberals to get a good thing from hard work and then blow it away.

Back to Dvorkin's piece. In it, he quotes a man named Peter Bye who says that, "I certainly understand a need for diversity and excellence. After all, my business is in the field of diversity and inclusion."

I'm curious: What is a business in the field of diversity and inclusion? Is it a fancy way to say that you're a temp agency?

The Maturity of Stephen Moore

In my earlier remarks, I said that I wasn't holding my breath for the endorsement of Arlen Specter for the general election by the Club for Growth.

This is no longer the operative statement.

As tipped off by a comment in the preceding entry (although it certainly wasn't me), it appears that the CfG, and by extension Stephen Moore since I spent time firing words at him, has/have the maturity I would expect from Republicans. They have announced their endorsement for Specter, and consider him the better choice than the Democrat alternative.

Bully for you, Mr. Moore. You and your organization have been raised in my estimation.

The press release is in the extended entry, and thanks to my anonymous commenter.

Overhead Imaging

Greyhawk has a pair of nifty pictures that illustrate our Fallujah urban renewal project. There won't be any Charles Whitmans operating from this place anytime soon.

TMG also brings us warning of the Arab street's eventual rise. owever, it may yet to our advantage, for it seems that the Mahdi army is having a little bit of trouble maintaining discipline with the wearing of the uniform.

I like hearing reports of al-Sadr's fish getting eaten in the peasant sea. Take that, Chairman Mao.

CfG Zeitgeist

If you're at all interested in the Pennsylvania dustup between Arlen Specter and Pat Toomey, I suggest going to the Club for Growth's blog. This particular entry covers a few reactions.

Fairness requires me to state that the man posting under the name "Stephen Moore" is not the real Stephen Moore. Interesting how one man---yes, just a single voice---wants to punt Rick Santorum from office now.

I'm waiting for the CfG to endorse Arlen Specter, especially after they made a fuss about how Specter should agree beforehand to endorse whoever won the primary. On the other hand, I'm not holding my breath on this one.

So I'm Watching Animal House

This is the first time I've ever actually seen the whole thing. Frankly, I'm glad my college years weren't like that. Better to er, not have something to explain, you know. In the words of a former President, "In order to preserve future political viability..."

Anyways, while watching the uber-polished and super-slick face of Omega House president Greg Marmalard, it struck me that I'd seen his face somewhere before. I thought about it throughout the movie, and then I realized it: He looks like Jennifer Garner. Wowsers.

Has anyone ever seen these two together at the same time? Could be...

Specter Survives Toomey(?)

Stephen Moore's pet project goes down in defeat, apparently. Lopez at NRO says Specter wins with a 15,000 vote margin. Good thing, bad thing? I'll decide later. (Translation: You'd better not lose in November, Arlen.)

The Liberty Bonds of Today

A half-century ago, it was common to fund war debt by the Government's hideously everpresent campaign to "BUY WAR BONDS NOW OR ELSE OUR BOYS DIE HORRIBLY". We seem to have gotten past that---maybe the bond market isn't quite what it used to be---but the President at one point encouraged people to go spend money.

Since then, war and its impact on the civilian populace have changed. Instead of lining up for ration cards that cover sugar, gasoline, and other things, we're sitting around complaining because gas is increasing in price or grousing because the stock market's not back to 12,000 as it was during the years of Hope and Glory.¹

Anyways. Since the economy's supposedly a defining factor of our progress in the war against Islamist terror---like USA, Inc. is going to be taken over by al-Qaeda, LLC in a tender offer---the President has indeed urged us to go out and spend money. By the way, that helps his re-election effort too.²

Since I'm going to be a spectator to the war effort---if it's ever necessary for me to be on the field of battle, then manpower's the least of our worries---I've often wondered just what the heck I'm supposed to do. Well, mindful of the President's advice, I went out in recent periods and loaded up on DVDs:

The Final Countdown
Kill Bill, Volume 1
The Matrix: Revolutions (Yeah, I've got the other two; might as well...)
National Lampoon's Animal House
K-19
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Go figure. I've done my part, yet again, for the war economy and for the re-election of President George W. Bush. I expect my post in the Department of Defense or Department of Transportation to be passed out immediately. Paging Donald Rumsfeld and/or Norman Mineta...

Excuses, Excuses

Blogging has been light due to the fact that I had two papers to finish and a trial to prepare for. This will continue until after the trial is concluded; don't head for the hills if I'm not publishing on a regular basis.

Gah, I hate the end of the semester.

Six Months In

Hrrm. Today's the six-month anniversary of the opening of this blog. Three hundred and eleven entries later, I'm still cracking at it, and learning all the while. I've met a lot of people who I would not have otherwise met, and I have had a lot of fun.

I reckon since I've kept this up to this point, the numbers suggest that I'll keep at it for a while. Hooray, eh.

Let's Talk About Trust

Richard Gere gave a speech recently, and here's what he had to say, according to a friendly blog:

"Trust is so important," Gere said, and I paraphrase a little here. "I've learned not to trust anyone who thinks he has God exclusively on his side." Pause. "Not even the president."

Yes, yes, Mr. Gere. Bush lied, people died, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, paging Yul Brynner. Now for some ad hominem:

We're supposed to trust the opinion of the guy who left Cindy Crawford? Cindy Crawford. This fine woman's the only reason most men in the 1990s watched the otherwise unwatchable House of Style on MTV.¹

Heck, I bet Pepsi's early 1990s resurgence can be pinned solely upon her. Pepsi knows this; they brought her back for a recent ad which I thought a lot of. She's been arguably one of the most beautiful women in the world since the early 1990s, and you left her behind to chase the Dalai Lama.

Allow me to borrow from your own theme: "I've learned not to trust any man who'd walk away from Cindy Crawford." Son, not only do I not trust you, but I think you need your bloody head examined. What were you thinking?

In fullness of disclosure, Richard Gere is a bit off in the head; he chose to make some speech about the need for peace and understanding while the ruins of the World Trade Center still smoldered. Needless to say, that didn't go over well with the audience, and I have some recollection of him being nearly booed off the stage.

UPDATE: I've reworked this one a bit, adding in some personal and historical flavor. Richard Gere's hideously boring, so a bit of an ode to Cindy Crawford was in order. Heh heh heh. Been surfing the 'net for ten years, and I'm still punching "Cindy Crawford" into search engines. Some things never change.

Tip of the Wisconsin hat to Right Voices.

Start the Clock

The militant Palestinian group Hamas has apparently replaced Mr. Rantisi, who ran afoul of an Israeli weapons exercise most recently.¹ This is now several days old and the link in their original post doesn't display the right story. Nevertheless:

GAZA CITY – Hamas has quietly appointed Mahmoud A-Zahar to head the movement in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas sources said Mahmoud A-Zahar, 53, was selected as the organization's new head in the Gaza Strip. A-Zahar succeeds Abdul Aziz Rantisi, who was assassinated in an Israeli missile strike on Saturday.

I suppose that if I were a lawyer in Gaza, I'd start trying to take over the "assassinated Hamas leader" estate management business, or something. One of the posters at the DGCI site has opined that this current bum could be something of a missile magnet, or perhaps the loser in a power struggle. After all, he's probably now got a missile or a guided munition with his name painted on it. Poor fellow.

That being said, I support the policy of anti-Hamas operations. When these goons start seeing that there is a price for standing up and hollering how you're gonna slaughter Jews and make the streets run red with Jewish blood, then perhaps they might start rethinking their policies. Good.

Tip of the Wisconsin hat to Democrats Give Conservatives Indigestion.