Use The 'Nuclear Option'

This bullshit with filibusters and baseless accusations has gone for far to long, it's time for Republicans to initiate the "nuclear option"/"constitutional option". I am staunchly against changing the constitution to support the agenda of any party, especially to get control of all three branches of government, but I prefer it over complete obstruction by a bunch of assholes who see no other option than to take the country down with the Democratic party.
I don't believe the filibuster has ever been used to this extent and power ever before, nor was it ever intended to. Filibusters were intended to prevent a small majority (just over 50%-ish) from doing something horrible; for this reason, filibusters should be used sparingly and carefully.
However, democrats have not only used filibusters wherever possible, but they have developed tactics much like filibusters for other issues – just look at what is happening with social security reform. Republicans can probably get their majority, but heavy Democratic interference and fear-mongering (not to mention baseless accusations) have delayed any action. Similar frivolous accusations are being forged against Bolton; Democrats actually intend to win this battle by ruining Bolton's and his family's lives enough for Bolton to give up. At least one nominee has fallen to this despicable tactic already, and I think the Republicans ought to take a beating for allowing it to happen.
Congress is now paralyzed by the throes of the Democratic party. Democrats are already on the ground, and the Republicans should walk over them, rather than wait for the Dem's to get up and regain their common sense. The Democrats will not 'recover' because their strategy is to fight on the ground, where they will always hit below the belt.

Frist, Sound the Attack!

It is time, finally, for Republicans in Washington to stand up and shout at democrats for blockading legislation and stalling nominee after nominee without offering any hint of a counter-proposal. This is happening now because Republican leaders are being criticized for sitting on their hands and letting qualified nominees like Bolton catch unwarranted abuse. Terri Schiavo was killed when Republicans failed to bee aggressive and crush weak democratic opposition – opposition that couldn't even stand up in a good argument – and Republicans will be damned if they allow similar to happen again.
Now is the time for Republicans to exercise their majority and trample opposition. The closest that Democrats have come to an alternative Social Security plan is from John Kerry's campaign platform – a plan that was rejected by voters, and will be rejected again. Energy policies must persevere in order for America to relieve its addiction of Arab oil, and Democrats must not be allowed to value a few caribou over millions of Americans. Decades of legislation have turned oil refining into an unprofitable business, simply so democrats can ensure donations from tree huggers, and America must overcome this legislation so oil prices can fall and we will not run out of fuel.

I call on senator Frist to recognize that now is the time to act and steamroll the democrats. Republicans have made promises to America, and American voters will hold our politicians to those promises; if Frist does not act, Republicans will not go to the polls next election, and we will lose our hard-earned majority because our senators failed us. Now is the time, Frist, to push this legislation; new issues will surface before next election, and Republicans will have the momentum to lead in those issues, and further improve turnout rates for next election.

Conclaveblogging

A while after 12:30 PM GMT (god stopped my watch on the flight): I just got off the flight (in-terminal satellite-internet-connection-blogging atm), and am really ticked that the security at JFK wouldn't let me take the scepter onboard. I had to mail it to my Rome address; I wished it godspeed, it will arrive in 6 to 8 weeks anyway. The flight was moderate – a fat oaf took the window seat and slept through half the trip, it ought to be a sin to waste the window seat by sleeping – but I was able to convince the passengers to let me bless their peanuts in exchange for standard tithing of the nuts. They let me count :D. During the in-flight movie (Ocean's 12, it's overrated), I started the third season of 24 on the laptop. I hooked the auxiliary battery cord up secretly so the passengers would think the longevity of the laptop was a miracle, but only a few people noticed. The meal was better than expected, so no one asked me to bless their chicken fettuccini. I didn't even offer when the cheesecake came around for desert (I was in 1st class). The landing was fine, but the plane took 35 minutes to reach the terminal. The passanger next to me decided to repent and helped me get the rest of my carry-on luggage out of the overhead compartment.
I'm waiting at the baggage claim right now, and not much is happening. I struck up a nice conversation with a local policeman about how few people try to steal luggage here – he said it was because not even thieves will sink low enough to contribute to the lost luggage problem. Ah, my stuff just came off the conveyor belt! Back in a sec.

