Knowledge Jihad

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National Security in US

Thanks to Angry Arab for the pointer.

Via LA Times, A Chinese Tourist was attacked at Niagara Falls by a National Security Agent. Does the National Security Agent not like Chinese?

I once again leave you with a quote from a founding father that seems appropriate during this time of paranoia against anyone DIFFERENT than us.

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety---Benjamin Franklin

Kettle........Pot is calling.

When is trade wrong? We all know that the US has had sanctions on Cuba for almost half a century. That doesn't seem to stop lots of Americans visiting Havana and enjoying cigars, rum and girls. Could they be prosecuted if they are found out?

America is trying to get Bobby Fischer extradited for playing a chess match in the former Yugoslavia. That's right, a chess match.

Meanwhile, our Vice President, Dick Cheney, and the company he used to run, Halliburton, are being probed for doing business in Iran. Hey, aren't they the axis of evil?

First, we'll see how far the Halliburton issue goes. (By the way, it is fair to single Dick Cheney out because he was running the company when these allegations took place.)

Hmmm.....I wonder. If our Vice President is capable of doing something like that is our President in the same boat? I'm not sure. But his grandfather sure did. Prescott Bush did deals with Nazi Industrialists from 1924-1951. He even thumbed his nose at the American Government after they seized five of his companies.

After the seizures in late 1942 of five U.S. enterprises he managed on behalf of Nazi industrialist Fritz Thyssen, Prescott Bush, the grandfather of President George W. Bush, failed to divest himself of more than a dozen "enemy national" relationships that continued until as late as 1951, newly-discovered U.S. government documents reveal

Now to be fair, you can't criticize Bush Jr. for what his Grandfather did but I have never heard of one peep out of any of the Jewish Organizations in America. Meanwhile, I get called an Anti-Semite left and right. Excuse me while I go check my family tree.

Not so different after all.

Okay, now the Democratic Convention is over and it's only 90+ days until the election. Let's look at the facts on the ground. While John Kerry will undoubtedly enjoy a Convention bounce, according to the latest polls, the country still remains split. Who will the swing vote be? Women? Young Adults? Does it really matter. A closer look reveals that Bush and Kerry are eerily similar on several issues. Maybe this is the reason the polls are so close, not because the country is split along moral lines but because both candidates are too similar to warrant a front runner. Will this election come down to style and likeability rather than issues? While I admit, likeability plays a significant role in every election, one must look at the records and public statements themselves to differentiate candidates. Frankly, I don't see it. Ralph Nader here I come.

Skin to get in?

From the IT COULD BE WORSE file:

The Toronto Sun reports that immigration officials in Canada now require nude dancers and strippers planning on working in the country to show pictures of themselves in the buff. What? And I thought the new immigration rules to get into the US where strict.

Quote of the Day from Immigration Lawyer Mendel Green:

"They can't be partially nude," he said. "If they don't have pictures in the nude, they are not going to wiggle their bottoms in Canada."

Oh Canada.

Old or New Democracy? Today's Ramble

I was thinking today that maybe I should stop bashing Malaysia so much. I really do love the place. The interesting people, the food, the laidbackness of it all. My wife is Malaysian. My daughter is Malaysian. I have a good job and am certainly better off than some. My possible unfairness about a young country like Malaysia got me thinking. Which Democracy is better? Old or New?

I think about the short amount of time that Malaysia has been around and surely any country will experience growing pains. I have to believe that in the next 100 years Malaysia will mature into a place where open, honest, public dialog will be commonplace. A place where no one feels left behind. A place where all it takes is an idea and hardwork to make it. Sure, you may not become a millionaire but how many people really want that dream? I believe the ordinary man just wants a fair shot at improving his life for his children.

Then I thought about the US. My homeland has been PERFECTING Democracy for 200 plus years. Are we there yet? Is it really better off than it was in say 1790? Sure there are plenty of things we've done right; abolished slavery, women's rights, freedom of religion but are we really better off? Of course we have better than other's but that's no way to compare your country. That is an underachiever's way of thinking.

I always think back to the quotes of our founding father's (Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Hamilton). They all say roughly the same thing. FREEDOM IS PARAMOUNT, NOTHING MORE NOTHING LESS. One quote that I think applies to today's situation in the US is Ben Franklin's "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" Think about that statement. Liberty is everything. Nothing even comes close. What a powerful statement. It doesn't get trapped in the modern day political correctness. It is focused. Liberty is Everything. Without it, you have nothing.

Sometimes I think we have strayed from those REVOLUTIONARY ideals. Maybe we've been too successful. Success breeds laziness. The founder's fought for everything they had and they made no apologies for it. They saw the other side of the coin. They know what it is like to be controlled and they despised it. No need to get into semantics, they know the key to everything. One word. FREEDOM.

So back to my question. Does Democracy age like a fine wine and get better as the year's pass or does the simpleness and profoundness of one word (Freedom) lose it's meaning after time? In Malaysia's case, I hope the former is true. In America's case, I think it might be the latter.

Government Pays, So Do We?

Via the NST Business Times

According to the government, the toll rate for Phase 1 of the East Coast Expressway is expected to be 12 sen per km. Supposedly, this is 3% lower than the toll rate for the NS Expressway. Wait before you jump for joy. Check out paragraph 11, conveniently mixed in with all of the other FEEL GOOD news.

Sources said while the Government paid for the expressway, MTD is allowed to collect toll because of a “barter arrangement” with the Government.

Wait a minute. The Government paid for the expressway yet MTD still gets to charge a toll? What does "Barter Arrangement" mean? What will this toll money be used for? The next GE campaign fund? Perhaps some of the money will go to the vendors who supplied BN with election posters, etc.

Before I jump the gun and become too critical, I would like clarification from the Government on the reason that MTD is allowed to charge a toll. "Barter Arrangement" won't cut it.

I find this highly disturbing, especially that it comes a few days after Najib said that the Government needs to be better negotiators. Was he just talking or did he fail to tell us when the new, improved, tough negotiating Government was going to become a reality?

Jews leave France

Are the calls for Jews to leave France and move to Israel by Ariel Sharon really working? After all, Sharon has called on his brothers to move home quite often. A spokesman for the JEWISH AGENCY (sounds very official) says that Jews are leaving because of the many attacks they have experienced in France. Oh, does he mean an attack like this.

A woman apparently told French police of an attack by 6 Arab and black youths. They purpotedly ripped her clothes and painted swastikas on her body. The story was found out to be false when no eyewitnesses stepped forward and the cctv showed no youths.

The best part of the story is she got off with probation and was fined 1 Euro. That's it.

Growing Muslim Community in America a Threat?

Via Yahoo News. A major Jewish leader today warned of the threat posed by the growing number of Muslims in America. Now imagine the uproar if the headline read White Leader warns of growing US Hispanic community?

Mossad tries to hush fraud?

The NZ Mossad Spy Story just keeps going and going. Once again I have to give credit to the NZ PM for not bowing down to pressure from other countries. It is being claimed by an Israeli paper that Mossad tried to stop the fraud from going public. Now why would they do that if this was just the case of two (now three) everday normal Israelis wanting New Zealand passports?