What the....?

The world has taken crazy pills.

Jason Kenney, the Conservative minister of Citizenship and Immigration, has ordered a re-write of what he calls an "insipid" guidebook for newcomers to Canada. Its focus is the tired, old tripe of Canada as a "peace-keeping" nation and a "mosaic", with an emphasis on Liberal (party) values. Canada did not "keep the peace" at Vimy Ridge or Normandy beach, and it sure doesn't do so in Afghanistan. Brave soldiers fight for the freedom of others. Wouldn't it be worth the immigrants' while to properly instruct them in English and teach them what it means to be a Canadian? They are, after all, going to be taxed to death when they become citizens. We owe it to them.

The "Chosen One"- or Obama, as his family calls him- is "not satisfied" with his 100 days of pork-spending and toadying to press agents and tyrants alike. His difficulties were "unprecedented". And to think the last guy only had to deal with a major terrorist attack on American soil. Some guys have all the luck, I suppose. It's this attitude of carrying a burden only someone with superhuman strength can pull off. Obama wants to elicit sympathy and ultimately awe for taking on the tasks he is expected to deal with as the leader of the free world (not that he's done a stellar job). Suck it, whiny-pants. You have three and a half more years to go (and lots of tax dollars to spend willy-nilly!).

North Korea demands- demands- that the UN apologise or it will conduct another nuclear test. If the world is tired of these tantrums, just invade North Korea (screw China and Russia).

I will leave you with ten extremely creative holders.

Durban II and the Blame Game

When SARS broke out in Canada, many were warned about blaming the Chinese when it was logical to question why China did very little to respond to the outbreak. Granted, blame was unfairly placed on some who could not have possibly have had anything to do with the outbreak and the failure to contain it but there were also lukewarm rebukes to those who could very well have dealt with the matter at hand. No one wanted to appear "racist".

Enter Durban II, the UN conference on racism. Canada boycotted the conference, as did the US, as well as Australia, New Zealand, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, and Israel. Many believed (and justly so, it turns out) that the conference was not at all about dealing with bigotry and xenophobia but about placing the blame on Israel for strife real or imagined. Pierre Poilievre, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, has written an article about Canada's vindication on boycotting the conference. He applauds Canada for acting alone. We did act alone. We boycotted the conference first. We cut off aid to Hamas. We proved, even for a short time, that doing the morally courageous thing can be isolating. Saints have been there, even at the advent of death, and that, while socially being an outcast, has its rewards in the afterlife with One who had been where they stood.

But what of the Blame Game? How are the problems of bigotry resolved by placing blame squarely at the feet of one group?

I feel that no matter how hard we try, we will never completely resolve the major problems society faces. Each effort is a social, cultural, political and even spiritual task. We can only do better each time. Did we advance by not acting when Hutus killed Tutsis? Did anyone say anything when the former Soviet Union Russified countries it then controlled? How are we advancing if we allow paternal racism to function in our relations with aboriginal people in Canada? Does anyone point out the racism in the Islamic world? The word for a black person in Arabic is "abd", which also means "slave". Indeed, the slave trade in Africa still thrives. Slavery also thrives in Islamic states and households around the world. Black Darfurians are victims of the Arab-backed janjaweed. Indeed, ethnic murder is not a strange occurrence in the Islamic world. Muslim Pakistan has been oppressing and murdering Muslim (and other) Bengalis for years. Why, then, does Iranian dictator Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blame Israel for racism (unfortunately, he is not the only one)?

I submit that it is easier to blame others than objectively examining an issue and coming to terms with the faults and failing inherent in one's self. Hardly a profound realisation, I admit, but it's simple. Poverty and ignorance kill more people than perceived injustices. They are only a couple of reasons for failed states and injustices. Did racism allow two toddlers to freeze to death or did a father fail to protect his children? Is racism to blame for Palestinians living in poverty, or is it a refusal to embrace peace? Ahmadinejad can blame Israel or "zionism" or whatever bug-bear he wishes but at the end of the day, his is the country where a woman can be stoned to death for standing near a man. Do we possess the fortitude and the knowledge to stand up and point out something, however unpleasant it may be?

Why would anyone be a part of a conference that can't recognise a problem when it sees it?

One Hundred Days, One Hundred Mistakes

One would think the honeymoon was not yet over.



