Before getting to various political issues in a slipshod manner, I have some final thoughts on Israel.
Although it is a beautiful country with lovely people and an amazing history, I did not feel the emotional charge that I felt when I visited Canton, Ohio, in 2006. Canton Ohio is the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
I know it sounds crazy, but the National Football League is my burning passion. I love football. I am proud to be Jewish, but I am not Israeli. Visiting Israel was similar to visiting Singapore in 2003. It was a pretty country with much beauty. Yet it is not my home. I am American.
So while visiting Israel did not reduce me to tears or cause me to kiss the ground like I did in Canton, it was still the trip of a lifetime. I am better off for having gone.
I was not able to really deal with hard core politics during my trip. Now that I can, I shall now present Mish Mosh Thursday.
The Chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party was shot to death. There is no evidence that politics had anything to do with this senseless tragedy.
What should be taken from this event is that a man died way too young, and that a family no longer has a husband and father. I offer them my deepest condolences. However, I have no patience for those on the left that blamed “hateful talk radio” in general, and Sean Hannity in particular, for this terrible murder.
This is another example of the left wanting to curtail freedom of speech for those on the right. It is not acceptable, and I will fight any attempt to inject partisan politics into what appears to be a random killing. If for any reason the killer turns out to be a republican, and even if that killer did listen to talk radio, the responsibility would be that of the killer and the killer alone.
If this is not immediately accepted by the left, then the Clintons should be blamed for every suicide during their administration of small business owners brought on by the despair of higher taxes and crippling regulations.
It is about personal responsibility people.
In other news, John Edwards is a hypocrite and a liar. My heart goes out to Elizabeth Edwards. She married a sleazebag.
I personally do not think that the infidelity itself should disqualify the man from being President. Waht should disqualify him is a recklessness of character. Had he won the nomination, and then the affair would have exploded, he could have damaged the entire democratic party. As a republican, I have no problem with this. As a human being, as I said, his behavior was reckless. I suspect that Elizabeth Edwards wanted him to be President more than he did, and that she was driving the train. This in some ways makes her as calculating as Hillary Clinton. However, I lack the evidence to say this for a certainty. Elizabeth Edwards is going through a personal hell I wish on nobody. Also, they lost a teenage son to a tragic car accident, the nightmare of every parent. This should allow us to empathize for them as human beings, but not to accept that John Edwards is anything but a snake oil salesman with little to zero ethics.
Hillary Clinton is trying to sabotage Barack Obama. Let me rephrase that. She already has. Bill and Hillary Clinton are narcissistic, self indulgent, spoiled brats. They have no grace or class. Obama won the nomination fair and square. Yet he has proven to be weak in giving Hillary everything she wanted.
I am not saying Hillary is a terrorist by any stretch, but one does not negotiate or bargain away advantages when they have all the leverage. Obama should have called Hillary’s bluff, and given her nothing. Her supporters would not have the guts to vote for John McCain because all they care about is abortion. They would fall into line. Obama is not fit to stand up to world leaders if he does not have the guts to stand up to Hillary Clinton. This is very similar to 1988, when Michael Dukakis had to kiss Jesse Jackson’s racist rumpus. Hillary is destroying the democratic party, which would be meaningful if she actually cared about that at all. She does not. Her people are probably still digging dirt on Obama, hoping to catch him in a situation mimicking Bill Clinton or John Edwards.
Hillary was the one who kept mentioning the 3AM phone call. Barack Obama and John McCain received theirs in the form of the conflict between Russia and Georgia. McCain was decisive and bold. Obama was equivocating and tentative. This is because John McCain is ready to be President, and Obama is ready to lead a global rendition of “Hands Across America.”
Democrats are capable of occasionally accomplishing things during peacetime. During war, they need to be given their pacificiers and told to wait until the adults handle the problems. The Russian situation is serious, and platitudes won’t cut it. Hillary Clinton may have falsely claimed it, but it is John McCain that is truly ready to lead on day one.
Having said that, I completely disagree with the degree of McCain’s Russia bashing. He needs to tone it down. Insulting Putin is not the answer. I admire McCain’s toughness, but too much can turn into bellicosity. Force and hard power are needed with places such as Iran and Syria. Diplomacy, while normally a waste of time, must be utilized with Russia. We cannot have the Cold War again. Russia and America and China need to unite to defeat Radical Islam.
Speaking of China, some of their athletes have been accused of cheating at the Olympics. It’s the Olympics, and therefore I don’t care. The spirit of the Olympics has been tarnished for a long time, whether it be the Russian Fencing team or the USA Basketball team using professionals instead of amateur athletes. True, the USA was open and honest about it, but the bottom line is professionals should not compete in these games. That is why they are the Olympic Games and not Olympic Sports. These are not sports. They are games, and often rigged games at that.
