Fausta's Blog

American and Latin American Politics, Society, and Culture

Archives for September 2004

September 25, 2004 By Fausta

Allah‘s on a roll

. . . while William Kristol calls Kerry’s behavior Disgraceful. Arhtur notices how Kerry alienates Poland, while Krauthammer looks at Kerry’s dissing the Australians

This snide and reckless put-down more than undermines our best friends abroad. It demonstrates the cynicism of Kerry’s promise to broaden our coalition in Iraq. If this is how Kerry repays America’s closest allies — ridiculing the likes of Tony Blair and John Howard — who does he think is going to step up tomorrow to be America’s friend?

The only thing that distinguishes Kerry’s Iraq proposals from Bush’s is his promise to deploy his unique, near-mystical ability to bring in new allies to fight and pay for the war in Iraq — to “make Iraq the world’s responsibility” and get others to “share the burden,” as he said this week at New York University.

Yet even Richard Holbrooke, a top Kerry foreign policy adviser, admits that the president of France is not going to call up President Kerry and say, “How many divisions should I send to Iraq?”

As Mark Steyn puts it, Kerry’s looking for American failure — and he’s it

What a small, graceless man Kerry is. The nature of adversarial politics in a democratic society makes George W. Bush his opponent. But it was entirely Kerry’s choice to expand the field, to put himself on the other side of Allawi and the Iraqi people. Given his frequent boasts that he knows how to reach out to America’s allies, it’s remarkable how often he feels the need to insult them: Britain, Australia, and now free Iraq. But, because this pampered cipher has floundered for 18 months to find any rationale for his candidacy other than his indestructible belief in his own indispensability, Kerry finds himself a month before the election with no platform to run on other than American defeat. He has decided to co-opt the jihadist death-cult, the Baathist dead-enders, the suicide bombers and other misfits and run as the candidate of American failure. This would be shameful if he weren’t so laughably inept at it

The Kerry campaign’s disgraceful comments (echoed in Le Monde, via ¡No Pasarán!) about Mr. Allawi gave cause for Mr. Allawi to rebuke him in Congress. Of course, Mr. Kerry, whose attendance record in the Senate hasn’t been all that good, wasn’t there to listen (he was in Ohio, I believe). The Rocky Mountain News hears No soft talk for Heinz Kerry, either.

Through all this, Andrew McCarthy explains a few things about the war

Simply stated, this war is not a struggle to create stable democracies that, secondarily, might themselves keep our enemies at bay. It is a war to root out and destroy militant Islam, to vindicate the highest purpose of government: American national security. We should prosecute this war with the expectation that the accomplishment of our primary goal will produce conditions that make stability and, hopefully, democracy plausible — if the indigenes are willing to do the hard work needed to make that happen. We are not, however, guarantors of their future; it is our own future that has caused our paths to cross

Belmont Club analyzes that

Without the infrastrastructure of a state sponsor, terrorism is limited to cells of about 100 members in size in order to maintain security. In the context of the current campaign in Iraq, the strategic importance of places like Falluja or “holy places” is that their enclave nature allows terrorists to grow out their networks to a larger and more potent size. Without those sanctuaries, they would be small, clandestine hunted bands. The argument that dismantling terrorist enclaves makes “America less safe than it should be in a dangerous world” inverts the logic. It is allowing the growth of terrorist enclaves that puts everyone at risk in an otherwise safe world.

In Europe, Barcepundit points out to the links between ETA and Islamic terrorists in Spain, while a Eurosoc poll shows a great location for the European parliament.

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September 25, 2004 By Fausta

More on academic fashion, updated Sunday, Sept. 26

Last night I was watching What Not To Wear (the American version, not the British version) as I was falling asleep. What the two brigthly-smiling, heavily unpleasant, bitchy fashion advisors do is publically humiliate a woman when introducing themselves, send her to their NY studio, make her bring all her clothes to the studio so they can throw away all the clothes while making (yet more!) humiliating snide comments. The 2 advisors then give her a debit card with $5,000 so she can shop in Manhattan for a wardobe of elegant flattering clothes.

Last night’s victim was a woman that just finished her PhD in psychology who would be working as a psychology professor (isn’t she a little young for that, I wonder?) in Canada. They sent her out to shop in nice SoHo boutiques where the average price of a pair of slacks is $300. They insisted she wear high heels to work. They told her she shouldn’t wear bulky sweaters. They admired her long legs and told her she should wear short skirts.

Seems to me the advisors have been inhaling the heady fumes of the fashionista for too long.