Here are a few highlights of "The Chosen One's" flops:



1. "Obama criticized pork barrel spending in the form of 'earmarks,' urging changes in the way that Congress adopts the spending proposals. Then he signed a spending bill that contains nearly 9,000 of them, some that members of his own staff shoved in last year when they were still members of Congress. 'Let there be no doubt, this piece of legislation must mark an end to the old way of doing business, and the beginning of a new era of responsibility and accountability,' Obama said."



3. This year's budget deficit: $1.5 trillion.



4. Asks his Cabinet to cut costs in their departments by $100 million -- a whopping .0027%!



9. Turkey tried to block the appointment of Anders Fogh Rasmussen as new NATO secretary general because he didn't properly punish the Danish cartoonist who caricatured Mohammed. France's Nicolas Sarkozy and Germany's Angela Merkel were outraged; Obama said he supported Turkey's induction into the European Union.



10. . . . and he never mentioned the Armenian genocide.


11. The picture of Obama and Hugo Chavez shaking hands.


12. Hugo Chavez gave him the anti-American screed "The Open Veins of Latin America." Obama didn't remark upon it. At least it wasn't DVDs.


13. Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega went on a 50-minute anti-American rant, calling Obama "president of an empire." Obama didn't leave the room. "I thought it was 50 minutes long. That's what I thought," he said.


14. Executives at AIG get $165 million in bonuses, despite receiving an $173 billion taxpayer bailout.



Read the whole thing.



It is expected that the mission of the president will be fraught with difficulties. That's why experienced, selfless individuals are selected, not ones who interrupt "Lost" because they love the camera.

What's Wrong With This?

This is an article concerning Israel's readiness to bomb Iran's nuclear sites. I maintain that Israel has the right to defend itself. I said as much (and rather snarkily, too) on a particular board:

What do you expect? Someone has threatened to wipe their country off the
map. It's not like Iran is a beacon of enlightenment or anything. If you're
going to criticise Israel for wanting to defend itself, be so good as to take
every measure to make sure Japan doesn't re-arm. We don't want them to retaliate after an attack by Chinese-backed North Korea, do we?

This is what I got back in reply (I will withhold the name but not the comments, in red, spelling mistakes, irregularities and outright errors in all):

That quote was misinterpretted actually. It was directed, as far as I
know, at Zionism, not Jews. Iran isn't a beacon of enlightenment, but they don't
deserve to be randomly attacked...again. Israel did this before.

Defend itself from civilian nuclear reactors? Israel has a military
beyond most other countries. Iran doesn't even have a big military (it is just
defensive). Israel has invaded other countries several times recently. No one
has moved against them.

Zionism isn't nonsense. It is how they justify taking land from other people
and kill those people. Israel (the land it now is) wasn't empty. It was full of
people who grew up there for generations. They were forcibly removed, killed,
raped and attacked by the formation of the state of Israel. This was rather
recently. People are still alive who used to live there but were forced out of
their homes. Also, they continue to do it and even some Israelis are against it.
I'm not defending the state policies of Iran, but the lives of Iraninians who do
not deserve to have Israeli flown, American made (or other countries) war planes
come down and destroy their property and lives. That is all.

When I asked how Iran compares to Israel, this is what I got in return:

Quote from: OKinyobe

It's simple: show me where in the Islamic world Christians can freely go to
Mass and celebrate Christmas without the need for soldiers to protect churches.
That's all you have to do. I'm not going to ask you why anyone should be allowed
to protect themselves because I think the entire idea of security is just plain
wrong to you. Show me how Iran is a much better land-mass than Israel. Show me the freedoms, the trustworthy leadership and a basic infrastructure that allows its citizens to develop as a society. I know that happens in Israel. Can you say
the same for Iran? Can you say the same for the "poor" Palestinians who
encourage their children to blow themselves up?

Iran. The Iranian government protects Christians, Muslims, Zoroastrians
and Jews. They do have an unfortunate anti Bahá'í policy though which does
result in some violations of human rights.

That happens in Israel for Jews. Look at Israeli treatment of non Jews,
especially Christians. It isn't as great as you think. You also have a lopsided
view of the Palestinians. Ever consider they attack, which is a small minority
of them, because of what Israel does to them? They (Israel) took their homes,
their freedom and attacks them still.

Israel encourages people to take the land of non Jews. Israel will
allow anyone who can remotely claim to be Jewish to enter the country and settle
down.