As for human rights issues, I hope China cracks down on any protesters that makes the Tianamen Square seem like child’s play. Politics should not be in the Olympics, and agitators should get their hides kicked. If anybody thinks America is different, look at what the democrats are doing to homeless people and protesters in Denver. They are being given movie tickets, and those whor efused will be “removed from the streets.” There will not be in any tanks, but these are the “compassionate” people showing compassion. Also, the liberal delegates are grumbling at a lack of limousines, when they could walk or bicycle to the events. They are true greeniacs, these environmentalists. Then again, running over homeless people is easier in a limousine. Perhaps Ted Kennedy can be in charge of this.
Ok, Mish Mosh Thursday has had its say.
The Michele Bachmann interview has been completed, and will be published soon.
I am still tired from my trip to Israel. When that changes, I may become coherent.
No, not really.
eric
McCain was not “decisive and bold.” He was stupid and reactionary. The man obviously hasn’t a clue in the world what’s going on over there. That’s McCain’s whole problem – I’m just a regular shmuck from Jersey and I know more about the world around us than him – like the difference between a sunni and a shiite.
As for “radical Islam” I wouldn’t worry about it. The day they run out of oil, no one will care anymore.
JMJ
“like the difference between a sunni and a shiite.”
Or unruly children
————————————————————————————–
You’re little buddy Obama has proven to be nothing but a follower in this case and not a leader.
You can criticize what McCain says but Obama has no words you can elevate to anything meaningful.
Obama only rendered his statements after he heard what everyone else had to say. Like a gutless clueless little clingon
Not that its really part of his job description anyway to say anything, as it would be incumbent upon McCain seeing as he is currently the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services.
But I guess Obama will take every shot that he can grab at sounding presidential, no matter how weak and dumb he sounds.
JMJ:
“As for “radical Islam” I wouldn’t worry about it. The day they run out of oil, no one will care anymore.”
yea, lets just let them keep killing until then.
By the way. We have never run out of oil as soon as you environmental fear mongers said we would
I’ve been on Georgia for a few days now with Ossetians and Georgians and even they arent absoutly sure what the hell is going on right now Jersey, so get off your high horse.
I’ll bet both my gonads that McCain has a zillion more sources than you do and would trust his assesment before yours any day
Obama has been been careful and thoughtful regarding the Georgia situation. McCain jumped in head first with that “today we are all Georgians” nonsense. He’s still stuck in that old obsolete Cold War mentality. He’s been poking at Russia for years. That’s the last thing we should be doing now. The Cold War is over and we certainly don’t need to start up that insanity again. This is a matter between the Georgians and the Russians (and oil, as usual) and two Georgian regions who’ve been semi-autonomous for years until Georgia broke the peace and attacked. The Russians were trying to avert another Balkan situation in the Caucasus. Meanwhile we’ve been providing arms and military assistance to the so-called “democracy” in Georgia, and now we have this mess thanks to our hegemonic stupidity. McCain wants to send them more arms, and for years has been pushing to get them into NATO – stupid, stupid, stupid.
And McCain, as usual having no clue what’s goin on in the world…
From Bloomberg: “Addressing the crisis for the second straight day, McCain said Georgia, in addition to being a U.S. ally, lies at a “strategic crossroads” for oil from the Caspian Sea region.”
That idiot. Georgia is not a US ally. McCain is moron. We have no treaty with them. We have no alliance. It’s just a “friendship” for whatever that’s worth. I guess it’s like “enemy combatant” – another made-up meaningless term.
“By the way. We have never run out of oil as soon as you environmental fear mongers said we would”
Well, either you’re lying or ignorant. I suggest you check with a certain republican House member from Maryland by the name of Roscoe Bartlett ( http://bartlett.house.gov/ ). He’s the House expert on these matters.
JMJ
“Obama has been been careful and thoughtful regarding the Georgia situation. ”
Why not ? He’s clueless.
JMJ;
“That idiot. Georgia is not a US ally. McCain is moron. We have no treaty with them. We have no alliance. ”
You silly fool. Its more than a friendship when they send 2000 troops to help us in Iraq and want to be a part of NATO.
Look up the word.
1. to unite formally, as by treaty, league, marriage, or the like (usually fol. by with or to): Russia allied itself to France.
2. to associate or connect by some mutual relationship, as resemblance or friendship.
–verb (used without object) 3. to enter into an alliance; join; unite.
