The Razor

“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.”—Elizabeth Kubler Ross

I discussed the Schiavo case with my Wife (may Her name be praised!) over the weekend, and we really do not agree on this case. Usually the way this works is:

I’m wrong. I find independent verification that I’m wrong. I tell her that I’m wrong.

Then there are a few rare times this happens (and yes, it does happen. In some cases it takes years.)

I’m right. Wife continues believing I’m wrong. An event happens that proves I’m right. Wife is astonished that I’m right.

Well, I’m very comfortable in my skin with the feeling that I’m right about the Schiavo case. It all comes down to this:

Am I certain beyond a reasonable doubt (the criteria which I would use in a jury room to sentence a man to death) that Terry Schiavo is not alive and wants to die?

I can’t say that I am, so I have to take the next step, which is: Since death is irrevocable, continue the status quo until evidence arises that makes me want to answer “yes” to the above statement.

This has nothing to do with quality of life. It has nothing to do with marital rights. I don’t need to “trust” in “due process”.

When it comes to life vs death and there is some question about which path to choose, I say choose life.—————-
One more thing:
Notice how the Republicans stand by there principles and the Democrats compromise theirs (link)?

The Dems are whining that the Republicans are playing politics with this case. Given the strength of the Pro-Life movement in the Party, they really had no choice. But so what? If the Democrats felt so strongly about this issue, if they felt that Michael Schiavo should execute his wife, why didn’t they block the legislation that may end up saving her? Why did they compromise?

Democrats compromise their principles. Republicans do not. This yet one more reason why I don’t trust Democrats even when I agree with them on certain issues. I would much rather have Republican opponents who disagree with me than Democrats who support me – until it’s convenient to sell me out in the name of “compromise”.

You might disagree with Republicans 99% of the time, but when they are on your side you know that they won’t sell you out.

In case you are wondering, this is a lesson I learned the hard way over at the ITPAA.

Update: First day off – Here’s an op-ed in Opinion Journal about the case. Money quote: “He has fought the battle to kill her with a determination that at this point seems not single-minded or passionate but strange.” Got that right…

Over the next several days Terri Schiavo will be undergoing an execution that had it been levied upon a condemned man would be considered cruel and inhuman punishment.

Anyone who believes Terri should die should at least have the courage to place a pistol to her head and pull the trigger. Removing the feeding tube is murder – but its a coward’s method of killing.

Those who wish to execute Terri should at least be present to witness it. Think starvation is “painless” – fine: put your beliefs to the test.

I believe they should broadcast her death to the public. Let us see whether they are right and her death is painless.

But they won’t do that.

Cowards.

I hope that at the very least Terri’s death sets a precedent for capital punishment cases. The first person to be subjected to this new method of execution should be John Evander Couey.

And so help me, I’d better not hear a peep from those who support killing the feeble-minded but not child-killers.

My ancestors left The Continent beginning almost 200 years ago. Those that stayed ended up in the crematoria of the various concentration camps in Poland 65 years ago. So needless to say, I have never been a big fan of Europe and really don’t give a damn what they think about America and Americans. In fact I tend to take the view that if Europeans like Americans, then Jimmy Carter must be somewhere close by and we’re in deep doo-doo.

Italy is withdrawing it’s troops from Iraq (link). They say it has nothing to do with the shooting of the Italian secret service agent Nicola Calipari.

Right.

The good news is that I believe that Italy hung in there during the heavy lifting part of this operation. It remained steadfast after losing a sh*tload of people in a Nov 2003 car bomb attack. Sticking around for a year and a half after that means something, and I am not downplaying their contribution to this point. They paid in blood for standing by us, and I’ll remember that the next time Italy is in a jam and needs our help.

We are beginning to see a nation coming out of the mess that was Iraq, one with its own interests and axes to grind. Eventually there is going to come a day when Europe as a whole is going to have to face the Iraqi people and explain itself in several ways. Why did it support Saddam Hussein? Why did it refuse to participate in the liberation of Iraq when Europe itself had been liberated in a similar fashion? Why does it continue to pretend Iraq no longer exists?

The problem that will soon face the Italians is one that Spain is facing today: once you pull out your troops, you have effectively lost your bargaining power with the USA. In fact, you drop off the map. Take Spain for example. Once it withdrew its troops and elected a terrorist-appeasing government in reaction to a terror attack, it lost all credibility with the US.

