Restating the case for the war in Iraq

I wanted to post a succint defense of the war in Iraq that I read on Orkut today. The author's name is Peter Lusby. I would like to see the new White House Press Secretary Tony Snow explain Iraq in terms like this.

The known facts are that, in the 1990s, Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, and programs to develop more of them. The UN call for him to stop the programs and destroy the weapons was to be enforced by inspections, but he threw the inspectors out. By 2003, there was no way for the new inspectors to determine whether or not Saddam was in compliance. No records existed of the destruction of the weapons known, on the basis of Saddam's own earlier statements to UN officials, to have existed. No documentation existed to show what had become of the facilities, materials, and organizations involved in the WMD development programs known, once again on the basis of Saddam's own admissions, to have existed. The fact that Saddam was probably being conned by his own people is irrelevant.

But, leaving aside completely the issue of WMD, Saddam's régime was a blatant, open and public supporter of international terrorism. For the world to allow this thug and his henchmen to thumb their noses at the whole world, and continue to supply arms, money, training and sanctuary to Hamas and its fellow travellers was intolerable. It was essential to send a clear message, to every government who might be tempted to use terrorism as a tool of foreign policy, that the world would no longer sit idly by and let this happen.

As a result, Erupoean terrorist groups like the IRA, the ETA, and the Corsican separatists have been largely defanged, deprived of money, weapons, and popular support. Suicide attacks on Israeli civilians have dwindled to a tiny percentage of what they used to be. Governments of countries like Pakistan, Indonesia, Libya, Columbia, have all cracked down on terrorist activities, rather than risk being the next to suffer the wrath of American outrage.

Pragmatically, this administration has achieved a watershed in the elimination of terrorism as a tool for change. The war is not yet over, and it probably never will be, but at least the problem has suddenly been cut down to manageable proportions.

Internet libre para Cuba

A hunger strike to protest the Castro dictatorship's draconian limits on internet use within the slave labor prison known as Cuba.

On a side note, I am currently enjoying Humberto E. Fontova's "Fidel: Hollywood's Favorite Tyrant." The author's pure hatred for Fidel, Che, and their supporters in the free world flows onto these pages in a way that just makes you smile. Eloquent honesty in describing not only of the sick deeds of the Cuban communists or the adoration Fidel receives from the glitterati is much appreciated. You'd be up in arms too once you understand the hypocrisy. If you have ever wondered why the Miami-based Cuban-American population was up in arms over Elian Gonzalez, check this one out.

Apparently, the free flow of information is not in the interests of the glitterati who worship Castro.

Link: The famous free health care that Cuban's enjoy

Tags: Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez, Cuba, Castro, communism

Activist Under Fire for Wal-Mart Position

Akinyele Umoja, a professor of black studies at Georgia State University, complained: "What he's doing is providing credibility and legitimacy for some of these corporations that have policies that just reinforce inequality."

In the meantime, "the new store has received more than 8,000 applicants for 500 jobs." What is Umoja's advocacy of socialism doing for those 8,000 applicants?

Tags: wal-mart, WalMart, civil rights, capitalism

Political posturing on Dubai port deal will hurt security efforts

Democrats plan bill to block Dubai port deal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two U.S. Democratic senators said on Friday they would introduce legislation aimed at blocking Dubai Ports World from buying a company that operates several U.S. shipping ports because of security concerns.

Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Hillary Clinton of New York said they would offer a measure to ban companies owned or controlled by foreign governments from acquiring U.S. port operations.

"We wouldn't turn the border patrol or the customs service over to a foreign government, and we can't afford to turn our ports over to one either," Menendez said in a statement. The Senate Banking Committee also plans to hold a hearing on the issue later this month.

P&O, the company Dubai Ports World plans to buy for $6.8 billion, is already foreign-owned, by the British, but the concern is that the purchaser is backed by the United Arab Emirates government.

This is a bit more than normal political grandstanding - Hillary considers this an opportunity to look tough on terrorism in her seemingly ever-failing attempts to capture political middle she needs to ascend to the presidency. While seeing past her actions to her political aims might be easy for many, understanding the unintended consequences of a successful blockage of the port sale might require a second look.

Why do they hate us? Western culture, with an underscored respect for reason, capitalism, and individual rights for all members of society is diametrically opposed to the virus of Islamic extremism which is escalating a battle for greater control of the Arab world and beyond. Any progress in lifting the Arab world into modern western standards is not going to be achieved by bribing these regimes to not attack us or capitulating to the demands of the extremists. Our greatest weapon is appealing to the self-interest of Arab companies and workers with the mutual benefits thankfully available through cooperation in modern global markets. Shared interests and shared fortunes with the Arab world will create equal incentives for security both on our shores and theirs. An attack on America by Arabs becomes a self-inflicted wound and sets off internal forces overseas to eradicate the virus.

