The Bosque Boys

A Thought:

Most observers agree that the best analogy for the War on Terror is the decades-long, multi-faceted Cold War. Assuming that is true, we should take some solace in that we did not win either of the two major military conflicts (Korea and Vietnam) during the Cold War--but we still won the greater struggle in the end.

Islamic demands for Western humility and tolerance have all been one-way, us to them. How about a two-way street? It'll never happen, Islam is too wrapped up in its own superiority. Here is an excellent essay on what the Pope should have said in Turkey by Bruce Thornton from the Victor Davis Hanson website.

Would that the Pope had stood in Hagia Sophia and asked the Turks to restore this Christian monument to the Orthodox Church, as a sign that Turkey is sincere about entering the modern world and accepting its canons of reciprocal tolerance, not to mention showing the sort of regret for its ancestors’ crimes that the West is continually dunned to show.

Some interesting numbers on deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan, etc., courtesy of The Mudville Gazette.

Once again China leads the world in the number of jounalists imprisoned. Cuba is a trailing second. This article includes information and links on the Chinese government's moderately successful efforts to shut down free speech on the internet, a project they are receiving help with from American companies (the last two capitalists . . .). Link from Instapundit.

I cannot understand the logic of those who claim that increased economic liberalization of China will automatically lead to increased political freedom. Even Milton Friedman, if I understand him correctly, argued that economic freedom was a necessary but not a sufficient condition of political freedom.

Philosophically, I am not a fan of any theory of Determinism, including Economic Determinism.

Bette Midler, the Divine Miss M, diva of bawdy bathhouse humor, is now telling Brittney Spears and Lindsey Lohan to quit being such "sluts." File this one under things I never thought I would hear. From The Daily Mail, link from Drudge.

So, in a scathing, no holds barred attack, the 61-year-old actress has branded the pair 'wild and woolly sluts'. The singer turned Oscar-nominated actress hit out at the duo who have been repeatedly photographed enjoying a string of wild nights out - missing their underwear. 'I've been on the other side to these wild and woolly sluts that we are seeing around our lives these days and I've taken the other side,' she said. 'I started my life out as pretty wild but I have decided, after much growing and living, that it's time that we got nicer.'

Perhaps wisdom does come with age.

According to the article, even Courtney Love is telling Brittney to slow down and take care of her children. Wow, that's like having Keith Richards take you aside and say "slow down the partying, man."

Who would have thought that the biggest fool of an ex-president would be James Earl Carter. In 2000 I would have taken big bets with odds that William Jefferson Clinton would have won that title by now. Life is unpredictable.

Now, following Carter's latest book on the Mideast, a former aide and genuine Middle East expert, has distanced himself from Jimmy. Article here from the NYT. Hat tip Dhimmiwatch.

First 3 paragraphs:

ATLANTA, Ga., Dec. 6 — An adviser to former President Jimmy Carter and onetime executive director of the Carter Center has publicly parted ways with his former boss, citing concerns with the accuracy and integrity of Mr. Carter’s latest book, “Palestine Peace Not Apartheid.”

The adviser, Kenneth W. Stein, a professor of Middle Eastern history and political science at Emory University, resigned his position as a fellow with the Carter Center on Tuesday, ending a 23-year association with the institution.

In a two-page letter explaining his action, Mr. Stein called the book “replete with factual errors, copied materials not cited, superficialities, glaring omissions and simply invented segments.” Mr. Stein said he had used similar language in a private letter he sent to Mr. Carter, but received no reply.

Since World War 2 the Christian population in Muslim lands has been declining. In the Palestinian Administration area the drop has been from 20% Christian to less than 2%. By contrast, the Christian population in Israel is growing. Yet some Christian leaders (heirs of the apologists for Russia & Co. in the Cold War) want to blame Israel for the decline. See this post from the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. Link from Dhimmiwatch.

Some Religion of Peace and Tolerance, huh.

I have problems with Keith Ellison, but they are unrelated to his plans to take the oath of office on a Quran. See Powerline and look for all the posts in the archives on Ellison and you'll understand my discomfort with him.

A bit of perspective on swearing-in on Bibles from the Pew Forum. According to this article, Ellison will not be the first to forgo a Bible for his swearing-in. John Quincy Adams used a "law volume," and Theodore Roosevelt used no Bible in his first swearing-in.

Swearing on a Bible is a time-honored custom, but I think that reasonable people can have objections.

My bad. I did not reason this issue all the way through. Ellison will become a member of the House. Those folks (see the linked article) do a mass swearing in without any Holy Book. They have an option to stage a "swearing-in" later that is merely a photo-op with the flag, Bible, etc. Ellison will not be sworn in with his hand on the Quran. He'll have his after-the-fact photo-op with a Quran. Sorry, busy busy week.

A great editorial on Islamic arrogance from the LA Times. The author is Raymond Ibrahim, a research librarian at the Library of Congress. His book, "The Al Qaeda Reader," translations of religious texts and propaganda, will be published in April.


Islam demands to be respected in non-Islamic countries, yet has a history of desecrating, destroying, or turning into mosques, the churches and temples of lands Muslim armies conquer. Not to mention demanding equal treatment in the West while relegating Christians and Jews to second-class citizenship in Muslim lands.

Dick Morris has some concrete suggestions for real reform in Congress, if anyone is serious. Here. From Jewish World Review.

I especially like banning immediate family members from lobbying.