Watcher's Council Nominations, 9/27/06

Every week, the Watcher's Council nominate two posts each, one from the Council members and one from outside for consideration by the whole Council. The complete list of this weekÂ’s Council nominations can be found at our fearless leader's site Watcher of Weasels


1. J O S H U A P U N D I T: A real peace proposal for the Middle East The Arab Israeli conflict has been used by Muslims to justify violence and terrorism for almost 60 years. I think it's time that we either went for a real breakthrough, or finally revealed what the real obstacles are (like Israel's very existence). I chose to outline, using the form of a prospective reply by Israel to the Arab's 2002 Saudi Peace Plan which the entire Arab League has endorsed, what a realistic, fair and just solution designed to actually resolve the major issues and end the points of conflict would look like. Are the Arabs actually seeking a peaceful solution after all this time, or merely Israel's destruction? Here's one way to find out for sure.

2. Gates of Vienna: A Sure Cure for Paranoid Hysteria and Stuffed Shirts: RidiculeAh, Dymphna.Here she makes the entirely valid point that one of the biggest weapons we have in the War Against Jihad is our sense of humor.Something the Islamic world is notably deficient in as a general rule.

3.Done With Mirrors: Ouch Callimachus does a follow up on his winning post of civilian Iraqi contractors by profiling one of them, and allowing her to take a little exception to the spin put on Iraq by a New York Times reporter. She makes the point that while this reporter found Iraq so very dangerous to work in he had to hide in a bunker, she, all 5 feet tall and 89 pounds sopping wet was able to come and go with impunity, without anything like the impressive securityarrangementss the boys in the MSM stationed in Iraq enjoyed.

4. Soccer Dad: Unhinged or calculated Soccer Dad comes up with another scintillating post, this time on the Clinton meltdown. He feels it was calculated and designed to ramp up the base prior to the midterms. I agree.... Mr. Bill does very little by accident. Excellent job.

5.AbbaGav - It's Not Actually "Holocaust Denial" Ooh, I liked this... Abbagav makes the point that Iran's Ahmadinejad and his ilk are not really `Holocaust deniers' so much as Holocaust enviers. Nicely done...


6. Right Wing Nut House: BEWARE OF THE DRAFT AND OTHEROCTOBERR SURPRISESA fine piece by Rick Moran on some of the mythology prevalent on the Left as the midterm elections get closer. The impetus for this piece appears a screed by a political has been named Gary Hart..once heir apparent for the Democratic nomination until he succumbed to rampant clintonitus before gaining the prize.

7. The Sundries Shack: No Commitment! Jimmie writes on a theme similar to the Mark Steyn piece I profiled on JoshuaPundit - why are we so afraid toextoll the virtues of our culture? Or as Steyn put it, if a culture's past is unworthy of survival, why would its future be?

8.Rhymes With Right: NY Times Comes Out For Dirty Elections Greg looks at the furor among leftists surrounding proposals that voters should (heaven forbid!) show a valid ID to confirm their identitybeforee they are given a ballot. Here's the skinny, Greg: In California (and probably in your home state of Texas as well) illegal aliens vote in large numbers and are even truckedaroundd to different precincts to vote multiple times. Since this is done exclusively by the Left, the Times and other leftists want it continued. End of story.

9. ShrinkWrapped: A Missed Opportunity ShrinkWrap's take on the Bill Clinton meltdown. Shrinks makes the very good point that,in times of national testing, ex-presidents are in a unique position to add to national unity and help bridge fierce partisanship for the national good. Of course, Mr. Bill failed miserably, except at his own self-aggrandizement - which is pretty much a summation of his presidency, if not his entire life.


10. The Glittering Eye: Considering the Big Picture in the War on Terror Dave makes the valid point that globalization has had a major effect on accentuating Islamic terrorism. My only complaint is that I would have loved to see his take in detail on the questions raised in the beginning of the piece. Maybe next week! Nicely done.


11.Stifling of dissent LXXVI : Socratic Rhythm MethodMatt examines the Illinois controversy surrounding pharmacists who refuse to sell birth control products on moral grounds.

12. The Education Wonks: Flag Burning Teacher Beats The Rap - EdWonk writes about Kentucky high school teacher Dan Holden, who burned two American flags as anillustrationn of `free speech' and has, of course, gotten away with it. To my mind, the so-called `rap' is not the only thing that deserves to be beaten...and busted out of the county, to use a quaint but expressive Southernism.

If some creep decides to insult my beloved country by burning its flag in front of me, I hope that my subsequent reaction will be excused by good Liberals everywhere with the usual rationalization - `sure, I don't personally condone it, but you have to understand his background, and his rage..'



Enjoy!