Memorial Day, 2010

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

- Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, 1915

Sharia

This video is a mirror of one repeatedly flagged, falsely, by Islamist activists, as hate speech. We'll see how long it takes YouTube to cave.

WaPo Writer Caught Shading Truth About Texas Textbook Changes

In a scathing indictment, Ann Althouse bitchslaps a Washington Post writer who mischaracterized the changes approved in the Texas high school textbook nontroversy (to use one of dear Chuckie's coinages).

Here's how the Washington Post's Michael Birnbaum characterizes the changes, secure in the knowledge that the sheep who depend on WaPo for news will never second guess him:

The new standards say that the McCarthyism of the 1950s was later vindicated -- something most historians deny -- draw an equivalency between Jefferson Davis's and Abraham Lincoln's inaugural addresses, say that international institutions such as the United Nations imperil American sovereignty, and include a long list of Confederate officials about whom students must learn.

They also removed references to capitalism and replaced them with the term "free-enterprise system."

Here's how Althouse deals with Birnbaum's first fudgy "fact:"

The students are required to "describe how McCarthyism, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), the arms race, and the space race increased Cold War tensions and how the later release of the Venona Papers confirmed suspicions of communist infiltration in U.S. government..." The word "vindicated" is inflammatory and unfair.

To see how Ann calls out Birnbaum on the rest of his mischaracterizations (some would call them "lies"), read the rest.

SEIU Terrorists Trap 14-Year Old in Private Home

Police reportedly refused to intervene for fear of "further inflaming" the SEIU thugs. Sounds like a job for the Second Amendment to me.

Update: According to Glenn Beck, the targeted bank executive is a lifelong Democrat who worked for the Clinton administration.

Happy Draw Mohammed Day, Everyone!

Stealing Valor

Connecticut Attorney General and Democratic Senate candidate Richard Blumenthal has apparently been playing fast and loose with his military history, according to the New York Times:

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, a Democrat running for the United States Senate, was attacked on Tuesday by opponents for saying he had served in Vietnam when he actually received deferments between 1965 and 1970 and then joined the Marine Reserve.

Artist's conception of Blumenthal's service in South Vietnam Carolina during a brutal Toys for Tots campaign:

Sweet Home Alabama

If this doesn't make your sticker peck up you're a damned traitor to America, Neil Young, or a femmy lib assmaggot, and Alabama man don't need you around anyhow.

AP Goes to Bat to Protect Obama Admin in Oil Spill Crisis

Talk about burying the lede; the Associated Press has raised that practice to a high artform.

Here's the Drudge Report headline blaring the startling news that the Deepwater Horizon, the oil rig that exploded April 20, was awarded for safety last year by the federal Mineral Management Service.


And here's the Associated Press excerpt to which the headline refers:

In fact, last year MMS awarded the rig an award for its safety history.

It is the very last sentence in the AP story.

Apparently the AP is afraid that, if they don't play ball with the Obama administration, they'll get the bat shoved up their ass. Or else they just think the One is a rock star and get tingles up their legs when He speaks.

But Maybe She's Changed Her Mind

From Elena Kagan's senior thesis for Princeton, TO THE FINAL CONFLICT: SOCIALISM IN NEW YORK CITY, 1900-1933:

The story is a sad but also a chastening one for the who, more than half a century after socialism's decline, still wish to change America. Radicals have often succumbed to the devastating bane of sectarianism; it is easier, after all, to fight one's fellows than it is to battle an entrenched and powerful foe. Yet if the history of Local New York show anything, it is that American radicals cannot afford to become their own worst enemies. In unity lies their only hope.

And Kagan dedicates her thesis, in part, to:

Finally, I would like to thank my brother Marc, whose involvement in radical causes led me to explore the history of American radicalism in the hope of clarifying my own political ideas.

It never seems to have occurred to Kagan that socialism has failed, not from external factors, but from its own singular lack of merit as a viable political system.

WTF? Obama an Illegal Alien?

