Around the Web on July 17th
Jul 17th, 2008 | By E.D. Kain | Category: SententiaRoland Dodds, of “But I Am a Liberal” warns us secular (I wont’ say moderate) conservatives against a Jindal vice-presidential ticket:
Jindal is a member of the Republican Study Committee (RSC), a group of right wing Republicans. The groups is in favor of the Marriage Amendment Act which would make gay marriage a constitutionally forbidden act, and believed the government should intervene in the Terri Shivo case. The man is a supporter of “intelligent design theories,” and has advocated that they be used as an alternative theory in public science classrooms. I can’t begin to explain how how foolish this really is, and I don’t plan to debate it here. I will say that anyone who believes spiritual beliefs should replace the scientific method in a class that is based on that very procedure is a moron, a shameless politician playing to their base of support, or a deluded individual that has little understanding of what the scientific method really entails.
Add to this Jindal’s lack of experience, and you begin to see just how utterly nonsensical it would be for McCain to pick him. Roland’s alternative?
Now, I like Lieberman a lot. He’s extremely principled and very smart–and a great pick for national security, support of Israel, and American centrists. But of course, it’ll never happen…McCain, sadly, will more than likely pander to the “base” which for some reason means appeasing the religious right despite their lack of anything even remotely resembling true conservatism.
Tidbits
The New Centrist gives us an interesting selection of opinions on the prisoner exchange between Israel and the terrorist group Hezbollah.
Added Bob From Brockley to my Links page. In fact, I thought I’d done this already, but I guess I was wrong…Apparently he is blogging too much as well…
Harry’s Place has given a somewhat tepid “thank you” to my efforts at rallying the blogs around him. Admittedly, I’m not a fan of the really, really hateful anti-Islamic sites either, but I think Harry could have been just a bit more gracious.
Much of the backing comes as a result of an item posted by Glenn Reynolds at the very popular right-of-center blog Instapundit, who linked to a “Support Harry’s Place Blogburst” set up by the conservative blog NeoConstant. Although I haven’t done a thorough review of all the blogs that have signed up, at a glance they appear to be overwhelmingly on the political right. In most cases, I have no problem with this– for the most part I welcome the support of anyone who opposes the BMI’s dishonest efforts to suggest that we deliberately misconstrued the meaning of what Al-Jazeera originally reported Sawalha as saying about the Jews in London celebrating Israel’s 60th anniversary. (I hope they would all be equally supportive if, for some reason, we were being unfairly sued by Mark Steyn or Rush Limbaugh, but I live in the real world.)
However there appear to be some anti-Muslim hate sites on this list– this one, for example– whose support we can easily manage without. In fact I would be quite pleased if those blogs would remove themselves from our list of supporters. We have no more use for their support than we would for support from racist or antisemitic sites.
Colonel Robert Neville had a few things to say about Harry’s response, and managed to describe NeoConstant as “grovelling” which didn’t entirely please me. (This because I removed Texas Fred from the list after he called illegal immigrants “wetbacks” and some site called Islam Idiot after Harry mentioned they were a hate site). Guess you can’t please everyone.
Guess I don’t really give a damn.
And so the blogging world rumbles on…
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Kain's major subjects of focus at NeoConstant are international strategy; support of Israel; the failure of the international community to stop genocide; the spread of American power and democracy; historical analysis; and current events both domestically and abroad. He writes here, Newsvine and his blog, IndiePundit.
“Much of the backing comes as a result of an item posted by Glenn Reynolds at the very popular right-of-center blog Instapundit, who linked to a “Support Harry’s Place Blogburst” set up by the conservative blog NeoConstant.”
Well, I like that! You already had a LOT of bloggers on the burst before the Instalanche, which, admittedly, brought in lots more. But still.
“(I hope they would all be equally supportive if, for some reason, we were being unfairly sued by Mark Steyn or Rush Limbaugh, but I live in the real world.)”
Backhanded thanks. And since when would Mark or Rush sue a blog for anything?
Well, E.D., you did the right thing, standing up for Harry’s Place even so. Speaking for myself, I’m glad to have my name on the blogburst regardless. People need to be shown that someone can stand up for their rights even if they disagree with them. Will the sentiment be reciprocated? We’ll see.
Eowyns last blog post..New JibJab’s up!
Thanks, Eowyn. I agree–it was “backhanded thanks” but I suppose it really doesn’t matter. Doing the right thing, as they say, isn’t really about the thanks. And hey, I got my 15 minutes from Instapundit, so how can I complain?
Thanks for your support. I look forward to continuing to read your blog!
All the best,
E.D.
E.D. Kains last blog post..Around the Web on July 17th
Dear Neoconstant:
First of all thanks for the great and nuanced comments and for not being too offended. I very, very much enjoyed ‘em.
