Bourbon Pundit

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I'm embarrased, I missed one and got a 95%. It was one that I read completely wrong so make sure you read carefully.

The President speaks on the NYT

In case you haven't been following; the New York Times (and other papers) decided to out a federal program that traced the financial transactions of suspected terrorists. They were asked not to run the story; yet they did anyway.

Here's the transcript, but if you want to see one pissed off President, and rightly so, go here.

Q Sir, several news organizations have reported about a program that allows the administration to look into the bank records of certain suspected terrorists. My questions are twofold: One, why have you not gone to Congress to ask for authorization for this program, five years after it started? And two, with respect, if neither the courts, nor the legislature is allowed to know about these programs, how can you feel confident the checks and balances system works?

The American people expect this government to protect our constitutional liberties and, at the same time, make sure we understand what the terrorists are trying to do. The 9/11 Commission recommended that the government be robust in tracing money. If you want to figure out what the terrorists are doing, you try to follow their money. And that's exactly what we're doing. And the fact that a newspaper disclosed it makes it harder to win this war on terror.

You'll want to give yourself a quick primer on the 1st Ammendment here. Make sure you read on to Schenck v. US 1919 and Brandenburg v. Ohio 1969. If we're a nation of laws and we respect those laws, I don't see any way the NYT reporter, Eric Lichtblau and his editor can escape prosecution.

Evidenlty, this reporter has a habit of this...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10775-2004Jun27.html

He even got a Pulitzer for it...
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/April06/pulitzer.lichtblau.dea.html
I suppose that means what he did was right?

He explains himself...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1654525/posts

"They were similar in terms of the objections raised not to publish," Lichtblau told E&P today. "That the bad guys knew we were listening to them, but they don't know exactly how." But he said the objections "did not rise to as high a level as last time."

Dude, the HOW is that they are reading your fucking paper! So I guess, that since they didn't scream from the top of mount olympus that you shouldn't publish the story, that was tacit admission that you should? What kind of twisted logic is that?

UPDATE:
I've heard some talk that prior judicial opinion insulates the Times from prosecution on this. See the link here. Regarding New York Times v US (1971), even Wiki points that it may not fully insulate the Times in this case if the govt wants to press the case.

The Ideology and Religion Shit List

Taoism: Shit happens.
Confucianism: Confucius say, "Shit happens."
Buddhism: If shit happens, it isn't really shit.
Zen Buddhism: Shit is, and is not.
Zen Buddhism #2: What is the sound of shit happening?
Hinduism: This shit has happened before.
Islam: If shit happens, it is the will of Allah.
Islam #2: If shit happens, kill the person responsible.
Islam #3: If shit happens, blame Israel.
Catholicism: If shit happens, you deserve it.
Protestantism: Let shit happen to someone else.
Presbyterian: This shit was bound to happen.
Episcopalian: It's not so bad if shit happens, as long as you serve the right wine with it.
Methodist: It's not so bad if shit happens, as long as you serve grape juice with it.
Congregationalist: Shit that happens to one person is just as good as shit that happens to another.
Unitarian: Shit that happens to one person is just as bad as shit that happens to another.
Lutheran: If shit happens, don't talk about it.
Fundamentalism: If shit happens, you will go to hell, unless you are born again. (Amen!)
Fundamentalism #2: If shit happens to a televangelist, it's okay.
Fundamentalism #3: Shit must be born again.
Judaism: Why does this shit always happen to us?
Calvinism: Shit happens because you don't work.
Seventh Day Adventism: No shit shall happen on Saturday.
Creationism: God made all shit.
Secular Humanism: Shit evolves.
Christian Science: When shit happens, don't call a doctor - pray!
Christian Science #2: Shit happening is all in your mind.
Unitarianism: Come let us reason together about this shit.
Quakers: Let us not fight over this shit.
Utopianism: This shit does not stink.
Darwinism: This shit was once food.
Capitalism: That's MY shit.
Communism: It's everybody's shit.
Feminism: Men are shit.
Chauvinism: We may be shit, but you can't live without us...
Commercialism: Let's package this shit.
Impressionism: From a distance, shit looks like a garden.
Idolism: Let's bronze this shit.
Existentialism: Shit doesn't happen; shit IS.
Existentialism #2: What is shit, anyway?
Stoicism: This shit is good for me.
Hedonism: There is nothing like a good shit happening!
Mormonism: God sent us this shit.
Mormonism #2: This shit is going to happen again.
Wiccan: An it harm none, let shit happen.
Scientology: If shit happens, see "Dianetics", p.157.
Jehovah's Witnesses: Knock... Knock
Jehovah's Witnesses 2: May we have a moment of your time to show you some of our shit?
Jehovah's Witnesses 3: Shit has been prophesied and is imminent; only the righteous shall survive its happening.
Moonies: Only really happy shit happens.
Hare Krishna: Shit happens, rama rama.
Rastafarianism: Let's smoke this shit!
Zoroastrianism: Shit happens half on the time.
Church of SubGenius: BoB shits.
Practical: Deal with shit one day at a time.
Agnostic: Shit might have happened; then again, maybe not.
Agnostic #2: Did someone shit?
Agnostic #3: What is this shit?
Satanism: SNEPPAH TIHS.
Atheism: What shit?
Atheism #2: I can't believe this shit!
Nihilism: No shit.