–noun 4. a person, group, or nation that is associated with another or others for some common cause or purpose: Canada and the United States were allies in World War II.
5. Biology. a plant, animal, or other organism bearing an evolutionary relationship to another, often as a member of the same family: The squash is an ally of the watermelon.
6. a person who associates or cooperates with another;
So McCain was very accurate and your pedantic little rant has been disqualified.
“Well, either you’re lying or ignorant. ”
No, it was Carter who lied and was ignorant.
“World consumption of oil is still going up. If it were possible to keep it rising during the 1970s and 1980s by 5 percent a year as it has in the past, we could use up all the proven reserves of oil in the entire world by the end of the next decade.”
He was disengenuous by saying “proven reserves”.
Thats what the dems are doing now.
“No ! you cant drill there!” “Dont you know we’re running out of oil ?”
Well, uh, gosh, everytime we drilled after you said that we found more.
Your buddy Bartlett is only making that assumtion if we dont drill.
Jeeez, just how stupid do you think I am ?
And dont be so predictably and childishly quick to blame us for any of this . PLeeeeeese.
Georgia is a soveriegn country that could make its own decisions, Mr “love to use the word hegemony”
“Hmmm… I dont what to say here, lets see…
I know ! I have a great idea ! No one has thought of this yet !”
LETS BLAME MY COUNTRY !!!
Sheesh, get over it man, its older than dirt and just simply not true.
Shakin my head, its sad.
Micky, a professional statesman knows that an “ally” is a state with which a state has a treaty of alliance. WE HAVE NO ALLIANCE WITH GEORGIA. Words among statesmen have real weight, Micky, not like our fun little debates. This isn’t about semantics – it’s about the competence of a possible (likely) future head of state. The last thing we need is another idiot in the White House. The last 7 1/2 years of that has been an unmitigated disaster.
I’m not blaming America for the mess in the Caucasus. That’s been a mess for time immemorium. But blindly taking sides in that mess, as that idiot McCain has done, is not going to help the situation. Meanwhile, the number one lousiest man in America, William Kristol, is banging the war drums against Russia, as if the disaster he caused in Iraq hasn’t drained all our resources and manpower as it is!
Let’s hope McCain ignores that lowly, murderous, cowardly excuse for a human being if he takes office.
JMJ
” Words among statesmen have real weight, Micky, not like our fun little debates. This isn’t about semantics -”
Then except the word for what it is.
We are sure as hell are better friends with the Georgians than we are with Russia right now so please spare you weak attempts at minimizing anything that comes out of a cons mouth, its childish and boring already.
Who would be more of an ally right now huh ? Russia or Georgia ?
We are “alligned”. cant you see that ? they have sent troops to risk their lives along side ours.
(along side meaning “alligned” as in alliance)
Then again, I practiced no semantics whatsoever. My description of the word came straight from the Websters dictionary.
Seeing as you like to use unneccessary embelishments to your vocabulary so often I figured you would appreciate the accuracy in grammar.
JMJ:
“The last 7 1/2 years of that has been an unmitigated disaster.”
Thesaurus: unmitigated
(Adjective)
Completely such, without qualification or exception: absolute, all-out, arrant, complete, consummate, crashing, damned, dead, downright, flat, out-and-out, outright, perfect, plain, pure, sheer2, thorough, thoroughgoing, total, unbounded, unequivocal, unlimited, unqualified, unrelieved, unreserved, utter2. Informal flat-out, positive. Chiefly British blooming. See big/small/amount, limited/unlimited.
So, from the description of the word it seems that this mitigation has not taken place but in your own opinion.
While you are allowed that the facts if mitigated speak to the truth.
And that would be that Bushs presidency is not 100% failure as you would imply with such a word. This train of thought in any debate will quckly put you on the bench and render another opponent to the table with some sense of honesty and realistic objectivity.
JMJ:
“But blindly taking sides in that mess, as that idiot McCain has done, is not going to help the situation. ”
Blindly ?
Hmm, this mess with the Caucasus has been around for about 400 years. Since McCain has been in public service since Obama was figuring out what to do with his willy I would say that his eyes are more open to the sistuation than Onbama has ever been.
If you would like a true example of blindness it would be Obamas delayed efforts to make a statement untill he was sure what everyone else would say.
Now that represents REAL BLINDNESS.
He had to let everyone else walk the path before he could see it.
Also. being on the Armed services commiteee enables him more access to such intelligence than Obama has right now in addition the fact that as a member of such it is incumbent upon McCain to make a statement.
The only reason Obama made a statement was so he could have an opprtunity to see what he would sound like in a presidential situation.
He wanted to try out his “heres what I would sound like if I was president” voice.
