Dummocrats gets off a good rejoinder to a very whiny reporter.

Just Realized: For some time I've been annoyed at the "dissent is patriotic" bromide.

For one thing, dissent is neither automatically patriotic nor unpatriotic. Being a knee-jerk contrarian doesn't make you a "patriot"; most would say it just makes you a prick.

But the really annoying thing is that this claim seeks to attack the patriotism of those who actually do love their country. "You're not the patriots," the America-Libelers say, "We are. We love America so much we speak nothing but vicious lies about her."

Yeah. You do nothing but bitch and carp at your wife for a year, never once praising her or telling her you love her -- indeed, scorning such confessions of love as "jingoistic" or "fascist" -- and then try convincing her you treat her like a cheap whore because "you just love her so damn much."

I think this article gives the game away, because this so-called liberal patriot demonstrates the natural human reaction when something you actually love is attacked. Reporters love the press, because the press is they themselves. And when the press is attacked, they respond as Press-Patriots, defending the press, attacking those who attack their first and only love.

See, the thing is, reporters, many of us actually feel that same way about this country, and we respond in the same manner to constant attacks on her.

If "dissent and criticism equals love," then you should praise our attacks on the press, because goshdarnit that just shows how much we love the press.

Posted by: Ace at 12:35 PM | Comments (11)
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Fame, Popularity, and Success Continue to Be the Only "Values" They Care About

As they say of the Germans: They're either at your throat or at your knees.

Robert Davi (the weathered, Hispanic-looking actor from License to Kill and a billion other movies) turns out to be a Republican (I think). He says that Hollywood Republicans are suddenly not as fearful about expressing their views:

A group of Republicans including actors, producers and writers who have held salon-type meetings to discuss politics and the Iraq war for over a year has grown to about 100, from 8 at first, said the character actor Robert Davi, adding that Mr. Schwarzenegger has galvanized many of them. As Michael Harbert, a writer and producer who is a Republican and has worked on G.O.P. campaigns, put it: "He clearly opened the door and made it not just acceptable but fashionable to say, `I'm an Arnold Schwarzenegger Republican.' That's a new title. He's brought that cachet back."

How superficial is this?:

These days, Hollywood is humming a different tune. "The movie industry respects a hit, and this movie is working because it's good," said Sean Daniel, a producer and former studio executive who voted against the recall and for the Democratic candidate, Lt. Gov. Cruz M. Bustamante, last October. "This isn't just marketing. This is real."

Say what you will about Barbra Streisand, but at least she isn't suddenly jumping on the Arnold bandwagon just because he's got some heat.

This may indicate that Hollywood liberalism is more of a social-convention than a deeply-held political philosophy, at least for many. They don't care about issues; they just want to be on the hip, hot side.

I guess we probably pretty much knew that already, but it's nice to have some empircal confirmation.

Posted by: Ace at 11:58 AM | Comments (13)
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Sounds like we've got a few days left to explain to him the benefits of American incarceration, and how long it typically takes America to execute a murderer.

I can't find the link now, but I'm pretty sure I just read an article stating the CIA was "stepping up" its interrogations of Saddam. If I'm wrong about that, sorry.

Posted by: Ace at 11:18 AM | Comments (8)
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That was the allegation from the left.

Son of Nixon reports that you can now test this hypothesis yourself by purchasing John Kerry's rock album.

Somehow I have this feeling that this album will fail to in fact "rock the house."

Posted by: Ace at 10:45 AM | Comments (12)
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Not only a fuckin' prick, but an absurd one:

ISTANBUL, Turkey -- French President Jacques Chirac said Monday that President Bush went "too far" by saying the European Union should admit Turkey, and he added that Bush commenting on Turkish-EU relations was like a French leader commenting on U.S.-Mexican ties.

"If President Bush really said that in the way that I read, then not only did he go too far, but he went into territory that isn't his," Chirac said.

"It's a bit like if I told the United States how they should manage their relations with Mexico."

It's also a bit like the French telling the United States how we should "manage our relations" with Iraq.

So, let me get this straight: France is free to comment upon all US foreign policuy questions, and in fact actively impede us at every turn, even when the "territory" in question does not belong to France.

The US, on the other hand, is supposed to remain silent on French foreign policy.

Got it.

As The Rock would say, it's time for Jacques Chirac to pour himself a nice tall glass of shut-up juice.

And I think Dick Cheney might have a suggestion as to how he might spend his spare time.

Little poodle-dogs like Chirac continue to yip and yelp, and yet the caravan keeps movin' on.

More: Bonassus has a good discussion, including France's belief that it can butt into US-Latin American relations when it sees fit.

Posted by: Ace at 10:34 AM | Comments (5)
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Light sweet crude down $1.43/barrel. What can account for this?

"You have a lot of good news out there," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Alaron Trading Corp. in Chicago.

That's just mealy-mouthed economist wussy-talk for cowbell:

Posted by: Ace at 10:25 AM | Comments (3)
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Very cool:

The robot, known as Dragon Runner, has the ability to see around corners and deliver information to Marines while keeping them out of danger in urban settings where human access is impractical, dangerous or unsustainable.

The blurb that follows is about mine-detecting robots. Also very cool.