John Stuart Mill

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight... is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself".- John Stuart Mill

Done listening to NPR

I used to love listening to Click & Clack's Car Talk, but I'm done now. It used to be funny, but now it's just preachy.

Yesterday, they went on and on about wanting a new gas tax of 50 cents per gallon, increasing 50 cents per gallon each year until the TAX reached $3. The idea was that higher prices would decrease consumption and that the government would use the money to fund research into "alternative energy sources." The comment was that other countries pay much more than the US for gas. I guess the rest of the world's weak economies and growth, and their tax policy, is something we're supposed to emulate now?

The US consumer pays close to 60 cents per gallon for gasoline taxes and the UK currently has a gas tax that's close to $3 per gallon. It seems only to be that the arguement is we're under taxed as I don't see the rest of the world beating down the door of "alternative energy" with their confiscatory tax income.

Other arguements I've heard is that the US population is, compared to the world, small; yet we use 25% of the oil. Um, yeah, ok, but that's only part of the story here. The world population is about 7 billion and the US has .3 billion residents; that makes us about 4% of the world population. The US has a GDP of $12.5 trillion on a population of 300 million. The UK has a GDP of $1.8 trillion on a population of 60 million. So, if they're 1/5 our size, let's cut our ratios down to fit their size. For the math challenged, if we cut our population to 1/5 of 300, that's 60 million, we also must cut our GDP to 1/5. That figure is $2.5 trillion. Doesn't seem that much of a difference, but it's huge. Their population would have to produce 72% more to make up the difference. Keep in mind here, that GDP doesn't have anything to do with taxing structure; it's only the total output of goods and services.

Of the entire world GDP, $60,710,000,000,000, the US produces $12,360,000,000,000 of that total. Subtracting the US from the world GDP, we get $48,350,000,000,000. The US produces 1/4 or 25% of the world GDP. Oh wait, don't we consume 25% of the world oil? See any connection here? 4% of the world's population produces 25% of the world GDP by using 25% fo the oil.

Nick Berg's Father Weeps for al-Zarqawi

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060608/ts_alt_afp/iraqzarqawiusberg_060608141042

Wackjob. Total freaking wackjob. If somebody killed my child; I'd make it my personal mission to kill that person; I'd revel in it, I'd take joy from their death. My soul could not live knowing my child's killer walked the face of the earth.

NEW YORK (AFP) - The father of Nick Berg, a US businessman allegedly (allegedly my ass, he's on tape doing it...stupid AFP) beheaded by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, said Thursday he regretted the death of his son’s murderer and warned of an upsurge in violence in Iraq.

“The death of Mr. Zarqawi means a continuation of the violence and revenge that took the life of my son,” he said. “This will mean an increase in violence and resistance to the occupation of Iraq by the US military.”

The death of every human being is NOT a tragedy. His son, Nick Berg, yes, that's a tragedy; al-Zarqawi, no. If you can't see the difference here, you missed some important lessons in life and I feel bad for you.

To take such an attitude about the life of someone that has no respect for innocent life, American, Iraqi or otherwise is a slap in the face of all those that uphold the sanctity of life. There is a discrimination in life, there is good and there is evil; to talk about both ends of the spectrum as having equal worth is something to be ridiculed for. In this PC, multicultural, moral equivalence world, too many times we won't stand up and call a spade a spade and that gets people in the mindset that nothing is bad anymore, just different.

One dead Zarqawi is a nice start; let's see some more now. If I'm wrong and my soul rots in hell for all eternity for this, fine; I'm OK with that. My solace will be that my children won't have to deal with these fuckers as they grow up.

Fucking baby boomer pothead generation.

Religion of Peace

Debunked at the source.

