March 2, 2005
Special Report
March 1, 2005
Has the World Really Begun to Change?
Back in August I wrote about where the invasion of Iraq might take us. I laid out my personal view of what the outcome would be if we stayed the course, and I expressed my hope that all in this country would support the effort that we had. Being for or against going into Iraq should have made way for a unified America working toward the goal of success. The potential for change in the Middle East was, in my opinion, enormous.
Later, in October, I wrote an imaginary history of this time. Dubya understands his own legacy will be written long after he is gone. I took some license.
The changes in the world dynamic were a direct result of America’s decision to end Islamofascism. Beirut is once again a thriving international city. Iraq has become the economic center of the Middle East with oil and food exports supporting the entire region. Jordan’s agreement with Israel to build a pipeline and desalination plant promises to turn the desert area east of Amman into a green zone. Egypt and Saudi Arabia are now having to make some tough decisions, and are moving more toward the model in Turkey. Iran has redirected its nuclear efforts toward energy generation, and now exports more oil than any country in the region while still providing adequate electricity for its own consumption and sale across borders to both Iraq and Afghanistan. Syria still struggles with no oil and little farm land, but is considering water importation through a pipeline to mimic Jordanian efforts.
I’ve not written anything about the events in Lebanon and Egypt, but have been watching closely. We send a lot of money to Egypt each year, still making payments on the agreement Sadat made with Carter. Lebanon is a sad tale–a once-thriving nation overcome by civil war and takeover by Palestinian terrorists and the Syrian army. Things are changing in both countries.
The Bush Doctrine. It is on the threshold. It can still fail. Some in this country and abroad–“allies” I think they are called–still want to see it fail. If it fails, the imaginary history I wrote will not come to pass. Instead, a much greater war will ensue. For those of you who are still anti-war, consider that potentiality.
I have no claim to prognosticative power. But, I hope I was right in my guess and assessment of the situation in both of those posts.
****UPDATE****
And now I find this. I think the answer to my question is “Yes.”
Illegal Aliens
A frustrated Arizona lawmaker says he will push a proposal next year to give American workers the right to sue companies that fire them while keeping illegal immigrants on the payroll. Violators would have their state business licenses suspended.
Legislators don’t have the guts to do what needs to be done. So, they decide to write laws that allow the citizenry to clog up the court system with suits to do what law enforcement should be allowed to do in the first place.
Trial lawyers will be pleased. As will immigration lawyers.
Judicial Nominees
Joseph Farah has three questions for judicial nominees:
- Do you believe the original intent of the founders should be considered when weighing the constitutionality of a law?
- Do you believe the Constitution is a “living document,” whose actual meaning changes with the times?
- From where do people get their rights?
I agree with the premise. And the reason. Hearings on nominees have become nothing but political theater. All that Senators need to know about a nominee is in the public record. A simple yes or no to the first two questions and a simple response to the third should end all questioning.
Americans don’t need black-robed justices divining the meaning of the Constitution. The Constitution was written by our Founding Fathers as a document that could be understood by ordinary citizens without law degrees from Harvard or Yale – or even in spite of such credentials.
Which is why I support the idea of someone like Andrew Napolitano or Newt Gingrich as a justice. Knowledge of the Constitution and the history that created it is far more important than years on an appellate court reading depositions.
February 28, 2005
The “For the Children” Lie
The National Conference of State Legislatures are not a happy group. They do not like the No Child Left Behind program.
The conference believes the law is unconstitutional but officials say the organization won’t challenge it. That doesn’t mean someone else won’t.
Mercy. They finally agree that the Department of Education really isn’t accounted for in the Constitution? So why don’t they challenge the constitutionality?
President Bush was in Europe when the report was issued but is unlikely to take kindly to criticism of what he considers one of his signature pieces of legislation. His reaction is likely to be much like that of House Education Committee Chairman John Boehner: “They want the funding No Child Left Behind is providing, but they don’t want to meet the high standards that come with it.”
Federal money. The salve for all governmental wounds. “Just give us the money! We know how to spend it!”
Unfortunately, as I have written several times, and as Paulie has commented many times, money does nothing to cure the problems in education. If anything, money only compounds the problems by continuing to feed the monster eating our children.
A definite change in approach and attitude is needed. I cannot with any confidence say that teachers unions are at fault. But I can point a finger at those who control teacher certification, and legislators who feel compelled to throw money at the problem because they aren’t creative enough to do anything else. State school boards control many of the things that cause problems in schools, and are pretty much unaccountable to anyone. They hold position through glad-handing of teachers’ unions and legislators, as well as the institutional guild apprenticeship programs (to steal a phrase from one of my commenters) that perpetuate a system devoted to process rather than quality.
Every year wasted debating money rather than the system’s structure punishes kids.
For once, I’d like to see the educational establishment and legislators actually do something “for the children.”
In Living Color
I didn’t realize there was color film during The Great War.
(Dean’s link)
Golf’s origins
One of my regular readers sent me a link for Robin Williams explains the creation of golf.
Every other word is a curse word, but funny, regardless!
Thanks, John.