Pakistan's Bleak Future*

*Image courtesy of AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini.

A recent, chilling report describes how Pakistani police refused to protect Christians and their homes in the city of Gojra from militant supporters of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a violent Islamic group with links to Al Qaeda.

Maintaining that the pages of a Koran had been destroyed, these murderers went to work by gas bombing homes and shooting innocents. Reportedly, eight were killed in the fires--four of them women and at least one a child--and two others shot. Locals insist that the number of casualties is actually in the dozens. And they also vehemently deny that any Koran was destroyed or otherwise defiled by the three boys at the root of this story, though no one is arguing that local clerics callously demanded their deaths.

Is it any wonder that so many doubt that Islam is truly a religion of peace or even reason when such bloodshed is not wholeheartedly condemned? Surely, the vast majority of Muslims do not condone such extreme violence, hatred, and murder, but their characteristic silence does little to convince Western minds of their commitment to genuine peace and tolerance--inside or outside of Pakistan.

But as mentioned before in these pages, Pakistan is virtually finished as a civilized country capable of supplying anything of value to the world. Clearly, citizens there will have to make tremendous sacrifices if they wish give their children a nation free of oppression and terror. And they must also willingly decide to defend their own minority groups if they wish the West to believe that they are serious about the victory of moderate religious influence over extremism.

IN OTHER NEWS: The furor over President Obama's list of dissenters grows as details of his healthcare reform plan continue to unfold. And at least one legal expert has posited that such a list is likely illegal according to the Privacy Act of 1974, while the ACLU has registered its own dismay at this shameless browbeating of Americans.

A brief and basic synopsis of how citizen's information can be handled legally by the government according to the Privacy Act of 1974 can be found here.

Institutionalized Tyranny*

*Image courtesy of AP Photo/Gerald Herbert.

The White House recently unveiled a plan allowing Americans to report on their neighbors, family, and friends should they offend President Obama by speaking out against his disastrous healthcare plan. Quite simply, well-meaning citizens can have offending "chain emails or [. . .] casual conversation" turned in for careful scrutinization by our loving leader's band of faithful disciples.

The Soviets would likely be very proud. Certainly, the NKVD would be.

Given this development, is there any question that the Obama administration will carelessly trample the rights of the individual for the sake of their vision of a socialized future? Interestingly enough, such an ambition is becoming increasingly more difficult to argue against as average Americans are starting to discern the real price of dissent under our current leadership.

Reasonable American citizens concerned with this brazen attempt at limiting free speech may self-report their own hopefully offensive material via flag@whitehouse.gov (the idea being to overflow their inbox) or even sign the petition against tax-funded abortion at the American Center for Law and Justice.

IN OTHER NEWS: The Supreme Court will add Sonia Sotomayor as an Associate Justice on Saturday. Significantly, 31 Republican senators voted in protest against her record of race-based legislation from the bench, while 9 Republican senators bought the laughable line that she is a misunderstood mainstream judge.

Whatever the case may be, President Obama's history of liberal activism and social engineering will become a legacy far outliving his presidency with Sotomayor carrying on the good fight for years to come.

The Baffling Paradox Of Jewish Anti-Semitism*

*Image courtesy of AP Photo/Dan Balilty.

Anti-Semitism as expressed by the American Jewish community itself has become quite popular of late, though why this troubling phenomenon has achieved any acceptance defies easy description. And why Jewish and non-Jewish critics alike are not speaking out to a greater degree in condemning these acts is also problematic.

Take, for example, the perennially obnoxious comedienne Roseanne Barr and her photo shoot for "Heeb Magazine," an irreverent rag backed by nihilistic film director Steven Spielberg that apparently challenges traditional Jewishness through a popular culture approach. In the latest witty issue, Barr dresses up as a domestic Hitler--complete with iconic mustache and swastika armband--as she eats burnt gingerbread cookies representing the Jews ruthlessly murdered during the Holocaust by the Nazi regime. Notably, Barr is herself Jewish, as is Spielberg. And this somehow makes such a tasteless exercise in gross insensitivity amusing.

Another despicable individual of note is Professor William Robinson--also Jewish--at University of California, Santa Barbara. This academic pillar sent his sociology students a series of pictures equating Holocaust victims with Palestinian casualties of recent Israeli military operations in Gaza, though with no explanation provided to give any historical context whatsoever. As just one example from this rare piece of scholarship, Jews waiting in line to be gassed are directly compared to Palestinians standing at an Israeli security checkpoint, as if the two were unarguably analogous.

At least two of Robinson's Jewish students dropped the course--others are also presumably disturbed, but not enough to protest by withdrawing--and contacted the Simon Wiesenthal Center to make a video reading of Robinson's bizarre introduction to the material he humorlessly entitled "Parallel Images of Nazis and Israelis."

Ultimately, any legitimate group in society has the right to create some humor at their own expense, even if others tempt widespread condemnation for the same. But groups stooping to the same level of racism and genocidal hatred that historical enemies have utilized to murder innocents of their own kind is also horribly wrong.