Islam is Not a Religion of Pacifists
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, 1942

There are hundreds of other [Koranic] psalms and hadiths [sayings of the prophet] urging Muslims to value war and to fight. Does all that mean that Islam is a religion that prevents men from waging war? I spit upon those foolish souls who make such a claim.

Good Day

For mindless, spineless, backwater fools to die.

On this day in 632, Muhammed, you know, the founder of Islam, died in Medina.
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/refarticle.aspx?refid=761553918

Oh yeah, and and that fucktard in Iraq, al-Zarqawi was killed too.

Woot!

Normandy Invasion

General George S. Patton's Normandy Invasion Speech:

"Be Seated."

"Men, this stuff that some sources sling around about America wanting out of this war, not wanting to fight, is a crock of bullshit. Americans love to fight, traditionally. All real Americans love the sting and clash of battle. You are here today for three reasons. First, because you are here to defend your homes and your loved ones. Second, you are here for your own self respect, because you would not want to be anywhere else. Third, you are here because you are real men and all real men like to fight. When you, here, everyone of you, were kids, you all admired the champion marble player, the fastest runner, the toughest boxer, the big league ball players, and the All-American football players. Americans love a winner. Americans will not tolerate a loser. Americans despise cowards. Americans play to win all of the time. I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That's why Americans have never lost nor will ever lose a war; for the very idea of losing is hateful to an American."

"You are not all going to die. Only two percent of you right here today would die in a major battle. Death must not be feared. Death, in time, comes to all men. Yes, every man is scared in his first battle. If he says he's not, he's a liar. Some men are cowards but they fight the same as the brave men or they get the hell slammed out of them watching men fight who are just as scared as they are. The real hero is the man who fights even though he is scared. Some men get over their fright in a minute under fire. For some, it takes an hour. For some, it takes days. But a real man will never let his fear of death overpower his honor, his sense of duty to his country, and his innate manhood. Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best and it removes all that is base. Americans pride themselves on being He Men and they ARE He Men. Remember that the enemy is just as frightened as you are, and probably more so. They are not supermen."

"All through your Army careers, you men have bitched about what you call "chicken shit drilling". That, like everything else in this Army, has a definite purpose. That purpose is alertness. Alertness must be bred into every soldier. I don't give a fuck for a man who's not always on his toes. You men are veterans or you wouldn't be here. You are ready for what's to come. A man must be alert at all times if he expects to stay alive. If you're not alert, sometime, a German son-of-an-asshole-bitch is going to sneak up behind you and beat you to death with a sockful of shit!"

"There are four hundred neatly marked graves somewhere in Sicily; all because one man went to sleep on the job. But they are German graves, because we caught the bastard asleep before they did. An Army is a team. It lives, sleeps, eats, and fights as a team. This individual heroic stuff is pure horse shit. The bilious bastards who write that kind of stuff for the Saturday Evening Post don't know any more about real fighting under fire than they know about fucking!"

"We have the finest food, the finest equipment, the best spirit, and the best men in the world. Why, by God, I actually pity those poor sons-of-bitches we're going up against. By God, I do".

"My men don't surrender. I don't want to hear of any soldier under my command being captured unless he has been hit. Even if you are hit, you can still fight back. That's not just bull shit either. The kind of man that I want in my command is just like the lieutenant in Libya, who, with a Luger against his chest, jerked off his helmet, swept the gun aside with one hand, and busted the hell out of the Kraut with his helmet. Then he jumped on the gun and went out and killed another German before they knew what the hell was coming off. And, all of that time, this man had a bullet through a lung. There was a real man!"

"All of the real heroes are not storybook combat fighters, either. Every single man in this Army plays a vital role. Don't ever let up. Don't ever think that your job is unimportant. Every man has a job to do and he must do it. Every man is a vital link in the great chain. What if every truck driver suddenly decided that he didn't like the whine of those shells overhead, turned yellow, and jumped headlong into a ditch? The cowardly bastard could say, "Hell, they won't miss me, just one man in thousands". But, what if every man thought that way? Where in the hell would we be now? What would our country, our loved ones, our homes, even the world, be like? No, Goddamnit, Americans don't think like that. Every man does his job. Every man serves the whole. Every department, every unit, is important in the vast scheme of this war. The ordnance men are needed to supply the guns and machinery of war to keep us rolling. The Quartermaster is needed to bring up food and clothes because where we are going there isn't a hell of a lot to steal. Every last man on K.P. has a job to do, even the one who heats our water to keep us from getting the 'G.I. Shits'."