(“hey michelle, did ya here my comment on georgia ? did I sound like the president ? huh ? huh ?)
How come we dont here every other congressman up there blabbing his position on Georgia ?
The guy is a little league player.
” as if the disaster he caused in Iraq hasn’t drained all our resources and manpower as it is!”
This is where you lose the realm of reality only because most of the words you chose are not realistically true.
We still have major resources in our Navy and our Air force and troop levels in Iraq have started to come doen as of 6 months ago.
Billy Kristol caused it ?
ROTFLMFAO
Between the Russians, Michael Vick, and injuries to John Smoltz and Tom Glavine its been a bad 18 months or so for Georgians worldwide. Somebody had to throw a little sick humor into this discussion.
As far as running out of oil, I must say attending California public schools in the 70s, I remember constantly hearing that our use of the automobile was leading to two catastrophic results by the end of the century. We would run out of oil and we would have a new ice age due to global COOLING.
Your picky petty criticism of McCain’s use of the word ally is beneath you Jersey. The word has many meanings not solely the narrow one of having signed a formal treaty and you know it. Countries often form temporary alliances for a mutual purpose. Certainly any two countries that go to war together are allies at least for that limited purpose. You are just looking for any excuse to dump on McCain.
Picky and Pecky, Parrot? (I’m addicted to alliteration… I’ve got to do something about that one of these days.) I am NOT “looking for any excuse to dump on McCain.” Of all the curent GOP Reps and Sens, I’ve been easier on him than any of the others (God, I miss the days of guys like Alan Simpson). There’s a lot of things I actually like about McCain, unfortunely his brains are not among those things. A statesman knows better than to refer to a nation with which we have no treaty as an “ally.” He should also know that Putin is not the president of Russia, though he continually refers to him as such (and also the president of Germany!). McCain is either getting a little senile or… well, let’s just say I’ve followed his career on C-Span for a generation and his knack for making misstatements, or simply misunderstanding, is well-known and obvious. He also has an unfortunate tendency to lose his temper and shoot from the hip – and THAT could be a very dangerous vice in a president. (I like puns too)
Obama took the right tack – asking both sides to tone it down. He’s right. The last thing we need to do is interpose too much on one side or the other here. McCain thinks he’s scoring hawk-points here, but he may just be frightening a public already long since tired of war, and aggravating a large power at a time when we should be working with them closely and diplomatically. The 1/3rd or so of Americans that will vote GOP no matter what are already with him on this. McCain should be playing to the middle third, and they’re not in the mood for more international chest-beating at this point in history. Also, McCain should consider the consequences of his unmeasured words should he be elected. The second-to-last thing we need right now is another president who is abhored, distrusted and mocked abroad – even before he’s elected!
To you I suggest learning more about statesmanship and international politics and diplomacy.
And, Parrot, unlike intransigent political or religious ideologies, science progresses and changes as time rolls along. We learn new things and we change our understandings. We discover new phenomenon and we develop new theories. We hypothesize, we experiment, we observe, we share information, we argue about the implications, and we move on to the next inquiries. Science is not an entrenched set of ideological precepts. It preceives nothing. So and science tells us different things over time. But as time goes by, science becomes more and more accurate, more correct. What we know today is more than what we knew yesterday. Unlike say religion, where we only know what we knew from the start and that’s all we know until a new religion comes along. Science evolves. What we thought knew before often turns out to be incorrect – but as time goes by, that happens less and less. Such is the nature of scince.
So, you’re example is misinformed and shows a genuine lack of understanding of nature and tenets of modern science.
JMJ
“There’s a lot of things I actually like about McCain, unfortunely his brains are not among those things.”
This is why a few months ago you were supporting him ?
“Obama took the right tack ”
Yea, only after he made sure he knew what everyone else was going to say first.
“So, you’re example is misinformed and shows a genuine lack of understanding of nature and tenets of modern science.”
Lets get something stright here buddy. You are not a genius.
And everyone who is of a different opinion is not stupid.
You can have all the knowledge in the world and it only matters how you use it.
You always brag about what a great student of history you are.
WHO CARES ???
If you dont include all the facts you can paint any picture to make any point you want.
I’m a professional chef, my knowledge is extensive.
If we are debating a mousse mush or confection all I have to do is leave out one ingredient and you’ve got mush.
Now to be more accurate and not dodge like you do by attacking peoples intelligence instead of just getting to the point.
What parrot is saying is thet even with all this knowledge you claim to posess it was thinking like yours in the 70s that gave us the sentiment we have now.
All the science that was state of the art then had us believeing that we going to run out of oil and freeze to death. But only the science that made that point was being released by environmentalists DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT ?
