26 July 2008

OUTRAGE: ILLEGAL ALIEN KILLED FAMILY OF THREE IN SAN FRANSICKO

By Michael Henchard

An illegal alien, aided and abetted by the homosexual mayor of San Francisco, shot and killed a family of three earlier this week. This illegal alien thing has had several brushes with the putative law in the Bay Area. Yet, this is not the ultimate insult: He shot the entire Bologna family simply because they were observing the speed limit on a San Fransicko street. Apparently, Thing was late for an appointment at the Welfare office.

Still more outrage. Reports abound that the gay mayor of San Fransicko continued to remain at a party when news of the massacre reached him. One anonymous eyewitness saw Mr Newsome toasted a male friend moments after aides informed him of the murders.

Yet, more outrage. The MSM have not covered this story. Even the Drudge Report has been remiss in its refusal to cover this deadly story. Thank God for the blogosphere.

8:00 PM on 08/08/08

19 July 2008

The Debate on the Singapore Paradigm


    The new authoritarianism




Guardian, UK
July 1, 2008

BY John Kampfner



WHY is it that a growing number of highly educated and well-travelled people are willing to hand over several of their freedoms in return for prosperity or security? This question has been exercising me for months as I work on a book about what I call the "pact".

The model for this is Singapore, where repression is highly selective. It is confined to those who take a conscious decision openly to challenge the authorities. If you do not, you enjoy freedom to travel, to live more or less as you wish, and – perhaps most important – to make money. Under Lee Kuan Yew, this city-state built on a swamp has flourished economically.

I was born in Singapore and have over the years been fascinated by my Chinese Singaporean friends. Doctors, financiers and lawyers, they have studied in London, Oxford, Harvard and Sydney. They have travelled across all continents; they are well versed in international politics, but are perfectly content with the situation back home. I used to reassure myself with the old certainty that this model was not applicable to larger, more diverse states. I now believe this to be incorrect.

Provincial governments in China send their brightest officials to Singapore to learn the secrets of its "success". For Russian politicians it too provides a useful model. These countries, and others in Asia and the Middle East are proving that the free markets does not require a free society in which to thrive, and that in any battle between politics and economics, it is the latter that will win out.

It is too easy to believe that this debate does not apply to us. Across western Europe, the US and in other so-called democracies, liberty is similarly losing out to both the post-9/11 security agenda and the power of global finance. Different countries hand over different freedoms; in Italy, Silvio Berlusconi (who makes no secret of his admiration for Vladimir Putin), brazenly attacks the judiciary, having effectively censored the broadcast media.

In Britain, we draw comfort from what we believe to be a robust public realm, with strong freedom of speech (although our journalists are far better at shouting than at digging out information) . And yet, as David Davis so theatrically has reminded us, we are sleepwalking into a level of state surveillance that will not be reversed.

Many countries, including our own, are entering into new pacts with their rulers. Resurgent autocrats draw strength from the many weaknesses of western leaderships, not just their mistakes in foreign policy, but their failure to rejuvenate their own political systems, or to deal with a business culture that had lost touch with the needs of society.

It was Oswald Spengler who at the turn of the last century predicted that "the masses will accept with resignation the victory of the Caesars, the strong men, and will obey them".

A modern form of authoritarianism, quite distinct from Soviet Communism, Maoism or Fascism, is being born. It is providing a modicum of a good life, and a quiet life, the ultimate anaesthetic for the brain.



    The Singapore model


A rebuttal by H.E. Michael Teo, Singapore's High Commissioner to UK

Liberal democracy works for the west – but in south-east Asia, we have different views


Guardian, UK
July 15, 2008

See
The new authoritarianism



THE end of the cold war seemed to augur a new era of global convergence. In the battle of ideas and political systems, western liberal democracy had triumphed. But the reality is different, especially in Asia.

Across Asia, western-style democracy has rarely delivered stable, legitimate and effective government. Few Asian countries have achieved good government through open multi-party competition or unfettered, rambunctious media. Many lack a long history of shared nationhood. Some are divided along racial or religious lines. Others have weak institutions and no traditions of civilian rule or civic society.

As a former British colony, Singapore started off with a Westminster- style parliamentary system. But we have adapted it to suit our unique position: a small, multi-racial, multi-religious city in the middle of a turbulent south-east Asia. We introduced multi-member Group Representation Constituencies to ensure multi-racial representation. We created non-elected Members of Parliament from independent groups and opposition parties to ensure diversity of views in Parliament. We instituted an elected presidency to safeguard key state appointments and the nation's financial reserves.