I just saw a clock on the carousel's digital screen, it's about 1:55. Gotta run, I'll report from anywhere that I can find a power outlet. Glad I remembered to bring my voltage transformer this time

A nice cabbie helped me with the luggage. These guys have some way of telling who tips well and who does not, but they refuse to explain it to me. I gave a $15 tip, plus a blessing for him; I only agreed to bless the car enough to reduce carbon emissions (seven drivers ran out of gas before I learned not to bless the entire car), but the cabby was happy with that, anyway. Gonna save in MS word and update the blog a bit later.

3:25: I got into the conclave barely in time for the Skiball game. We broke out the holy water after a few more minutes. The young Cardinal Lopez (only 64 years old) won, but I didn't do too bad myself.
An hour or so later, Cardinal Law opened the official ceremonies with a reading from the bible. He read the wrong passage because he is dyslexic, but we decided not to correct him, because the intended passage was much longer.

Time to post this and get back to business. Updates coming soon (tm).

George Bush and the world

Economist article

Anyone determined to make the pursuit of freedom and democracy in other people's countries the organising principle of their foreign policy has to feel comfortable leading from the front. Far from being chastened by the difficulties of winning the peace in Iraq, his first term's biggest overseas adventure, George Bush has started his second term bent on tackling tyranny worldwide. After a certain amount of scoffing and some alarm (whose country would the neo-cons be trampling across next?), the idea is catching on in surprising places.

As it does so, from Ukraine to Kirgizstan, and from Afghanistan and Iraq to Lebanon, other problems too—especially the rift with parts of Europe over Iraq—are coming to seem more tractable. The hope is that this, in turn, may make it easier to manage the security challenges that America and its friends face in Iran and North Korea. Given a newly co-operative spirit, optimists argue, even the row between America and the European Union over whether the Europeans should lift their embargo on weapons sales to China may be turned to advantage, if the two sides can sit down and sort out their differences.

Read the entire article. In fact, bookmark economist.com and push it to the top of the list. The economist is unrivaled in it's efforts and achievements, in my mind. My only problem with them is that I ordered a subscription a few weeks ago, and have yet to receive the magazine.

The article summarizes what Bush is doing with Europe, especially with regard to China and the mid-east, and makes accurate predictions of what to expect.
The only flaw I can find is the by-default acceptance of the EU as a powerful body. The Guardian (note: frequently very biased, occasionally reduced to the status of "socialist rag") reports that France may reject the EU constitution. If this happens, the EU will likely collapse, as France is a founding member and, along with Germany, provides the power behind the EU (hat tip to Captain's Quarters). This makes one ponder the fate of the Euro, as only France and Germany have the power to print the currency, and they can abuse that power to help their economies at the expense of euro-using neighbors.

Meanwhile, Canada is engaged in a corruption scandal, a big one. $250 million worth (multiply by 10 to convert to American proportions). Apparently, the government has funneled taxpayer money to companies for little or no work, and those companies in exchange provided services or donations to the ruling political party. Another hat tip to Captain's Quarters for this one. Might I add, he even got a mention in The Economist – that is something to be proud of.

Top 100 things to do if I ever become a supervillian

Peter's Evil Overlord List. Read it, it is hilarious.

Some additional things:
101: I will hire at least one necrophiliac, and train them to kill the beautiful superagent that the rest of my guards refuse to harm.

102: I will not use AOL, even though I believe the company is also evil.

103: I will not respond to spam email, especially if they want a phone number or address; even more so if the spam company could be a front for the government

104: when I build my secret volcano lair, I will make sure that the volcano is and will remain dormant for decades

105: When my guards catch a government superagent, they will kill or incapacitate the agent on the spot, rather than show them every security system in the base on the way to the holding cells.

106: holding cells will not be made from the same material used for cubicles. If such material must be used, all cells will have 4 sides, rather than the traditional cubicle 3.

107: My secret island with my secret volcano lair will be just big enough for the lair, and not have enough room for government agents to sneak around. The island will also have no foliage.

108: I will not depend on government superagents to accidentally activate my doomsday weapons.

109: I will equip all my guards with conventional weapons before I waste all my money on a single hyper-plasma death-ray.

