Hugo Chavez Making Friends, Influencing People VII

Chavez: Oil Will Be Destroyed if Attacked By DEBORA REY

Bill Gates Avoids Criticizing Chinese

Bill Gates makes cryptic remark on Internet rights to China's Hu

Microsoft chairman Bill Gates made a cryptic remark about Internet freedom at a luncheon with Chinese President Hu Jintao, underscoring the sensitivity of the issue.

"This new era of an Internet-based economy also presents new challenges to us all," Gates said in a speech that preceded Hu's to a gathering of about 600 people at a luncheon hosted for the visiting Chinese president.

"It is my belief that industry and government around the world should work even more closely to protect the privacy and security of Internet users, and promote the exchange of ideas, while respecting legitimate government considerations."

The statement appeared to be urging China to respect the rights of Internet users, but also seemed to suggest Gates thinks "legitimate" government worries need to be taken into consideration, without defining legitimate.

Lou Gellos, a Microsoft spokesman, declined to say later what Gates meant or reveal whether Gates had raised the issues of Internet censorship with the Chinese leader on the first stop of Hu's official visit to the United States.

But former Washington state governor Gary Locke and Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said no one raised the issue of human rights with Hu during the two-day visit in the Seattle area.

Hu left Washington Wednesday afternoon to fly to the US capital for a summit with Bush on Thursday.

China's government routinely jails people for posting politically sensitive essays online, including those critical of the Communist Party, and regularly shuts down or censors websites for sensitive content, including any mention of Taiwan independence or the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement.

Software giant Microsoft and search engines Google and Yahoo have all faced criticism for doctoring content on their Chinese services and products to suit Beijing's strict censorship rules.

Further, Yahoo has faced international condemnation for providing information to authorities that led to the jailing of two online dissident writers.

Gas Prices and the Media

Forbes: Why The Pump Isn't More Painful by Nick Schulz

According to the Bureau of Economic Affairs ( see chart here), American consumer spending on energy as a fraction of total personal consumption has declined considerably since 1980. Whereas 25 years ago, one in every ten consumer dollars was spent on energy, today it's one in every 16. In other words, what it takes to heat and cool our homes and drive to and from our jobs and vacation destinations is relatively less costly than it was then.

This goes a long way toward explaining why even when gas prices rise this summer--higher than they were throughout the 1990s--people will still be driving more; it's much more of a value than it was a generation ago.

What's more, so-called energy intensity is declining rapidly. That means we produce more with less energy. According to Economy.com, "The U.S. economy has undergone major structural changes over the last two decades, becoming more energy efficient, thus reducing its overall dependence on energy. … The energy intensity of the U.S. economy has declined by roughly 40% since the first oil crisis (as of 2001)."

Pierre and Crat from Dem

Isn't It Ironic?

While Mexican President Vicente Fox is advising Bush on how to "reform" U.S. immigration laws (i.e., ignore them), perhaps he ought to first clean his own backyard

Mexico Harsh to Undocumented Migrants By MARK STEVENSON

While migrants in the United States have held huge demonstrations in recent weeks, the hundreds of thousands of undocumented Central Americans in Mexico suffer mostly in silence.

And though Mexico demands humane treatment for its citizens who migrate to the U.S., regardless of their legal status, Mexico provides few protections for migrants on its own soil. The issue simply isn't on the country's political agenda, perhaps because migrants make up only 0.5 percent of the population, or about 500,000 people — compared with 12 percent in the United States.

The level of brutality Central American migrants face in Mexico was apparent Monday, when police conducting a raid for undocumented migrants near a rail yard outside Mexico City shot to death a local man, apparently because his dark skin and work clothes made officers think he was a migrant.

Virginia Sanchez, who lives near the railroad tracks that carry Central Americans north to the U.S. border, said such shootings in Tultitlan are common.

"At night, you hear the gunshots, and it's the judiciales (state police) chasing the migrants," she said. "It's not fair to kill these people. It's not fair in the United States and it's not fair here."