I have long been convinced that the Obama "birther" controversy was being kept alive by Chicago-way operatives in order to discredit Obama's critics.

But, this here is just bizarre:

NEW YORK – Two private investigators working independently are asking why President Obama is using a Social Security number set aside for applicants in Connecticut while there is no record he ever had a mailing address in the state.

In addition, the records indicate the number was issued between 1977 and 1979, yet Obama's earliest employment reportedly was in 1975 at a Baskin-Robbins ice-cream shop in Oahu, Hawaii.

Now who, besides criminals and crimmigrants needs to fake a Social Security number?

Will the Puppet Media investigate? Is Clay Akins an intimidating macho beefcake?

Why Tennessee Got Screwed

'You're Doing it Wrong!'

"You're Doing it Wrong!" one student shouts at another student who knocks an American flag to the ground during a demonstration related to the Cinco de Mayo controversy at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, California. By "wrong" it appears she means the Hispanic students should conceal their contempt for their adopted country and its symbols.

Taliban Work Accident

US forces observe Taliban militants emplacing an IED but cannot engage them because a child is present. The terrorists make a mistake, detonating the device and immolating themselves.

High School Bans American Flag-Themed Clothing for Cinco de Mayo - Updated

Apparently, wearing the red, white, and blue in America on a Mexican holiday is "incendiary":

On any other day at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, Daniel Galli and his four friends would not even be noticed for wearing T-shirts with the American flag. But Cinco de Mayo is not any typical day especially on a campus with a large Mexican American student population.

Galli says he and his friends were sitting at a table during brunch break when the vice principal asked two of the boys to remove American flag bandannas that they wearing on their heads and for the others to turn their American flag T-shirts inside out. When they refused, the boys were ordered to go to the principal's office.

"They said we could wear it on any other day," Daniel Galli said, "but today is sensitive to Mexican-Americans because it's supposed to be their holiday so we were not allowed to wear it today."

It's not just a case of the school's administration overreacting. The Mexican-"American" students view the American flag as an insult:

"I think they should apologize cause it is a Mexican Heritage Day," Annicia Nunez, a Live Oak High student, said. "We don't deserve to be get disrespected like that. We wouldn't do that on Fourth of July."

Can we dispense with the "Ugly American" stereotype now and replace it with the "Arrogant Mexican?"

Update: Trouble in Chuckland

Everyone's favorite nutbag Charles Johnson at Little Green Footballs has weighed in, blaming the flag-wearing American students for the trouble (without evidence) and claiming their parents put them up to it (some of the parents appeared on the Laura Ingram show).

Chuckie asked what would have happened if students wore Mexican flags on the Fourth of July. An intrepid commenter pointed out that this had not, in fact, happened, and that there are no classes on the Fourth of July. Mad King Charles flew into a snit, proclaiming the hypothetical a "thought experiment."

Several other commenters have taken issue with Chuck's logic.

Can mass bannings be far behind?

Disclaimer: Poor, innocent, inoffensive Bluto was banned from the magic realm of LGF for using the phrase "echo chamber," in the nicest possible way.

Bush Derangement Syndrome Linked to Terrorism

From the Associated Press:

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — A real estate broker says the Times Square bombing suspect told him years ago he disliked President George W. Bush and the Iraq war.

Clearly the Obama Homeland Security Department needs to respond to this evolving threat and place all Bush-bashers under surveillance for the duration of the emergency.

Have any of your friends or neighbors expressed strong negative opinions of President Bush? Perhaps the FBI should know about it.

Today's clue for progressive drones: (tic)

The Left's New Times Square Meme: Dumb and Dumber

Since the Times Square bombing suspect has inconveniently turned out to be a naturalized US citizen from Pakistan, and not a fortyish white racist right-wing Nazi teabaggah mobster upset with the Obama regime, the Left must find a new way to politicize the incident. Preferrably a meme that will further polarize the nation and has a little blame Bush potential.

Enter progressive pinhead David Neiwert at Crooks and Liars:

The next time you hear some right-winger (most notably Dick Cheney) sneer at the Obama administration's "law enforcement approach to terrorism," remember this.

