The Razor

Proof why people shouldn’t touch our Constitution unless freeing slaves. For the lazy, it’s a discussion on a proposed amendment in 1912 to ban “forever” marriages between negroes “and other people of color” with caucasians. For Libertarians and other lovers of freedom it’s hard to believe.

There were 12 amendments to the Constitution in the 20^th century. Of these only 2 have merit:
Amendment XIX – Women’s Right to Vote (1920)
Amendment XXIV – Poll Tax (1964)

The others, if you ask me, could have been decided by the legislature. Two of the amendments – prohibition and its repeal – are wastes, and proof why people should not be allowed to get their hands on the document while they are all hot and bothered about an issue.

What seems of utmost importance today may not be tomorrow. Think Flag Burning. Yeah, people had their panties in a twist over that at one time.

As millions of Americans consider whether Mel Gibson’s latest film, The Passion, is anti-Semitic for spreading the “blood libel” that the Jews are responsible for murdering Jesus, we believe that it may be time for the world’s Christian community to accept responsibility for the death of 6 million Jews during the Holocaust 60 years ago.

For example, consider the following evidence against the Catholic Church.

1. Although informed of the massive Nazi attacks of synagogues and Jewish business in on Kristallnacht 1938-NOV, Pope Pius XII issued no public criticism.

2. Although informed during 1940 to 1943 of Nazi atrocities in at least Austria, Lithuania, Poland, Spain, and the Ukraine, (including deportations to death camps) he made no public comments.

3. Pope Pius XII never explicitly spoke out against Hitler until the war was over, condemning Hitler in a speech to the College of Cardinals one month after the war ended.

4. He refused to join a resolution of the Allies condemning the Nazi crimes.

5. He never excommunicated any Nazi, although he did excommunicate some German Catholics who supported cremation as an alternative to burial.

6. He never declared it a sin for Catholics to participate in the slaughter.

7. In 1941 when asked about proposed anti-Jewish laws in Vichy France, Pius XII answered that the church condemned racism, but did not repudiate every rule against the Jews. (source)

The Protestant community can also be held accountable for the following reasons:

“Catholics and Protestants at first embraced the new German order. Germany was regaining international prestige, the economy improving thanks to growing overseas support.³⁶ Industrialists like Henry Ford invested heavily in the new Reich. German Christians also looked to the Nazis for a revival of “Christian” values to help counter the rise of nontheism. Most welcomed the Nazis’ elimination of chronic public strife by terrorizing, imprisoning, and killing the fast-shrinking German Left. The leftists had long been despised by traditionalists, who composed four fifths of the population. The state purged a far higher proportion of atheists than traditional Christians. In newspapers and newsreels the Nazis proudly publicized their new concentration camps. Reports sanitized the camps’ true nature, but no one could mistake that they were part of a new police state—to which most German followers of Jesus raised no objection. The very high rate of “legal” executions reported in the press also met with mass indifference or positive approval.

Far from being hapless victims, the great bulk of German Christians joined, eagerly supported, collaborated with, or accommodated to a greater or lesser degree, the new tyranny.” (source)

If Christian zealots are putting up signs that say this…

Maybe Jews should consider making a movie about Pope Pius XII.

We support the right of Mel Gibson to make his movie, but we also support the right of Jews to make a movie in response. For if Jews are indeed responsible for the Passion, then by that line of reasoning the Christians bear responsibility for the Holocaust.

Which is more obscene:
A) The Howard Stern Show – which you can choose not to listen to
B) Clear Channel – owning 1200 stations making the decision for you

Here’s two words to help you with your decision: satellite radio

The other day while looking for a parking spot at the local supermarket I saw a car with the Vietnam service bars bumpersticker and the license plate "Tet Vet". There’s a photo of me as a tot somewhere wearing a jacket with the slogan on the back that reads "Fighters by day, lovers by night, drunkards by choice, ready to fight. Cu-Chi". Vietnam vets hold special places in the hearts of the Machiavelli Clan, considering that we have a few of them still kicking up a fuss at the family gatherings.