Until the state of Israel recognised the rights of all and is
impartial, there will never be peace until one side is completely destroyed. So
far, Israel has taken every oppurtunity to kill as many Palestinians as it can.
As long as a single person who is Palestinian who will attack Israel, Israel
will use that person as an excuse to conduct large scale destructive military
operations. Why use WP bombs to attack a single person in a crowded city? They
say Hamas uses Palestinians as human shields, but Israel has a large sheet of
targets including hospitals, refugees, and even a UN warehouse full of food!
Israel has a highly skilled army. Its special forces are superb. They don't need
to be using bombers to kill individuals in crowded neighbourhoods.

But all of this has nothing to do with Iran. Iran has Palestinian
refugees. Iran has not a military that is good for offensive (barely defensive).
Iran criticises Israel for its treatment of Palestinians and calls its policies
"racist. It doesn't launch air raids on their civilian nuclear reactors.

Question: did I miss something? Am I taking crazy pills? Israel, despite its insistence on a Jewish state, has proven it gives more freedoms to those living in it than any Islamic state, including Iran. Did something occur and I missed it?

One more thing: Tomas van Houtryve, a documentary photographer, captured a few yet very vivid scenes from North Korea in a series he called: The Land of No Smiles. His honest photographic expedition had a detractor:

That's a terrible "photo essay". One can draw no conclusions about anything
about that, other than he's a lousy photographer (and yes, I understand the
limitations...)

Most of those pictures can be duplicated in any large metropolitan city -
Toronto, Hamilton especially - pick your time, place, subject. If you look for
crap, you'll find crap. The girl with the flowers is a standard "verite"
setpiece, and one of the oldest cliche shots in photojournalism.

Well, having lived in South Korea, I can attest that nothing Mr. van Houtryve captured reflected the well-fed and vivacious natures of a free and consumerist nation.

I get so stunned when I come across people who would sooner shut their eyes than just accept that what goes on around them is real. Is it pride that prevents them from accepting the truth? Is it insanity? Is it ignorance?

I have no clue.

April 23rd

It's Saint George's Day.




In case we forgot why Durban II was boycotted or how Islamic states are failures due to their brutality and dreadful inequalities, watch how a shiekh in the United Arab Emirates tortures a former friend (WARNING: the video is quite shocking).




It is not enough to boycott conferences like Durban II. The very organisations which inspire or support them should be held accountable. Are the Jews or Israel responsible for the acts of torture seen in the video? No. Entire cultures bent on denigrating the worth of human beings are. That's why places like Libya, the Swat Valley in Pakistan and Indonesia are hot zones for violence and poverty. The people within are authors of their own destruction.




A rather curious dilemma has popped up (though, I'm sure, it isn't the first time) in the set standards of names but this time the source of demands comes from a fairly unlikely source- the Chinese government. In this article, a young woman named Ma Cheng must renew her identity card every three months in order to keep her unique name. I agree that in terms of transliteration there should be set standards for names not in a particular alphabet. However, should the government be dictating what names are given?




There are different romanization standards for non-Roman alphabet languages: the McCune-Reischauer system for Korean, the Hepburn romanization for Romaji, or the English transliteration of Japanese (which includes kanji and hirigana), "National" for Georgian, and whole series of transliteration and romanization systems for Chinese and Russian. Efforts are made to conform to the existing letters and sounds in the language being translated. For example, the Korean alphabet does not have a V or F sound. The closest approximate sounds would exist in the letters bieupp or pieupp (ㅂ b and ㅍ p respectively). Therefore, a name like Victor would sound and be written as "Biktoh" (the R sound having no place at the end). Phonetics sometimes hit walls.


Given names can also slightly problematic. In Asian countries, the last name (or family name or surname) is listed first. A married woman will keep her family name instead of her husband's name (many in western countries express shock when an Asian woman's last name doesn't match her husband's name yet the western custom of adopting the husband's name has fallen to the wayside, assuming people get married these days). It is also the case that many Korean and Japanese names have Chinese roots, though usually the names reflect the culture in question in some way. The name, Yong, for example, means "brave" in Korean and "perpetual" in Chinese. For a time, only certain hanja symbols were legally allowed in South Korea for the use in family names. The Koreans weren't alone in this practice. In the former Soviet Union, names were chosen to reflect "socialist realities" and ethnic names were Russified.


