Maulvi Ziauddin was the boy’s teacher and murderer. He has been arrested in Pakistan.
The boy’s name was Atif, and he was seven years old.
Poetic Justice: Native American Tribes Across the U.S. are Taking Back their Land
Using casino profits, many Native American tribes across the U.S. are buying back land that once was theirs, and their neighbors aren’t happy about it. Whether the reasoning is a loss of tax dollars or a loss of developable land, many people are outraged by this “land grabbing.”
However, everything these tribes are doing is completely legal and they are paying compensation for these lands, which is a whole lot more than they received when they had their land stolen from them.
Czech President Vaclav Klaus Challenges Gore to Debate Global Warming– Neither are Scientists
Drop this one in the pointless news bucket. President Klaus, an economist, has challenged former Vice President Al Gore to a debate over global warming. This will never happen because, for one thing, Mr. Klaus is busy meeting with Dick Cheney this week. But also, this seems to be a case of shameless self promotion by Mr. Klaus who has just published a book about the global warming “conspiracy.”
Here’s an idea: why not have scientists debate global warming instead of politicians? Oh yeah, that wouldn’t be much of a debate since reputable scientists have already reached a consensus.
Read the article here.
Charles Krauthammer and Sen. Joe Biden to Fight on the Baseball Field after School
Two pieces today on the same topic, from two different people, in two different publications, with two very passionate and different conclusions.
The topic is talking to the many enemies of the United States around the world. Barack Obama wishes to meet “without preconditions but with all the necessary preparations” with leaders like Ahmadinejad, Kim Jong Il, or (gasp) Hugo Chavez. John McCain has said repeatedly that the U.S. must not meet with any of these despots because to do so would “lend them legitimacy” and possibly do more harm than good.
Charles Krauthammer agrees with John McCain that Obama is showing his inexperience and naivete with what Krauthammer has dubbed Obama’s “gaffe turned foreign policy turned doctrine.” The often outspoken Sen. Joe Biden is in Obama’s corner on this one and he’s not afraid to say it.
Krauthammer in the Washington Post here.
So, who’s right? Well, quite simply, neither one. Both articles have a healthy amount of spin to them which is to be expected when the opinions written come from a long term republican shill who regularly requires his readers to suspend disbelief in order to even make it through one of his columns, and a long term Democratic Senator who is known for popping off at the mouth and undercutting the enormous amount of respect he should have earned by now as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Without even reading either of the pieces, it is easy to predict where each commentator would stand on the issue, but what is the issue? Quite simply, it is about how we will choose to resolve conflicts in the next administration, and as things stand now there are monumental differences between the philosophies of McCain and Krauthammer and Obama and Biden. Chucky K. agrees with John McCain that we must not meet with our enemies to discuss our differences, instead we should posture on the world stage with lots of loud saber rattling, saying things like “obliterate” and “regime change” while sending secret envoys to do the real diplomacy. And if that doesn’t work? Obliterate. Regime change. Invade.
Obama’s plan, as illuminated by Biden, is to sit down and have a neighborly chat with human rights offenders, nuclear proliferators, and tyrants. No preconditions would need to be met before these meetings, Iran could continue its march towards nuclear weapons, Chavez could continue oppressing the media and consolidating power, but there would be preparation before these chats, and our enemies would know where we stand and what our beef with them is. And if that doesn’t work? One would assume, more conferences would follow.
So who’s right, Krauthammer or Biden? Well, call us crazy here at Rebel, but we’ll throw our collective hat in with the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee in the Senate rather than some dweeb who can write good, but really we would all like to see Chucky K and Joey B on the baseball field right after school lets out, around 3:00pm, and they can settle this once and for all.
No talk, just fightin’.
Swaziland Outlaws Noisy Cocks
We just couldn’t resist this great title. Sorry for the juvenile nature of this entire story.
Cockerels, as in roosters, have been outlawed in the Swaziland Capital of Mbabane. BBC has the story. Here’s the quote of the day:
“People have been complaining about cocks that make noise,” a Mbabane municipal spokesman told the BBC. Spokesman Bongani Dlamini added, “It is against the law to keep cocks within the urban area.”
Marie Cocco has Officially Gone off the Deep End
Today we see the latest in a long line of pieces from Marie Cocco trumpeting the innumerable virtues of Senator Hillary Clinton and pointing out the deficiencies within any sexist misogynist who wouldn’t vote for her.
Read the piece here.
We at Rebel actually gave Ms. Cocco a pass after her last article ennumerating all of the sexist things she will not miss about the campaign (remember that asshole saying “iron my shirt” at Hillary rallies?), but this time she has gone completely over the edge, saying things like:
“The record suggests that if Clinton is not the nominee, no woman will seriously contend for the White House for another generation.” The basis for this is that Geraldine Ferraro was on the ticket as VP 24 years ago. But is that really the argument?
“No woman on the political horizon possesses the portfolio that Clinton brought to this campaign.” Yes, Clinton is the Senator from New York, which is an important state because everyone tells us it is. And yes, Clinton does have a formidable fundraising prowess (of course she’s $20 million in debt right now). Cocco rightly points to the possibility of Condoleeza Rice, Kathleen Sebellius (Gov. Kansas), Christine Todd Whitman (Former Gov. New Jersey), or Elizabeth Dole (Senator North Carolina), but she quickly poo poos all of their chances. They might be successful women, but they ain’t no Hillary.
However, it is curious that Ms. Cocco would choose to omit one very prominent name in politics from this list: Nancy Pelosi, current Speaker of the House and first woman to hold that position. Now why might Marie Cocco leave that one name out?