Undocumented Central American migrants complain much more about how they are treated by Mexican officials than about authorities on the U.S. side of the border, where migrants may resent being caught but often praise the professionalism of the agents scouring the desert for their trail.

"If you're carrying any money, they take it from you — federal, state, local police, all of them," said Carlos Lopez, a 28-year-old farmhand from Guatemala crouching in a field near the tracks in Tultitlan, waiting to climb onto a northbound freight train.

Lopez said he had been shaken down repeatedly in 15 days of traveling through Mexico.

"The soldiers were there as soon as we crossed the river," he said. "They said, 'You can't cross ... unless you leave something for us.'"

Jose Ramos, 18, of El Salvador, said the extortion occurs at every stop in Mexico, until migrants are left penniless and begging for food.

"If you're on a bus, they pull you off and search your pockets and if you have any money, they keep it and say, 'Get out of here,'" Ramos said.

Maria Elena Gonzalez, who lives near the tracks, said female migrants often complain about abusive police.

"They force them to strip, supposedly to search them, but the purpose is to sexually abuse them," she said.

I Think We'll Experiment

"The hurricane season starts June 1st. Do you want experienced leadership, or do you want to experiment at this critical time?" -- New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, making his plea for re-election.

The Hippy Twins / Pierre and Google

That's Comforting

Iran: Aggressor's Hand Will Be 'Cut Off' By ALI AKBAR DAREINI

"Today, you are among the world's most powerful armies because you rely on God," Ahmadinejad declared at a parade to commemorate Army Day.

You heard it here first. The Iranian military has a monopoly on God.

Bush won't rule out nuclear strike on Iran By Edmund Blair

"Guest" Workers

An ugly reality by Thomas Sowell

The underlying tragedy of the present situation is that it is doubtful whether the activist loudmouths, who were too contemptuous of this country to even speak its language while demanding its benefits, represent most immigrants from Mexico.

Both legal and illegal immigrants have come here primarily to work and make a better life for themselves and their families. But a country requires more than workers. It requires people who are citizens not only in name but in commitment.

Basic Econ and Gas Prices

CAN SOMEONE BE TAUGHT BASIC ECONOMICS by Neale Boortz

Now we have crude oil up at over $70 a barrel. Gas prices have gone up about 10 cents in the last week. If you're driving a car that gets 15 miles per gallon that means that you're spending less than three-fourths of one penny more for every mile you drive. If you have a 15 mile commute to work, this 10 cent rise in gas prices is costing you 20 cents a day. Wow! I can see why you're so upset!

With these gas prices going up politicians are seeing another golden opportunity to demagogue the oil companies. [...]

Most government school graduates can't even so much as explain the difference between a profit and a profit margin. Let's say that you're selling a widget for $10 and you're making a 10% profit. Your profit is $1.00. Your profit margin is 10%. Now let's say that your costs go up by $9 a widget. So, you double the price at the widget store. Now widgets are selling for $20. Your costs are $18 per widget, so you're making $2.00 on every sale. Your profit has doubled to $2.00 per widget, but your profit margin is still 10%. You're still making the same profit on every dollar that you invest in your business, but your profits have doubled! So ... as surely as wet streets follow rain ... along comes the politician to demagogue you for doubling your profits. He starts to talk about a windfall profits tax to take that extra dollar away from you. Oh, to be sure, he knows what the real story is here --- but he also knows that his poorly educated constituents don't know.

Oil hits record $72 on Iran fears By Janet McBride

Pierre and the Professor

Professor Jacobsen, who will be retiring at the end of this semester, will enjoy her new life of unemployment a bit EARLY.

Lexington Herald-Leader: Professor put on leave in wake of anti-abortion display's dismantling

Sincere applause to President James Votruba et al at Northern Kentucky University for taking appropriate action.

Still, had Jacobsen encouraged the vandalization of an anti-Bush display, or, for example, a display of Mexican flags in support of illegal immigration, you can be sure she would have received a harsher punishment. Like tar and feathering, perhaps.

Thanks to Michelle Malkin. More at Instapundit.

