Final Protective Fire

Monday, December 30, 2002

 

Evidently Robert Musil of Man Without Qualities recently saw the movie The Two Towers, as he gives us this LOTR themed slagging of Paul Krugman.

Robin 10:13 AM

Sunday, December 29, 2002

 

Steven Den Beste gives us a quick thought on North Korea, asking what the multilateralists would have the US do.

Robin 10:40 PM

Friday, December 27, 2002

 

And Steve once again shows what partisan crap Krugman is flogging about the economy at the NYT.

Robin 2:32 PM

 

There is a thread over on Steve Verdon's blog about North Korea. Remember that we are discussing a nation led by people that are ruthless mass murderers who even have people kidnapped for their whims. We are going to have to do something serious about North Korea but its a different situation from Iraq. North Korea has only one neighbor to threaten with conventional attack, South Korea, and the South Korean military is a strong one that itself is capable of dealing with the NK's. However, a conventional war on the Korean peninsula would results in an extremely large number of casualties, military and civilian. With nuclear weapons, North Korea can realistically only threaten South Korea and Japan at this time.

Robin 1:53 PM

 

Media Research Center's annual awards for biased reporting. Link shamelessly stolen from Kim DuToit.

Robin 1:37 PM

Thursday, December 26, 2002

 

David Frum deals with another misrepresentation of Ward Connerly, this time by the perennially race-baiting Bob Herbert.

Robin 3:17 PM

 

Bill Whittle's new blog.

Robin 2:55 PM

 

Donald Luskin does a quick slap of Paul Krugman who can't get his English history straight.

Robin 2:54 PM

 

My local paper reprints an article bylined "Adam Nagourney" of the New York Times ( UPDATE:Steve Verdon comments and supplies a link to the NYT ). Reading it over my lunch today, I nearly choked from laughter. The point of the article was that some Democrats, such as Sen. John Edwards, are developing a campaign theme attacking Republicans and the Bush administration for not doing "enough" to fight terrorism. Amusing for the DU theme about President Bush's supposed plan to become a dictator, Sen. Edwards calls for a new domestic intelligence agency to be created - a bizarre proposal after their hysterics over the Homeland Security department and the PATRIOT Act.

This is yet more evidence that the Democrats are in complete disarray and haven't a clue how to return to the mainstream. Their inability to articulate a coherent position on this subject is beyond pathetic. Al Gore set the stage earlier this year with his speech wherein he bemoaned how terrible President Bush's actions were, but couldn't successfully articulate anything he would actually do different. Senator Patty Murray thinks the issue is over mythical day care centers. The actual proposals being tentatively mooted by Democrats are hilariously lame. More money for big city police departments. Yep, that's what fighting terrorism is of course, more money for Democrat constituencies that have nothing effective to do. Now we see senators like Edwards and Kerry demonstrate anew why the Democrat party is not the party of adults.

Robin 12:32 PM

 

Steven Den Beste has a short ( for him! ) posting on the depleted uranium and its decay rate. Depleted uranium is in the news from time to time as leftist whackjobs bring it up to repeat Iraq's blatant lies about DU causing birth defects and occasionally as the latest nonsense about Gulf War Syndrome.

Robin 9:36 AM

Wednesday, December 25, 2002

 

With that, we're done for today. Merry Christmas to all.

Robin 11:04 AM

 

A bit late, but Charles Murtaugh has some great points here on the autism meme that's been flooding the blogs. It seems that the NYT has been doing some more sloppy reporting. Excellent work by Charles.

Robin 11:02 AM

Tuesday, December 24, 2002

 

More evidence that our airline system is run by blithering morons unfit to direct traffic at a neighborhood intersection.

Robin 7:59 PM

 

A Blog is Born. Dave's self-annointed mission is watching the loony bin that is Democratic Underground. Paternity is strongly denied.

Robin 10:46 AM

Monday, December 23, 2002

 

New Jersey has enacted legislation that will eventually mandate "smart guns". Notice that once again law enforcement is exempt. This shows the fundamental non-logic of this requirement. It is among law enforcement that the technology - if it had any use - would be appropriate. A fair percentage of police officers being shot are shot by their own sidearms. Law enforcement use should be the first application of such technology if it was reliable enough to foist onto anyone. But the reality is that few people want any part of making a firearm less reliable - which can be the only result. Sometine in the future we'll learn of someone killed because their personal defense handgun wouldn't fire when it was most needed. When that happens I will wish that New Jersey's McGreevey is personally sued.

