Old Europe Rising
Czech Republic president, Vaclav Klaus commenting on the EU as quoted in the Washington Times:The biggest challenge for the Czech Republic, Mr. Klaus said, is to avoid falling into the trap of "a new form of collectivism."..."The enemies of free societies today are those who want to burden us down again with layer upon layer of regulations," Mr. Klaus said. "We had that in communist times. But now if you look at all the new rules and regulations of EU membership, layered bureaucracy is staging a comeback."
Anti-American Conspiracy Theory Plays Big in Germany
From the UK Telegraph:A former German cabinet minister is drawing huge crowds and stoking the fires of popular anti-Americanism with a book arguing that the US government mounted the September 11 attacks in a plot to win global domination. Andreas von Bulow has gone further than Michael Meacher, Tony Blair's former environment minister, who was widely criticized for claiming that America knowingly failed to prevent the attacks. [November 20, 2003]
CNN’s “spokeswoman for al-Qaeda” Christiane Amanpour Mouths-Off
The Guardian [September 16, 2003] has some interesting insight into CNN's Christiane Amanpour who has claimed that CNN,...was "intimidated" by the Bush administration in its coverage of the war in Iraq. Amanpour said CNN was "muzzled" by a combination of the White House and the high-profile success of the controversial pro-war news network, Rupert Murdoch-owned Fox News.
No Amanpour. A "muzzle" is what Saddam would do to those who spoke against him, i.e., cut their tongues off, have their daughters raped, etc.
Neither is "high-profile success" a muzzle--it is the result of viewers judging Fox News's war-coverage as being more objective.
"...certainly television - and perhaps to a certain extent my station - was intimidated by the administration and its foot soldiers at Fox News. And it did, in fact, put a climate of fear and self-censorship in terms of the kind of broadcast work we did."
When asked by the interviewer if there had been a story that she had was "muzzled" from reporting on Amanpour said,
"It's not a question of couldn't do it, it's a question of tone. It's a question of being rigorous. It's a question of really asking the questions."
Talk about evading the question. In other words: No there was no censorship.
Truth is there were stories that CNN did not report on. Not out of deference to George Bush and the American government, but out of deference to Saddam Hussein and his Tyranny in Iraq (See Saddam Hussein's Real Ministers of Disinformation Come Out of the Closet).
...Jim Walton, president of CNN Newsgroup, denied that the network had been subject to undue influence. He is reported to have had a "private conversation" with Amanpour following her comments...A Fox News spokeswoman said: "It's better to be viewed as a foot soldier for Bush than spokeswoman for al-Qaeda."
Amanpour, who was embedded with the military during the Iraq conflict, was seen in a BBC documentary, Fighting the War, raging at British army chiefs because roving correspondents were getting better pictures than she was. "If you wish to go [with them] you can, but we won't re-embed you if you come back," she was told. Amanpour replied: "[That means] play by the rules or f??? off."
Peacemongers and America’s Leaders
The BBC quotes a Brit protesting Bush in London:"I hate the Americans, or rather I like the people but not any of their leaders. I was in the British Army during World War II and the Americans did nothing for two and a half years until they themselves were attacked at Pearl Harbour even though we were having a dreadful time, nothing has changed since then so that's why I'm marching today."
Translation: I hate American leaders because they are too selfish, and only risked their countrymen's lives in war to protect themselves.
Sigh. Only if that sentiment were true. [Hat Tip: B. Harburg-Thomson]
Come Together (with Apologies to the Beatles)
From Cox and Forkum:
Question to ponder: It is reported that over 100,000 bodies in the U.K. protested against George W. Bush--who freed the Iraqis' from the Middle East's version of Hitler/Stalin. Now why didn't those same bodies organize similar sized "protests" against other visitors to the UK, like Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, China's Jiang Zemin, Syria's Asaad, or the host of other real dictators?
- Answer to Bush's Question Peaceniks hate capitalism and freedom more than they do terrorism and dictatorship.Smashing Windows for Peace The goal of the protestors is to impose their anti-war tirades on a public that does not agree with them, and to do so by forcibly disrupting the lives of commuters, office workers, government officials and political opponents.
- They Hate Us, Too The hostility of the "anti-war" protestors is not toward war, nor even toward war with Iraq--but toward America and its philosophy of individualism.
- Thinking it Alone: U.S. Must Reject the Evil Doctrine of "Multilateralism" Military decisions are decisions about life and death--about what should be done to protect us from enemies who seek our destruction. If our leaders are to fulfill their obligation to defend our country, they must--starting with Iraq--reject the poison of "multilateralism" and replace it with the virtue of independent, rational judgment.
Dixie Chicks: Smart About Country Music, Ignorant About Free Speech
Some insight into the minds of country's leading female group as reported by MSNBC:As for President Bush, the group is still angry about a comment he made. President Bush: "The Dixie Chicks are free to speak their mind. They can say what they want to say and ... they shouldn't have their feelings hurt, just because some people don't want to buy their records when they speak out. I mean, you know, freedom is a two-way street."
[Jaime] Gangel: "When you heard the president say that how did you feel?"
[Natelie] Maines [of the Dixie Chicks]: "My heart sunk."
Gangel: "Because?"
Emily Robison [of the Dixie Chicks]: "He wasn't standing up for the principles that our country are founded on....Just what principle is that? Bush is correct in this context, freedom is a "two way street", i.e., just as the Dixie Chicks have the freedom to use their podium and fame to promulgate their views, others have the right to not pay for and support that podium. Someone should sit the girls with Kid Rock.
Further Reading: