The Weigh In

Posted 8/09/2002 01:32:00 PM by Justin
CLOSING EARLY TODAY... BUT WITH GOOD REASON: I'll be spending the remainder of my free time today building up The Weigh In's new home. I expect that I will be ready to start posting to it this coming Monday! I'm pretty psyched, it's looking very nice thus far...

I will have the new link posted here on Monday or Tuesday. (My intent is to begin posting to the new site as soon as it's presentable, and at some point shortly thereafter move all my Blogger archives over.)

Have a great weekend.

Posted 8/09/2002 01:01:00 PM by Justin
SAUDI = ENEMY: I'm quickly becoming a big fan of Ralph Peters. Much like Ann Coulter (but with better-prepared arguments), he effectively articulates his anger with current leaders' attempts to ignore facts and common sense. His latest column, taking President Bush to task for kowtowing to corrupt Saudi Arabia as did his predecessors, is just another example of his abilities.

'The royal family doesn't do its own dirty work, of course - no more than they fight their own wars. Like mafia dons, they put out contracts. Some of those contracts are for oil deals or public-relations blitzes, or to buy influence-packing lobbyists inside the Beltway. Others involve money handed to terrorists to spread the cruelest imaginable perversion of a great world religion - in the end, the Saudis are even greater enemies to the future of the Islamic world than they are to the United States.'

IN ADDITION: Deroy Murdock of NRO thinks that Saudi Arabia is worse than Iraq- and he's got some proof.

Posted 8/09/2002 10:06:00 AM by Justin
MUST-READ OF THE DAY: Speaking of Cold Fury, Mike Hendrix wrote a damn amazing screed yesterday, which simply blew me away. I've read it a few times now, and it's already a classic. It's about lies. Not the small white ones that we all tell, but the large-scale denials that most of our leaders and citizens use to avoid conflict and actual facts. I would love to post the entire thing, but here's one passage-

'I'm sick of having people like Norm Mineta and Tom Ridge running a multiheaded hydra of a Homeland Security system that refuses to acknowledge the reality of who our enemies really are because of slavish obeisance to a wholly-discredited 60's hangover known as "political correctness." But the larger nauseated-fatigue-inducer here is this one: I'm sick of the lie that is the foundation of political correctness in the first place. This lie is one of the most insidious of all - the notion that certain realities of life need to be glossed-over and whitewashed for the consumption of people who are too fragile to deal with the world as it is; the idea that the world will become more like we wish it to be if we just get rid of certain words and substitute other, less "offensive" ones in their places; the idea that all people and cultures are essentially just alike and the world will be a better place if we refuse to acknowledge the reality of our differences - or worse yet, celebrate all cultures, no matter how backward, no matter how repressive or just plain invalid, as being the equals of our own. You will never convince me that a culture whose greatest achivements came over 500 years ago, that brutally oppresses women (and I have yet to see a pseudo-hippy college professor willing to face up to that one), that has a code of law that requires the hacking off of limbs or other inhuman punishments for minor offenses, and that has progressed not one iota since the Crusades is the moral or practical equal of our own. Likewise, I am not willing to concede that sub-Saharan tribal peoples whose principal musical achievement consists of blowing through a hollowed-out tree-limb or beating rhythmically on a big log and whose diet consists of bugs and, in some cases, dirt, is in any way to be considered on a par with the culture that produced Mozart, Beethoven, and tiramisu.'

Posted 8/09/2002 09:58:00 AM by Justin
SAY HELLO TO LEWIS W. NAPPER: Who I've learned is the author of the "Bill of No Rights" that I posted earlier. Cold Fury has tracked down some other writings from this fellow, and there quite cogent and convincing.

Take a look at them here.

Posted 8/09/2002 09:49:00 AM by Justin
THAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS THE CHATTERING: Daniel Henninger (WSJ) rightly worries about our country's return to complacency...

