The Solid Surfer.com

Absurd News From Around the World?

From TheSolidSurfer.com's guest news aggregation service:

Pedophiles to lanch their own political party in the Netherlands. Their platform consists of cutting the legal age of having sex with minors to 12. Why do you think I'm joking...this is the natural evolution of the cultural correctness/ moral relativism phenomenon....http://news.aol.com/strange/story/_a/dutch-pedophiles-to-launch-political/n20060530085709990013

Howard Dean says the Democrats have much in common with evangelicals. Talk about your mid-term pandering...I'm not even sure if such a comment produces a net gain in votes for Democrats, since few, if any, evangelical supporters believe the statement is true, and to swing voters the comment is a prevarication...http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/politics/060510a.asp

Saddam Hussein defense witness accuses chief prosecutor of trying to bribe him to testify against Hussein. Of course, the witness had to give his testimony behind a curtain to protect his identity...a relic left over from Hussein's show trial days when victims lucky enough to secure a trial had to worry about authentic witnesses being murdered. The price for this ostensible bribe...$500...http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/05/31/saddam.trial.ap/

Are Congressman protected from the FBI search rules? That's the question that bottoms the legality of the search of Rep. Jefferson's office (Dem. La.). Of course, a surprise search was unwarranted (no pun intended...) as Rep. Jefferson had absolutely nothing to hide...right?...http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/30/AR2006053001236_pf.html

Forest growth is predicted to accelerate. Yes, I know, with the clearing of lands by developers it is the opposite has generally been predicted...Truthfully, isn't this, as well as many other environmental questions, another example that falls within the "we're just not sure Mr. Gore" category? http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/008200605311011.htm

French riot again. This time the trigger was the arrest of a young man accused of assaulting a bus driver (the last huge wave of riots was triggered by an 18 year old who was accidentally electrocuted when fleeing the police). http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5033188.stm One positive development associated with these riots has occurred, however...the French now know what did not cause the riots...rap music...http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4469484.stm

Using Tobacco is harmful to your health. What, you didn’t think this was news? Well, the World Health Organization recently stated that tobacco use associated with smokeless products and ater pipes is bad for you as well. Whew! And I thought tobacco imbibed through a water pipe would make it all OK...http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID=2006-05-31T123842Z_01_COL145349_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH-WATER-PIPES-SMOKELESS-TOBACCO-HARMFUL-DC.XML&archived=False

On the other hand, Marijuana use, even from unfiltered cigarettes apparently does not cause cancer. Maybe, just maybe, we've illegalized the wrong drug...if making any drug illegal is ever warranted....http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/05/24/pot.lung.cancer.reut/index.html

K-Swiss on Jewish Liberalism

Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day. It's easy to view this holiday as just another vacation day from work (and don't get me wrong, that's a wonderful thing too), but we should also remember just how much it means to honor our soldiers who gave their lives to protect our nation.

I am traveling this week, so posting will be light for several days. In the meantime, though, our Washington correspondent "K-Swiss" checks in with a reflectively hard-hitting essay on the seemingly paradoxical axis of American Jews and leftist liberalism.

Jewish Liberalism in America
by K-Swiss

Last month in Washington D.C., as in many other cities around the nation, rallies were held urging the Bush administration and Congress to help end the genocide taking place in Sudan's Darfur region. While news of the actual genocide has received only occasional media attention (and in these few instances, it is very seldom mentioned that Arab Muslims are the perpetrators), the “Save Darfur” rally did attract significant coverage from both the local and national media. In the days leading up to the rally, I read many articles and watched numerous TV pieces about the timing of the rally, the purpose, the location, the celebrity speakers, etc. And within this media space, one thing in particular stood out to me: the number of Jews and Jewish organizations helping to organize the rally and in attendance at the rally. Ranging from the keynote speakers to the participants being interviewed on TV (many Jewish-sounding last names) to my own circle of Jewish friends in D.C., it seemed as though Darfur was a specifically Jewish cause.