"Each man must not think only of himself, but also of his buddy fighting beside him. We don't want yellow cowards in this Army. They should be killed off like rats. If not, they will go home after this war and breed more cowards. The brave men will breed more brave men. Kill off the Goddamned cowards and we will have a nation of brave men. One of the bravest men that I ever saw was a fellow on top of a telegraph pole in the midst of a furious fire fight in Tunisia. I stopped and asked what the hell he was doing up there at a time like that. He answered, "Fixing the wire, Sir". I asked, "Isn't that a little unhealthy right about now?" He answered, "Yes Sir, but the Goddamned wire has to be fixed". I asked, "Don't those planes strafing the road bother you?" And he answered, "No, Sir, but you sure as hell do!" Now, there was a real man. A real soldier. There was a man who devoted all he had to his duty, no matter how seemingly insignificant his duty might appear at the time, no matter how great the odds. And you should have seen those trucks on the rode to Tunisia. Those drivers were magnificent. All day and all night they rolled over those son-of-a-bitching roads, never stopping, never faltering from their course, with shells bursting all around them all of the time. We got through on good old American guts. Many of those men drove for over forty consecutive hours. These men weren't combat men, but they were soldiers with a job to do. They did it, and in one hell of a way they did it. They were part of a team. Without team effort, without them, the fight would have been lost. All of the links in the chain pulled together and the chain became unbreakable."

"Don't forget, you men don't know that I'm here. No mention of that fact is to be made in any letters. The world is not supposed to know what the hell happened to me. I'm not supposed to be commanding this Army. I'm not even supposed to be here in England. Let the first bastards to find out be the Goddamned Germans. Some day I want to see them raise up on their piss-soaked hind legs and howl, 'Jesus Christ, it's the Goddamned Third Army again and that son-of-a-fucking-bitch Patton'."

"We want to get the hell over there. The quicker we clean up this Goddamned mess, the quicker we can take a little jaunt against the purple pissing Japs and clean out their nest, too. Before the Goddamned Marines get all of the credit."

"Sure, we want to go home. We want this war over with. The quickest way to get it over with is to go get the bastards who started it. The quicker they are whipped, the quicker we can go home. The shortest way home is through Berlin and Tokyo. And when we get to Berlin, I am personally going to shoot that paper hanging son-of-a-bitch Hitler. Just like I'd shoot a snake!"

"When a man is lying in a shell hole, if he just stays there all day, a German will get to him eventually. The hell with that idea. The hell with taking it. My men don't dig foxholes. I don't want them to. Foxholes only slow up an offensive. Keep moving. And don't give the enemy time to dig one either. We'll win this war, but we'll win it only by fighting and by showing the Germans that we've got more guts than they have; or ever will have. We're not going to just shoot the sons-of-bitches, we're going to rip out their living Goddamned guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks. We're going to murder those lousy Hun cocksuckers by the bushel-fucking-basket. War is a bloody, killing business. You've got to spill their blood, or they will spill yours. Rip them up the belly. Shoot them in the guts. When shells are hitting all around you and you wipe the dirt off your face and realize that instead of dirt it's the blood and guts of what once was your best friend beside you, you'll know what to do!"

"I don't want to get any messages saying, "I am holding my position." We are not holding a Goddamned thing. Let the Germans do that. We are advancing constantly and we are not interested in holding onto anything, except the enemy's balls. We are going to twist his balls and kick the living shit out of him all of the time. Our basic plan of operation is to advance and to keep on advancing regardless of whether we have to go over, under, or through the enemy. We are going to go through him like crap through a goose; like shit through a tin horn!"

"From time to time there will be some complaints that we are pushing our people too hard. I don't give a good Goddamn about such complaints. I believe in the old and sound rule that an ounce of sweat will save a gallon of blood. The harder WE push, the more Germans we will kill. The more Germans we kill, the fewer of our men will be killed. Pushing means fewer casualties. I want you all to remember that."

"There is one great thing that you men will all be able to say after this war is over and you are home once again. You may be thankful that twenty years from now when you are sitting by the fireplace with your grandson on your knee and he asks you what you did in the great World War II, you WON'T have to cough, shift him to the other knee and say, "Well, your Granddaddy shoveled shit in Louisiana." No, Sir, you can look him straight in the eye and say, "Son, your Granddaddy rode with the Great Third Army and a Son-of-a-Goddamned-Bitch named Georgie Patton!"

"That is all."

Iran Problem SOLVED!

6 World Powers Agreen on Iran Incentives
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060601/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_nuclear

Has anyone actually been listening to Iran? How many times do they have to say that regardless of what the world community does, says, or gives incentives for, they're not going to stop or even slow their nuclear program?