Chanhassen Villager - World News, National Politics: Part 2 - Comments

The Olympic torch relay in

FAdams — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 11:11:18 -0500

The Olympic torch relay in Paris has been cut short after chaotic protests by anti-China demonstrators.
The flame has been extinguished four times by security forces after repeated clashes with pro-Tibet and human rights campaigners.

More Chinese troops blanket

FAdams — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 09:19:40 -0500

More Chinese troops blanket Tibet

Thousands of Chinese troops converged on foot, trucks and helicopters to Tibetan areas of western China.

The violence in Lhasa, defiance against 57 years of Chinese rule, has reportedly sparked sympathy demonstrations in neighboring provinces, prompting Beijing to blanket a huge area with troops and warn tourists and foreign journalists to stay away.

On Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with the Dalai Lama in India and called on the world to denounce China's crackdown in Tibet.

It's sad to see what's been

FAdams — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 10:56:33 -0500

It's sad to see what's been happening in Lhasa, Tibet, what with the Communist Chinese soldiers killing protesters.

I was in Lhasa back in the late 1990s, and I've always wanted to return. The air was so fresh and clear, especially compared to the air on the mainland of China. The people were very gracious, too.

Alas. I digress.

Chinese officials are blaming the latest controversy on the Dalai Lama. Tibet's communist leader referred to him as a "wolf in monk's robes." He said the protests among Tibetans this month have sparked a life-and-death struggle between China and followers of the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize.

Foreign media are banned from Tibet, and China's entirely state-controlled media have reported the rioters have killed 16 people. However, overseas Tibetan groups have claimed that 80 people were killed.

The Lhasa protests marked the biggest challenge in almost two decades to Chinese rule in the Himalayan region, which People's Liberation Army forces occupied in 1950 after several decades of effective independence.

Initially led by monks, the demonstrations began peacefully on March 10, the anniversary of a failed uprising in 1959 against Chinese rule.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao accused supporters of the Dalai Lama of organizing the violent clashes in hopes of sabotaging this summer's Beijing Olympics and bolstering their campaign for independence in the Himalayan territory.

I agree, the dollar is in

FAdams — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 10:42:44 -0500

I agree, the dollar is in free fall.

Oil prices fall By F Adams

olddog1800 — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:28:49 -0500

Oil prices fall By F Adams Jan. 18 2008

International reports today are that oil prices have declined on worries that a poor U.S. economy could curb demand for crude oil.

Light, sweet crude for February delivery fell 23 cents to $89.90 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange by midday in Europe.

Imagine what the market would do if the U.S. actually discovered new oil and brought it onto the market.

Submitted by FAdams on January 18, 2008 - 10:36am.

Now Sweet Crude is at about $110 a barrel, does this mean we now have a good U. S. economy, and the demand for crude will increase? Or does it mean dollar is in free fall?

What happens when the ice

FAdams — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:27:24 -0600

What happens when the ice cube in your glass of Coke melts? Does it cause the drink to spill over the side?

No, of course not. The same mass of water is just changing from a solid, ice cube, to a liquid, water.

In global warming news, former President Bill Clinton was caught in a moment of candor during a speech in Denver, Colo., stumping for his wife Wednesday.

According to ABC News reporter Jake Tapper, Clinton characterized what the U.S. and other industrialized nations need to do to combat global warming this way: "We just have to slow down our economy and cut back our greenhouse gas emissions 'cause we have to save the planet for our grandchildren."

At a time that the nation is worried about a recession, is that really the characterization his wife would want him making? "Slow down our economy"? Tapper asks.

Haaretz Daily News reported

FAdams — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:29:44 -0600

Haaretz Daily News reported today that the final report on the second Lebanon War claimed the decision in principle to launch a major ground offensive in the waning hours of the 2006 war was essential, despite the fact that the offensive failed to achieve any military objectives.

The committee called the war, which Israel launched against Hezbollah on July 12, 2006 after the militant group abducted two Israel Defense Forces soldiers and killed three others, a "major missed opportunity."

"The decision to actually launch the ground operation was within the framework of decision-makers' political and professional judgment based on the information they had available," a retired justice who delivered the report continued.

"There was no failure in the decision itself, despite the limited accomplishments and painful price," he said, referring to the 33 IDF soldiers killed in the offensive.

The panel nonetheless "found grave faults and failings in the decision-making process and the preparatory work both in the political and military levels and the interaction between them," Winograd said.

Leaders from the opposition party are calling for the prime minister to resign. The prime minister's partisans are calling for him to remain in office.

President Bush spoke out

FAdams — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:41:51 -0600

President Bush spoke out against earmarks in his final state of the union speech. Skeptics ask why he didn't deal with earmarks when the Republicans held both houses of Congress.

Maybe that's why Republicans no longer hold both houses of Congress. What's your opinion?

Edwards out leaving Obama

FAdams — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:37:23 -0600

Edwards out leaving Obama and Clinton Dems

The New York Times is reporting that "John Edwards is ending his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination after failing to win any of the nominating contests so far, according to his campaign."

Now what? Seems like Clinton has the momentum after winning in Florida and will likely win in California because the Hispanic voters will not vote for a rival minority.

It has come to pass.

FAdams — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:15:16 -0600

It has come to pass. America's mayor hwithdrew from the race for the presidency after a poor showing in Florida and threw his support behind Sen. McCain, front-runner for the Republican party.

I expect Gov. Huckabee to drop out soon and leave McCain vs. Romney. Defense vs. economics. Public vs. private sector. Gristled, sharp tempered veteran vs. smooth-talking investor. War hero vs. venture capitalist.