As English laws evolved after Britain joined the European Union, Singapore has not always followed, because our circumstances are different. Thus, unlike the UK, we have not weakened our defamation laws, which are essential to keeping our public discourse responsible and honest.

This system of democracy has worked for Singapore. Singaporeans enjoy one of the highest standards of living in Asia – 90% own their homes. They are well educated, many in top universities abroad, including in the US and Britain. They know they live in one of the most transparent countries in the world, with a competent and non-corrupt government. Those who disagree with or oppose the government are free to speak out, challenge the government, and contest in free and fair elections.

Had our system not consistently benefited the vast majority of citizens, and given them full opportunities to develop their human potential, the ruling party would have been voted out of office long ago.

China and Russia study Singapore as one possible model for their own development. Whether they can adapt it to their own circumstances will depend on their ability to run a clean, honest and meritocratic system, governing for the long-term good of the country with the support of their people. But ultimately these large countries, with their long histories and ancient cultures, will develop in their own ways. They are not likely to morph into western liberal democracies, regardless of what Singapore does.

Every society has to strike its own balance between individual liberties and the common good. Some in the west like John Kampfner feel a calling to go forth and convert the heathen to western liberal democracy. But the true test is what works in the real world, with real societies. To worship a western model as the only way, and dismiss all other solutions as authoritarian or undemocratic, is surely the ultimate anaesthetic for the brain.

18 July 2008

CLASSLESS

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080718/ap_on_fe_st/presidential_putdown

Proposed George W. Bush Sewage Plant makes ballot

Thu Jul 17, 8:27 PM ET

SAN FRANCISCO - A measure seeking to commemorate President Bush's years in office by slapping his name on a San Francisco sewage plant has qualified for the November ballot.

The measure certified Thursday would rename the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant the George W. Bush Sewage Plant.

Supporters say the idea is to commemorate the mess they claim Bush has left behind by actions such as the war in Iraq.

Local Republicans say the plan stinks and they will oppose it.

15 July 2008

Stimulating Cheques: Americans Spend Rebate on Porn

Source: http://www.simplydumb.com/2008/07/07/porn-gets-boost-from-stimulus-checks/

G.W. Bush would be so very proud to hear this one. His stimulus checks? Are stimulating a little more than he intended.

Adult web sites are reporting a boost in sales since the US stimulus checks went out to taxpayers. Normally summer is a slow time for internet porn. But sites are reporting a 20 - 30% growth rate since mid-May when the first checks were sent out.

Of course, the adult sites are more than happy to see the economic checks come their way. Er, no pun intended. We guess the government didn’t realize it was going to be funding the porn industry. Oh, the irony.

What did you spend your stimulus check on?

14 July 2008

Phil Graham was Right: What Recession?

Between you and I. For who the bells toll. We is beautiful.

The grammatically incorrect -- but politically correct -- phrases above have been accepted as new standards of "American English." According to Jonathan Fairbank, the dumbing down of a nation always begins with the apostasy of standards in its language.

When Dr Phil -- that is Phil Graham, PhD (Economics) -- stated that there is no recession, he was/is pugilistically criticized by the left for being, in Michael Savage's inimitable phrase, "innn-sennn-siiii-tiiiive." Facts notwithstanding.

The economy in the fourth quarter of 2007 and the first quarter of 2008 actually grew by about 1% in real terms (factoring for inflation). There is no contraction. In order to be classified as a recession, any economy has to contract, in real terms, for two consecutive quarters. This is the standard economists the world over have set as the definition for recession.

So Graham was correct. There is no culture of evidence for recession. The economy has been increasing at a decreasing rate.

But we live in a world of feeeelings -- woe oh feeelings, nothing more than feeeeelings. Why bother with such trifling details as truths or facts. We know something to be true because we feel it -- facts notwithstanding.

This is solipsism that breeds voodoo and witchcraft. You are a witch because I say so; evidence be damned. And the only heroes upholding standards and facts in this effete world of feeeeelings are George F. Will and the writers of this Fairbank Report.



CULT OF PERSONALITY THEN AND NOW

Cult of Personality: Barack Hussein Obama in 2008

Cult of Personality: Mao Zedong in 1966

12 July 2008

One World One Dream One China

To the chagrin of my editor, I am posting the following Mao-esque entry:

To all splittist elements in the Xizang Autonomous Region ("Tibet"), Xinjiang Autonomous Region and Taiwan Province, remember: It's One World, One Dream, One China.

Happy Olympics -- Bian-lian Huang.