So you can go on and on about how brilliant the scientific world is that backs up your looney global warming and oil depleting theories you want , it doesnt amount to hill of beans.
[…] Israel Epilogue and Mish Mosh ThursdayBefore getting to various political issues in a slipshod manner, I have some final thoughts on Israel. Although it is a beautiful country with lovely people and an amazing history, I did not feel the emotional charge that I felt when I … […]
” “There’s a lot of things I actually like about McCain, unfortunely his brains are not among those things.”
This is why a few months ago you were supporting him? “
Contrary to many other libs and progs, I do think McCain is a good human being and might well be a pretty good president. I also don’t think it takes a genius to president of the USA. I just don’t think he’s the brightest bulb in the box – and I’m certainly not alone; not among Dems, Reps, Cons or libs. McCain’s reputation should not be new to you.
” “Obama took the right tack ”
Yea, only after he made sure he knew what everyone else was going to say first. “
I don’t know about that and I doubt you do either. It seems to me he simply made the smart choice: stand back, try to grasp the situation, make an informed and diplomatic stance. As I said, it doesn’t take a genius to be president, and Obama, contrary to many of his supporters (and detractors) does not strike me as a genius, but he’s obviously very bright, and he seems quite wise.
“Lets get something stright here buddy. You are not a genius.
And everyone who is of a different opinion is not stupid.”
You know me better than that. I often refer to myself as “good ol’ stupid Jersey McJones” and “regular shmuck from New Jersey.” But like amyone of even average intelligence, I can see stupid when I see it.
As for my comments about science, I think you did not understand my point.
JMJ
“I don’t know about that and I doubt you do either. ”
Yes I do. Have you not learned yet to never doubt me ?
I have never spoken out of my rump.
I saw a chronological rundown yesterday and he was last out of the gate and sure if I had to pull it up I could.
Besides that. Without the time frame I still noticed it all on my own.
He’s just a little boy trying to play big man.
I understood your point.
Your science lies by omission of the truth.
Well, I can concede your point about timing while standing by what I said. A smart man sits back and listens before speaking. As I said, Obama “simply made the smart choice: stand back, try to grasp the situation, make an informed and diplomatic stance.” So both of our points here have merit.
But the “little boy trying to play big man” thing bothers me. Obama’s been around. He’s not a “little boy.” He’s really a helluva lot more worldly than most Americans.
Give credit where credit is due, man. I give McCain his due. You too should give Obama his.
JMJ
Oh, and as for science, please explain your position. I have no idea what you’re talking about.
JMJ
Jersey, don’t make any estimations about my science background, because as usual you are wrong in your estimations of other people and their background. The “facts” as they were puported in the 70’s were based on little empirical evidence, faulty assumptions and extrapolations. It is the common sample a single point and extrapolate to infinity approach. I do understand that what we know to be true changes as science evolves, and that was exactly my point.
As far as Roscoe Bartlett his background is chemistry, physiology, anatomy and zoology. So although he is a scientist he is not an expert on ecology, geology, meterology or any of the other “earth sciences.” Just becasue somebody is a “scientist” doesn’t make them an expert on every field of science.
If you knew science, Parrot, you wouldn’t drag up what scientists thought 35 years ago regarding a relatively new field of study. How many satellites did we have back then? How many sciwentists were even in the field back then?
Get real.
As for Representative Bartlett, the man has made oil issues his personal crusade ever since he was elected. His knowledge, credentials, and experience are indisputable. You just refuse to accept this.
JMJ
First of all none of this is a new field of study. Secondly you said nobody said we were running out of oil back then I was merely pointing out that not only was it said but it was a pretty common point of view. Third, my point was if YOU know anything about science, you would know that predictions about the future are only extrapolations and PROBABILITIES based on ASSUMPTIONS about what we think is the current state and how things will change over time. Science is only truly accurate when dealing with the present or often the past but highly speculative the further in the future you get form the present. Finally Newton, Einstein, Gauss, were a little more than 35 years ago and people still examine what they said. All science builds on what went before. The problem with much of this science is they try linear extrapolations on system whose behavior is not accurately characterized by linear formulas.
JMJ;
“simply made the smart choice: stand back, try to grasp the situation, ”
What? The situation between him and McCain or the situatuion in Georgia ?
Yea, thats right. he new the situation in georgia with out any input from McCain.
Just like his hour with rick Warren.
He cant just answer a question. Consideration and thoughtfulness ? HAH !
He took forever to answer and beat everything around the Bush.
He has no footing.
The first sign of dis-ease or lying is the time it takes a person to answer.