Pajamas Media
Archive for November, 2006
The Serial Murderers of Syria — Victor Davis Hanson
On ‘Dialogue’ — “No, no, no…. The problems in Iraq, in the radical Middle East at large-with democratization, with nuclearization, with Islamism-are not, repeat not, a lack of dialogue with Syria and Iran. Syria, as we see once again with the killing of Pierre Gemayel, is practicing serial murdering in Lebanon…. Iran is a rogue nation that seeks bombs to use them against the region’s only viable democracy in Israel…. Yes, yes, we need perhaps to have a national “dialogue”, but not over talking to Iran and Syria-but instead whether we wish to continue to fight and win this war.”
On Seinfeld’s “Michael Richards’ pathetic mea culpa…. Apparently he thinks that hip nihilists like himself can’t be redneck racists.”
On waiting for “the announcement that next year’s funds will be cut off for the Patriot Act and wiretaps. And surely Guantanamo will be defunded, with timetables mandated for troop withdrawal.”
On “Jihadist cowardice.”
“And we all know, for all our self-doubt and self-loathing, that the West really is strong, at least strong enough to smash jihadists and their patrons.”
To Be Gay Under the Mullahs:
Since 1979, over 4,000 gays and lesbians have been executed in Iran. They are, however, given a “Choice of Deathstyles.”
“We Drink and Bathe from the Toilets” — Iranian Dissident Trapped 76 Days (and counting) in Moscow Airport – Exclusive Pajamas Media Video
(Video smuggled out of the Moscow airport and exclusive to Pajamas Media. Translation by Iranian-American filmmaker Ardeshir Arian. Michael Ledeen’s backgrounder on this case can be read HERE.)
UPDATE – TUES – 8:16 PST:PJM sources inform Kamalfar is still at the Moscow airport and did not leave for Iran on the first flight. An Aeroflot flight leaves for Tehran in about an hour. Negotiations are ongoing between human rights organizations and the Russians and, presumably, between the Russians and the Iranian regime.
FURTHER UPDATE – 16:26 PST: Midnight in Moscow, as the song goes. The latest reports to reach PJM are that Zahra Kamalfar is under the watchful eye of three Iranian men with ear pieces. (She knows they are Iranian because they whisper to each other in Farsi.) It is probable they could not be there without the acquiescence of the Russians. Meanwhile, PJM has learned that Kamalfar’s brother – Nader Kamalfar – has official political asylum in Canada. Her other brother was killed in Iran, presumably by the regime. At the moment, Zahra has no papers to prove her family identity. Those are in the hands of the Canadian law firm representing her brother, but are not available until Wednesday. (She may be in Tehran by then.) All of this is, of course, unconfirmed. (To see the full story and view long comment thread GO HERE)
Sanity Squad: Thanksgiving Edition
In honor of Thanksgiving, the quintessential American holiday, the Squad has a pre-dinner conversation about American values and how they’re perceived (or misunderstood) around the globe.
Thanksgiving Edition
The Glenn and Helen Show: Fixing America’s Health Care System
With the Democrats back in Congressional majority, there’s more talk of health care regulation, and perhaps even a Canada-style socialized-medicine approach. Dr. David Gratzer is the author of a new book, %%AMAZON=1594031533 The Cure: How Capitalism Can Save American Health Care,%% and — as the foreword by Milton Friedman might suggest — he suggests a very different approach. He has practiced in both the Canadian and American medical systems, so he knows the flaws in both approaches.
Glenn Reynolds and Helen Smith discuss HMO’s, single-payor, Health Savings Accounts, and how Wilbur Mills and Fanne Fox (well, mostly Wilbur Mills) played a major role in creating today’s problems. Plus, what to do about them.
The Glenn and Helen Show: Fixing The American Health Care System
Playing the Syria Card?:
Claudia Rosett @ The Rosett Report spots an alarming development in the “realpolitik” of Iraq: “Syria’s foreign minister, Walid Moallem, has just dropped in on Baghdad to say that his government wants to help stabilize Iraq, and would like to see a timetable for American troop withdrawal. And in the U.S., the Iraq Study Group, co-chaired by James Baker and Lee Hamilton, and slated to present its list of options to President Bush in the very near future, appears to be considering these ideas.” (Read it HERE)
Hanson on Politics and War
Today’s essay from Victor Davis Hanson looks at the state of play in the world today.
- Gut-check time for the Democrats. “Already the Democrats are learning, as is eternally true of our wonderful political system, that loud opposition is not the same as being responsible for governance.”
- Israel: “Now more than ever … nearly all alone.”
- Carterism “is a new postmodern pathology in which smug piety, dressed up in evangelical new-age Christianity, pronounces from afar moral censure on the more righteous party.”
- World War II Then and Now
Recalling Milton Friedman:
Claudia Rosett @ The Rosett Report remembers her long acquaintence with Milton Friedman: “We are moving into a century beset by another war of ideas, fighting enemies who thrive on death-cult destruction, bred under systems that throttle individual freedom. Milton Friedman spent his life stocking our arsenal with precepts that can help us win this war, if we so choose.” (Read it HERE)
Rumsfeld Up, Romney Down
Romney — Attractive for his age, but “Sounds like my grandmother.”
Conservatives at the American Spectator’s annual dinner applauded soon to be former SecDef Don Rumsfeld, but gave a disappointed thumbs down to presidential hopeful Mitt Romney. Pajamas Washington editor Richard Miniter was in attendance.
Blog Week in Review, November 17, 2006: Midterm Elections ‘06
Pajamas Media and the Midterm Elections of 2006: Andrew Marcus and Richard Miniter (PJM in Washington) are the guest panelists and discuss three topics: • The Citizen Journalist In Action: how Pajamas Media armed individuals with small video cameras (%%AMAZON=B000HAOVC6 Canon PowerShot A630 8MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom%%) to cover events on the Day of (mostly) the Democrats. • Will bloggers sell out? And what does "selling out" really mean as far as bloggers are concerned? • In the short-term, what's next?: Panelists toss out topics that they think will emerge as significant issues (or intensify as issues) in the next week to ten days in the blogosphere. Ed Driscoll produces and Austin Bay moderates. Brought to you by Volvo USA.