'Instead of congressional hearings on missile "throw-weight," we now have hearings, based on old-fashioned security leaks, about the order of battle in Iraq. And while prominent Senators such as Messrs. Biden and Daschle make clear their "support" for the "basic" thrust of the Bush policy, they also manage to convey their concerns about what is "advisable" on Iraq.

This is not the mood of a country whose people are under mortal threat. This is the mood of a country having a nice, interesting policy debate.'

Posted 8/09/2002 09:26:00 AM by Justin
HEY SNOTS, WE'RE ON TO YOU:

'A new book, A Reader's Manifesto: An Attack on the Growing Pretentiousness in American Literary Prose, by B.R. Myers, says today's critically acclaimed American writers use complicated language to trick readers into thinking they have something important to say.'

Most college professors are guilty of this as well, I might add.

Posted 8/09/2002 09:24:00 AM by Justin
THE BILL OF NO RIGHTS: Thanks to WeekendPundit for tracking down this gem-

'We, the Sensible of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, Restore some semblance of justice, avoid any more riots, keep our Nation safe, Promote positive behavior and Secure the Blessings of debt-free Liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great grandchildren, Hereby try one more time to Ordain and Establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt-ridden delusional, and other liberal, commie, pinko bedwetters.

We hold these Truths to be Self-evident, that a whole lot of People were confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim that they require a Bill of No Rights...'

Posted 8/08/2002 03:46:00 PM by Justin
OUCH: NRO has posted Rich Lowry's prescient February 2002 takedown of our enemies, the Saudis.

'...it never experienced any of the beneficial touches of European civilization. It instead has always been characterized by its backwardness and irrationality. Slavery was abolished only in 1962. Sheik Bin Baz, eventually the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, issued a fatwa in 1966 ruling that the world is flat. Compared with most modern nations, Saudi Arabia is a lunarscape: no political parties, no trade unions, no movie theaters.'

Posted 8/08/2002 01:59:00 PM by Justin
THE ANSWER TO MY TRIVIA QUESTION: Posted yesterday, can be found here. See the movie if you can, and you'll thank me (or want to strangle me) later...

Posted 8/08/2002 01:51:00 PM by Justin
FSU-"LET'S ROLL" UPDATE: Thanks to Ben at Beaverhausen Blog for pointing me to this excellent Keith Olbermann column on Bobby Bowden's decision to use "Let's Roll" as his football team's slogan this year.

Look, Bobby Bowden's an ass. A well-known and well-publicized one. A greasy, corpulent one. But there's no reason I can think of why he can't use Todd Beamer's statement, though there may be a legitimate issue about royalties to be paid to the Beamer family. No matter. I only wish someone classier and more aware of the situation and its potential fallout had been the one to appropriate that phrase for motivational (and likely financial) gain.

Posted 8/08/2002 12:32:00 PM by Justin
NOW THAT'S AN IDEA:

'As New Yorkers prepare to commemorate the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history, radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh is addressing the notion of an American assault on Iraq timed for Sept. 11 of this year.

"I think it would be fabulous," Limbaugh said during his national broadcast yesterday. "I think a 9-11 act on Saddam ... you talk about getting this country up!"'

We all need some genuine good news, that's for certain. I'm growing weary of this kind of good news.

Posted 8/08/2002 10:09:00 AM by Justin
MUST-READ OF THE DAY: I know it's early, but just the same...

Jay Nordlinger's latest column (which I linked to below) also discusses what probably is Hillary Clinton's favorite short story, Kurt Vonnegut's dystopian "Harrison Bergeron."

READ THIS STORY. I'll bet Al Gore keeps a copy on his night table.

Posted 8/08/2002 10:00:00 AM by Justin
ALL THE BIAS THAT'S SHIT TO PRINT, III: The next entry in this new series that I just can't help but post incessantly about, Ann Coulter contributes mightily with an op-ed on the Times' astoundingly unbalanced coverage and anti-war tack regarding Iraq-

'It is as if the Times operates on Islamic holy logic — what should be true, on grounds of faith, must be taken as true, and hard evidence establishing the contrary can be dismissed as mere fact. There's a reason that reading The New York Times these days is like reading a newspaper published in Saudi Arabia.'