In the long run, free trade is a more effective diplomacy tool than any number of guns. We are open to working with the Arab world as equals, not as terrorists. Money knows no borders or race or religion.

If these Clintonian political postures are successful, we will send a clear message to the Arab world that America is xenophobic - Arabs need not apply to the modern world, leaving options such as Hamas the seemingly only viable alternative. Assuming the deal is accepted, we send the message that America responds positively to peaceful cooperation and our wrath is only reserved for attacks on the rights that make such free trade available at all.

After WWI, Europe closed the door on German participation in modern society. The unintended consequence was, of course, Hitler. We can invite Arab society into the modern world, but only so long as our interests are aligned.

Tags: hillary clinton, free trade, dubai, UAE, arabs, Terrorism

Snow Hedge

I love this!

Chicago Merc to Trade Snowfall Futures

CHICAGO (AP) -- First came temperature futures, then frost-day futures. Now - futures involving how much snow falls at Logan Airport in Boston or New York's Central Park.

The world's largest derivatives exchange said the new product, which will trade electronically starting Feb. 26, should help cities manage risk associated with snow accumulation. Insurance companies, retailers and other businesses with a lot riding on the weather also can use the futures to hedge their risk.

Cindy Sheehan and the Michael Moore effect

Today's Opinion Journal has a perfectly sharp expose of Cindy Sheehan's planned engagement with the disgraceful dictator-in-waiting Hugo Chavez, thereby cementing her anti-western celebrity. Harry Belafonte has nothing on Cindy.

Again, I can't help but wonder if Cindy is working for the people she publicaly decries as war-criminals. Each time she meets with a Chavez or calls George Bush the "world's biggest terrorist," she marginalizes the left further out of the mainstream of American thought and influence. Perhaps this should be known as the Michael Moore effect. The louder these people speak, the less their interests are served. Turn up the volume!

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez now rivals Fidel Castro as the Western Hemisphere's most visible symbol of anti-Americanism, which explains why "peace activist" Cindy Sheehan is climbing abroad the Venezuelan firebrand's bus. She has announced plans to attend the World Social Forum in Caracas, which kicks off today and will celebrate, among other things, Chavez's Bolivarian Revolution.

The annual "forum," which began in Brazil in 2001 as an anti-globalization conference, is also sometimes referred to as the "carnival of the oppressed." Like most events of its kind, it has become flypaper for the planet's kookiest activists, including many who still espouse the "armed struggle" against capitalism, the "North," whatever. Perhaps the grieving Ms. Sheehan, an avowed peace lover, has been so busy with the makeup artists and the cameras to pay attention to the violence-prone types she's now embracing. But the name of one of the forum's organizers -- Ernesto "Che" Mercado -- could have given the anti-Bush publicity hound a hint. A Latin American revolutionary who takes the moniker of a legendary Cuban executioner is hardly a follower of Gandhi.

Indeed, the Sheehan tour to Caracas belongs in the "you-can't-make-it-up" category: A bitterly outspoken American citizen who has made a career of lambasting her president, she travels abroad to celebrate with a dictator who has thrown his own critics out of work and even put them in prison, stripped the press of its freedom, destroyed property rights and militarized the government. His political supporters are known to be armed and dangerous and many Venezuelans in poor neighborhoods have reported that they are afraid to dissent from the Chavez agenda. Venezuela's arms build-up is frightening his neighbors and threatening regional stability.

We're glad Ms. Sheehan has the freedom to travel abroad. Many of Chavez's critics are denied that right, as are the critics of Castro. But she shouldn't wonder why, when she opens her mouth in the U.S., nobody takes her seriously.

Update: More wonderful news @ Gateway Pundit -
More Democrats Speak Out, Rally Around Cindy, Bash Bill Clinton

Tags: cindy sheehan, michael moore, hugo chavez

Mr. Tally Mon, tool of Hugo Chavez

Mr. Harry "Day-o" Belafonte further entrenched his anti-western legacy today, meeting with and praising the dictator-in-the-making and great friend of Iran, Hugo Chavez, happily proclaiming that Bush is indeed a terrorist.

This is same Harry Belafonte who noted "Hitler had a lot of Jews high up in the hierarchy of the Third Reich." The same guy who labled black Republicans as "tyrants." You can't forget his obligatory anti-business zinger: "We have got to bring corporate America to its knees." To service you, Harry, I presume? We're on our knees begging to hear you puppet Chavez's praise of Iran next. You won't let us down - you never have.


Chavez with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Tags: hugo chavez, harry belafonte, iran