Isn't It Ironic?

The Boston Channel: Legalizing Immigrants In U.S. May Hurt Mexican Economy

A proposal in the United States Congress to legalize millions of undocumented U.S. immigrants could hurt Mexico's economy.

So say some Mexican economists, who say the legislation could slash the amount of money the immigrants send home to Mexico.

They argue that Mexicans with permission to work in the United States will want to bring their families north to live with them. That would eliminate the main reason they send money home. That would hurt Mexican businesses that have come to depend on the money sent down from the United States.

Time Magazine Pretends to be Objective

Human Events: Time's 10 Best (Liberal) Senators by Robert B. Bluey

Progress in Iraq

Or, "News the Media Ignores."

Major Kevin Carter just returned from Iraq, and shares this assessment:

Charter believes not enough attention is being paid to the progress being made by Iraqis in taking control of their country. He said the people of Iraq are grateful Saddam Hussein has been overthrown.

"I was told by an Iraqi that only two things could get rid of Saddam, the United States or Allah. I will never forget that," Charter said. "An Iraqi officer told me that if we just up and left the country would implode. They are so grateful for us being there and toppling Saddam. Even the Sunnis, who benefited under Saddam, thanked us."

Before you think I'm just parroting the Pentagon line by quoting only officers, a Marine serving with an Iraqi unit had this to say:

"Everybody hears about all the car bombs in Baghdad and how many people got shot. Those things are reality — I don't want to downplay them. But there's a lot of good things happening," he said.

Despite being the main targets of terrorists and ex-Baathists, Iraqi soldiers remain well motivated:

According to the commanding officer of the local Iraqi-army unit here, the soldiers' motivation to fight insurgents is steady despite the loss of two of their own comrades. During a memorial service for a fallen soldier, the Iraqi commander of 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division, assured his soldiers they were performing well and encouraged them to continue to listen and learn from the Marines.

"I want the soldiers to continue to do the job they are doing," said the commanding officer, who wishes to remain anonymous. "We need the Marines' support and they are very professional when it comes to training my soldiers."

A tip led U.S. troops to a house where forged documents were made:

The two suspected forgers were found at a house where Soldiers seized $2,050 in U.S. currency, more than 500,000 Iraqi Dinars, 125 various forms of identification, fake stamps for the IDs and an AK-47.

Another tip led U.S. troops to a weapons cache at a terrorist training facility:

Found at the site were 19 155 mm artillery rounds and 21 mortar rounds of various calibers.

The site may have been a training site of insurgents. The cache was transported to a secured location for controlled detonation.

320 Iraqis from Anbar Province arrived in Jordan to received training as police officers.

The Iraqi army continues to take over more battle space:

The 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division is assuming control of an area of responsibility that encompasses Balad, Al Duluyah and Yethrib, as well as the smaller villages surrounding these cities.

In addition to taking over battle space, Iraqis continue to take the lead in more security operations. Operation Cobra Strike was lead by soldiers of the 8th Iraqi Army Division. The operation was planned, and conducted by Iraqis, with U.S. soldiers in support.

Iraqi soldiers discovered four weapons caches during an operation in southern Baghdad:

In total, the four weapons caches consisted of seven RPG rounds, three machine guns, 28 70 mm mortar rounds, 38 60mm mortar rounds, landmines, a large bag of homemade explosives, a sniper rifle, grenades, 13 pre-made roadside-bombs, ten rockets, 403 linked rounds of small arms ammunition, three bags of linked ammunition and 5,000 rounds of sniper-rifle rounds.

The State Department issued a report on Iraq's economy. Iraq's economy as nearly doubled in the last three years. GDP rose by 2.6% last year, and is expected to rise by more than ten percent in 2006.

Much more here.

Dems and the House

Townhall: Will Democrats win control of the House in November? by Michael Barone

In the five House elections from 1996 to 2004, there has been very little variation in the popular vote percentages for both parties. The Republican percentage of the popular vote for the House has fluctuated between 49 and 51 percent, the Democratic percentage between 46 and 48.5 percent.

