Last month I had the pleasure of attending a brilliant foreign policy discussion in Las Vegas. It was put on by the Jewish Policy Center, which is run by Jonathan Schanzer.
http://www.jewishpolicycenter.org/
Before getting to this fabulous event, a couple quick housekeeping notes are in order.
Yesterday my blog reached 200,000 hits. I am pleased about this because the first 100,000 hits took 320 days, or 10 1/2 months. The next hundred thousand hits took only 9 months, or 273 days to be precise. While that comes to just over 366 hits per day, the numbers are actually much higher since I lost virtually all my traffic when I came to this independent platform. In 3 months, it has been built back up, and better than ever. In short, 17.2% growth is healthy, and I hope I can keep it going. I thank every reader that has ever stopped by.
The blog has been given several enhancements recently, from a news ticker to a rating system to the all powerful donation button that I hope people utilize in abundance.
In the coming days I will be offering political endorsements. I expect my words to have more of an impact than the Jayson Blair Times, but less than or equal impact to reliable sources. Also, for those who like risky investments, Jayson Blair Times bonds have now reached junk status. Then again, they are so elitist that they spell theirs as junque bonds, because they are the cream of the cr@p.
I did not cover the Colin Powell endorsement because it is not news. President Bush fired Powell, and this is payback. Powell had a distinguished career, but he is not the first disgruntled ex-employee to lash out. He is uncomfortable with the “direction” of the Republican Party because that direction excludes him.
Barack Obama has no substance, so covering him is pointless. He was truthful when he told Ellen Degeneres that he dances better than John McCain. He dances on every issue, and wants to glide to the White House. The day that the View ever enters intelligent public discourse is the day society has ended.
So for those that want actual intelligent information should visit UCLA Hillel tonight at 8:15pm PST. I will be debating UCLA Law Professor Jonathan Z. He will be making the case for Barack Obama, and I will be making the case for John McCain.
I want to elevate the level of discussion and show people that there are serious issues that need to be dealt with, and only the conservatives have any clue how to deal with them. Democrats should replace the donkey, and make the ostrich their official mascot. While liberals will sticking their heads in the sand, conservatives were getting together in Las Vegas to have a serious discussion on the various threats that put our lives at stake.
Michael Medved was the moderator. The panelists were John Podhoretz, David Horowitz, and Steve Emerson. They are worthy of lengthy introductions, but I will cut straight to the meat of their discussion.
MM: “Being a former New Yorker is like being an ex-marine. One is always a New Yorker. This week in New York we had the markets opening to turmoil, and a visit by Ahmadinewackjob. I say people should visit New York, New York, in Las Vegas, not New York City. Anyway, is this market meltdown changing everything?”
JP: “No. The other panelists still say bupkus about me. Freedom and free markets has led to the greatest growth in history the last 30 years. This crisis has been funded by government policies. The monopolies of Fannie and Freddie got us into this. The CRA passed by Clinton to expand home ownership to poor people hurt. The failure to regulate Fannie and Freddie caused this problem. The answer is not more regulation. Government intrusion caused this.”
DH: “Barney Frank and Charles Rangel …it’s no surprise this happened. Podhoretz’s new book will be on my nightstand for the next 8 years.”
JP: “The Glass-Steagal repeal is not the cause. It will save this problem. Breaking down Chinese Walls is needed. Merrill Lynch was bought by Bank of America. This is because of Phil Gramm’s repeal of Glass-Steagal. We’d be dead without it.”
MM: “Are optimists right that we’re safe now?”
SE: “I would have said something nice about John Podhoretz but he took 2 minutes of my time. Jihadist groups think they can infiltrate America and the American media. They have. Michael Chertoff has announced that the DHS will not use the ter, “Islamic Militants.” They just call them militants. The State Department has given 40 million dollars in the last decade to radical Islamic groups.”
DH: “Jewish organizations are very skittish to take on Islamofacism. It is President Bush that protected the American people. His greatest success is keeping us safe.”