That being said, should the government dictate one's name? It's tempting given names like "Sierra", "Dakota", "Montana", "Desirae" and it's various spellings. It also makes sense to formalise rules on spelling and first and last names, regardless which country one comes from. However, the government's intrusion on one's own name robs the individual of identity. Soon, spelling doesn't become a matter of records in so much as the government can dictate what it wants to call you.


It's frightening when we surrender our will so easily.

Happy Earf Day

How can we measure the success of Earth Day?

Can we judge it by its humble beginnings in the late Sixties and early Seventies, a period of human history when nearly every social norm was questioned and uprooted? Should its founder, Gaylord (don't laugh) Nelson, a believer in the racist and classist myth of overpopulation, be hailed as a hero? God knows how the Earth committees have tried to remove the stink of Ira Einhorn, the infamous Unicorn Killer and MC of the first Earth Day in 1970.

Can we judge Earth Day by the myths it puts out, particularly the ones that guilt people into doing things that are impractical or support rather unsustainable practices? After all, guilt is a very good motivator and what feels better than going through the motions of something just to make yourself feel good, regardless of the true meaning?

Can we measure the success of Earth Day by how we goad school children into making endless papier-mache projects for "Mother Earth" that will ultimately line a rubbish bin? We can't teach them basic spelling, nor can we explain to them that they are missing several classmates through eugenics programs, but we can teach them that CO2, one of the most common elements on the planet, is the reason why the Earth will end if they don't recycle their many pop bottles?

Is Earth Day an all-encompassing affair that excludes China's environmental transgressions but not the US'? How about Canada? For a signatory of the Kyoto Accord, it hasn't done a lot.

How about we judge it for what it is: a secularist, sentimentalist waste in every respect.

If you want to be a steward of the Earth, stop throwing your garbage everywhere, stop wasting stuff, stop buying poisonous dollar-store crap and most importantly, stop buying the hype!

Also, happy bEarthday, Big M. and Immanuel Kant (see what I did there!)

***PS- in the movie, Angels and Demons, the camerlengo poisoned the science-believing Pope, something to do with anti-matter, Camerlengo Ventresca was the birth son of the late Pope (whatever), Cardinal Mortati is selected as the new Pope and Langdon receives a package from the new Pope in the end. In case you thought the hackneyed novel would translate better into film, the answer is no so save yourself eight bucks- and the environment by not driving to the theatre, buying paper and cardboard tickets and popcorn containers.***

April 21st

On this day, in 753 BC, the legendary Romulus and Remus founded the eternal city of Rome. In fact, there are huge celebrations for it.

It's also Queen Elizabeth II's birthday. It must be gratifying to live through one's eighties thereby destroying one's useless son's chances at being king.

It is also the birthday of Charlotte Bronte.

It was on this day in 1918 that the infamous "Red Baron" was shot down, but not by Snoopy.

If you lived in Texas, you would celebrate San Jacinto Day.

It is also the birthday of V.P. (you know who you are!). Many happy returns!

April 20th

Kristos Voskreses (Happy Easter, Orthodox church-goers)!



A lot has been going on since Easter (on the Gregorian calendar).



The Narcissist-In-Chief has proven once again that being ineffective is effective in and of itself. He has denigrated the country he has been (for whatever reason) elected to lead. First was his whirlwind trip to Europe where he continued campaigning to people who could never (and I imagine would never really) vote for him. His lukewarm talk of action against bully nations of Iran and North Korea and non-proliferation falls flat and well the bully nations know it. But despite his pleading, Mr. Obama cannot get Europe to commit to his grand military plans for Afghanistan. They never did before. Keep in mind- the Balkans were their problems and history has shown us how that turned out. In short, no one is impressed, certainly not enough for action. This says flat-out what I've said before: Obama expects everyone to be inspired by his quasi-Christ-like glow and follow his example. I wonder how surprised he is that they are not. I'm sure he is even more surprised that he nothing like God. A dictatorship is a bully that hits everyone with a big stick. Not carrying one isn't going to magically transform the bully into a lamb.



Then there was the verbal abuse from tinpot dictator Daniel Ortega (he endured it- how noble). Where a strong leader would either leave the room until said dictator regained some semblance of civility or stand up for himself, Obama nodded his head and took notes. Where is one's pride when one cannot muster enough respect not to let tyrant run one down with jingoistic, socialist babble? Isn't Obama now proud of his country? Should God not damn America, the way Reverend Jeremiah Wright demanded (do not tempt God, by the way)?