UPDATE: Jay Nordlinger has some additional examples of the Times' petulance in his latest "Impromptus."

Posted 8/08/2002 09:12:00 AM by Justin
AND DON'T CALL ME SHIRLEY: "Airplane!" has been voted the funniest movie of all-time by an E! Online readers poll. Rodger Schultz has a few corrections to make.

Pretty accurate list, though I would have had "Dumb and Dumber" a bit higher, as it's my all-time favorite comedy.

Posted 8/08/2002 08:58:00 AM by Justin
WHILE I REALLY DON'T AGREE WITH THIS: I can't generate a solid argument against it either-

Florida State Football coach Bobby Bowden has decided to adopt the phrase "Let's Roll" as his team's motto for the upcoming season.

It would be unfortunate for that silly old man to line his pockets with the merchandise that will be sold with that phrase on it, but I agree with Eric McErlain, Dan Lewis and James Taranto that it's patriotic and has precedent with other sports teams.

Posted 8/08/2002 08:45:00 AM by Justin
FURTHER OPINIONS ON IRAQ: Though I've come out as a full-force hawk on removing Saddam Hussein immediately, perhaps there are reasons for the delay. Jim Hoagland (WaPo) suggests offers his analysis-

'This cacophony on Iraq is not unhelpful to Bush. He can let Saddam Hussein twist in the windstorm of words through the rest of the year. A well-managed war of nerves raises the pressure on the Iraqi dictator. It could even gain some of Bush's objectives before the shooting starts.'

Elsewhere, the Weekly Standard argues that Baghdad will not be another Mogadishu.

Posted 8/08/2002 08:28:00 AM by Justin
SMELLY RED SOX LOSE IN SHOCKING FASHION: And your humble blogger celebrates wildly-

'Terrence Long figures it was the best catch of his career. He wasn't getting any arguments from the team he robbed. Oakland's center fielder raced to the right-center field fence, reached into the Boston bullpen and made a game-ending, backhanded catch that robbed Manny Ramirez of a three-run homer and preserved the Athletics' 3-2 win over the Red Sox on Wednesday night.'

Posted 8/07/2002 04:19:00 PM by Justin
COMMENTS, TIME TO MAKE THE COMMENTS: Hello readers; I've noticed over the last few weeks that my commenting system has been getting less use than Michael Moore's brain.

I added the commenting system for all of you readers, to agree/ disagree/ love/ hate me. Please feel free to use it early and often! Even just to say hello.

Unless my writing and choice of topics that I post on are so awful that I'm losing all my diehard readers... in which case, I still need to know, still need to hear from you!

Posted 8/07/2002 03:05:00 PM by Justin
FOUND ON BLOGGER'S HOME PAGE:

'Interesting factoid I just calculated for a journalist: During the month of July, there were 1.5 Blogger blogs created per minute (on average).'

Dear Blogger,
Allow me to point out that this factoid may have contributed to your and Blogspot's massive server problems and many deserters from Blogger in July. Scaling your system properly before you continue to add more and more users is a thought.

Yours truly,
The Weigh In

Posted 8/07/2002 02:39:00 PM by Justin
A PHRASE I COULD LEARN TO LOVE: The Axis of Feeble, which applies to "the EU, UN, and appeasement-loving lefties everywhere."

Courtesy of Mike Hendrix, aka "Cold Fury."

Posted 8/07/2002 02:17:00 PM by Justin
TRIVIA BREAK: Who remembers this classic Halloween movie?

I watched it countless times during my youth, but it hasn't been aired in years... throw me a comment if you know the answer!

Posted 8/07/2002 01:47:00 PM by Justin
IT'S ALMOST TIME: For the new television season to start up! TV Guide has some general spoilers for the upcoming season of "Buffy" - don't worry, there's nothing too juicy.