110: I will not give the best weapons to my most incompetent minions.

111: I will purchase ammunition or rechargers/battery packs/electromagnetically suspended plasma particles for my weapons, place the ammunition somewhere that the minions can reach when they need it, and tell my minions where the ammunition is.

112: my lair will have only one entrance/exit.

113: my lair will not operate with an "open door" policy

114: I will not have a normal, non-diabolical alter-ego to prance around in and get caught for drunk driving.

115: I will have a clone of myself made and checked for errors before I am horribly wounded and minutes from death.

116: if I can make more money by investing in legitimate industries, then I will do so.

117: I will find some insignificant underling, have them follow me everywhere, and call them "number 2". Meanwhile, my actual second in command is actually working, and the government agent will kill the insignificant underling thinking he is the second in command.

118: My lair will have no moving-floor traps, especially not slow ones

119: I will not hire physically or mentally disabled guards to apply for a tax break as a charity organization.

120: If I decide to cut through a captured superagent with a giant laser beam, I will start at the head and move down.

EUROPE - THY NAME IS COWARDICE

From here. hat tip to the American Thinker for linking to that article
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EUROPE - THY NAME IS COWARDICE
Commentary by Matthias Doepfner CEO, Axel Springer, AG
04.04.05 | A few days ago Henry Broder wrote in Welt am Sonntag, "Europe - your family name is appeasement." It's a phrase you can't get out of your head because it's so terribly true.

Appeasement cost millions of Jews and non-Jews their lives as England and France, allies at the time, negotiated and hesitated too long before they noticed that Hitler had to be fought, not bound to toothless agreements.

Appeasement legitimized and stabilized Communism in the Soviet Union, then East Germany, then all the rest of Eastern Europe where for decades, inhuman, suppressive, murderous governments were glorified as the ideologically correct alternative to all other possibilities.

Appeasement crippled Europe when genocide ran rampant in Kosovo, and even though we had absolute proof of ongoing mass-murder, we Europeans debated and debated and debated, and were still debating when finally the Americans had to come from halfway around the world, into Europe yet again, and do our work for us.

Rather than protecting democracy in the Middle East, European appeasement, camouflaged behind the fuzzy word "equidistance," now countenances suicide bombings in Israel by fundamentalist Palestinians.

Appeasement generates a mentality that allows Europe to ignore nearly 500,000 victims of Saddam's torture and murder machinery and, motivated by the self-righteousness of the peace-movement, has the gall to issue bad grades to George Bush... Even as it is uncovered that the loudest critics of the American action in Iraq made illicit billions, no, TENS of billions, in the corrupt U. N. Oil-for-Food program.

And now we are faced with a particularly grotesque form of appeasement... How is Germany reacting to the escalating violence by Islamic fundamentalists in Holland and elsewhere? By suggesting that we really should have a "Muslim Holiday" in Germany.

I wish I were joking, but I am not. A substantial fraction of our (German) Government, and if the polls are to be believed, the German people, actually believe that creating an Official State "Muslim Holiday" will somehow spare us from the wrath of the fanatical Islamists.

One cannot help but recall Britain's Neville Chamberlain waving the laughable treaty signed by Adolf Hitler, and declaring European "Peace in our time".

What else has to happen before the European public and its political leadership get it? There is a sort of crusade underway, an especially perfidious crusade consisting of systematic attacks by fanatic Muslims, focused on civilians, directed against our free, open Western societies, and intent upon Western Civilization's utter destruction.

It is a conflict that will most likely last longer than any of the great military conflicts of the last century - a conflict conducted by an enemy that cannot be tamed by "tolerance" and "accommodation" but is actually spurred on by such gestures, which have proven to be, and will always be taken by the Islamists for signs of weakness.

Only two recent American Presidents had the courage needed for anti- appeasement: Reagan and Bush.

His American critics may quibble over the details, but we Europeans know the truth. We saw it first hand: Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War, freeing half of the German people from nearly 50 years of terror and virtual slavery. And Bush, supported only by the Social Democrat Blair, acting on moral conviction, recognized the danger in the Islamic War against democracy. His place in history will have to be evaluated after a number of years have passed.