SE: “Radical Islamic groups label anyone who criticizes them as racist.”
MM: “Armageddonijad just wanted a dinner with Rabbis…a Persian feast. Some Rabbis agreed to it. They chant ‘Death to America.’ What’s to talk about over dinner? Is Iran like Russia, where nuclear power is offset?”
DH: “Hitler hid the Final Solution from the German people, believing that they were too civilized. Iran shouts it from the rooftop. Europe will let Israel be incinerated. Sheik Yassin went to Penn State and Ohio State. We went after the MSA. Hillel embraced them.”
SE: “As for why deterrence won’t work, Russia was rational. Armageddonijad wants to be attacked. He has a suicidal martyr complex. 5 Secretaries of State said we should engage Iran. We will be negotiating what type of death we will face. People are either too stupid or idealistic to see it.”
JP: “Iran has 70 million people, and Israel has 6 million. There is no MAD. The USSR was large, and could have survived a nuclear attack. Iran would trade 1/5 of each population since Israel would not survive, nor would the Jewish people.”
SE: “Iran is acquiring the bomb. Israel is living under a black cloud they can’t maneuver any more. Divestment will occur. Israel needs to strike. They have a one year window. Does Israel have the cojones? Does the U.S. give the green, or at least the orange, light?”
MM: “Should the new Israeli and U.S. administrations move toward a 2 state solution in Israel?”
JP: “That is as realistic as a friendly dinner between Vladimir Putin and Shalishkavili. Israel has no interlocutor. Abbas claims the window is rapidly closing because Israel in the last 2 years is worse than the previous 40 years. There is no possibility for the framework of a discussion. Negotiation is inevitable, but the present circumstances make it impossible.”
SE: “In Gaza, they found 500 tons of plastic explosives. This is the second most concentrated area behind Afghanistan. It is naive to believe that the Palestinians want peace.”
DH: “There is a War on Terror. We succeeded in Iraq, but a pair of terrorist states exist in Lebanon and Gaza. There are some good Palestinians, but they don’t make a d@mn bit of difference. It’s not about territory. It’s about destroying Israel. The only way to negotiate with Palestinians is to crush them.”
MM: “Mormons are phenomenally Pro-Israel, as are other Christians. Is this negative?”
JP: “Jesus is not returning. Just let him try. Christians go to Israel 10 times more than we do. 50% of Christians go, but only 18% of Jews go. Christians love Israel, while Jews worry about checkpoints.”
SE: “Unlike Radical Islamists, at least Christians wait until we are gone to convert us.”
DH: “Christians are not burning us at the stake. They defend me.”
JP: “U.S. Jews have been shameful towards Christians. There have been no bad experiences. We just live in enclaves.”
MM: “What do we do about young Americans who are ungrateful towards America?”
DH: “For 55 years, the left has lied about the Rosenbergs. The judge and the prosecutor were Jewish. Many leftists simply hate this country.”
JP: “To what do leftists swear allegiance to? Canadian single-payer? What false God? If Michele Obama was not proud of the USA, what nation did she feel proud of? This explains the leftist blogosphere. There is just no idealism in hating the USA.”
MM: “Stephen, would you like to add anything?”
SE: “No.”
MM: “There should be a patriot requirement in our schools. There should also be a service requirement. Students should have to visit Independence Hall and Valley Forge. It is community service to learn about this country and what it has meant to this world.”
Whenever I worry that it is too late to save society, I remind myself that in small pockets of the country, if one plays close attention, the voices of reason and crystal clear logic can be found. I am glad to know them.
eric
Congrats on the 200K hits! :-)
^ 5 Bro !
Congrats.
Anyone who says F&F got us into this financial mess is either lying or doesn’t understand the first thing about American finance, regulation and economics.
Anyone who thinks that “Radical Islam” is an existential threat to the West is suffering severe neurotic paranoia.
Anyone who believes that Protestants truly love Jews and Israel is completely oblivious to the basic tenets of Protestanism and the true nature and beliefs of its adherents.