I hope I wasn’t too out of line with the er, “grovel” thing. I maybe should have qualified that I think your site is a damn good piece of work, and as Eowyn said, you deserve congrats for your efforts. [Also I modified the er, unpleasantness!]
Anyway, I maybe should have been less forward. So I do apologise in my feeble way. It’s pretty hip that you were still gracious. Come on, I know ya do give a damn, quite frankly, my dear!
Having said that, I never mind harsh critiques on myself, in fact I relish them, especially if I’m wrong, and especially if they’re rude! I know, hard to believe, but apparently sometimes I am wrong…
It’s all part of the old cut ‘n thrust. The same as you, I’ve never been much of a hater kinda guy.
The other thing about “trashing” Islam, is that nothing trashes Islam like Islam itself.
There is no good or admirable part to be discovered. The whole thing from the founder Mohammad, to the Krazy Koran and Islam itself, [which are all actually one and inseparable] are appalling in every way and plain nuts.
Mohammad was a historically significant figure of evil and insanity, like Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot, Stalin, Charles Manson or Nancy Pelosi.
There is no authentic Islamic aspect that can connect with any idea of reason or normality, because reason and normalty are not what Islam is about. Reason and normailty are to Islam, blasphemous.
Mohammad and Allah are one and all that’ has ever been. Any deviation is to be destroyed. Everything is preordained and proscribed. Everything is the will of Alah.
Therefore, the logic that follows is that every and any act by a true Muslim, is meant to be, like 9/11, beheading Daniel Pearl, rapng a nine year old or shooting your own Mother.
Lie, and the lie was meant to be, cos why and how could Allah be contradicted? He can’t. It’s an incredibly mad and diabolical piece of circular logic, I grant you.
Islam is a total and terrifying memeplex that covers all bases. Quite ingenious really, just like Dachau.
In the end, like Nazism, Communism and daihorea, it deserves nothing but ridicule and contempt, and if found in ones bed so to speak, a natural revulsion.
“Nurse! The sheets!”
No one has ever been able to present to me, a single unique, positive and useful idea in it. Once one removes the violence, what is there? Fraud, contradictions and absurdly convoluted, turgid nonsense.
Yep, there are many millions of decent Muslims. That’s because they often possess little insight into their own faith, as it’s preached in Arabic, and ‘interpreted’ through the local Imam.
A good Muslim to us, is someone who is not following the clear teachings of Mohammad, the Koran and Islam, but is going with their own more acceptable little bag of selection. Leaving out the Jew killing helps a little.
In Islam and for a large proportion of Muslims, a good Muslim is bad for us as it can ONLY be a Muslim who follows Mohammads empirical dreadful and violent example.
There are several kinds of Muslims who may appear good to us, and may be. The naive, the un-indoctrinated, the misinformed, the deluded, the ignorant, the disingenuous, the deceptive and apostates, often known as secular, Christian, Hindu or whatever.
Thus a good Muslim, is not actually a Muslim. The singular duty of every true Muslim is to spread Islam by any means. A Muslim who doesn’t do this, is a heretic and an enemy of Mohammad/Islam and the Koran.
Whacky I know, but that’s what passes for laughs and reason when you start with a harsh desert doctrine from the 7th century.
I have a simple phrase that holds, and I have waited oh so long, for any effective and empirical evidence to the contrary. Islam sucks.
All the very best to you Neoconstant and I will add your very worthy efforts to swingin’ links, even if you may find it a little uncomfortable what I’m saying. I love the way you’ve laid it out like a broadsheet. Truly adult and excellent.
Again, sorry if I was a bit of a wild colonial bore.
Colonel Neville.
Colonel Neville.s last blog post..I said hang them from the yard arm, Mr Jackson!
Colonel Neville–
Thank you for the apology, though really it wasn’t necessary. Mostly I was reacting first and thinking later. It is very easy to see how I could be taken as groveling.
Regarding Islam, I entirely agree. The less Muslim a Muslim the better. The closer a Muslim gets to the true practice of Islam, the more violent and unreasonable they become. Hence, we need to do our best to oust extremists–make it harder for Islam to be practiced in this manner.
The only point I was making is that when a site comes across as too hateful, too angry, too focused on just blasting Islam left and right, it does little good. Far more effective is the well reasoned and documented approach of, say, Jihad Watch.
Equally ineffectual is the half-assed pandering one sees at sights like Harry’s Place–where good work begins, but drivels off into apologies. Who on earth asks if being a dhimmi is a bad thing???
In any case, all the best! I appreciate your stopping by, and rest assured I will frequent your site as well, as it is soon to be a link on my Links page….
E.D. Kains last blog post..Around the Web on July 17th