The final report this week

FAdams — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:56:37 -0600

The final report this week of an inquiry into the handling of the 2006 war in Lebanon could determine the fate of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government just as it settles into peace talks with the Palestinians. So says the Washington Times. Did you follow that war between Israel and the terrorists? If so, what are your thoughts of how Olmert's government conducted it?

Pope Benedict warned on

FAdams — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 09:53:11 -0600

Pope Benedict warned on Monday of the "seductive" powers of science that relegate man's spirituality, according to Reuters.

"In an age when scientific developments attract and seduce with the possibilities they offer, it's more important than ever to educate our contemporaries' consciences so that science does not become the criteria for goodness," he told scientists.

Scientific investigation should be accompanied by "research into anthropology, philosophy and theology" to give insight into "man's own mystery, because no science can say who man is, where he comes from or where he is going", the Pope said.

"Man is not the fruit of chance or a bundle of convergences, determinisms or physical and chemical reactions," Benedict told a meeting of academics of different disciplines sponsored by the Paris Academy of Sciences and Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

Is science at odds with religion, or does it complement religion?

Talking about politics is

FAdams — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 22:10:22 -0600

Talking about politics is starting to bother me, and we don't even have the nominees for each party yet. I'm going to try to pace myself from here, or maybe I'll start a presidential race forum after we've chosen the candidates.

That said, I'd be remiss if I failed to mention that Illinois Senator Barack Obama won the South Carolina primary in commanding fashion, rolling up 55 percent of the vote.

He summed up my thoughts when he said: "The choice in this election is not about regions or religions or genders. It's not about rich versus poor, young versus old and it's not about black versus white. It's about the past versus the future."

Not surprisingly, I heard a report on NPR this afternoon that claimed voters, particularly women, were excited about the Clinton campaign. It just so happened that was much wishful thinking on the part of the reporter and editor from NPR as I took it to be. The report noted that voters, particularly women, intended to vote for their gender.

In all actuality, the primary shattered turnout records; about half the voters were black; and four out of five of them supported Obama. Black women turned out in particularly large numbers, according to national reports. The theme is change, not a new regime from one of the political dynasty families.

We'll see what happens next.

Reuters is reporting that

FAdams — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 21:56:44 -0600

Reuters is reporting that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has accepted an invitation to visit Baghdad, Iraq. This would be a landmark trip that would make him the first leader of Iran to visit its former foe.

Iran and Iraq fought an eight-year war in the 1980s in which hundreds of thousands were killed. Does Iran have a new ally?

Dr. Berliner is a member of

olddog1800 — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 11:08:52 -0600

Dr. Berliner is a member of the board of directors of the Ayn Rand Institute in Irvine, CA.
What is the environmental left? What is there agenda? Who opposes the environmental laws? What is their agenda?
The article referred to was written by Dr. Berliner of the Ayn Rand Institute. Ayn Rand was a capitalist first and foremost; she believed there were no Robber Barons in history. She believed that child labor laws hurt business, that democracy, fascism, and communism, all share the same terrible idea. That idea profit and greed should be tempered by the common good of society.
Dr. Berliner would have us believe that there is no danger in acid rain, global warming, smog, or the logging of rain forests. The danger for man kind that any attempt to reduce the effects of these things on the earth would impact capitalist’s profits. Does nature have "intrinsic value," to be revered for its own sake, and its benefit to mankind? Is the economic benefit to a specific man in the form of capital gain or profit greater than the "intrinsic value" of nature to mankind? Is there any circumstance were man should to be prohibited from using nature for his own ends?
Dr. Berliner says; “The fundamental goal of environmentalism is not clean air and clean water; rather, it is the demolition of technological/industrial civilization. Environmentalism's goal is not the advancement of human health, human happiness, and human life; rather, it is a subhuman world where "nature" is worshipped like the totem of some primitive religion.”
What is Dr. Berliner’s fundamental goal? He says: “To save mankind from environmentalism, what's needed is not the appeasing, compromising approach of those who urge a "balance" between the needs of man and the "needs" of the environment. To save mankind requires the wholesale rejection of environmentalism as hatred of science, technology, progress, and human life. To save mankind requires the return to a philosophy of reason and individualism, a philosophy that makes life on earth possible.” What he is saying his fundamental goal is pure capitalism. Each man has the right to pollute the air, the water for the sake of profit. Development is always good, trees should be clear cut, if it is more profitable, regardless of the impact it makes on the environment. Sewage should be dumped into rivers and oceans if it is cheaper and more profitable than building sewage treatment plants. People down stream have no right to clean water that would impact his ability to make a profit. What is Dr. Berliner’s political position? What ever is the most profitable at the moment? Pure capitalism is neither liberal nor conservative; The God of capitalism is greed.
I’m not sure what the impact of global warming will be, and if we can prevent it or impede it. In my life time I have seen what pollution control laws did for the air quality of Los Angles, Chicago and what the lack of them is leading to in some areas of China and Mexico. I watch traffic pass in front of my house at 45 miles and hour, every morning and afternoon. Three or four hundred vehicles and hour. Ninety eight percent of them have one occupant. There must be a better way. We built a new road so the traffic now goes on the new 312 at 65 and 70 miles an hour, they estimate in a few years we’ll have a few thousand cars per hour taking the road every morning and evening. Will ninety eight percent of them still have one occupant? We need a smarter way. Even if it isn’t more profitable for the capitalist who own the tire and oil companies. Pure capitalism has never worked in the history of the world; the power of greed is too temping in society. Look at Enron, The problems in the mortgage, health care, insurance and banking industries. Pure capitalism is really like the game of monopoly where the winner has everything and everyone else has nothing. Everyone wants better than nothing for their children. How does the motive for profit drive our industrial military complex? What is the real reason we are fighting in Iraq? Follow the money.

World News, National Politics: Part 2

FAdams — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 09:24:18 -0600

This is the second installment of my world news, national politics coverage.