We’ve added links to this website, WinterSoldier.com, because we believe that it raises some important issues about a man who wants to be the most important man in the world. Brought to you courtesy of the radicals at FreeRepublic.com.

Even though he never responds to our emails, we completely support Andrew Sullivan’s position on the Gay Marriage issue.

Even if you don’t, a conservative BY DEFINITION conserves, and that means:

Unless you are freeing slaves, Never EVER F*** with the Constitution.

Since announcing his support of an amendment to define marriage, the President has also stated his support for a constitutional amendment to define “built-to-order sandwiches filled with fresh meats and cheeses, as well as lettuce, tomatoes and onions, topped off with a dash of oregano on an Italian roll” as a “hoagie“.

White House Press Secretary Scott McClelland said the move was necessary after a recent study published by Harvard found that over 77% of Americans answered “sub” to the question: “What do you call the long sandwich that contains cold cuts, lettuce, and so on.”

“The President believes deeply in this issue,” McClelland stated after the speech, excerpted below:

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“After more than two centuries of American jurisprudence and millennia of human experience, a few judges and local authorities are presuming to change the most fundamental institution of the sandwich – the hoagie. Their actions have created confusion on an issue that requires clarity.

On a matter of such importance, the voice of the people must be heard. Activist courts have left the people with one recourse. If we’re to prevent the meaning of a long sandwich that contains cold cuts, lettuce, and so on from being changed forever, our nation must enact a constitutional amendment to protect “hoagies” in America. Decisive and democratic action is needed because attempts to call it anything else in a single state or city, such as “grinder”, “poorboy” and “bomber”, could have serious consequences throughout the country.”

Afterward, believing the microphone had been turned off, the President turned to his wife, Laura, and said, “And what (expletive deleted) bunch of nuts calls the thing a ‘baguette’ anyway?”

- Thanks to Scrappleface for the inspiration.

According to this Fox Story, President Bush has called for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage because the nation must defend “the most fundamental (sic) of civilization.”

are some of our favorite instutitions of civilization:
1. PJ O’Rourke
2. South Park
3. Dave Chappell
4. The Economist
5. Dennis Miller
6. Mel Brooks
7. Baseball
8. WFB jr
9. Steven Den Beste
10. Women without burkas.

Rest assured that should any of these instutitions need defense, we will not call for a constitutional amendment. A large caliber weapon maybe, but not a constitutional amendment…

They’re here, they’re queer, get over it.

Ko-an for the day:

American Express

is the largest employer in India and a big job destroyer in the US. Shouldn’t it change its name toExpress? If it did, would that mean AMEX would become INDEX?

Ommmmmmmmmmmmmm

This story about a Nazipalooza in Arizona is both funny and chilling. It starts with a story about a Hispanic kid who apparently doesn’t quite fully understand the message of hate. Money quote goes to Tommy Metzger, Fuhrer-in-Charge, or rather to the shirt he was wearing: “Some People Are Alive Simply Because It’s Illegal to Kill Them”. You got that right Tommy. Now stand still, my aim ain’t all that good!

I was part of the US punk scene during the early 1980s – before it merged with metal and then splintered off into hate-metal. My feelings can be summed up by this 1980s toe-tapping classic by the Dead Kennedys:

You still think swastikas look cool
The real nazis run your schools
Teachers, businessmen and cops
In a real fourth reich you’ll be the first to go

Nazi punks
Nazi punks
Nazi punks?Fuck Off!

Have you ever noticed that people like their Republican presidents old and patrician, and their Democratic presidents young and eager? I got to thinking about this while listening to Edwards’ victory speech in Wisconsin on Feb 17th and considering why he appeals to me and Kerry doesn’t. Kerry is old, and he comes across as William F Buckley jr. spouting populism – although WFB would be much more interesting and point the air with his pen a lot more. Kerry seems about as fake meeting average Americans as a white guy from Harvard trying to act street with his "homies". Kerry seems uncomfortable, and worse, he makes me feel uncomfortable watching him. It’s almost like his element is, for better or worse, the Senare and Martha’s Vineyard two enclaves that most Americans simply don’t relate to very well.