Let's not forget the fevered handshake with Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez and the near-opening of Cuba, land of socialist bliss. While Mr. Obama glowed in the light of his own imaginary awesomeness, a real politician (however underhanded he may be) did some actual work. Should just waking up everyday qualify for praise? If so, Mr. Obama has it made.



Now enter Sarah Palin. If, as her detractors in the popular press claim, she is nowhere near being a contender for 2012, then, pray, why the publicity? Surely this self-made working-class politician cannot possibly unseat an empty suit?



Can she?



You know it's bad for the UN when scores of Western nations won't take part in an anti-racism conference tinged with elements of racism (this particular article is really rich) AND then they are reminded of their impotence by a victim of Libyan torture. Efforts have been made to silence him but I think his mere presence is far too loud to be ignored.

Watch here.

It's just too much to watch. How can any country take part in such an organisation? It's obviously so obdurate to progress. How can the UN explain its failures away? Why do we tolerate it?

This is what creepy looks like. Don't vote NDP. Ever.

I leave you with a slow loris being tickled.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to one and all!

(read more about the cuddly pictured hare here)

Can't get enough of rabbits? Why not stop by the Daily Bunny or get a dose of disapproval at Disapproving Rabbits (they can't all be cuddly)?

Take a look at some rather fascinating Russian Easter postcards. Learn how to make kulich.

There is all kinds of Easter stuff here.

And nothing says: "Easter" like cooking with a terrycloth monkey.

He Has Risen!

And the angel answered and said to the women... "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said."

(Matthew 28: 5-6)

What To Do About North Korea

North Korea's launch of a satellite (allegedly for space exploration) has once again tied the hands of the global community.

It shouldn't be that way.

North Korea, one of the last Stalinist states, can afford to arm itself (no doubt with Russian and/or Chinese help) but cannot afford to feed its physically, emotionally and politically stunted people. Is there anyone naive enough to believe this famine-ravaged militaristic state wants to explore?

South Korea tip-toes on egg-shells so as not to offend its wayward neighbour.

China and Russia have permanent seats on the UN security council and veto any concrete action Japan, the US and South Korea come up with.

North Korea has proven once again it can blackmail an entire globe. How long will this continue?What can be done?

Allow aid groups to continue to operate, however secretly, in North Korea. Demand to see where aid goes. Apply punitive measures for businesses operating in North Korea. Find ALL of the Kim dynasty's accounts and freeze them. Make sure Kim Jong-Il has nowhere to go if he is ever ousted.

I believe President Lee Myung-Bak should take a stronger stance against North Korea, even to the point of engaging it. If need be, he should step up on missile defense. That may anger the North Koreans but even food aid bothers them*.

*** Food is distributed to the higher echelons of North Korean society. The Kim dynasty and the military take whatever aid is given to North Korea for themselves. Anyone whose grandparents may have helped the Japanese during the annexation get next to nothing. There are entire strata of the North Korean populace that get nothing.***

I believe it is time for Japan to re-arm. After the Second World War, Japan was made to sign an agreement never to re-arm. Now the tables, such as they were/are, have turned. If North Korea is ever successful in launching a military strike against Japan, the Japanese could be at the mercy of a foe that has traditionally hated them for centuries. Entire cities could be wiped out. With a proper missile defense system and the will to use it, Japan could call North Korea's bluff if Japan destroys Taepodong missiles in Japanese air space. This will anger North Korea but more so China.

China must be neutralised as a threat AND a supporter of the North Korean regime. Is there a way to remove China from a veto position or from the security council? Can foreign companies be penalised for trading with China as they should be with North Korea? Can any arms be intercepted before they reach North Korea? These options should be explored.

Russia, too, must be neutralised as an ally with the same measures as China. With its ever-shrinking economy, Russia depends on its arms deals. There must be a way to punish them if caught in the act.

The US cannot afford to "strongly word" anything. If North Korea does possess the ability to strike American interests (and it is possible), a mere sanction (sanctions haven't worked before) isn't going to cut it. As no one can (or should) reason with Kim Jong-Il, economic measures can be applied short of military interception. President Obama can penalise businesses who operate in North Korea or which use North Korean labour. Outlying western states such as Alaska, Washington and California should be kept abreast of the North Korean situation and boost their missile defense system (which Governor Palin has suggested). Now is not the time to cut back on missile defense. All it takes is one missile and Kim Jong-Il knows that.