But this is not a surprise as almost all gun control legislation are frauds.

Robin 3:12 PM

 

A little late, I found this interesting post by Bob Herbert on a new book debunking the kooks about the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty. The author of the book has his own website.

Robin 2:17 PM

 

Glenn Reynolds points us to this commentary by Earl Ofari Hutchinson on The Black World Today. Mr. Hutchinson points out how Bill Clinton reached the Presidency with his own "Southern Strategy" of what are termed "coded appeals" to whites. Now I don't entirely accept the notion of "coded appeals" but here's another voice on the hypocrisy of Democrats.

Robin 2:00 PM

Sunday, December 22, 2002

 

Several bloggers, showing their tendency to shrill hysterics over analysis, have been making silly posts about this story about a Bush administration proposal to monitor the Internet against attacks. I've been pointing out, futilely evidently, that actually reading the story reveals little to support the fears. Fortunately, Orin Kerr does a nice job here of saying what I've been saying - albeit better as usual. Of course, we can see why if we look at Professor Kerr's credentials.

Now, I'm not a huge fan of government involvement and my own experience in government intervention in computer and internet security is hardly going to make me think that this will be any more competently executed. But conservatives acknowledge that there are at least some areas that government is appropriately the sector best suited to solve certain problems. Attacks on our internet infrastructure seem pretty obvious to be such a realm and only the most rabid of libertarians would oppose such initiatives. The core issue is what is being monitored, infrastructure or content.

Robin 10:21 AM

 

Orin Kerr on the Volokh Conspiracy has this example of the NYT straining to make a lame point off of the Denver Police intelligence files story. Trying to link that now long moribund story to the Total Information Awareness story is a silly stretch that only emphasizes the points Sullivan and others have been making about the descent of the NYT. Maybe if the Times wants to borrow lame story ideas from Denver, they should take the John Elway and his malamute dog story?

Robin 10:17 AM

Saturday, December 21, 2002

 

In case there was any doubt that in Denver, worship of the Broncos is a cult here. And one of the most annoying features of that cult is that the local media report the most mundane things about retired Broncos quarterback John Elway as lead news. Recently John Elway got a citation for his dog getting loose in his neighborhood. The Rocky Mountain News devoted more than a column-foot of space on page 3 to the story of John Elway's dog.

Robin 6:23 PM

Thursday, December 19, 2002

 

And to all who are wondering, no, I have no explanation for the rash of blogging on split infinitives. On clear ideological principles, I shall not be participating in the debate at all.

Robin 2:56 PM

 

And in an interesting decision, a Solomonic judge decided to split the baby ... err... baseball. Howard Bashman has several postings on this including this one.

Robin 2:55 PM

 

Eugene Volokh comments on the LA Times purported poll on the upcoming Iraq conflict here and here

Robin 2:47 PM

 

I apologize to the hordes who have emailed me asking about my brief hiatus ( yes, both of you ). I was felled by a bioweapon attack from a fast-food restaurant. Man Without Qualities has several items I'd like to highlight. Especially this item where the Man shreds some more of Delong's silly partisan faux-economics. "Bob" is right, we need more room next to the Krugman trash heap.

Now I need some help decoding this posting of his. Is "Bob" basically saying that the leftist bloggers have no credibility?

Robin 2:31 PM

Thursday, December 12, 2002

 

The UNRWA is begging for money for the Palestinians. Let them eat Semtex. The UNRWA is the United Nations agency that has allowed the Palestinian terrorists to use UNRWA camps and resources to run their terrorist attacks against Israel. Give them nothing. Link courtesy of Bill Quick.

Robin 7:47 AM

Wednesday, December 11, 2002

 

While I was out of town, I was watching and reading about the Trent Lott controversy and by now all has been said. Personally, I think that people like Al Gore who accuse Trent Lott of being racist are dishonest and hypocritical little turds. Trent Lott is a flaming idiot and I've long wished to be rid of him as GOP leader in the Senate. Perhaps I'll get my wish from this controversy - he's earned being tossed out for his stupidity alone.

But that doesn't change the fact that the Democrat Party is wallowing in hypocrisy. While the Robert Byrd example is well known, Bill Clinton's fawning over Fulbright in '93 was far worse than what Trent Lott said and yet the Democrats were silent. Silent like the brazen liars and hypocrites that they've become.