Now consider Clinton. He was young and energetic – just like Kennedy (and we later learned WAY TOO MUCH like Kennedy) – but he was elected to two terms. Contrast that with Mondale and Dukakis – two older, barely "middle-aged" guys who looked more like furniture salesmen than presidents. Mondale made a pretty good ambassador to Japan, and Dukakis? I don’t know – but I do hope that it didn’t involve a tank.

On the other side of the aisle, there was Nixon. Let’s face this fact: Nixon is the true "Accidental President" – even more so than Bush. In 1968 Tricky Dick benefited from Johnson’s refusal to stand for office. Had the Vietnam War gone better, he would have run and most likely won. After that, Sirhan Sirhan made sure that another Kennedy wouldn’t make it to the Oval Office – insuring that Nixon would walk away with the presidency later that year. However Nixon was young for a Republican, especially compared Barry Goldwater and Dwight Eisenhower. People never trusted him in the same way had he been older.

Ford also was a bit of an accidental president – needing Nixon to become president, Spiro Agnew to resign and for a group of "plumbers" to be caught in the Watergate Hotel. Had any of these events not occurred, there would be no President Ford, and no Chevy Chase sketches from the 1970s.

Then of course, we have Reagan. Reagan was the ultimate personification of patrician. He was witty, self-assured yet self-deprecating, kind of like the grandfather that many Americans wish they always had.

Bush is no Reagan, and his ascent to the Presidency hasn’t been forgotten – especially by active Democrats. What the Dems need to do is to consider this:
In the event of Kerry v Bush, Bush will win. Kerry just doesn’t have the charm or charisma that is needed for people to view him as a winner. They will see him as another Mondale or Dukakis, and he will lose.

In the event of Edwards v Bush, Edwards will win. He is young, he is inexperienced, and he will become the screen for everyone’s fantasy for what a Democratic president should be. There will be positive comparisons to Clinton and Kennedy. His inexperience won’t be that big of an issue – look at Bush – and he will no doubt surround himself with wiser and steadier hands at the various helms of government offices.

Forget the issues. Forget the intellectual reasons to support Kerry. Given the opportunity, voters will go for their hearts and dreams. Edwards will win in Edwards v Bush – whether you want him to or not.

The Democrats should take notice. Given the opportunity, Edwards will win. Just remember that we at The Razor predicted it all along.

Evidently the Coast Guard nabbed them and will send them back to Cuba. Too bad Luis and Marciel didn’t tell them they were Java coders: the government would have issued them H-1b visas and IBM would have hired them at $1/day. Oh well. Excellent effort guys.

I’ve been contemplating Dean’s demise for several days now. I think that his candidacy will be replayed over and over in candidate war-rooms and in domestic politics classes for years to come. I have never seen a flameout as grand as Dean’s and for once in many months I am simply left speechless.

Here’s a website filled with articles on the Dean candidacy and its blazing trail across the Winter sky.

Andrew Sullivan expresses the way I feel about Dean. Money quote: (Dean)"I think the problem with the Democratic Party in general is that they’ve been so afraid to lose they’re willing to say whatever it takes to win. And once you’re willing to say whatever it takes to win, you lose."

Would I vote for Dean? At this point: No. However would a Dean v. Bush brawl be good for the country? Absolutely.

Here’s something that you don’t see very often.

Cubans Trying to Reach Florida in Floating Car
Money quote: “The car is very safe.”

For those of you who don’t know, if they touch the beach – they get asylum. If they are caught offshore, they get sent back.

I say “Go guys Go!” Anybody who is ingenius enough to do this deserves asylum. Hell, my guess is that they could get a job at Monster Garage.