In order for this blackmail to stop, stronger action - not words- must be taken.

Unfairness

In a fair world, I would have millions of dollars at my disposal, several awards in the field of excellence, be encrusted with emeralds and rubies with the Hope Diamond in the centre of my forehead and walk around with the staff of Ra. I also wouldn't have to hear about Michelle Obama's classlessness (giving an eighty-three year old woman an IPOD with your husband's speeches is just as inspired as a DVD set they can't play in Great Britain) or her fat butt, and I certainly wouldn't have to hear the popular press fawn and drool over her.

Alas, I have none of these things. It's wishful thinking (though I really hope to have the staff of Ra one day). I do have to hear endless details about the Obamas' vanity and even more so, the president's plans to socialise America.

Dr. Charles Krauthammer has a fascinating bit of insight on Obama's real agenda- turning a huge bastion of capitalism (America) into a socialist state. The president calls it "fairness". However, socialism doesn't have a very good track record.

Socialism, as a political system, requires that the state own the means of production in order to meet the public good. Essentially, one centralised government would control everything from the production of essential items in factories to farms to schools and to health care. This might sound reasonable when one thinks of those left behind in the capitalist system but one has only to look at socialism's great failures to see how it can't work.

The ingenuity and hard work of an individual is rewarded by payment of some kind in the capitalist system. One is rewarded for his merits and allowed to make a living. Under socialism, the government decides how best to use and compensate an individual. For example, a pianist may be lauded for his talents and perhaps hired by an orchestra in an capitalist environment. If a socialist government doesn't need or want a pianist, this individual is rather stuck. He might be put elsewhere (if he is lucky). He is also at the mercy of an all-reaching government as opposed to an employer he might leave if displeased. Dmitri Shostakovich, one of the greatest Russian composers, faced this kind of persecution under Stalin. His talents were governed not by his own desires but by a totalitarian state.

One of Obama's desired areas of "change" is in the area of health care. It is proposed that health care decisions are determined by the government as opposed to a medical staff (like in Canada). A doctor's expertise would be over-ruled by the government which can refuse to pay for treatment. It's one thing not to be able to afford a treatment; it is quite something else to have your own elected bodies refuse it. Let's not forget that once the Soviet Union fell, there was no health care (such as it was) for anyone.

One way to achieve these important socialist milestones would be to raise taxes. America is cash-strapped. The government has already used taxpayers' money to bail out companies and banks (things which should have looked down the barrel of regulations) and now, in order to have things like socialised medicine, it will have to raise taxes. Where will the American government get the money from?

This would be done in the spirit of "fairness". The Soviet Union wasn't fair. Cuba's health care system is godawful, no matter what Michael Moore says. Educational choice in Sweden is monopolised by the government. North Korea is a prime example of misery at its worst.

For a well-off man (like Lenin), Obama hasn't walked a mile in the average American's K-Mart-bought running shoes. His talk of fairness will end up being- as history has shown us- "unfair".

The Art of Surrender

Imagine if, after the inglorious defeat at Dieppe in 1942, Canada withdrew from the war and decided to appeal to "moderate" Nazis. With the benefit of hindsight, we can safely say that such a notion is insanity and thank God we defeated the Nazis in 1945.

Why, then, must we appeal to "moderate" Taliban?

This video shows how law and order are maintained in the Swat Valley in Pakistan. WARNING: the video is quite disturbing (the comments about the video are quite telling).

These actions are not atypical. Refugees from the Swat Valley were afraid of this and are now too terrified to return.

Hadiths and the Koran declare women can be beaten, if not admonished, for their "deficiencies"

Why on earth would anyone even think of meeting these people half way? People are publicly flogged for trivial offenses, schools are shut down, people live in fear, disease is rampant. In effect, the Taliban have shut down an entire country because they can.

What were Harper and Hillary Clinton thinking when they thought to back away from the Taliban? It isn't just defeatist not to engage and destroy the Taliban. This surrender means the destruction of countries and the suicide of good over evil.

One Ruler, One Cat

You heard him. He controls the spice. He controls the universe.

Now move on.