One thing they forgot: it gets cold in Canada. That’s one basic, unescapable fact: Cold. Cold like you can’t imagine if you haven’t been there. Cold enough that placing your bare warm hand on a cold piece of metal will remove the top layer of skin. It stays cold, too. Then it gets really hot for two weeks before it gets back to cold again.

At $300 a pop per garment, no way you can have an entire wardobe with only $5,000 if you live in a cold climate. You spend about that much in warm underwear alone. The bulky sweaters are only the top layer of what is an onion-like array of warm clothing. Long johns, flannel-lined trousers, socks with sock liners are the everyday “musts” of Canadian winter fashion. I lived in upstate NY for 3 years and can attest to the fact that a short skirt in winter is Not A Good Idea. Anyone in Canada vain enough to insist on wearing thin figure-flattering silk blouses and short skirts in winter gets a Darwinian award and either perishes or leaves for warmer climates. Even the geese have left Canada and are roosting in NJ. The Canadians think the geese are an endangered species because there are no geese left in Canada — there are no geese left in Canada because the geese realized it gets warmer in NJ so they settled here. But I digress.

The high-heeled boots won’t do too well in walkways covered with ice and snow. I have yet to see any professors wear high heels in class, either, but the world is full of possibilities.

I can’t tell you the results of the fashion advice (or wether they followed-up with her after one long Canadian winter) since I fell asleep before the end of the makeover. Then this morning I woke up and came across this makeover nightmare. One wonders if the What Not To Wear couple had a hand in that. Hopefully they had nothing to do with Cybill Shepherd’s coiffure.

Update: Kathleen likes the British What Not To Wear.

A friend saw the Cybill photos and sent some hangover cures.

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September 24, 2004 By Fausta

Student Movement Coordination Committee for Democracy in Iran (SMCCDI) protesting at the UN on 25 September 2004 between 5-8 PM

Just last Sunday I was hinting at the possibility of a nuclear Iran and a Mullah President Considered for UN Sec-Gen Post. Today, via Roger L. Simon, the SMCCDI is issuing an invitation

Thus, the “Student Movement Coordination Committee for Democracy in Iran” (SMCCDI) beseeches you people of conscience, you freedom loving compatriots, you decent citizens of America, you human rights activists to protest or to come out in force to be seen and to be heard.

Come and let the world see and hear you, on 25 September 2004 at the New York’s “Dag Hammarskjold Plaza” located at 47th Street and 2nd Avenue; Between 5-7 PM, denounce the Terror Masters of Tehran and every vile thing they stand for.

Come and let the world see and hear your solidarity with the oppressed Iranians who are longing to establish a democratic and secular country that wants to be a bastion of stability in the region and a proud member of the civilized world once again.

Come !!!

The SMCCDI website states, “The Hezbollah regime is planning to announce the candidacy of the demagogue Khatami as the next UN Secretary General”.

Don’t let it happen.

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September 24, 2004 By Fausta

Born-again reformer

. . . is what the Trenton Times calls McGreevey this morning, pointing out he’s “had one epiphany after another in the waning days of his self-curtailed term”, which has led to the executive order, (short-lived as the order is)

Effective Oct. 15, the order bars vendors seeking state contracts of more than $17,500 from giving money to candidates for governor or to state or county party committees beginning 18 months before contract negotiations start and extending through the life of the contract. It goes well beyond the loophole-filled bill that the governor signed into law in June, which applies only to no-bid contracts, doesn’t bar contributions by state contractors to county parties and doesn’t take effect until 2006.

But the executive order leaves numerous gaps. It doesn’t prevent businesses from giving to the campaigns of county or municipal officials who award contracts at those levels. It doesn’t restrict contributions to legislators or to their leadership political action committees. It applies only to individuals who own or control more than 10 percent of a company or partnership, meaning that a big law firm could still influence a contract award by bundling donations from employees with smaller equity. It doesn’t cover the “wheeling” of funds from one county to another during general elections. It doesn’t undo the damage done by the June law, which in 2006 will pre-empt strong pay-to-play ordinances enacted by individual municipalities such as Hamilton, West Windsor and Hopewell townships.

The article points out that after McG’s epiphanies, he “has begun acting like the governor many New Jerseyans had thought they elected three years ago before discovering, to their disappointment, that he was just another stereotypical New Jersey pol.”

McGreevey’s epiphanies have also led him to quote scripture and resort to prayer, too, making some of us think of all of this being part of his apology tour, as Roberto named it. John, on the other hand, is slightly less skeptical.