Posted 8/07/2002 10:53:00 AM by Justin
I GUESS SAUDI ARABIA WANTS TO BE NEXT:

'Saudi Arabia has made clear to Washington – publicly and privately – that the U.S. military will not be allowed to use the kingdom's soil in any way for an attack on Iraq, Foreign Minister Prince Saud said Wednesday.'

Funding terrorists, defending murderers. Oh yeah, they're next. Soon-to-be good riddance.

Meanwhile, the professor raises a good question-

'Why are the arguments offered by those opposing the war of such generally poor quality? I can make up better, more coherent arguments against the war than those who seem to have made it their mission to oppose it.'

Posted 8/07/2002 10:16:00 AM by Justin
ALL THE BIAS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT, II: I'm ashamed of how I once respected and enjoyed to read the New York Times. But the wheels are falling off, and their grade-school level "news" coverage is shining through. Using large words and complete sentences doesn't a respectable newspaper make. But this ongoing development is better for all of us, so we can actually see the kind of wacko left nonsense that is spit on us every day by the Times and other media.

John Cole makes an interesting observation about the Times' coverage of stock market swoons.

And Mark Steyn has an excellent op-ed on the closed-mindedness of many liberals-

'The left has an hilarious bumper sticker: "Celebrate Diversity." In the newsrooms of America, they celebrate diversity of race, diversity of gender, diversity of orientation, diversity of everything except the only diversity that matters: diversity of thought.'

Posted 8/07/2002 09:33:00 AM by Justin
ON A SERIOUS ROLL: Steven Den Beste has been razor-sharp of late. In his latest essay, he replies to a reader on why deterrence won't work against Saddam Hussein.

'With respect to a nuke, let's be clear that there is no direct defense. There are ways that such a weapon can be delivered to an American city which are virtually certain of succeeding, and almost impossible to detect. (No, I'm not going to say what they are.) If someone out there has a bomb and truly decides to use it against us, one of our cities will go away. The idea that we'd be able to stop the attack is not credible; we cannot rely on defense to save ourselves. We'd try, but we would probably fail.

The best way to stop such an attack is earlier in the chain. Once such weapons are in the hands of groups willing to make suicide attacks, our deterrent doesn't work against them. We have to stop the source of supply, and by far the most probable source of supply is Iraq.'

UPDATE: Joe Katzman says it best-

'This isn't a court of law, folks, this is the international arena. The game is played for keeps, for survival. We learned that anew on September 11, 2001. Euro-fantasies aside, there are no rules accepted by all parties - and no enforcement mechanism other than the weapons you bring yourself. The evidence threshold is therefore reasonable suspicion. We have that, and far more.'

Posted 8/07/2002 09:21:00 AM by Justin
ADVENTURES IN COMMON SENSE: Heather Mac Donald (bless her heart) doesn't buy all the liberal hype about widespread racial profiling by police officers-

'So I set out to talk to black cops and commanders from eight police departments across the country about why they became policemen and how they view today’s policing controversies. What I found was a bracing commitment to law and order, a resounding rejection of anti-cop propaganda, and a conviction that racial politics are a tragic drag on black progress. The thoroughly mainstream views of these black cops are a reminder that invisible behind the antics of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are many black citizens who share the commonsense values of most Americans.'

Posted 8/07/2002 08:37:00 AM by Justin
JAPAN NEARLY HAD ITS OWN BOMB: Strange news, especially with the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing yesterday. And they would have used it against the U.S. in World War II, writes Lowell Ponte in Front Page magazine. Do all you doves think Saddam Hussein will wait to use his once it's ready?

Regarding the Japan story, James Taranto may be on to something (read the 3rd post down, "Our Friends the Japanese")-

'Time was when history was written by the victors. Today, it seems, it's written by the victims.'

