The Iconoclasts Primer or Trolling for Sacred Cows

I was two weeks away from my ninth birthday when I witnessed my first murder, it would have been my second murder but it was raining that Thursday and my mother was certain the bubble would be up on the Presidents limousine so we wouldn’t be able to see anything. We hadn’t lived in Dallas long after having relocated from Chicago for my father’s job, he had given up his position as district committeeman for the Democratic Party in the south suburbs. Some of my earliest memories are of passing out Kennedy yard signs from the back seat of the car and the picture window sized Kennedy for President poster in our front window.

George Horton Bush Hears a Who

George Horton Bush was out in the rose garden one lovely fall day, he was picking flowers with his trunk and was admiring their beauty when he heard a strange cluck cluck. Hello? He asked, who was that? Then he heard the sound again, he focused his massive republican elephant ears at the bunch of flowers and listened with all his might again. Ah Ha! This time he could see were the noise came from, on the end of one of the flowers a tiny little voice cried out, “Our troops are stuck in Iraq!” Who said that! Who are you! George Horton demanded.

The Economics of Climate Change: Is Doing Nothing Too Costly

In November 2004, the warm North Atlantic Drift, stopped for ten days. Whether ongoing climate change was responsible remains to be seen. Even if it were, the prevailing thinking has been that it is too costly to pursue an aggressive climate mitigation effort at this time. A new study headed by Sir Nicholas Stern, a senior British Government economist and former chief economist of the World Bank, has broken new ground in the economic debate. It asserts that the costs of doing nothing/very little greatly outweigh the investment in seeking to mitigate climate change. Geopolitical arguments for a credible energy policy also bolster the case for moving away from a fossil fuel-dependent economy. Although doing nothing remains the preferred approach in Washington when it comes to developing a credible energy policy or taking on climate change, the Stern report could well prove a milestone in helping make inaction unsustainable.

Stealing Elections Texas Style: Mrs. Blankenship Goes Out to Vote

What is a voter to do when the X will not stay in the ballot box? Mrs. Blankenship confronted the problem and is taking action in Dallas Texas. Many Americans are finding themselves in the same position, now, and on Tuesday. We will all have choices to make.

Los Angeles Measure H is Not the Magic Bullet

Magic is not necessary to increase the number of homeowners in Los Angeles. There is a knowledge deficit, not a housing deficit. Education rather than subsidization is the key. A huge number of middle-income families can afford to buy, but simply need information as to how. This is where Realtors and lenders come in. Public/private partnerships between government and real estate professionals provide the key to increasing homeownership.

Joe Lieberman is the 50th Republican Sleeper Senator on Iraq

Once again Karl Rove has pulled an elephant out of a hat.

Politicians, Illegal Aliens, Billions of Dollars and a Truckload of Bull

In December the house passed a bill that Senator Bill Frist endorses. They now want to escalate the status of Illegal Alien to a Felony offense. The bill they have been referring to is HR 4437, otherwise known as The Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005.

The Insurgency in Southern Thailand

A brief history of the insurgency in southern Thailand brought up to the present day.

New Era in the UN

Does the appointment of Ban Ki-moon as UN Secretary General bode well for UN-US relations? What challenges does Ki-moon face? A quick sketch of the pre-eminent diplomat

Media in Society

Last night I saw a debate on television about what role the media is to play in our society. I found one speaker to be somewhat appalling. This person argued against the involvement of media in our societal discussion on issues that matter. Well sir, you are dead wrong...

George Washington's Prophetic Vision

Reading alternative reports of current events caused me to flash back to someting I read more than twenty years ago. It was about the three great crises America would face before eternal peace.

Lebanon’s Latest Political Challenge

With Hezbollah threatening protests to topple Lebanon’s current government as part of a bid to change the balance of power within the government, Lebanon has been described in news accounts of being in the midst of one of its worst political crises in a generation. A few have even raised the prospect of renewed civil war. Although Lebanon is a country that is at an enhanced risk of sectarian conflict, the odds are against an outbreak of civil war within the next few months or less, but the path ahead could be treacherous. Afterward, the probabilities could increase.

Saudi Arabia, 911, and Iraq

It has become quite obvious that U.S. foreign policy is very closely tied to Saudi Arabia and this is most disturbing.

Will Israel Attack Iran?

As Iran continues to move forward with its nuclear program, despite demands by the United Nations that such activities stop immediately, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert may be forced to take unilateral military action to prevent Iranian acquisition of nuclear technology.

Media Holds Sway Over Political Elections

Why don't people vote for Independent candidates? Is the two-party system the only way to run a government? The media is one of the most powerful and dangerous forces behind the growth of Big Government. Is it true that the candidate who spends the most money wins the election? Find out how the media influences election outcomes.