Posted by: Ace at 08:56 AM | Comments (6)
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Too much big news this morning to keep up with. Here's the biggest stuff:

Iraq Transfer-of-Sovereignty: Mission Accomplished

Seeking to pre-empt terrorists' attempts to derail the transfer of sovereignty, the coalition wisely transfers sovereignty today. At least one coalition goal the terrorists sought to scotch is now a fait accompli.

Fox's take, which mentions that Paul Bremer will depart Iraq today.

The surprise move has the dollar gaining against most currencies:

``The fear was that there may have been some kind of disruption to the transition on Wednesday,'' said Kamal Sharma, a currency strategist in London at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein. ``By moving the process forward, the coalition may have put the rebels on the back foot, taken them a bit by surprise.''

Shiite tribes gathering for war on Fallujah:

Washington threw up its hands and said Iraq's new interim government could fix Falluja. But even before he formally takes control at midnight on Wednesday, the Prime Minister, Iyad Allawi, is confronted with another declaration of war on Falluja - this time from the massed Shiite tribes of southern Iraq.

At a council of war after Friday prayers at Baghdad's Baratha mosque, the sheiks - or chiefs - of more than 40 of the tribes issued a declaration: they would destroy Falluja, along with neighbouring Ramadi, unless the insurgency leaders they hold responsible for the Shiite deaths are handed over to them - for execution.

Ahhhh... the dreaded Iraqi Civil War we've been hearing so much about. Except this isn't to be dreaded. If the terrorists do not stop terrorizing, there is no other choice.

Fred Barnes just made a point on Sunday that I made some time ago: The Americans have actually been protecting the Sunnis from the natural consequences of their actions. Name another Arab country where a vastly-outmanned minority gets to murder the majority without getting a little taste of genocide.

If the Sunnis do not stop supporting terrorists, they will reap the whirlwind, and I hope they do not actually believe that America will come running to save them from what will be, for many, their just desserts.

The French and the liberal world press will whine. But America will not be provoked into fighting the Shia's on behalf of the Sunnis who butcher our people. And the liberal world press has not had much success in bullying Arab governments (to the extent it's even attempted to do so).

I hope the Sunnis understand what may be coming, and make the wise decision in favor of peace. If not-- we've saved enough Iraqis. We don't need to save any more.

NATO will provide training for Iraqi soldiers and police, and may take additional steps to improve Iraq's security.

Since it's all about the oil, this is a good time to note that the price of gas has been consistently falling, and will fall further.

It turns out that Joe Wison, international bon vivant and sweet mint-tea afficianado, might not have been quite so dilligent an investigator as his nepotist wife boasted. Niger was in talks to sell yellowcake uranium to a whole slew of countries, including, yes, Iraq:

However, European intelligence officers have now revealed that three years before the fake documents became public, human and electronic intelligence sources from a number of countries picked up repeated discussion of an illicit trade in uranium from Niger. One of the customers discussed by the traders was Iraq.

These intelligence officials now say the forged documents appear to have been part of a "scam", and the actual intelligence showing discussion of uranium supply has been ignored.

Wait-- the press is ignoring evidence that helps makes the case for war as well as for Bush's re-election? I simply cannot believe such a thing.

While all this change is going on, it's comforting to know that some things don't change. For example, Jacques Chirac is still a fucking prick. He's trying to block his major rival within his party, and his party is in disarray due to his jackass maneuverings.

But Tony Blair has gotten some good news. He seems to have prevailed in his choice for head of the EU-- the free-trading, pro-capitalist, America-friendly PM of Portugal, Barroso.

Most of the above was found on Free Republic. Thanks for their newshawking efforts.

Update: The Tony Blair link is now corrected, thanks to Jim.

Posted by: Ace at 12:25 AM | Comments (5)
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There's a Sylvester Stallone comedy called Oscar. I seem to be the only person on the planet who likes this movie. I like the rapid-fire screwball thing.

Anyway, there's a guy named Anthony who keeps turning up in Stallone's life at every turn-- always doing no good or making trouble for him. Stealing from him, blackmailing him, demanding that Stallone allow him to marry his daughter who isn't his daughter (don't ask). Stallone spends most of the film escorting Anthony to the exit, only to have him ring the door-bell five minutes later with some new machination.

Near the end of the movie, a newly-introduced character asks Stallone if he knows Anthony. "Know him?!" Stallone cries in exasperation. "Sometimes I think I don't know anybody but him!"

If Stallone didn't mumble that line incomprehensibly, it would kill.

Anyway, that's how the US Government must be starting to feel about Nick Berg.

Nick Kronos does some bona-fide internet research and discovers that the radio company that just successfully sued the FCC to undo relaxed media-conglomeration rules seems to be the same radio company owned by... Nick Berg and/or his America-hating ANSWER-member father Michael Berg.

Weird, huh?

Posted by: Ace at 10:44 PM | Comments (19)
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Frankie Muniz made an enemy of Son of Nixon.

That wasn't smart. The last guy to piss Son of Nixon off this bad was Mickey Rourke, and you can see how that ended up.

I stole that link from Marcland, and there's nothing left of that particular link to link to. But why not go over to his site anyway to see a spectacular shot of Saturn as glimpsed by the Cassini spacecraft. Or his link of Dean's remarks on the dangers of having hysterical hissy-fits over "torture."

Posted by: Ace at 11:00 PM | Comments (5)
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