I post articles because I think they are of interest. Doing so doesn’t mean that I necessarily agree (or disagree) with every—or any—opinion in the posted article. Help your friends and relatives stay informed by passing the digest on. In some cases I post things sent to me by readers I might not have posted on my own, to get ideas circulating.
I expect to be out of pocket Saturday, so there will likely be no Digest Sunday. Get out and enjoy the Spring. ~Bob.
OWS Romance
Cartoon.
The conservative mind. By Jonah Goldberg
Excerpt: "They do that because they were born that way." If you say that about homosexuals, you are tolerant and realistic. If you say it about blacks, you are racist (unless you're black yourself). If you say it about women, you may or may not be sexist, depending on who is manning (er, womanning) the feminist battle stations. If you say it about men, you just might be a writer for Esquire. But if you say it about conservatives, you're a scientist.
Four Georgia men arrested for 'beating to death' ex-Marine who survived TWO tours of duty in Iraq
Excerpt: Police have arrested four suspects in connection with the beating death of a former U.S. Marine who was found unconscious outside of a party at a Cobb County, Georgia, apartment complex in March. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Arthur Batchelor, 37, Tarell Secrest, 36, and Jason Hill, 35, were taken into custody on Tuesday for allegedly killing 34-year-old Zachary 'Zach' Gamble. Another suspect, 38-year-old Sean Hall, of Atlanta, was arrested on Monday. (Dead Marine was white, perps look like they could have been Obama's sons. Many more black on white murders than the other way around, but no big deal in the media, no national outcry. ~Bob.)
Welcome to Left Wing Bizarro World
Illuminating graphic.. ~Bob.
First Solar restructuring leads to loss of $449M
Excerpt: A shakeout that is rattling the solar panel industry has sent First Solar, once among the industry's biggest and strongest companies, to a wide quarterly loss. First Solar Inc. said Thursday that it lost $449 million in the first quarter, mostly due to a restructuring announced last month that will eliminate 30 percent of the company's workforce and close a newly-expanded plant in Germany. ("Sun gonna shine on my backdoor some day. Wind from the river gonna blow my troubles away." We face a frightening enough future, without the Greenbots making it cold, dark and hungry. Hungrier. ~Bob.)
Double whammy! City warns store after Occupy protestors smash windows
Excerpt: To the folks at Weston Wear, it was like getting salt rubbed in their wound. The day after a marauding band of Occupy protestors smashed the Valencia Street clothing store’s windows, the owners got another jolt – a city citation notice for having graffiti on the plywood they had put up over the vandalized windows.
Trayvon and Zimmerman: The Structure and Elements of a Disinformation Campaign. By Scott Swett
Excerpt: "Trayvon," of course, is Trayvon Martin, the black 17-year-old who was killed two months ago in Florida. "Zimmerman" is George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch captain who shot him. Referring to Martin by his first name and Zimmerman by his last is just one small tactic in the national media campaign to make Martin's death an enduring symbol of white racism. The Trayvon campaign is accurately described as "disinformation" because deception is a fundamental part of its planning, strategy, and implementation.
Obama OK’D Aid To Palestinians After Congress said NO
Excerpt: Morris, "In this video commentary, I discuss how Obama ordered the release of $192 million to the Palestinian Authority after Congress said NO. Tune in!"
GOP Rolls Out New Anti-Obama Theme: 'Hype and Blame'
Excerpt: The Republican National Committee, in conjunction with Mitt Romney's campaign, on Thursday unveiled a new slogan ahead of President Obama’s official campaign kick-off in Ohio and Virginia this weekend: "Hype and Blame 2012." (…) “The candidate of hope and change has become the president of hype and blame,” said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus in a conference call with reporters. “He blames everyone and everything other than the man in the mirror." (It’s perfect! If they put it on a bumper sticker, I’ll buy a bunch of them for myself and family. Ron P.)
Chinese dissident calls Congress, wants meeting with Clinton http://thehill.com/video/administration/225343-chen-tells-congress-by-phone-i-want-to-meet-hillary-clinton
Excerpt: The Chinese dissident at the center of a political firestorm called a hearing Thursday and told lawmakers he wants to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Chinese human rights activist Chen Guangcheng called a hearing set up to explore his efforts to leave China and escape persecution—apparently from a Chinese hospital room.
Romney faces a narrow path to 270 electoral votes, but his team remains optimistic
Excerpt: Mitt Romney faces a narrow path to the presidency, one that requires winning back states that President Obama took from Republicans in 2008 and that has few apparent opportunities for Romney to steal away traditionally Democratic states. Months ago, Obama’s campaign advisers laid out five distinct ways for the president to clear the threshold of 270 electoral college votes and win reelection.