Why are bigots such as Barr and Robinson tolerated? Perhaps it is an attempt to show the world that Jews are not really different from any other religious or cultural group. Or maybe that the Holocaust and ongoing anti-Semitism are regrettable but understandable aspects of strained relations with the rest of the world as Jews continue with their inexplicable habits of living. Or even that Jewish remembrance of atrocities is a juvenile and petty bid for the undeserved benefits of victimhood. Yet, all of these are vicious and dangerous lies that do in fact risk Jewish lives both here in America and abroad--and that much is obvious to reasonable individuals.

Clearly, criticism of this kind is not to say that such irresponsible behavior automatically guarantees another Holocaust. Or at least it is not to put direct blame on such choices. But these troubling events do erode the basic respect owed to any legitimate member group of society--in this case, a historically innovative contributor well out of proportion to its numbers--and dismisses one of the worst catastrophes in human history as a mere annoyance, a galling footnote repeatedly brought up that should serve only as a point of derision rather than profound contemplation.

And in the end, behavior like that isn't anywhere close to being funny or smart.

IN OTHER NEWS: Iran's murderous regime forces over 100 election protesters to court for crimes against clerical rule just days before Ahmadinejad's installment for a second term, claiming that many defendants were tools of antagonistic foreign states.

It has been reported that confessions have been offered by some individuals, though these were undoubtedly forced. And there also seems to be an inability on the part of defendants to obtain lawyers. Those fortunate enough to do so often find them locked out of the courtroom.

Additionally, three American tourists hiking near the Iranian border have been detained, though there is little substantive information regarding their captivity. Barring their release, occidental observers will likely know very little about what they are suffering at any point in the foreseeable future.

And there is no word yet as to whether or not President Obama will stand up and condemn these obvious abuses of human rights, but such an event seems extremely doubtful--after all, to date he has done virtually nothing to stop the shedding of innocent blood in Iran.

ObamaCare: Who Needs Surgery? Just Take A Pill*

*Video courtesy of YouTube.

The above video is very disturbing, if only for the fact that it underscores the argument that President Obama's plan for rationed, socialized healthcare will only place a dollars-and-cents value on individual American lives--and a cheap one, at that.

Interestingly enough, both the so-called Blue Dog Democrats and Republicans have each recently offered non-binding health insurance alternatives, though whether these are workable solutions to this odious healthcare catastrophe remains to be seen.

In the best event, Congress will not act on any comprehensive healthcare bill--or at least not anytime soon. Reasonable observers can usually agree upon the need for reform, perhaps even drastic change, but this pressing need doesn't mean that more government intrusion is the solution. In fact, as in so many scenarios, it is actually a compounding problem. And the current reform under consideration is just that--a hasty governmental fix to a complex issue profoundly affecting hundreds of millions of lives for years to come.

Healthcare decisions--and this includes those made in quality-of-life and end-of-life contexts--should most definitely not be made by bureaucrats and politicians pondering banal statistical extrapolations on the cost of providing adequate individual care for one procedure or another. People are not, and never have been, numbers. To the point, these issues should be handled by qualified medical professionals and specialists, patients, and in some cases, patient advocates such as loving, immediate family members if an individual cannot argue on their own behalf.

And whatever healthcare plan comes to the forefront, it is clear that it should include for patients more insurance coverage choices at reasonable rates, greater access to alternative treatment options supported by research, and an undeniable affirmation of their right to a respected voice in the specific treatment approaches applied to their own care.

In other words, both President Obama and Congress should simply show a genuine respect for human life.

IN OTHER NEWS: For better or worse--and really, it is the latter of the two--Sonia Sotomayor moves closer to confirmation as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.

Taking The Iranian Nuclear Threat Seriously*

*Image courtesy of AP Images.

American interests in the Middle East can be protected from a nuclear Iran by a "defense umbrella," according to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Come again?

Clinton's second hasty try, as cited in the article above, does deny any sort of "nuclear umbrella" to shield presumed protectorate countries from Iranian aggression. Yet as so many have noted of this sloppy remark--and she knows better as a vetted veteran of high-powered political maneuvering--the suggestion is that America will actually permit the development of such a pernicious danger towards vital friends like Israel.

Thankfully, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates appear to agree that this threat will not be tolerated ad infinitum--and perhaps of greater importance, that all deterrence options remain viable for just such a threat. To be sure, Israel will need these options as experience has shown that dictators tend to force the international community beyond all reasonable limits in the misguided pursuit of world-stage influence and irrational, nationalistic pride.

But allowing such sobering hypothetical scenarios, the question remaining can only be one of tolerance. With the middling support President Obama and others have shown Israel since his infamous Cairo speech, Iran will undoubtedly be given an unreasonably long tether to strain against. And this is unpleasant news indeed for those aware of the real dangers posed to Israel and other American allies in the Middle East.