This has been true despite great differences in the job ratings of the parties' leading figures. Republicans won pluralities of the popular vote for the House in 1996 and 1998, when Bill Clinton's job rating was high and the favorability ratings of the highly visible Newt Gingrich were very low. Clinton's job rating was high in 2000, too, but Republicans still won the popular vote 49 percent to 48 percent. In 2002, when George W. Bush's job rating was up around 70 percent, Republicans won 51 percent of the popular vote for the House. In 2004, when his job rating was around 50 percent, Republicans won 50 percent.

Isn't It Ironic?

Tax Law Writers Rely on Pros for Returns By MARY DALRYMPLE

When it comes to their own tax returns, many members of Congress who specialize in writing tax laws turn to professional preparers rather than completing the paperwork themselves.

"It's onerous and everybody knows it," said Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass.

I wonder who's responsible for it being so "onerous."

From The Religion of Peace Files

Iranians volunteer for "martyrdom missions" by Parisa Hafezi

Some 200 Iranians have volunteered in the past few days to carry out "martyrdom missions" against U.S. and British interests if Iran is attacked over its nuclear program, a hardline group said on Sunday.

The United States and other Western nations accuse Iran of seeking to master enrichment technology to build atomic weapons, a charge Iran denies. Washington says it wants a diplomatic solution, but has not ruled out a military option.

Mohammad Ali Samadi, spokesman for the Committee for the Commemoration of Martyrs of the Global Islamic Campaign, said fresh fears over a possible U.S. attack on Iran's nuclear sites helped attract volunteers during its latest recruitment drive.

"Because of the recent threats, we have started to register more volunteers since Friday," Samadi told Reuters by telephone.

"Some 200 people have registered to carry out operations against our enemies. America and Britain are definitely considered enemies."

Chanting "Death to America" and "Nuclear technology is our right," volunteers registered their names at the former American Embassy in southern Tehran on Sunday.

They signed a document called "Registration form for martyrdom-seeking operations" and pledged to "defend the Islamic Republic's interests."

"We will give a good lesson to those who dare to attack our country," said Ali, a 25-year-old masked volunteer, after filling out registration form.

When asked why he had covered his face, Ali said: "I do not want to be recognized when traveling abroad to harm American and British interests."

Iran warns against US attack by Mark Heinrich

Pierre and Cindy Sheehan

Pierre and Jacques

While the Media Focuses on Global Warming

Iran President Again Lashes Out at Israel By ALI AKBAR DAREINI

The president of Iran again lashed out at Israel on Friday and said it was "heading toward annihilation," just days after Tehran raised fears about its nuclear activities by saying it successfully enriched uranium for the first time. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called Israel a "permanent threat" to the Middle East that will "soon" be liberated. He also appeared to again question whether the Holocaust really happened.

"Like it or not, the Zionist regime is heading toward annihilation," Ahmadinejad said at the opening of a conference in support of the Palestinians. "The Zionist regime is a rotten, dried tree that will be eliminated by one storm."

"WILL BE" ? From "should be" to "will be." Ahmadinejad is working on nukes, the U.N. is busy talking and writing letters, and the peaceniks are already writing "NO WAR ON IRAN" on their cardboard signs. Meanwhile, this lunatic wants to turn Isreal into Nagasaki.

Thanks to Annika.

Free Speech for ME but NOT FOR THEE

Leading by example, one professor in Kentucky was so angry at pro-life speech that she choose to vandalize it.

NKY: Abortion display destroyed -- 400 crosses removed; NKU prof investigated BY KAREN GUTIÉRREZ

A professor at Northern Kentucky University said she invited students in one of her classes to destroy an anti-abortion display on campus Wednesday evening.

NKU police are investigating the incident, in which 400 crosses were removed from the ground near University Center and thrown in trash cans. The crosses, meant to represent a cemetery for aborted fetuses, had been temporarily erected last weekend by a student Right to Life group with permission from NKU officials. . . .

