some laws are more equal than others

Why is it that the people who are most up in arms about the Bush Administration’s violations of the FISA regulations are often the same people who think we should just ignore the widespread violations of our immigration laws? How do you justify taking the president to task when he offers the same justification for ignoring the law, that the present laws are outdated and don’t reflect the reality of the day, as that put forth by those supporting illegal immigrants?

(Personally, I think the president should be held accountable and I also think that the government should, as much as is possible, enforce the current immigration laws even if that does mean mass deportations. However, I also think we need immediate changes made to allow more legal immigrants entrée as our country can clearly handle many more than the present system permits.)

this’ll only hurt for a minute

Couple questions for those who favor national healthcare.

After six years of the Bush administration, do you still think federally run health coverage is a good idea? Even after seeing what effect they’ve had on emergency services and scientific research?

Also, knowing (as I hope you do) what federally mandated sentencing guidelines have done to the judicial system, do you really want the same thing done to the health industry?

possibly spurious views on history, cycles, and the future

What we’re seeing in the Middle East can indeed be likened to birth pangs. Not leading to democracy necessarilly, but to a more general ascendency of politcal, economic, and cultural power. A similar stream of violence and instability coursed through the Far East in the last century leading us to that region’s current rise as demonstrated most acutely by China and India. A century before that we were the region beset by civil strife and war which lead to current reign (fading if these thoughts are not just spurious Sunday afternoon musings). Before us, Europe.

Of course this dawning century won’t be the first period when the Far East is dominant. Nor would the period after be the Middle East’s first time as standard bearer. Cycles. After them, perhaps Africa? Will we live long enough to see our return to prominence? Or by that time will we have finally slipped the bonds of Earth and spread to other worlds, thereby expanding the cycle?

Ok, back offline for me.

iraq urban legends

Urban legends in the making in Iraq:

The animal is known locally as the Garta or ‘the muncher,’ and mothers in Basrah used to tell scary stories about the Garta to their children so they would not wander out alone at night. Old families in Basrah believe the animal brings bad luck because it is mostly found in cemeteries at night. The unusual phenomenon, however, is their sudden appearance in large numbers near the city and their increasingly aggressive behavior.

The rumors led people to indulge in conspiracy theories, speculating that U.S. or British forces have dropped large numbers of this animal, or its “eggs,” around Basrah in order to spread chaos and instability, while others say the animal crossed over from neighboring Iran through the marshes.

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every embryo is sacred

Every life is precious, whether it’s a woman in a persistent vegetative state or a lab created embryo. Well, every life except for those people with Alzheimer’s or Californians who smoke medical marijuana.