Robin 9:34 PM

 

Michael Kelly puts to rest the nonsense from Al Gore and buddies that "the media" is Conservative. Link courtesy of Henry Hanks.

Robin 9:30 PM

Thursday, December 05, 2002

 

Well, almost last. Drudge has a piece on the low ratings of MSNBC, especially the leftist politics shows of Chris Matthews and Donahue. I was always baffled by the decision to hire Donahue, he was an anachronism to when his whine-filled Leftism was unchallenged on the major media. But look at what Drudge doesn't mention, CNN is still getting completely blown out. In fact, if it wasn't for MSNBC's near complete collapse, the story would be about the abyssmal CNN ratings for its political shows.

Robin 4:12 PM

 

This will probably be the last posting until Wednesday December 11th as I will be out of town.

Robin 3:29 PM

 

Lord, I'm sick of Al Gore's face ( not human but an amazing simulation ... ) but Drudge has a story that gives us an interesting question. More Asian money funding Al Gore?

Robin 3:26 PM

 

The Ninth Circuit has published an opinion holding that there is no individual right to arms in the Second Amendment in a case involving California's ridiculous "assault weapon" ban. Glenn Reynolds and Clayton Cramer comment. I've yet to digest the opinion but Ninth Circuit Justice Stephen Reinhardt continues his long line of ludicrous opinions by quoting the discredited Michael Bellesiles in the very first footnote. It is as if Reinhardt is begging to be ridiculed for his complete incompetence.

Robin 2:59 PM

 

Professor Volokh has some interesting items on the Padilla case and related decisions, here, here, here, here ... uh, you get the idea I'm sure.

Robin 2:47 PM

 

Eugene Volokh describes the Bush administration's attempt to create a parallel justice system circumventing the courts ... its called "War". While using a great parody, Professor Volokh has a great point.

Robin 2:37 PM

 

Brock Yates has a good quasi-rant about Homeland Security, airport security rules and Norm Mineta.

Robin 12:21 PM

Wednesday, December 04, 2002

 

Steve Verdon is convinced Bradford DeLong is an idiot. The evidence is pretty convincing but not of idiocy, rather the usual arrogance of slander from Democrats.

Robin 3:38 PM

 

A recent study was heralded in the press as disproving the "gateway" theory about marijuana leading to hard drug use. Iain Murray says that the study authors deny any such conclusion by their study.

Robin 1:59 PM

 

Evidently, there is a Russian blogger who links to me for no particularly good reason. Of course, I'm not too impressed, he evidently borrowed Instapundit's blogroll and now links to almost everyone. Link courtesy of Glenn Reynolds.

Robin 10:42 AM

 

As some suspected, the smear job of Robert McTeer has spread to the New York Times. This is a prime example of the descent of the New York Times to a partisan yellow sheet. Link courtesy of Pejman.

Robin 10:18 AM

Tuesday, December 03, 2002

 

As this story about this morning press conference by the Saudi government's foriegn policy advisor Adel Al-Jubeir shows, the Saudis seem to be feeling the heat. Good. Keep turning the heat up.
UPDATE: Here is Stephen Schwartz' "10 Questions" for Adel Al-Jubeir.

Robin 10:08 AM

Monday, December 02, 2002

 

Scoring a blogger hat trick, Musil uses the NYT's own business section to rebute Krugman. Oooooh, extra style points.

Robin 8:55 PM

 

Stuart Buck does a bit of the Fisk'ing on Paul Krugman's column on media bias. The key information that Stuart adds is that the "Fairness Doctrine" was really a way to stifle viewpoints, not "balance" them. And that is what Daschle and the DNC whose talking points Krugman is regurgitating want, to stifle ideas that they've failed to refute.

Robin 11:23 AM

 

Iain Murray has interesting post that discusses crime rates in several nations. Notice that England & Wales have a higher crime rate than the United States.

Robin 10:08 AM

Sunday, December 01, 2002

 

I had the beginnings of a long diatribe forming in my head about the silly decision of the FEC to allow candidates to draw salaries from campaign contributions. But this cartoon from Roll Call does a better job than I could.

Robin 11:25 PM

 

In his column dated December 2, Morton Krondracke puts Tom Daschle and Al Gore in their place after each's silly rantings.

Robin 11:22 PM