Now in itself, this is a truly great thing. Rallying to end genocide is a noble cause and a moral obligation, and it takes on special importance to Jews in particular because of the Holocaust. But during post-rally coverage, I could not help but wonder to myself - how many of the Jews at the Darfur rally had ever attended an Israel rally? How many of them denounced President Bush at the rally even though he has arguably been the most pro-Israel President in Israel’s 58 year history? How many of these people would give anything to save Darfur, but ignore the genocidal remarks made against Israel by Iran's President Ahmadinejad?

Unfortunately, the answer seems to be too many. Having lived in D.C. the past few years, I have seen a disproportionate amount of Jews leading rallies and at the forefront of liberal causes such as abortion rights, gay rights, feminist rights, saving the rainforests, stopping the Iraq war, etc. Jews, more than any other people, seem the need to flaunt their liberal credentials at every turn. But if something is considered "non-liberal", such as the Republican Party, many of these same Jews will turn completely against it, even if that non-liberal institution greatly supports Israel.

While in the past, it was the liberals and the Democratic Party who most supported Israel, the tables have turned in the 21st century, and it is now the conservatives and the Republican Party who most vociferously support the Jewish state. Yet a majority of Jews in America have either not woken to this realization or have not bothered to pay attention to it.

Jews here in the U.S. are at a crossroads, and we must ask ourselves where our priorities lie. Does saving the rainforests take priority over supporting a strong and secure Israel? Is rallying for abortion rights more important than rallying for freedom in Iran? How Jews answer these questions and other similarly pressing quandaries will likely determine the future of the Jewish people in this country.

Let's make the right decisions.

TheSolidSurfer.com responds: K-Swiss, thank you for the piece and for your astute insights and analysis. Jews in America are indeed quite liberal as a whole, and I also feel that the community's support for Israel (as well as its general vitality) could be greatly strengthened by adopting more "conservative" positions and values. This can be accomplished, in my opinion, my addressing the root causes of this ultra-liberalism, something Dennis Prager often discusses in his writings.

Hope everyone has a great week, and I look forward to resuming regular posting once I return from my trip. (And look for other guests to potentially appear soon on the site as well.)

Update on Israel Conflict at Brandeis University

Arguments over the controversial removal of Palestinian artwork at Brandeis University have continued into recent days, with Law and Politics professor Jeffrey Abramson supporting the artwork and University President Juhuda Reinharz defending his decision to take down the exhibit.

Abramson rests his support on the contentions that 1) it doesn't matter that the artwork wasn't balanced, as this should not be a requirement for free expression, 2) the exhibit was indeed educational, and 3) the exhibit was not hate speech against Israel. Reinharz, however, while generally agreeing with Abramson's first two assertions, strongly disagrees with him on the third, and defends his actions as such.

So where do I stand? I fully agree with Dr. Reinharz. Student artwork need not always present counterbalancing points of view, and one could certainly argue that the piece was educational. But as for not being hate speech - that's pure hogwash.

Take a look at one of the drawings in the exhibit. The map of the state of Israel is dripping in blood and represented with a Palestinian flag. It is clearly symbolic of the Palestinian desire to violently destroy Israel and kill Jews.

Not hate speech? Message to Dr. Abramson: This drawing could stand in as the direct definition of "hate speech" in the dictionary. Dr. Reinharz and his administration made the absolutely correct decision in removing the artwork.

Brandeis University should be proud of its decision. Now if only they could get better graduation honorees than Tony Kushner. My suggestion for next year: passionate Arab Zionists (yes, they do exist) Walid Shoebat and Brigitte Gabriel.

Protests Against the Government in Iran

Wow, what a crowd of people! This scene may look straight out of a Super Bowl parade (or something similar), but it's actually from Iran (hat tip: Israpundit), where over 100,000 demonstrators have been protesting against Ahmadinejad and the government. Most Iranian citizens have long despised life under the Mullahcracy, and now their wish for freedom is overflowing into the streets.

Several news sources have documented the demonstrations (some with photo links as well), and more will likely appear as the protests grow.