What is important to Spain suddenly becomes irrelevant to America. Our diplomats might greet Spanish diplomats at dinner parties, but how often do you think President Bush thinks about that nation?

A similar thing will happen to Italy, although sticking it out for so long means something to the US and won’t be forgotten so quickly. But withdrawing troops means Italy has taken its cards off the table. It has nothing to play.

I believe that there is no longer any reason for American forces to be present in Europe at all, and especially in countries like Germany and Italy. Today there are over 12,000 US service men and women deployed in Italy. While Italy is no doubt considered a “cushy deployment”, I would bet that every single one of those people would rather be serving their nation at bases closer to home.

Europeans may not understand this fact, but they need to: We like it better here than over there. We’re a pretty un-imperial country for an “imperial power” because of that fact, and while we Americans may see a need to deploy troops abroad, we’d rather not.

So Italy can take its troops home knowing it did a good job for which we are grateful. But it shouldn’t get egotistical about it because it soon will be off our radar just like Spain is.

We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

John O’Neill is the man I hold most responsible for the defeat of John Kerry through his organization of the Swiftboat Veterans. Here is an interview with him from American Enterprise. Hat-Tip: Powerline

Powerline suggests he deserves the Medal of Freedom. I concur.

This liberal bias:

U.S. media coverage of last year’s election was three times more likely to be negative toward President Bush than Democratic challenger John Kerry, according to a study released Monday.

The annual report by a press watchdog that is affiliated with Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism said that 36 percent of stories about Bush were negative compared to 12 percent about Kerry, a Massachusetts senator.

Only 20 percent were positive toward Bush compared to 30 percent of stories about Kerry that were positive, according to the report by the Project for Excellence in Journalism.

Times Story here. Hat tip: Spiced Sass.

Money quote:

After the Korean War, the UN stood by and did nothing for four decades as some of the worst crimes against humanity were committed across and within borders. It did nothing when the Soviet Union imposed its will by force on Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Afghanistan. It did nothing to stop Pol Pot’s genocidal wars in South East Asia or the Indonesian cremation of East Timor. Just as Mao Zedong was busy executing anyone who expressed the slightest reservation about the wisdom of the Cultural Revolution, he was rewarded by being given a seat on the Security Council.

Well they have the “Sexy” part down, so wish them luck getting the “Democracy” and “Whisky” parts.

Money quote: ” Monday’s protest easily topped a pro-government rally of hundreds of thousands of people last week by the Shiite Muslim militant group Hezbollah. That show of strength forced the opposition to try to regain its momentum.”

More sexy freedom loving women! All Right…

According to the AP (courtesy of the Captains Quarters) the Italian Generals did or did not notify the US military of the “hostage rescue”. Sgrena’s story changes yet again.

Looked at from the very beginning, it’s clear the Italians are making up the story in retrospect. As for Sgrena, she has all the credibility of Michael Jackson denying his pedophilia.

The real truth according to Occam:
1. The Italians didn’t tell the Americans they were attempting to free Sgrena for fear we would prevent them from doing this.
2. Sgrena wasn’t kidnapped, and Calipari was shot to keep him from stating this to his superiors.

Given the complexity of the lies and denials coming out of Italy and Sgrena’s mouth, these two truths fulfill the requirements of Occam’s Razor and are therefore, most likely the truth.

So Gary Trudeau had Duke’s head explode upon learning about Hunter S. Thompson’s suicide.
It’s interesting. When I was young I used to think HST was a genius. As I’ve grown up, I’ve come to view him as a narcissistic drug addict.

The best quote I’ve seen about HST was, “Thompson used to be a journalist masquerading as a junky; then he became a junky masquerading as a journalist.”

So Trudeau blows up Dukes head. Is this supposed to be funny? Deep? Personally, I find the method of HST’s choice of suicide rather egotistical given that he shot himself with his grandson in the next room. Typical self-absorbed Baby-Boomer: doesn’t think about anyone else but himself.

Trudeau is the same way. He should have done what Watterson did with Calvin & Hobbes, or Larson of Far Side fame: hung up the pen before he jumped the shark.

But Trudeau jumped the shark a generation ago. Doonesbury should have died when Reagan was elected. Instead he’s written crap for over 24 years.

What Duke’s head exploding is supposed to mean is known only by Trudeau himself – like so much else of Doonesbury.

Hang up the pen, Trudeau.

Well, it took 8 long years but the credit card banks finally got what they wanted – a “reform” to the nation’s bankruptcy system. The Senate bill, which both Senators Biden and Carper in a show of bipartisanship supported, makes it much harder to declare Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and gives creditors much more power to liquidate the assets of Americans.