In the meantime, Europe sits back with charismatic self-confidence in the multicultural corner, instead of defending liberal society's values and being an attractive center of power on the same playing field as the true great powers, America and China.

On the contrary - we Europeans present ourselves, in contrast to those "arrogant Americans", as the World Champions of "tolerance", which even (Germany's Interior Minister) Otto Schily justifiably criticizes. Why? Because we're so moral? I fear it's more because we're so materialistic, so devoid of a moral compass.

For his policies, Bush risks the fall of the dollar, huge amounts of additional national debt, and a massive and persistent burden on the American economy - because unlike almost all of Europe, Bush realizes what is at stake - literally everything.

While we criticize the "capitalistic robber barons" of America because they seem too sure of their priorities, we timidly defend our Social Welfare systems. Stay out of it! It could get expensive! We'd rather discuss reducing our 35-hour workweek or our dental coverage, or our 4 weeks of paid vacation... Or listen to TV pastors preach about the need to "reach out to terrorists. To understand and forgive".

These days, Europe reminds me of an old woman who, with shaking hands, frantically hides her last pieces of jewelry when she notices a robber breaking into a neighbor's house.

Appeasement? Europe, thy name is Cowardice.
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I simply don't believe it. This article just reversed my opinion that Europe has some decent points that are too often dismissed out-of-hand. It will take a bit of time to move back to my comfortable perch on the far right wing. I'll return to my opinion that the major reason the US has to work with Europe on Iran is because the world is so screwed up, due in large part to Europe's Don Quixote tampering and self-congratulatory ignorance of what happens in international affairs.

This is one of two German articles that I would have sworn were written by a brilliant, right-wing American. I'll hold some skepticism over the author for a bit, just to play it safe, because the article is incredible.

World Bank gets back to helping the world

World Bank backs Laos dam project

The World Bank has agreed to back a controversial hydroelectric dam project in Laos, one of the poorest countries in South East Asia.

At its board meeting in Washington, the bank said it would provide loans and guarantees for the $1.2bn project.

The decision comes after nearly 10 years of discussions with the Laos government.

But critics say the environmental and social costs of the dam, called Nam Theun 2, are far too high.

Laos is a poor, landlocked country which has few viable industries.

But it does have plenty of mountains and rivers, and that is why it is pinning its hopes for the future on hydroelectric power.

Nam Theun 2 is the country's largest dam project, on a tributary of the mighty Mekong.

It is designed to produce electricity for export to neighbouring Thailand, earning valuable foreign currency that Laos says it will use to alleviate poverty.

But critics are not convinced. They say the dam will damage the environment and undermine the livelihoods of tens of thousands of local villagers.

For the World Bank, the dam is also risky. In the past, it has faced a massive outcry after backing similar dams in other developing countries.

The bank says this time it is confident that the dam's benefits will outweigh the negative impacts.

This is a wonderful announcement. Look up "NGOs: fighting poverty, hurting the poor"; it is one of the best articles I have ever seen in Foreign Policy magazine, and that is saying a lot.

The environment will barely be affected, the local population will flourish. Those who oppose the dam are largely uneducated teenagers looking for a rush but too cheap to buy drugs. This dam will provide jobs for the local population as well as electricity. Additionally, all the land required for the dam is being purchased, at an excellent price, by the Laotian government. Those locals are getting an excellent deal even before construction starts. Once the dam is complete, the new jobs will provide locals with money to spend. When money and electricity is in an area, that area will develop. Living standards will skyrocket. This has been proven time and time again by earlier world bank projects, which helped bring 300 million (if my memory is correct) Chinese out of poverty.
Relatively tiny portions of land are being used for this dam, and there are no important animals in the area that will not move away under their own power. The benefits far outweigh costs, and the protestors should be ashamed for their actions, which have prevented the World Bank and similar institutions from raising hundreds of millions out of poverty.