I haven’t heard an “adult” converstation from the Right since the death of William F. Buckley. I’m impatiently waiting.
JMJ
“Anyone who says F&F got us into this financial mess is either lying or doesn’t understand the first thing about American finance, regulation and economics.’
Be accurate and honest please.
No one has put the complete blame for this mess on them..
They are most definitley proven to be one of the most influential components no thanks to the support they recieved from Frank, Dodd and Schumer.
It amazes me how people can be shown facts, actual documents drawn from senatorial and congressional hearings and still have their heads in the sand.
“Anyone who thinks that “Radical Islam” is an existential threat to the West is suffering severe neurotic paranoia.”
I dont “think” it.
You claim to be a student of history yet you choose to ignore historical events , factual events, that happened in front of millions proving the threat .
ex·is·ten·tial (ěg’zĭ-stěn’shəl, ěk’sĭ-) Pronunciation Key
adj.
“Of, relating to, or dealing with existence.” (Yes, terrorists do exist, that hate America)
“Based on experience; empirical.” (We’ve had plenty of those)
Of or as conceived by existentialism or existentialists: an existential moment of choice. (They said they want us all dead)
Linguistics Of or relating to a construction or part of a construction that indicates existence, as the words there is in the sentence There is a cat on the mat.
(There are terrorists who want to kill you and a huge hole in Manhattan.)
“Anyone who believes that Protestants truly love Jews and Israel is completely oblivious to the basic tenets of Protestanism and the true nature and beliefs of its adherents.”
Anyone who believes that liberals truly love love Jews and Israel might want to talk to Jesse Jackson, or Carter.
“I haven’t heard an “adult” converstation from the Right since the death of William F. Buckley. I’m impatiently waiting.”
I just gave you one.
But of course you have to be an adult to reckognize an adult conversation.
The “experts,” pols, and pundits who say that F&F were anything more than peripheral players in the financial collapse are LIARS. Its just a politically expediant diversion from the COMPLETE AND TOTAL FAILURE of their economic philosophy. Even Alan Greenspan is coming around. The Greenspan/Friedman/Reagan economic model is a FAILURE.
The vast majority of the blame falls squarely on Credit Default Swaps. You should try reading about them. They should have been regulated. They were not. Thanks cons again for once agains conning us.
And you never anwered my question about what Israel shoud do, and you gave me an adolescent argument about “liberals” and what they love and hate, as if “liberal” were a religious persuasion. You have to get your arguments straight before you can make them “adult.”
JMJ
Jersey.
You have a nasty habit of calling people liars when it doesnt fit in the picture.
Prove that they are liars or stuff it.
Of course I answered your question about Israel.
Try and go back to the page, my 4th comment.
I said;
“I think they should kick the living crap outta them and tell em to buzz off.”
You know what Jersey, I’m gonna make this personal, and if Eric decides to take it down, so be it.
I’m 51 freaking years old alright ?!
I’ve heard every line of crap from some of the best BS artists in the world and you are not one of them.
Quite frankly your disengenuous attempts to avoid or act as if points havnt been made is frankly and insult to any one with a brain.
I debate on blogs where its understood that everything unless designated is our opinion.
When we make points to see whos right we depend on FACTS to make the truth, not our opinions, assertions, metaphors, anaologies or examples
You on the other hand, as I’ve mentioned to you probably a hundred times now, that your opinions just dont cut it and you think that we are supposed to accept your assertions and opinions as fact.
As I’ve said before, I have showed transcripts of sessions held on the hill pointing out that F&F were instrumental in the collapse. How do you think we ended up with a bubble to burst in the first place ?
Its a riot !
Like a little -little child you continue to say I did not answer your question when I plainly placed it right in front of your face twice already with quotations.
If you dont like the idea that I think Palestine needs to beat into oblivion thats your problem, so stop asking me, grow up and accept it, that is my answer.
As Rowen used to say to Martin on Laugh in;
“Say good night Dick”