Watcher's Council Nominations, 10/11/06

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 week'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: Condi Rice meets with terrorists..and the Bush Administration proves, once again that they're hypocrites on terrorism and `Arab democracy' US Secretary of State Condi Rice took some time from her busy day to meet personally with the Tanzim - the military wing of `moderate' Fatah that includes the al Aksa Brigade who , among their other fun activities have been responsible for the death of over 100 American citizens. Aside from pressing the flesh with terrorist murderers, something which makes a mockery of the so-called Bush Doctrine, Condi and Dubbya's love affair with Arafat II Mahmoud Abbas,including their proposed funding, arming and traing of Abbas' personal enforcers and hit men, Force 17 shows a cavalier disregard for a democratically elected Arab government in trying to destabilize Hamas. If we don't approve of a terrorist entity ruliong the Palestinians, then we should simply cut off all funding and contact..but that might displease the pro-Palestinian Saudis, Arab League and the EU...and we can't have that now, can we?

2. Gates of Vienna: Those Who Will Make a DifferenceDymphna writes an essay on the confrontation between a local carpenter in her neighborhood in Virginia, Wayne, and some MoTards from the local Jamaat ul Fuqra compound who demanded he take down an American flag. First principles do matter, and I predict that within a year or less we'll be deporting rats like these out the country en masse.

3. Done With Mirrors: Media's Choice Callimachus continues his story about his friend Kat and her response to someone who questioned her take on the media and noncombatants in the Iraq war.

4. Soccer Dad: Half bake-d Soccer Dad writes about the return to prominance of ex-Secretary of State and long time Bush family crony James Baker and his views - a man who's idea of Middle East peace is illuminated by the sentiments expressed in his famous quote `F@#k the Jews, they don't vote for us anyway.' I, of course might respond to Mr. Baker by saying that those Jews he disdains never murdered Americans, financed jihad in our country or flew airplanes into the World Trade Center.

Which explains why I don't work for the State Department.


5. AbbaGav :: What if They're Writing to Journalists? AbbaGav writes on outrage that terrorists incarcerated in our prisons still have the privileges of unmonitored mail and telephone communications. He points out the discrepancy between journalistic outrage that these particular terrorists are NOT having their mail monitored and outrage that certain other terrorists ARE having their phone conversations monitored...well done.

6. Right Wing Nut House: “AS LONG AS WE’RE TALKING, WE’RE NOT SHOOTING AT EACH OTHER” Rick Moran writes a fine essay debunking this long established nonsense. Sometimes, there's simply no meaningful grounds for negotiation.

7. The Sundries Shack: The Left's moral mafia Jimmie Bise uses the `Nation's' David Corn and his threat to reveal a supposed list of gay Republicans as an example of the hypocrisy the Left uses in enforcing it's morality and attitudes on anyone who steps out of line.


8. Rhymes With Right: Califano Page Apologia -- True, But Fails To Deal With Weak Dem ResponseGreg examines the mea culpa of ex-Carter official Joseph Califano who headed the 1980's investigations of Congressional page abuse...and draws some conclusions on the Foley scandal.

9. ShrinkWrapped: Changes ShrinkWrapped has an interesting post on how societies respond to change, and uses Thomas Barnett's ideas to examine the concept that the clash of the modern world and primitive cultures sets off a cascade which destabilizes the more primitive culture and eventually reorganizes at a higher, more peaceful level.

10. The Glittering Eye: Bringing fire Dave has an interesting piece that examines the alliance of progressives and libertarians. He's uncomfortable with it..but frankly, I think any alliance between these very divergent philosophies will be shortlived. Libertarians want to be left alone and mind their own business, and `progressives' want to have everything run by society for the greater good, an essentially totaslitarian outlook when you examine it in practice.


11. The Education Wonks: Has The Time Come For Pistol-Packing Educators? EdWonk examines the question.

That's this week's lineup..enjoy!