Posted 8/06/2002 05:13:00 PM by Justin
DAD OF THE YEAR: Just look at what this guy built for his kids... (Link via Jacob Proffitt)

Posted 8/06/2002 05:07:00 PM by Justin
MORE ON WAR: Steven Den Beste replies to a reader on why war with Iraq is a better option for the U.S. than containment-

'The problem with containment is that the pressure will grow. The longer we wait, the more dangerous Iraq's stock of WMDs will become, and the higher the price ultimately of defeating him. I do not think that a peaceful solution is possible; it will only be settled by war. Unlike Cuba, I do not think we can wait Iraq out. The chance of Iraqi WMDs being leaked to terrorist groups is too great, and will only rise as time goes on. As such, it's best to fight such a war at the time when the cost is least, and my opinion is that this means the sooner the better. It's as simple as that.'

I think he's got it. So does Garry Kasparov, chess god-

'No shield, no airport checks, no intelligence budget will be sufficient if militant Islam retains its foothold, its access to cash, training and propaganda. It is easier and cheaper to execute a terrorist attack than it is to prevent one: The price of a successful attack against America may be $10 million or less; the price to America would be many times that. Time and expense work in favor of terrorists, so the longer it takes to root out terrorists, the greater the likelihood of another attack on American soil.'

Posted 8/06/2002 01:06:00 PM by Justin
TRULY REPULSIVE:

'Arab and Muslim states lined up Monday to call for a General Assembly resolution that would term Israel's actions in Jenin in April "atrocities" and "grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention."'

Can you believe this? It helps to explain why the United States will never follow or adhere to the decrees of an international body. And it helps to clarify how the U.N. and the Arab World truly regard Jewish people and the idea of truth.

'U.S. and Israeli representatives wondered aloud why they were debating Israel's culpability in a "massacre" that the U.N. itself said never took place.'

Screw the U.N. and that puppet Kofi Annan. And the German chancellor can kiss my ass, too. If these people and their countries possessed anything of value or consequence, then they'd also be targets for the Islamoidiots and might even have to defend themselves...

Posted 8/06/2002 12:25:00 PM by Justin
HIDING OUT: Hey all, I will be posting here and there for the remainder of today, maybe tomorrow as well. I'm finally getting around to learning the ins and outs of my blog's soon-to-be new home. I'll be back.

Posted 8/06/2002 10:12:00 AM by Justin
ALL THE BIAS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT: The New York Times has been acting lately like the once-cool kid in school who has been so exposed as a fraud that he resorts to calling names and throwing tantrums for attention. Dishonest, painfully-slanted articles and headlines are now the norm. I'm truly embarrassed to say that I actually used to enjoying reading this newspaper. Now I wouldn't let my pet parrot shit on it (and I don't even have a pet parrot).

Take a look at a couple of op-eds on the subject for more discussion. Here's Benjamin Zycher (National Review) writing about the Times' unbalanced stance on war with Iraq.

And Erin Sheley (Weekly Standard) chronicles the anti-Bush drivel that the Times is serving up with way too much enthusiasm.

Posted 8/06/2002 08:51:00 AM by Justin
MUSIC TO MY EARS:

'A briefing given last month to a top Pentagon advisory board described Saudi Arabia as an enemy of the United States, and recommended that U.S. officials give it an ultimatum to stop backing terrorism or face seizure of its oil fields and its financial assets invested in the United States.'

It's about time for the U.S. to get in the face of these spoiled tyrants, but Spoons might have it right after all.

Victor Davis Hanson writes in the WSJ (registration required) that America must begin to break our alliances with duplicitous nations-

'Saudi Arabia, the womb of Sept. 11, is considered equally restrained because it subsidizes terrorists covertly rather than publicly, and relegates its government-sanctioned anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism to zany clerics and unimaginative bureaucrats. Thousands of our troops stationed in the desert there are prevented from venturing into Iraq, and are not to fly out to hunt down the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Instead our female soldiers remain veiled as our guns and planes protect the sheiks -- but from whom and what?'

Posted 8/05/2002 03:57:00 PM by Justin
CAN "BUFFY" HELP US FIGHT TERRORISM?: Quite possibly yes.