Economy adds 115,000 jobs in April; unemployment rate drops to 8.1 percent
Excerpt: The unemployment rate dropped a notch to 8.1 percent in April, the Labor Department reported on Friday, but the pace of job growth has fallen off, amid other signs that the economic recovery is losing momentum. … But at least part of the reason behind that decline in the number of unemployed is that many people decided to stop looking for a job: The labor force, defined as the number of people working or seeking work, declined by 342,000, Labor Department said. (So if he can discourage everyone from looking, Obama can move unemployment to zero! ~Bob.)
US job growth slows for second straight month with just 115,000 added
Excerpt: “The drop in the unemployment rate to 8.1% is deceptive to say the least, as this was driven by a drop in the participation rate to 63.6% from 63.8% previously. This is down from 64.2% a year ago. This has been driven by a stunning 2,693,000 people leaving the labour force in 12 months," said David Semmens, senior US economist at Standard Chartered. (Giving up on looking for a job may be “Change,” but not much “Hope.” ~Bob.)
Flashback: Job growth falls short as hiring stalls: Democrats assail Bush on economy. By Stephen J. Glain, Globe Staff, March 6, 2004
Excerpt: Unemployment held steady at 5.6 percent, according to the data, as the civilian labor force shrank by 392,000. … In a statement issued from his Washington, D.C., campaign headquarters, Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, said the latest employment figures show that President Bush has "overpromised and underdelivered" on job growth.
http://healthblog.ncpa.org/what-is-unique-about-u-s-health-care-lack-of-patient-control-of-spending/
Excerpt: What is unique about American health care? Americans control a smaller share of our health spending than do residents of most other developed countries. More importantly, the share of health spending controlled by Americans, rather than government or insurers, has declined much faster than it has in any other developed country (for which we have measurements) in the last couple of decades.
The Folly of Federal Training. By James Bovard
Excerpt: In 1973, faced with a confusing hodgepodge of floundering training programs, Congress passed the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA). In the preface to the new law Congress conceded that “it has been impossible to develop rational priorities” in job training. Existing federal programs were widely perceived as failures, and CETA was supposed to be the cure for all that ailed job training. However, most of the contractors and subcontractors under MDTA were simply given new, often more lucrative grants and contracts under CETA. The same agencies and nonprofit organizations repeated the same mistakes under a new acronym. (Actually, these programs fulfill their goal of putting tax dollars into pockets that will reliably vote for their masters to keep the cash flowing. ~Bob.)
Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be “Julia” By Michelle Malkin
Excerpt: I told my 11-year-old daughter about “Julia.” She had one word: “Creepy.” I’m doing my job right. Notice, by the way, how “progressive” women are awfully quiet about the patriarchal hegemony symbolized by Obama’s faceless, dependent Julia. Cue the crickets: Chirp, chirp, chirp.
Excerpt: The cast of Morning Joe blasted the Obama campaign for their new "The Life of Julia" website this morning. The original purpose of the ad was to show voters how Obama's policies help women throughout their lifetimes. But as pretty much every member of the show concludes, that effort backfired:
Wikipedia Entry on Obama/Biden ‘Forward’ Slogan Scrubbed of References to ‘Leftwing Newspapers & Publications’
Excerpt: However, after the entry came under heavy criticism, the “controversy” section has been scrubbed: (I have been advised that Wikipedia has deleted parts of its page on the connection the slogan "Forward" has with socialist, and communist, and fascist movements. The link below gives the story. I have not checked, but by now Wiki may have substantially taken the whole thing down. The trend is certainly in that direction, even though the connection of the slogan to leftist movements and publications cannot be denied. –Chet)
Forward or Downward?
http://patriotpost.us/edition/2012/05/04/digest/Excerpt: In all seriousness, "Forward" seems to be optimistic and to exude progress, but the history of the word lies in the socialist and communist movements, which as Ronald Reagan contended lead nowhere but downward. We certainly don't think this choice was by accident or coincidence, either. Leftists have always fancied themselves "progressives," as if only their policies will move the world "forward." In 1905, Vladimir Lenin, leader of the Soviet revolution in Russia, founded a publication called "Vpered," the Russian word for "Forward." Before that, Friedrich Engels and Leon Trotsky wrote for one called "Vorwaerts," the German word for "Forward." The Communist League featured a biweekly reader by the same name, with which Karl Marx and Engels were involved. Obama will begin his campaign (officially) on May 5, which just happens to be Marx's birthday.
The End of the Inspire Era
Excerpt: Al-Qaida has released two new issues of its English-language magazine eight months after a drone strike eliminated the American jihadi leaders behind it. The latest editions of Inspire magazine reinforce al-Qaida's promotion of lone wolf attacks, but each is aimed at a very different audience. Inspire was known for cultivating English-language jihadis, contributing to more than a dozen plots against American and Western targets.
