H&I* Fires, 31 OCT 2007

Open post for those with something to share, updated through the day. New, complete posts come in below this one. Note: If trackbacking, please acknowledge this post in your post. That's only polite.

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It’s Halloween, so I can’t think of a better time to link to Herr Flea, just ‘cause. He is gother than thou, you know.
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An interesting poll from Zogby showing 50+% of Americans want to strike Iran if said would prevent them from attaining nuclear weapons. I wonder if the when-it-is-convenient populists will accept this as a mandate to attack Iran like they use the argument that the bulk of Americans now want out of Iraq as a ‘mandate’ to leave.

Of course, I(ry) have always maintained that rightness or wrongness of an action is independent of its popularity, but that’s me.
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J the Armchair Generalist wants to go all medieval to get rid of the poppy problem in Afghanistan. Not sure if he’s kidding or not and this definitely is not a stance I would’ve predicted he’d take.
--ry

Well, there seems to be on-going issues with religious connotations of long standing, traditions and ceremonies. Even in regards to military funerals. Funerals are, by the nature of humans, spiritual and religious in nature. This is when you know that the PC, separation of religion and state BS has gone too far. Why would you mess with a largely religious ceremony, even if some folks don't believe or have another religion, it doesn't mean we should disregard religion and faith all together.

-Kat
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Anyone else finding the political landscape dull, repetitive and full of nothing? Like any democrat running for president would actually withdraw troops any faster from Iraq than they are? Or, in the case of Obama, add untold numbers on the border of Pakistan, ready to tromp all over those Sovereign National Boundaries in a nuclear state and really spread the war? While simultaneously holding hands with Ahmadenijad, Castro and Kim Il-Jong, singing kumbaya? Fred rambles, Rudy and Mitt aren't really conservatives. Frankly, no one on the Republican side is very exciting. The only candidates we talk about are Democrats we don't like.

Learn the lesson from last election: voting unenthusiastically for a candidate because you absolutely dislike the other is no way to win an election.

On terrorism with a little snarkiness we like around here.

Not so funny, suicides among vets. Not as high as civilian society, but a phenomena that we constantly try to address.

Spanish judge about to rule on the Madrid bombings in 2003. They are still talking about the ETA alleged involvement.

The eight main suspects face multiple sentences that could total 39,000 years for each, although such figures are academic because under Spanish law nobody can stay in prison for more than 40 years.

All suspects have pleaded innocent and most are expected to appeal against their sentences.

The verdicts will close another chapter on the bombings.

But with a general election less than five months away, politicians and the media are still bickering about whether ETA was involved in the attack, despite plenty of evidence to the contrary.

The blasts hit three days before the last elections, which the governing centre-right Popular Party had looked set to win.

The then government's insistence that ETA planted the bombs backfired when evidence piled up to show they were the work of radical Islamists and were linked to Spain's backing of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

Let's be clear on this. The Spanish people had a good reason to believe their government was trying to cover up one of the most horrific acts of terrorism in order to maintain their commitment to Iraq and the Spanish government paid for it. So did we and so did the war on Islamic radicalism. There may not have been any good way to go forward because, even if they had told the truth, the people might have dumped them in the election. Historically, he may have been just the guy in the wrong position at the wrong time.
-Kat
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Since it's Halloween, a little article on the walking dead...in Iran.

Equally scary to some, the down turn of the dollar against other currency. I know it's ugly for things like gasoline and heating oil that is going up and up. Then there is the issue of how much the dollar buys in food and clothing, particularly since that is also affected by oil and gas prices.

However, there is a case for devaluing the dollar. It's those things that people really love to hate: NAFTA and CAFTA along with other free trade agreements around the globe (in Eastern Europe and former Soviet Republics). Free trade agreements are supposed to allow trade to flow freely to and from nations in the agreement. This requires some benefit to these nations in purchasing power. Something that is only viable if their currency is moves up and/or ours down.

We WANT them to buy our goods as much as possible, not just have their inexpensive goods available to our markets. When they buy our goods, it creates jobs. When jobs are created, even with the down turn of the dollar, we have more money, more purchasing power and, thus, more economic power.

They can only buy our goods if their economies improve and their currency rises in value against ours. So, we buy their goods at slightly more equitable rates, create jobs there, decrease dependency on inexpensive Chinese goods (which are somewhat suspect in quality). Also slowing down China's growth marginally, slowing down their demand for oil, natural gas and steel as well as their desire or need to grow an expeditionary military force in defense (or offense) of these resources.

Finally, expanding our own political influence through financial influence. It's the long view that counts, even while we are suffering a little in the short term. Which is why, in the end, I don't necessarily agree with the immediate need to "restore king dollar". Your mileage may vary.

-Kat

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This just in from NinjaFluff:

Just happened, so I don't know if you've heard this yet...

Fred Phelps and company have lost a civil lawsuit brought by the family of a soldier. They won $2.9 million in compensatory damages, and some articles are reporting more to come in punitive damages. Sadly, I'll bet that this family won't see a single dime, but that's not really the point.

Couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch. --Bill