Nov 11, 2003 | Dollars & Crosses
From Cox and Forkum:
Writes Allen Forkum: Today is the 50th anniversary of Veterans Day. You can learn more about here: VFW: Origins of Veterans Day. From Edwin A. Locke, Giving Real Meaning to Veterans Day: Fighting for Freedom is No Sacrifice:
Because human life is so precious, war should never be undertaken unless our rights are threatened. It is often said that our soldiers must sacrifice themselves for our country. This is precisely what we must not ask them to do. A sacrifice entails the surrender of a greater value for a lesser one. But if a man loses his life on the premise, "I would rather die than live in slavery," it is a tragic loss—but it is not a sacrifice. Such a man is acting in his own interests, to protect his most precious values.
Meanwhile, Democrats Use Veterans Day to Attack Bush.
Nov 10, 2003 | Dollars & Crosses
Since its founding in 1948 Israel has been under siege--courageously fending off hostile neighbors while defending itself against Arab terrorists. In a Mideast dominated by Arab monarchies, theocracies and dictatorships--Israel is a free country standing as the lone bastion of Western civilization in that region. Yet for decades Israel has faced growing international pressure--often led by the United States--to compromise with its enemies, and act against its self-interest. In this talk, Dr. Brook argues that the United States should unequivocally support Israel's effort at self-defense; that allowing Israel to rid itself of terrorist and foreign military threats is in America's best interests. Israel is our only true ally in the Mideast, and supporting it is the only moral thing for the United States to do.
The Moral Case for Supporting Israel
By Yaron Brook, Ph.D.
Tuesday, November 18, 7:30 PM
University of Southern California
3620 McClintock, Los Angeles, CA 90089
Seely G. Mudd (SGM) Building, Room 123
Q & A follows the lecture.
More information: aynrand@usc.edu
Yaron Brook is the best commentator on the Middle East that I know. He brings moral clarity better than any of the scholars in the field.--Editor
Nov 10, 2003 | Dollars & Crosses
From CBS' 60 Minutes:...part of the Palestinian leader's wealth was in a secret portfolio worth close to $1 billion -- with investments in companies like a Coca-Cola bottling plant in Ramallah, a Tunisian cell phone company and venture capital funds in the U.S. and the Cayman Islands. Although the money for the portfolio came from public funds like Palestinian taxes, virtually none of it was used for the Palestinian people; it was all controlled by Arafat...
...The stockpile went well beyond the portfolio. Arafat accumulated another $1 billion with the help of -- of all people -- the Israelis. Under the Oslo Accords, it was agreed that Israel would collect sales taxes on goods purchased by Palestinians and transfer those funds to the Palestinian treasury. But instead, Indyk says, "that money is transferred to Yasser Arafat...
...Palestinians certainly paid dearly for something else [Salam Fayyad, a former World Bank official] uncovered: a system of monopolies in commodities -- like flour and cement -- that Arafat handed out to his cronies, who then turned around and fleeced the public. Fayyad says it could accurately be seen as gouging his own people. "And especially in Gaza which is poorer, which is something that is totally unacceptable and immoral, actually."
Of all the monopolies, none was as lucrative or as corrupt as the General Petroleum Corporation, the one for gasoline. The corporation took the fuel it purchased from an Israeli company and watered it down with kerosene, not only defrauding the Palestinian drivers, but wrecking their car engines. Fayyad says the Petroleum Corporation charged exorbitant prices, and Arafat got a hefty kickback...
...There's yet another stash of money Arafat might be asked about: the funds he collected when he was chairman of the PLO in exile. The PLO's former treasurer told us he saw Saddam Hussein hand Arafat a $50 million check for supporting him during the first Gulf War. And there were other large gifts from the KGB and the Saudis. [Arafat's Billions, November 9, 2003]
Nov 8, 2003 | Dollars & Crosses
Afghanistan unveiled a post-Taliban draft constitution Monday....The draft starts by declaring that "Afghanistan is an Islamic Republic..."
"The religion of Afghanistan is the sacred religion of Islam. Followers of other religions are free to perform their religious ceremonies within the limits of the provisions of law," the draft states, according to an English translation provided by the government. While avoiding direct mention of Shariah, Islamic holy law, the draft states that "in Afghanistan, no law can be contrary to the sacred religion of Islam and the values of this Constitution." [Associated Press, 11/3/03]
Nov 7, 2003 | Dollars & Crosses
From the Las Vegas Review-Journal, October 24, 2003:UNLV students had a tough time grabbing a copy of the Rebel Yell before class Thursday morning. About 30 distribution stands for the campus newspaper were wiped out of the latest edition. The copies were tossed into several garbage bags and left in the University of Nevada, Las Vegas amphitheater, covered with a sheet that read, "Rebel Yell Wake Up." ...Student columnist Alexander Marriott is not surprised. ...He has been compared to Adolf Hitler and accused of supporting "genocide, rape and slavery." ...The comments came in response to Marriott's opinion piece, "Christopher Columbus, we salute you."... ["COLUMN BACKLASH: Outrage aimed at UNLV paper"]
From the Las Vegas Review-Journal, October 23, 2003:
[Alexander Marriott] was fired Monday following allegations he plagiarized his Sept. 29 column...Judkins said Marriott's column, "Christopher Columbus, we salute you," mirrors a 2002 Capitalism Magazine article, "Did Christopher Columbus Discover America?" written by Michael Berliner...