And former Hannity punching bag Alan Colmes chimes in:

David Neiwert at C&L drives home the point that what really works in combating terrorism is law enforcement.

No, evidently what really, really works is blind luck and an alert force of tee-shirt vendors. And Neiwert conveniently neglects to mention that the Right's major problem with the "law enforcement" approach is in regard to foreign nationals captured on foreign soil (KSM comes to mind), not US citizens arrested in this country.

Suspect Faisal Shahzad was apprehended at JFK, but only after he had assembled and deployed his carbomb, then boarded a plane for Dubai, which had already pushed from the gate despite the fact that Shazhad was on the federal "no-fly" list. He should have been caught as soon as he checked in; so far, there's no explanation for why he was allowed to board.

Neiwert and Colmes may be comfortable relying on dumb luck. Thinking people are not, because they know that law enforcement is mostly about solving crimes after they occur. That's too late, as we found out at Fort Hood.

Also noting the stupidity of Neiwert and Colmes is Confederate Yankee.

Arrest Made in Times Square Bombing Attempt

From the New York Times:

Federal agents and police detectives arrested a Connecticut man, a naturalized United States citizen from Pakistan, early Tuesday in connection with the failed Times Square car bombing, according to people briefed on the investigation.

The man, Faisal Shahzad, was believed to have recently bought the 1993 Nissan Pathfinder that was found loaded with gasoline, propane, fireworks and fertilizer in the heart of Times Square, one of the people briefed on the development said.

Mr. Shahzad was taken into custody at Kennedy Airport, apparently trying to flee, one of the people said. Charges against Mr. Shahzad, who had returned recently from a trip to Pakistan, were not announced.

Not sure where the fortyish white man fits into this.

And how much do you miss Rudy Giuliani? Current NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg beclowns himself for CBS:

"If I had to guess, twenty five cents, this would be exactly that," Bloomberg said. "Homegrown maybe a mentally deranged person or someone with a political agenda that doesn't like the health care bill or something. It could be anything."

Car Bomb Discovered in Times Square - Updated

Update: Mr. Strangelove at The Jawa Report posts a video from "Taliban News" claiming responsibility for the NYC car bomb. YouTube has already removed the video, which was apparently prepared prior to news of the car bomb's discovery.

Also, Fox News reports that another car bomb has been discovered in Pittsburgh. Stable Hand of The Jawa Report provides this link to the Pittsburgh incident.

A Nissan Pathfinder was found about 6:30 Saturday evening in New York's Times Square containing gunpowder, propane tanks and a timing device. Police have "rendered it safe." The vehicle was smoking when discovered.

From the Associated Press:

NEW YORK — Police found a suspected car bomb in a smoking sport utility vehicle Saturday evening in Times Square, then cleared the streets of thousands of tourists milling through the landmark district so they could dismantle the device.

A white robotic police arm broke windows of the black Nissan Pathfinder to remove any explosive materials while heavily armed police and emergency vehicles shut down the city's busiest streets, teeming with taxis and theatergoers on one of the first summer-like days of the year.

Investigators removed bomb-making materials, including propane tanks, explosive powders and a crude timing device, top police spokesman Paul Browne said.

Thanks to a tip from SweetBee, via text.

Crimmigrants to Protest US Laws on Commie Birthday

Mayday demonstrations are planned across the country to protest America's effrontery in actually insisting on sovereignty and border security. Criminal aliens are being whipped into a frenzy by various subversive organizations:

CHICAGO (AP) - Activists said outrage over Arizona's controversial immigration law "awakened a sleeping giant" Saturday as rallies demanding federal immigration reform kicked off in cities across the country.
In New York, Labor organizer John Delgado said anger over the law—which requires local law enforcement to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they're in the country illegally—drew more than 5,000 people to a rally at Manhattan's Foley Square.

The "sleeping giant" appears about to run smack into the Mainstream American Titan, as polls show broad support for the Arizona law.