Witnesses reported "a group of females of various ages" committing the vandalism about 5:30 p.m., said Dave Tobertge, administrative sergeant with the campus police.

Sally Jacobsen, a longtime professor in NKU's literature and language department, said the display was dismantled by about nine students in one of her graduate-level classes.

"I did, outside of class during the break, invite students to express their freedom-of-speech rights to destroy the display if they wished to," Jacobsen said. . . .

She said she was infuriated by the display, which she saw as intimidating and a "slap in the face" to women who might be making "the agonizing and very private decision to have an abortion.' " . . .

"Any violence perpetrated against that silly display was minor compared to how I felt when I saw it. Some of my students felt the same way, just outraged," Jacobsen said.

Apparently Jacobsen's feelings against the display are more important than the feelings of pro-life members who were more than entitled to protest.

Free speech rights never encumpass the active hinderance of others in the expression of their free speech rights. A pro-life group is completely entitled to protest the destruction of unborn babies -- 43 million since 1973. The group likely found this mass slaughter "agonizing and personal." If Jacobsen had an ounce of maturity and security in your beliefs, and if the pro-abortion view of the world were so morally legitimate, she would never have been angered. Jacobsen certainly would have never been compelled to give her students the horrible example of vandalizing property.

Jacobsen's e-mail address is jacobsen@nku.edu.

Lets Not Judge the Nice Oppressors

National Review: Impromptus by Jay Nordlinger

The CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt, is defending his decision to kowtow to the Red Chinese. According to this article, he said, "We believe that the decision that we made to follow the law in China was absolutely the right one."

A nice line: "to follow the law." I wonder whether Schmidt considers some laws too brutal or unjust to be worth the trouble. And I wonder whether he considers any lawmaking body — e.g., the PRC — unworthy of respect.

Schmidt also said, "I think it's arrogant for us to walk into a country where we are just beginning to operate and tell that country how to operate."

Oh, is that it? It's arrogant not to bless the oppression by some people of other people? Is there any regime Schmidt would feel unarrogant about criticizing? And even if you can't do anything about oppression — do you have to cooperate with it?

I also love these particular words: "tell that country how to operate." We're not talking about a "country"; we're talking about a Communist dictatorship that seized power 60 years ago and has hung on ruthlessly.

Finally, Schmidt said, "There are many cases where certain information is not available due to local law or local custom."

I really love that "local law or local custom." When I hear the words "local custom," I think of native dress or dancing, or perhaps arranged marriages. Schmidt is talking about a vicious police state!

Beautiful. Just beautiful. And here am I, a booster of business (and incessant user of Google).

Dumb Ass

Cindy hasn't gotten the message that her 15 minutes of fame were over last year. I guess she's looking for a few more book deal$.

Newsmax: Cindy Sheehan Protests in Wrong Location

"Peace activist Cindy Sheehan returned to Texas on Wednesday for another war protest near President Bush's ranch, although he was to spend the weekend at Camp David."

Apology Not Accepted

WSBTV: Officer Considers Legal Action Against McKinney

The top police union official in the U.S. was in Washington today, discussing possible legal action with the police officer who was involved in a run-in with Rep. Cynthia McKinney, D-Ga.

McKinney is accused of striking a Capitol Police officer, after the officer failed to recognize her and stopped her at a security checkpoint.

Persuasion 101

Time Magazine, Public Scares and $

RCP: The Media and Reporting on the Environment By David Mastio

Next time you read a magazine cover story like the one Time just published ("Be Worried. Be VERY Worried. Polar Ice Caps Are Melting ... More And More Land Is Being Devastated ... Rising Waters Are Drowning Low-Lying Communities... The climate is crashing, and global warming is to blame") you should remember one little fact: U.S. media companies, including Time Warner, donate more to the environmental movement than any other industry. Companies like The New York Times, Gannett, Tribune, ABC, CBS and NBC have donated more than a half-billion worth of ad space since the 1990s to raise money for some of the nation's most extreme environmental groups. And yes, that was billion with a B.

[...]