Well maybe it’s because Pelosi made the quiet suggestion a few weeks ago that Super Delegates shouldn’t overturn the popular vote, which has been Hillary’s only chance of getting the democratic nomination for months now. Or, more likely, it is the fact that Nancy Pelosi’s mere existence undercuts every one of the arguments Ms. Cocco makes in this essay.
Nancy Pelosi: an historic figure as the first female Speaker of the House, she has national name recognition just like Hillary Clinton (although in Pelosi’s case, it is all on the strength of her own success, not anyone elses), she is from an “important state” (California), she has fundraising experience and ability, and she is obviously a tough person who does not shy away from a fight.
So why Ms. Cocco, must we look to Hillary Clinton as our grand savior from sexism and misogyny? Why do you believe we will have to wait “another generation” to elect a woman if we don’t do it now? Why do you have such a low opinion of every other female politician? Why did you leave Nancy Pelosi off your list of potential female leaders? Why do you refuse to except that sexism played a minor role in Hillary’s defeat and that her own mismanagement of her campaign was the real reason she lost? And finally, why do you try to force feed us bull shit Hillary propaganda with every one of your columns?
We here at Rebel feel that you are not a feminist fighting sexism in the hopes of seeing a woman elected. No, by basically throwing all other female leaders under the bus and describing them as unfit for national office, you show yourself for what we already knew you were:
A shameless shill for Hillary Clinton posing as a feminist.
There are many fantastic female leaders in politics, and there is no reason why the american people should be told to settle for Hillary Clinton just because she’s a woman.
On a side note, the editorial staff at Rebel would like to take this opportunity to endorse Nancy Pelosi for President in 2016, after we’ve had 8 years of prosperity under the leadership of Barack Obama.
John McCain, the Maverick, is Proving he isn’t
Another of McCain’s advisers has been forced to resign from his position with the campaign because of his lobbyist ties. Former Texas Rep. Thomas Loeffler, a national finance co-chairman, is the fifth person to resign from McCain’s campaign recently because of their connections with lobbyists.
“Newsweek magazine reported that Loeffler’s lobbying firm has collected nearly $15 million from Saudi Arabia since 2002 and millions more from other foreign and corporate interests, including a French aerospace firm seeking Pentagon contracts.”
Last week, McCain’s campaign created a policy requiring advisers with ties to lobbyists to either sever them or resign, and in quick succession, all those affected have chosen to resign.
One would think that the impetus for working in a presidential campaign would be an intense patriotism and desire to do what’s best for the country by getting your candidate elected. However, by choosing money over their country, all these advisers to the McCain campaign show themselves to be nothing more than greedy, power hungry, Washington insiders.
McCain deserves to be commended for his dedication to transparency, but these resignations raise questions about the company he keeps. So, which camp is McCain really in?
More Biofuel Concerns
Scientists and investors have now begun seriously investigating so-called Second Generation biofuels which essentially are plants and other bio mass that can be converted into energy without affecting global food prices. However, these plants create new and different concerns for researchers; namely the fact that many of the best plants to utilize for second generation biofuels just happen to be invasive species.
Invasive is a bit of a subjective term however, because a plant which is invasive in one region is perfectly natural and harmless in another. Willy De Greef, incoming secretary general of EuropaBio, had this to say, “You have to look at the biology of the plant and the environment where you’re introducing it and ask, are there worry points here?” Basically, researchers will be better served if they take a deep breath, look at the natural habitats of plants they want to convert to biofuels, and, most importantly, move slowly and don’t jump headfirst into another project that could turn out like corn.
Article from NY Times here.
Lorne Gunter has a New Column… and its got Data!
We here at Rebel dare say we might have had a slight effect on Lorne Gunter, global warming “skeptic” extraordinaire. In his latest piece, not only has Mr. Gunter toned down his ridiculous rhetoric, but he also finally deemed it appropriate to include scientific data in a scientifically geared editorial.
Good for you Mr. Gunter. Now we just have to get you to look at all the evidence, not merely the data that shores up your argument.
Global Warming doesn’t Exist because…Well it just doesn’t OK
Mustachioed pundit and columnist Cal Thomas, who is a member of the Heritage Foundation, has taken Senator John McCain to task for joining the “Global Warming Cult.”
“McCain would have done better to push back against the global warming cult and conduct a raid on the cultists similar to what Texas authorities did to the FLDS polygamists. Instead of buying into the claims of global warming alarmists who seek more control over our lives through big government intrusion, McCain should demand a debate on the issue.”
According to Mr. Thomas, the “global warming cult” or “global warming alarmists” seek to convince the world that climate change is a significant problem for the purpose of gaining totalitarian-like control over the world’s citizens. Pretty sneaky. But luckily we have loads of scientists and columnists like Mr. Thomas to sound the alarm before we all get suckered into this grand conspiracy.
Nevermind that most global warming “skeptics” are somehow linked to ExxonMobil. And just ignore the fact that Cal Thomas’ most recent column before this one was the aptly titled “In Defense of Big Oil.”
If it were up to us here at Rebel, we would wholeheartedly agree to the debate on global warming evidence which Mr. Thomas suggests. However, there would have to be a few conditions:
No one who is on the ExxonMobil payroll would be invited.
And
No one who has ties to “think tanks” which get their funding from oil companies (the Heritage Foundation) would be allowed to participate either.
We’ll wait to hear how many will be able to attend, but we won’t be holding our collective breath.