“The sooner we finish work in the Senate and get the bill to the House, the sooner our bankruptcy system will be focused as it should be on helping those with real need, and less vulnerable to abuse by consumers who have the ability to repay their debts,” said Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), the bill’s primary author.

And who are those in real need? Why the banks of course, most of which have offices in Delaware and give handsomely to both Democrat and Republican parties, including Senators Carper and Biden.

According to Consumers Union, which bitterly opposed the bill, Congress is set to protect the banks and those running them. For example, modest income debtors face harsh new barriers. Weighed down by unexpected medical bills or the loss of a job? Too bad. The banks need your house and car more than you.

However, should the CEO of that bank be thrown in jail or suffer hard times, he will still be able to declare Chapter 7 bankruptcy, since this legislation allows many affluent debtors to declare bankruptcy and keep multi-million dollar homes.

Even those who don’t own a home are made more vulnerable, since the bill makes it easier for residential landlords to evict a tenant who is in bankruptcy.

I am happy to hear that at a time in our history when America lives under a terror alert, our leaders have the time and energy to legislate against the true evil in our society – the American consumer – and protect those who truly need protection: America’s banks and the executives that run them.

Senators Biden and Carper should be so proud of themselves.

Powerline has a pic of the car that Sgrena says received 300 to 400 bullets from American soldiers:

Note the windshield is intact and has a single bullet hole (circled).

Do you believe that we are getting the full story?

More pics here - fortified with essential Sgrena lies!

I tell you, I am SOOOO SICK of the liberal media telling only one side of the story.
Betcha CNN didn’t show these signs at the Hesbollah (Hizballah? Hisbollah? EBOLA? Ebonics?) protest today:

Check out the guy’s wristband:

Nicola Calipari was an Italian secret service agent supposedly killed by US bullets after Giuliana Sgrena, a reporter for a communist newspaper in Italy who was supposedly kidnapped in Baghdad on Feb 4 (story).

Ms Sgrena believes that she was intentionally targeted by American troops. “The fact that they do everything to prevent the adoption of this practice to save the lives of people held hostage, everybody knows that,” she added, speaking to Sky TG24 television by telephone. “So I don’t see why I should rule out that I could have been the target.”

This is an extraordinary statement, one that she admits lacks proof of any kind.

Since she was willing to offer an extraordinary statement without any extraordinary proof to back it up, I thought I would issue my own:

Sgrena was not kidnapped at all, but instead was part of a plot to embarrass the pro-American Italian government by faking her kidnapping. When the Italian government actually “rescued” her, the plotters were forced to shoot the rescuer to keep him from talking. They therefore shot him at point blank range and then approached an American checkpoint in a wreckless manner to cover up the agent’s murder.

Like any good conspiracy theory, my theory weaves extraneous facts into a tight pattern.
1. Sgrena was anti-war to begin with. Being kidnapped served her agenda.
2. Being rescued did not.
3. Calipari died from a single gunshot wound to the temple. If you want someone dead, that’s the way to do it. And we are expected to believe that somehow, an American soldier fired that bullet into a moving car?

If so, why didn’t his head explode? If the bullet had come from a sniper, the power behind it would have showered everyone in the car with Capriari’s brains. Ditto 50 cal machine guns or any other type of ordinance the US would have used against a possible homicide bomber.

No mention of that – and you can bet that Sgrena would have made something of it had it occurred. Imagine it from the perspective of some boys manning the checkpoint.

There’s an out of control (according to Sgrena) car driving at you in hostile territory known for suicide car bombers. You are going to shoot at it with anything that stops the car. What stops cars tends to shatter skulls.

So my question remains: Why did Sgrena talk about Capriari breathing his last breath on her neck instead of being showered by his blood and brains?

4. Sgrena’s story is too neat. Facts are usually messy especially this close to their occurence, and the fact that she is reporting that when she was released her captors warned her that the Americans wanted her dead seems too convenient. It also seems too much of a product of her own preconceived notions. As one writer has said, if the Americans wanted her dead, she would be dead.

Also, the supposed celebrations of her release, followed by the drama of Calipari’s breathing his last breath on Sgrena’s face sounds too much like an Italian opera to me. It sounds contrived.

In summary, there’s more going on here than we know at this time. Something in this story smells.

Evidently I am not the only one thinking this (link).