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September 23, 2004 By Fausta

Fashion report on The University’s professors, updated

In case you wonder how the faculty look at The University:

I’ve been auditing courses at The University for the past few years. I’m pleased to report that none of the professors in the classes I’ve audited have digressed into political indoctrination. To the contrary, all of them, and I mean all of them, show great enthusiam and knowledge of their subject matter and so far haven’t relied on politics to carry them through the 50-minute lectures I attend.

I’m also happy to report, that, unlike this woman’s professors, The University profs are clean, well-groomed and nicely dressed. Professor Craig — as befits Modern Fiction — wore a casual but well groomed black outfit, architect (Ms) Ponte wore nice women’s clothes, the engineering men wore well-pressed kahkis and dress shirts, and both medievalist men, Smith and Fleming, wear suits with dress shirts and ties. Uniformly, all wear nice and comfortable-looking shoes (not surprisingly, since they’re on their feet most of the day).

For which I’m grateful. Wouldn’t want to be distracted by thoughts of ambush makeovers.

Update: ‘Tis a warm day, so Fleming wore polo shirt and chinos.

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September 23, 2004 By Fausta

UNScam today, updated

Via Friends of Saddam, the Heritage Foundation questions the cedibility of the Volker Commission. The article points out that

The Commission’s operations are shrouded in secrecy, with little transparency or external oversight. For a commission designed to unearth corruption and malpractice on a huge scale, it is strikingly opaque. Its spartan official website contains little information of value, not even a mailing address.

The article also raises questions on staff appointees, and demands full transparency and accountability if it is “to avoid becoming yet another example of mutual back scratching at the UN”.

While on the subject of mutual back scratching at the UN, Helen at EU Referendum remarks on the Spanish Prime Minister’s speech

Zapatero’s big idea is perhaps less nauseating than either Annan’s or Chirac’s but equally daft. He wants Kofi Annan to set up a high level group to study an alliance of civilizations. Oh goody. Another high level study group to eat up the money that could be used to invest in all those poor countries to help eradicate poverty.

What’s the betting the group will travel round the world with large entourage, stay in the best hotels in the pleasantest spots, have lots of meetings, dinners, parties, receptions and decide … well, what? Probably that the West had better start sending a great deal more aid to the Muslim world (that, incidentally, contains some of the richest people, families and countries) to stop terrorists from feeling isolated and, therefore, murderous.

Helen comes to the conclussion that Zapatero was “just sounding off, as one does at the UN General Assembly.”

Will the Volker Commission head in that direction?

Update Victor Davis Hanson’s asking, The U.N.? Who Cares? Kofi Annan & Co. might as well move to Brussels or Geneva. If only they would move!

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September 23, 2004 By Fausta

Yesterday Governor bans ‘pay-to-play’. Order toughens law but leaves some loopholes

Here’s some background information:

The law passed last spring allows generous donors to county political parties to win lucrative state contracts. It also allows donors to the state party in control of the governor’s office to win contracts awarded through a “fair and open process,” which need not select the lowest bidders. Critics such as Common Cause have called the new law “a sham” because of those and other loopholes.

And while the law does not become effective until Jan. 1, 2006, McGreevey’s order will go into effect Oct. 15. Although a new governor could rescind the executive order when McGreevey resigns Nov. 15, Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex), who is in line to become acting governor, vowed to keep it in effect.

Long-term NJ residents like myself don’t put much faith in politicians’ vows, especially when we hear “As long as the sun continues to rise in the East and set in the West while I am acting governor, this executive order will remain in place.” Roberto, for instance, even questions whether this is just another McGreevey maneuver to keep himself in office after November 15. Never mind that anything that starts with “As long as . . . ” reminds me of Scarlett O’Hara vowing never to go hungry again.

The NJ government fiscal year ends on September 30, and next year’s budget has already gone through. The new executive order (not a law) doesn’t come into effect until October 15. There’s plenty of reason to cast doubt on an executive order that

a. doesn’t affect the current budget or next year’s

b. is issued by a lame-duck governor, and

c. has built-in escape clauses, such as

McGreevey’s order bars contributors to gubernatorial candidates and state or county parties from getting any state contract worth $17,500 or more unless it is awarded to meet an “immediate need.”

Will an “immediate need” be more powerful than “the sun continu[ing] to rise in the East and set in the West”, IF there’s an acting governor? We’ll see.

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September 22, 2004 By Fausta

Cat Stevens?

In case you were wondering, Robert Spencer knows a couple of things about Yusuf Islam.

Update The British Pickle rode a wave, too. Best of the Web looks at the money.

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