This is all excellent news, and hopefully the protests will spread around the country. Let's hope the end result wil be Iran shedding its tyranny and regaining its freedom.

Israel, Alternative Energy, Walid Shoebat, and more

Plenty of interesting news from the past few days. First and foremost, efforts are ramping up to stop Israeli Prime Minister Olmert's suicidal withdrawal plan from the West Bank. As the Gaza debacle has shown, withdrawal has led not to peace, but simply to more terrorism, and this disaster must not be repeated. To that end, Israel's Center For Security Policy (CSP) has launched an advertising campaign against the withdrawal on U.S. national television. Accompanying the spot, CSP's Mideast Fellow Caroline Glick (who is also the Deputy Managing Director of the Jerusalem Post) has written an excellent analysis of the situation. (It's a 20-page PDF, but is a quick read and very well worth seeing.)

On a related note, progress continues toward creating viable energy alternatives to Middle Eastern oil. WorldNetDaily reports on a start-up company called Hydrogen Technologies Applications that claims, unbelievably, to have created a method of powering motor vehicles using only water. Yep, you heard that correctly - the company's machine runs on pure H2O. Skeptical? So are many others, according to the article. But the company's founder and president insists on legitimacy, and given that they provided a thorough demonstration (note: video link) for Fox News, I'm remaining cautiously optimistic.

Meanwhile, an even greater energy source could be arriving soon as well: Scientists clear major technical hurdle in generating nuclear fusion.

And in more sci-tech news, Israeli researchers have invented a hemispheric force field to protect tanks against enemy fire from all directions, even if the tank is moving. I was just as astounded to hear this too (you'd almost think it came straight out of Star Wars), but rest assured, it's very real (note: another video link).

In other reports:

The justices of California's 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals have just received my vote for impeachment and replacement. These disgusting leftists have ruled in the name of "multiculturalism" that public schools can teach the Islamic religion, but cannot recite the U.S. pledge of allegiance. This case should be appealed to the Supreme Court and overturned immediately.

America does have good news as well, though - columnist Michael Barone tells why, despite the typical barrage of bad news from the media, Americans (and the world) should be optimistic about the future. One such reason, by the way, is that the much-hyped global warming scare is indeed just hype. (Here is a second article that concurs, as well.)

And finally, former PLO terrorist-turned-Israel-supporter Walid Shoebat offers a harsh but inspirational critique of less-than-stellar Jewish support for Israel. This may not be the easiest read, but it's certainly a must-read.

Iran To Impose Nazi Measure on Non-Muslims (?)

Iran is truly living up to its name. The country that changed itself from Persia to Iran to 1935 out of sympathy for the Nazis (the word "Iran" means "Land of the Aryans" in Farsi) is apparently now instituting the completely Nazi-like law of requiring religious minorities -- Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians -- to wear identifying armbands so Muslims can avoid them in public.

This is about the most outrageous thing I've heard in a long time. Not that it's unexpected, given Ahmadinejad's openly Hitler-like views. But this is the first time Iran's government has backed up its anti-Semitic (and anti-Western) rhetoric with actual measures. We need to act ASAP to send the Mullahcracy to history's dustbin!

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Update: Apparently the story has not been fully confirmed, as it seems the badges might have been only a suggestion and not an actual law. We'll have to wait and see as more information comes out. But the fact that such discrimination could even arise as a suggestion is still deeply troubling, and one thing is certain: this regime cannot be allowed nuclear weapons under any circumstances.

Notes From The Blogosphere

It's been a while since I last did it, so I'd like to present a roundup of what I view as some of the best blogging on the Net. (Hat Tip to Beakerkin for reminding me of this, in one of his interview questions from last week). So here goes:

Heavyweight site Little Green Footballs live blogged President Bush's recent immigration speech.

The house blog at Real Clear Politics explains why only economic growth, and not economic redistribution, produces prosperous societies.

Captain's Quarters also weighs in on immigration.

Israpundit discusses why Israel is a security asset for the United States.