Perhaps President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton will put aside their shared pursuit of legacy and popular image long enough to address some of the more challenging issues facing America at present. Doubtful, but one can always hope.

IN OTHER NEWS: It appears that Thomas Daniel--the independent investigator persistently lobbing obnoxious ethics complaints at Sarah Palin--is in fact a major contributor to the Democratic Party. Unfortunately, it seems no one noted his faithful personal contributions to this institution, or that peers in his law firm frequently serve as counsel of record for the party on the left, or that several lawyers he makes a living with recently represented President Obama in his bid for this country's highest office.

Minor details, we must suppose, when one is bent on the character assassination of perhaps one of the strongest threats to liberal ideology to come out of the Republican ranks in several years.

President Obama Loses Some Of His Luster*

*Image courtesy of AP Images.

President Obama's catastrophic push for socialized healthcare reform is quickly deteriorating--mostly, as Charles Krauthammer puts it, because "[r]hetoric met reality." In other words, doctors, nurses, and regular Americans that use or will need to use our healthcare system in the near future realize that services will not get better. And they will cost far more than anyone will be willing to pay.

To the point, while the American Medical Association recently backed the President's plan, many of its members are jumping ship while noting the long lines, care rationing, and ultimately inferior quality of delivered services that are sure to result should the reform be rammed through Congress. And they are not alone. In a recent policy piece for the Mayo Clinic, it was noted that the reform will actually inflate patient costs while ensuring poorer care. Significantly, this comes from an institution seemingly committed to a drastic overhaul of modern medicine in America.

Without a doubt, many of those who actually remain committed to achieving quality care at reasonable fees view this bill as nothing other than idealistic or self-preening boilerplate aimed at an unprecedented reordering of American society that will do little to care for a growing and aging population.

Thank goodness Americans at least have a reprieve from this legislation as it is likely to be postponed past Obama's arbitrary August deadline. Perhaps by then, Republicans and Democrats will come together in a commitment to meaningful and effective healthcare reform that puts more choices in the hands of the people.

IN OTHER NEWS: President Obama shows his undying friendship to radicalism by involving himself in a local Cambridge matter to defend his friend Henry Louis Gates Jr., a leading light in the academic pantheon of politically correct race relations. All this, of course, because one Police Sgt. James Crowley Jr. had the nerve to investigate a possible break-in at a previously burglarized home only to discover Mr. Gates trying to enter and refusing to identify himself. While Gates did eventually provide identification, he also threw a tantrum and flatly accused the officer of racism--a claim echoed by that darling of the Democrats with the statement that Sgt. Crowley "acted stupidly," as quoted in the linked article above.

Unfortunately, such is to be expected as President Obama claims Mr. Gates as a personal friend, and he is undoubtedly all about the payback expected in personal, Chicago-style politics. Of course, one might also note that our leader runs with a very nasty group of egotistical people.

The Rape Of Iran's Women*

*Image courtesy of AP Images.

"The Jerusalem Post" is currently carrying an interview with a serving member of the Basij militia in Iran. And it is horrifying.

The interview itself was obtained by telephone after this married man with his own children served a period in jail for showing some humanity to two Iranian teenagers; apparently his error was in allowing them to escape imprisonment, an undeniable hell for those forced to experience such a place. And this, unfortunately, is the one encouraging point delineated throughout the course of the conversation.

The Basij militia member interviewed eventually details his so-called honor to marry virgins the night just prior to their own executions. As Iranian law under Ali Khamenei forbids the execution of virgins for whatever crime, this man would then be joined to these tortured individuals in an obviously forced ceremony, see to their drugging to ease any struggle, and then rape them--a legal right that he admits caused more anxiety and suffering in these young girls than the executions that followed.

Apparently his experience is not unusual.

Oddly enough, it needs to be said here that any regime torturing and murdering its own citizens is depraved--and such a fact should draw reasonable minds together with the aim of its overthrow. But any culture that routinely sanctions the legal rape, torture, and murder of women and children is playing with the blackest sort of sin--and that kind of tyranny deserves not only the harshest condemnation in words, but also utter annihilation by whatever violence justifiable within moral limits, either by their own freedom-seeking citizens or by a nation such as America that holds the moral and historical imperative to act.

Without a doubt, Iranians have the right to freedom. Their men have a right to dignity and the honorable pursuit of any worthwhile profession. Their women have a right to speak, to live their lives unmolested, and to be free of the fear attached to indiscriminate execution. And their children have the same rights in fully realizing their own potentials, along with a supreme right to innocence as they grow toward maturity.

President Obama knows this. He has known this long before he ascended to the Presidency. And he has no excuse to remain silent concerning the atrocities being carried out right now with such terrifying brutality in Iran. Consequently, both Democrats and Republicans should join together in condemning his appalling lack of action, his inexcusable lack of courage, and his inscrutable lack of support for Iranian freedom.

After all, there is enough complicity in these horrific crimes as it is.