What really happened to Terri

Terri's medical problems were probably induced by her husband's beatings.
Terri had excellent chances for recovery, but those chances faded over time. Terri's husband, about 16 years ago, sued doctors for about $20 million US, and was granted around $2.5 million, which he pledged would be used to help Terri recover. Mr. Schiavo also said he would attend medical school so he could better care for Terri. During this time, Mr. Schiavo lived in the Schindler (Terri's parents) household, at the Schindler's expense.
Three months after winning his $2.5 million in courts, Mr. Schiavo announced that he would not fund therapy for his wife, would not attend medical school, and would place a do-not-resuscitate order on his wife. In addition, he forbid all medical care. Her teeth have not been brushed for years, for example. Mr. Schiavo moved Terri out of several hospitals because doctors gave Terri antibiotics when she became infected.

Additionally, x-rays have indicated that Terri has many broken bones that were previously unknown, and it is believed that those breaks were caused by the husband. The husband refused to allow doctors to do further tests or operate, and even refuses pet-scans of her corpse. Mr. Schiavo insisted on cremating Terri until very recently, which was against her wishes as a devout catholic, but the autopsy that he allowed is only to examine her brain and confirm that she was brain damaged. The autopsy cannot determine if she was actually in a vegetative state; that could only be tested when she was alive, and Mr. Schiavo refused such tests.

Terri could have been subjected to swallowing tests, which would establish that she does not require life support and thus cannot be starved to death if she passed, but such tests were also refused because 'if she choked on the food, she could die'. Rather than let Terri die quickly by choking, her husband starved her to death over nearly two weeks. Terri was put on painkillers during her starvation, even though, according to Mr. Schiavo and his lawyer, Terri could not feel pain.

Mr. Schiavo's claim that Terri would have wanted to die was based on a single comment while watching television. A comment that Terri would prefer to live was made to one of Terri's friends with just as much credibility, but judge Greer (the judge who presided over the Terri case for years) accepted Mr. Schiavo's claim as a fact of the case and rejected the pro-life claim. Once something is established as a fact in a case, no court could overturn that 'fact', they can only review how the fact is used in the case. Thus, appeals were futile because they didn't have the ability to restart the case from the beginning, and had to use Greer's 'facts', in which case they had no choice but to rule against Terri. The Congressional legislation was made with an intention of allowing an appeals court to dismiss Greer's facts and establish new ones, if necessary. Greer ignored a congressional subpoena, and may be charged with contempt for doing so, which means he could end up in jail (and impeached). The judicial branch of government was made the weakest in the constitution because it is often nearly impossible to remove bad judges; Greer just claimed that he is superior to the US senate by refusing to observe it's legislation.

Because of Greer's actions, this issue will probably last for several years. Many in the US already worry that judges are becoming too powerful, and are effectively passing legislation themselves through the use of legal precedent; Greer confirmed those suspicions.
I would not be surprised if Greer is impeached, even though the case would be based on the congressional subpoena, and few judges are ever impeached. If some of the stuff I told you about Mr. Schiavo is reported by the US mainstream news, few congressmen will want to support Greer, and he will be convicted. Just to clarify, impeachment is the trial of an official; an official can be impeached but not convicted. Clinton is the best-known example.

Slaughter liberals with a brand-spanking-new vocabulary!

(this is not a joke, I did not make these words up)

I bet you're about to close this page because the last thing you want to do is learn new words. Put the mouse down, this is good for you, and you will like it once it's over. Now, to the best under-used words in the english language:

Kakistocracy: government by the least able or qualified, or government by the most corrupt

Verisimiltude: the appearance of truth or reality

Kibosh: something that serves as a check or stop

Venal: open to bribery or purchase, mercenary-like

Jurisprudence: the science or philosophy of the law

Xenophobia: fear of foreigners or foreign things
Bet you heard that word countless times, but had no idea what it meant until now

Kerfuffle: confusion, uproar, disorder
Don't blame me if people laugh when you use this word

Dichotomy: a split between two very different philosophical groups

Quotidian: daily; ordinary, usual

Tenuous: flimsy, weak, lacking substance or strength

Incorrigible: unfixable, impossible to manage
like social security

Quid pro quo: an exchange or even bargain
unlike social security

Venial: pardonable, forgivable, excusable
Do not confuse this with venal

Junket: a trip or travel, especially one taken by a public official at public expense

Vanguard: the forefront oo leading edge of an army or movement