Burma rebels killed in clashes with government troops: Dozens die in battles between Burmese soldiers and Kachin Independence Army, according to state media
Don’t hand out the “Coexist” bumper stickers just yet. ~Bob. Excerpt: Recent battles between Burmese government troops and Kachin ethnic rebels have killed 31 people, according to a state-run newspaper. The New Light of Myanmar reported on Friday that there had been 11 clashes in the last week of April, including what it said was an attack by rebels of the Kachin Independence Army on border guards.
Obama's Plan To Seize Control Of Our Economy And Our Lives
Excerpt: This 10-page document is a blueprint for a federal takeover of the economy that would dwarf the looming Obamacare takeover of the health insurance business. Specifically, Obama’s plan involves seizing control of:
Buying Obama: How the UAW Got the Best Investment Returns in History. By John Ransom
Excerpt: In the end, "we had to take care of our own members," says Cal Rapson, the former UAW vice president leading negotiations with GM. "It was unfortunate what happened to the others. But there wasn't enough to go around." There never is enough when you’re a union boss and you are getting an $80 billion bailout.
Leading U.S. Muslim jurist: Female genital mutilation an "honor" in Islam
Excerpt: How is it that Dr. Hatem al-Haj, a fellow at the American Academy of Pediatrics and a leading Muslim jurist, misunderstands Islamic law so severely as to think that this purely cultural practice has something to do with Islam? Surely it can't be that the mainstream media and Islamic leaders in the U.S. have been lying to us, and FGM really is justified in Islam, could it? Naaah.
Divider in Chief. By Charles Krauthammer
Excerpt: Hispanics are just the beginning, however. The entire Obama campaign is a slice and dice operation, pandering to one group after another, particularly those that elected Obama in 2008 -- blacks, Hispanics, women, young people -- and for whom the thrill is now gone. What to do? Try fear. Create division, stir resentment, by whatever means necessary -- bogus court challenges, dead-end Senate bills and a forest of straw men.
GOP: Health law funds could go to neuter pets
Excerpt: House Republicans attacked the 2010 healthcare law Wednesday for expanding a preventive care grant program that, they said, has funded pet spaying and neutering in Tennessee. A statement from Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans also blasted grants they said paid for urban farming initiatives and the improvement of city bike lanes. (Is anyone shocked that Obamacare has turned out to be another Political Cookie Jar? We have to be sure to keep Republicans hands out of it too. ~Bob.)
Government-Funded Medical Research Is Hazardous to Your Health: Sloppy science and ethical misconduct in medical research could be dangerous to American patients. By Paul Hsieh
Excerpt: Two recent articles in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times have exposed a little-known but growing problem of sloppy science and ethical misconduct in medical research that could be dangerous to American patients.
Triumph for Texas: Best/Worst States for Business 2012
Excerpt: In Chief Executive’s eighth annual survey of CEO opinion of Best and Worst States in which to do business, Texas easily clinched the No. 1 rank, the eighth successive time it has done so. California earns the dubious honor of being ranked dead last for the eighth consecutive year. (Florida #2. NY, IL, MA & MI round out the bottom five. No surprises here. ~Bob.)
Worth reading: Litigating For Terrorists. By John Yoo
Excerpt: Suppose a future president—let's call him Mitt Romney—declares that last fall's killing of al Qaeda leader (and American citizen) Anwar al-Awlaki amounted to an "assassination." He orders a special prosecutor to pursue everyone from the drone pilot who pulled the trigger all the way to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and CIA Director David Petraeus. The murder investigation triggers lawsuits by Awlaki's family, litigated gratis by law schools, human-rights groups and their legal allies, whose leaders the president later rewards with plum jobs. (If you get blocked, do a Google search. ~Bob.)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Taxes & Fees Rose 43% Under Tom Barrett
Excerpt: A new poll released Wednesday by Marquette University Law School shows Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett cruising to victory in Tuesday's Democratic gubernatorial recall primary. And it looks likely that the June 5 recall election between Barrett and Governor Scott Walker will come down to the wire. According to the same poll, Walker leads Barrett 48% to 47% among likely voters. But, as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports, Barrett may have a tough time defending his record on taxes in his race against Walker:
I am seriously concerned with the 13 percent unemployment number for Black Americans released today... by Congressman Allen West
As a Member of the Congressional Black Caucus and the House Small Business Committee, I am seriously concerned with the 13 percent unemployment number for Black Americans. The failed economic policies of President Obama are destroying the black community and lessening the chances for economic freedom while promoting economic dependence. Perhaps this is what the NAACP was afraid to hear me address.
Occupier on Hannity: 'Everything Should Be Free, and No One Has to Pay!' By Kate Hicks
Excerpt: “Occupy isn't responsible for any of the violence, because the police planted the rapists and thugs in their ranks.” (Must have planted a bunch of idiots as well, to make them look stupid. ~Bob.)
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Robert A. Hall
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