The web site for the campaign (www.fightglobalwarming.com) makes things pretty clear: "Global warming is the most serious environmental issue of our time."
If those are the stakes, then the Ad Council would surely want the most persuasive messenger to bring this important information to the public, right?

And since "most respected scientific organizations have stated unequivocally that global warming is happening, and people are causing it ...," it should be easy for the Ad Council to find a non-partisan scientific messenger, then right?

Well, for some reason, no. The Ad Council has given us exactly the opposite: Their messenger is Environmental Defense (formerly known as the Environmental Defense Fund), a group with a reputation for crying wolf. Right now on their web page, ED asks parents to click to find out whether their children are in "danger" from dirty air. Nowhere can parents find the more comforting fact that, no matter where they live, kids today are breathing cleaner air than they did 50 years ago.

Ignoring the Troops

Troops in Support Of the War By Wade Zirkle

The morale of the trigger-pulling class of today's fighting force is strong. Unfortunately, we have not had a microphone or media audience willing to report our comments. Despite this frustration, our military continues to proudly dedicate itself to the mission at hand: a free, democratic and stable Iraq and a more secure America. All citizens have a right to express their views on this important national challenge, and all should be heard. Veterans ask no more, and they deserve no less.

Heartless

Moussaoui: "No Regret, No Remorse" By MATTHEW BARAKAT

"Confessed al-Qaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui said Thursday it made his day to hear accounts of Americans' suffering from the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and he would like to see similar attacks "every day.' "

Smearing Christianity is Big Business

Atleast for conspiracy theorist Dan Brown it is.

Accuracy in Media: Fact or Fiction in The Da Vinci Code by Cliff Kincaid

Carl E. Olson, co-author of the book, The Da Vinci Hoax, says, "There is no such thing as just a novel or just fiction from the standpoint that even lightweight popular fiction has ways of influencing how we see the world and affects our perception of important and unimportant things. Fiction-if we broaden that to include television shows, sitcoms, movies-is probably the primary means by which most people today gain their understanding of big and small issues alike."

The March of the Unhinged II

Some Wisconsin towns join Vermont in "protesting too much."

MSNBC: 24 Wisconsin cities vote for Iraq pullout -- 8 communities reject call for immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops

Twenty-four of 32 Wisconsin communities approved referendums Tuesday calling for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, while eight others voted against such measures.

Though the referendums carry no weight — municipal governments can’t dictate the federal government’s actions — organizers hoped to send a message.

The Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice, which helped organize the efforts, was already looking at expanding it to more cities in future elections, said spokeswoman Rachel Friedman. She said elected officials should take the results into account as they look toward the November elections.

“They have seven months to listen to us, to the voters and to do the right thing,” Friedman said. “The people have spoken. This is what democracy looks like.”

Mark Margolis notes:

But have "the people" really spoken? Absolutely not. Wisconsin has 1,266 towns and only 32 voted on the referenda. That amounst to a mere 8 percent of the state's 2004 electorate, of which, only 2 percent cast ballots for the referendum. The 32 towns were also heavily Democratic, and a smaller percentage voted for a pullout (60%) than voted for Kerry in 2004 (69%). So, the referendum actually did not do well at all, considering the circumstances.

One angle Margolis does not discuss is what the media would do if two dozen towns voted to keep the military in Iraq. Do you think MSNBC would write a story on THAT?

From the Religion of Peace Files

Now children are targets.

Turkish Weekly: Children killed in Afghan attack

Scotsman: 45 killed in bomb attack on Sunni gathering by AAMIR ASHRAF

Middle East: 13 Algerian customs officials killed in ambush -- 12 customs vehicles come under rocket attack by Islamist militants at Ouardhia on Saharan road to In Salah.

The Latest Jay Bennish is Steve White

Last month, geography teacher Jay Bennish earned the Unhinged Teacher of the Month Award thanks to his anti-America, anti-Bush, anti-Capitalism, anti-intelligence rant. This month, he has some competition in Steve White, a teacher in Alabama.