...Berliner said when he read Marriott's column in the Review-Journal, re-printed in the Oct. 12 opinion pages, he had no problem with the content. "It never struck me that it was plagiarism," he said. Berliner said no one from the Rebel Yell staff ever contacted him before or after firing Marriott. A former professor for 15 years at California State University, Northridge, he said he has graded enough essays to spot plagiarism. Berliner said he and Marriott seem to have similar beliefs, but different writing styles...Berliner said he sent an e-mail to Rebel Yell opinion editor Irene Marquette suggesting Marriott was fired for something other than plagiarism.
...Judkins said she reached her decision to fire Marriott after showing the printed version of the column to two UNLV professors, who compared it to Berliner's article. One was Cathy Scott, a part-time journalism instructor at UNLV. Judkins said she could not recall the name of the other professor who believed Marriott plagiarized. Scott, who has no official connection to the Rebel Yell, said several sentences seemed to be taken directly from Berliner, and the overall writing seemed too advanced for a college student... ["UNLV Rebel Yell columnist accused of plagiarism, fired"]
(This unnamed professor could be "English prof Jane Hafen" according to Las Vegas Review-Journal editorialist Thomas Mitchell, who was told that Hafen was an "instigator of the plagiarism charge.")
Here are some letters defending Alex.
From the Rebel Yell, November 5th, 2003:
A column by Rebel Yell columnist Alexander Marriott on Sept. 29 entitled "Christopher Colombus, We Salute You" was not plagiarized. Mr. Marriott has been reinstated to his position as staff columnist on the Rebel Yell. We apologize to Mr. Marriott for all inaccurate characterizations of his writing.
From the Las Vegas Review-Journal, November 06, 2003:
UNLV's student newspaper has apologized to newly reinstated columnist Alexander Marriott for its allegation that he committed plagiarism. The retraction, apology and notice of Marriott's reinstatement to the Rebel Yell was printed Wednesday. "We apologize to Mr. Marriott for all inaccurate characterizations of his writing," the statement reads...Berliner, an editor at the Ayn Rand Institute in California and a former professor, did not believe his work was appropriated by Marriott. Neither did Gary Peck, executive director of the ACLU of Nevada. The student newspaper's faculty adviser, Mary Hausch, also questioned the allegation. Judkins resigned last week. ["UNLV writer accepts apology from Rebel Yell"]
Writes Megan Lee in the Rebel Yell:
The overall attitude that I have found on this campus consists of a few basic principles. Mostly it is multiculturalism to a ridiculous extent, a very biased denial of the validity or importance of any invention, discovery or idea founded by someone who was not a female or a minority, and the quick silencing of anyone who thinks differently. These attitudes are not conducive to a freethinking university and in my opinion are contradictory to themselves. How can it be that all thoughts are considered to have merit, except for those that differ from a vastly, dare I say, left wing prejudice? We are so concerned about what is politically correct that we do not care what is correct or fair any longer...What kind of a society have we become if in the middle of a university-the place where all things are supposed to be questioned and all thought is supposed to be free-all opposing opinions or conservative voices can be silenced simply because they do not agree with the status quo?
...It's time that the student body understood that stifling the ideas of others makes them no better than their opinion of the man that Mr. Marriott originally thanked. And so, Alexander Marriott, though I have never met you, I salute you for bringing to the surface a problem that has been plaguing our university. I only hope that others who have been bullied, shouted and threatened to silence will once again be able to find their voice and bring back the diversity that makes us a forum for free thought.
Alexander Marriott also writes for Capitalism Magazine.
Related Articles:
Christopher Columbus, We Salute You by Alexander Marriott
The legacy of Columbus was not death and destruction.
Did Christopher Columbus "Discover" America? by Michael Berliner
It was Columbus' discovery for Western Europe that led to the influx of ideas and people on which America was founded--and on which it still rests.
The Real Museum Looters by Keith Lockitch
Iraqi Museum Looting Pales in Comparison to Broad-Daylight Attacks on Western Civilization by Multiculturalists
The Absurdities Underlying Multiculturalism by Walter Williams
For the multiculturist/diversity crowd, culture, ideas, customs, arts and skills are a matter of racial membership where one has no more control over his culture than his race. That's a racist idea but it's politically correct racism. It says that one's convictions, character and values are not determined by personal judgement and choices but genetically determined. In other words, as yesteryear's racists held: race determines identity.