Liberty and Culture on defeating jihadism.

Freedom Now slams Venezuelan would-be dictator Hugo Chavez.

The Power Line hammers certain Democrats for their attacks on CIA nominee Gen. Michael Hayden.

The Autonomist is not pleased over anti-war Democrats as well.

The Only Republican in San Francisco has become, temporarily, a Republican in London.

Madzionist shows how Rolling Rock Beer fits in with the recent Jewish holiday of Lag B'Omer.

And Beak nails another excellent hot seat interview.

Well, there you have it - my current round picks for the best of the blogosphere. Hope everyone enjoys, and feel welcome to contribute your own favorite sites as well.

U.S., Israel, Iraq, Sweden, Mexico, and more

I used to think white supremacists and Holocaust deniers resided only on the political far-right. But now, in addition to being the political orientation of most terror supporters and jihad appeasers, the left has expanded to another new low, as a Democratic candidate for Alabama attorney general has expressed those very Nazi-like views. To its credit, the state Democratic party has condemned this particular candidate. But the fact that he even chose to run as a Democrat speaks volumes about the degree to which the party's radical wing has overtaken its moderates. If Democrats want to revitalize themselves, their traditional center-moderate coalition needs to quickly reclaim the party.

In other news:

"The best defense is a good offense." Those words from Israeli Lieutenant General and former IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon neatly summarize his recent address to the Zionist Organization of America, in which he stressed the need for Israel to achieve a decisive victory over Palestinian terrorism. General Ya'alon also warned against appeasement, against a Hamas-led Palestinian state, and especially against the planned West Bank withdrawal. I don't know much about this guy, but I think someone should convince him to run for office!

Meanwhile, Rabbi Shea Hecht, an occasional guest contributor to TheSolidSurfer.com, hammers Sweden for its government's biased stance (guess which way) on Israel and Hamas.

National Review delivers the scoop on yet more excellent progress in Iraq.

Victor Davis Hanson explains how, contrary to much conventional wisdom, oil exports and illegal workers' wages actually hurt Mexico's economy.

Just as Americans prefer lower federal taxes, quite naturally they prefer lower state taxes as well: Jobs Flocking to Low-Tax States.

Blog of the Day: Jihad Watch

Warren Buffet Invests in Israel

Kudos to billionaire investor Warren Buffett and his company Berkshire Hathaway, who recently purchased Israeli machine tool maker Iscar Metalworking and several other local businesses. The Iscar investment, valued at over $4 billion, spurred an immediate boost to Israel's business climate, as both the Tel Aviv stock exchange and the value of the shekel subsequently hit record highs.

At a time of such great political uncertainty, the Buffett investments show some much welcomed (and in many ways, much needed) confidence in the future of the Jewish state. Furthermore, the "Sage of Omaha" isn't the only backer of Israeli ventures; computer chipmaker Intel, for one, recently announced plans to build a new hi-tech microchip factory in the nation as well.

Israel's economy and its people are alive and kicking, and regardless of what certain anti-Semitic Iranian nutcases may think, the Jewish nation will surely remain that way.

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Update: If you're interested in learning more about Israel's vibrant business, medical, and technology sectors, Israel21c is a superb and fascinatingly interesting resource.

TheSolidSurfer.com Interview at The Beak Speaks

Dear Readers,

In lieu of a regular post today, I sat in the "hot seat" for an interview at a fantastic blog called The Beak Speaks. Here is the link to Beak's interview questions; scroll down to the comments section (below the main post) for my answers.

Of particular note, Question #6 asks what foreign countries are vital to America's economic future, and I replied China, India, Brazil and Mexico, with a brief explanation concerning retiring baby boomers and their upcoming need to find younger buyers for their accumulated assets. This is an important issue that all Americans should become aware of, and I'd like to credit the man responsible for the insight, Dr. Jeremy Siegel of the University of Pennsylvania. For more information, this article well explains the situation.

Thanks, and hope you enjoy the interview.
-TheSolidSurfer.com