'What "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and her gang don't do is create plans, learn from mistakes or pause to think about what they're up against. And in these regards, they are a lot like us, or so says Anthony H. Cordesman, the holder of the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a longtime ABC News military analyst.' (registration required)

Posted 8/05/2002 02:03:00 PM by Justin
SADDAM UPDATE: I hope this story doesn't have legs-

'An Iraqi politician says President Saddam Hussein will soon use weapons of mass destruction.

Opposition Iraqi National Congress leader Ahmad Chalabi warned: "Saddam has advanced chemical weapons, he has advanced biological weapons, and he has produced and engineered biological weapons which contain a combination of viruses such as smallpox and ebola."'

Posted 8/05/2002 01:59:00 PM by Justin
MUST-READ OF THE DAY: David Brooks has an outstanding new mega-piece in the Weekly Standard, on the migration to "Sprinkler Cities," America's new suburbs. Sounds pretty nice, maybe me and the better half should consider a move to one of these cities...

'Sprinkler Cities are the fast-growing suburbs mostly in the South and West that are the homes of the new style American Dream, the epicenters of Patio Man fantasies...'

'If you stand on a hilltop overlooking a Sprinkler City, you see, stretched across the landscape, little brown puffs here and there where bulldozers are kicking up dirt while building new townhomes, office parks, shopping malls, AmeriSuites guest hotels, and golf courses. Everything in a Sprinkler City is new. The highways are so clean and freshly paved you can eat off them. The elementary schools have spic and span playgrounds, unscuffed walls, and immaculate mini-observatories for just-forming science classes.'

Posted 8/05/2002 12:46:00 PM by Justin
BUT PRIESTS WHO RAPE BOYS ARE JUST FINE:

'Reinforcing its opposition to female priests, the Vatican said Monday it had excommunicated seven women, including a nun, who were ordained in June in a ceremony on a boat in Austria.'

Bill O'Reilly's latest column laments the disgrace also known as organized religion.

Posted 8/05/2002 09:55:00 AM by Justin
YOUR WAY ISN'T WORKING: I'm very disheartened by the news today, just flat out of it. Posting will resume this afternoon.

But before then, I pose a question to the anti-war crowd, anti-Americans, hardcore liberals, European whinosnots, terrorist apologists, and the rest of you know who you are: If you're so upset with the steps that the Bush administration (and the majority of Americans) wants to take to protect our country, what's your alternative?

If you haven't noticed, your way isn't working. Treaties, discussions and debates, concessions. Years and years of it, without no discernable change in world affairs. Nothing but inflated egos and sense of self-importance. It's not working. Come up with a better plan of action, or at least a reasonable, thoughtful dissent to the current plans of action, or get the f$%k out of the way. It's not enough to cry "Racism!" or "We're losing our civil liberties!" or "America is too brash!" anymore.

On a related note, Patio Pundit challenges the now-pathetic paper of record-

'Do the bigwigs at the New York Times think that we should sit idly by while Saddam acquires weapons of mass destruction? If they don't trust law-abiding citizens with handguns, why do they trust unbalanced dictators with nuclear weapons?'

Posted 8/05/2002 08:45:00 AM by Justin
HOW WILL THE WEST RESPOND: To the horrific suicide attacks from this past weekend? Israel is being pushed closer to an endgame, and thousands of Palestinians are going to pay severely for the actions of their uncontrollable animal segment of the population. Bastards.

Nick Denton makes the case for war with Iraq.

John Hawkins suggests renaming the "war on terrorism."

David Gelernter (Weekly Standard) thinks Israel should keep cameras away from the suicide bombers' murder scenes.

Andrew Sullivan is pitch-perfect regarding 9/11 and the NY Times' dishonest anti-war efforts-

'The hard left knows that this event changed the American discourse profoundly and they know that if they are to prevail in the months ahead, they must do all they can to minimize its importance.'

And last but certainly not least, Steven Den Beste takes apart the anti-war case, and points out the danger of not using enough force when in war.