Today’s Independent World, which I am assuming is a UK paper, has an an interesting article on Father Patrick Desbois, a 53-year-old French priest, who is documenting for the world the slaughter enacted by the Nazi mobile death squads, the feared Einsatzgruppen, which roamed and murdered Jews and Gypsies with impunity in the remote villages of the former Soviet Union between 1941 and 1944.

For the last 10 years the priest and his helpers have painstakingly gathered the testimony of the survivors of this period. 

The article points out that:

“Today these witnesses have grown old and infirm and many are already dead. Living in countries where the average life expectancy for a man is little more than 60 years, those who experienced first-hand the Nazi genocide in Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and Ossetia are steadily dying out. When they are gone, Father Desbois fears, so too will the memory of what they saw – and with it a truth which exists only in the conscience of Europe’s poorest people.”

This is a story that needs to be told.  These were not the cold, impersonal gas chambers and ovens of Poland, these were mass slaughters of people followed by mass burials (in some cases of people still alive). 

The article is hard to read.  It’s hard to believe that men can treat other men so badly, but it is worth reading because it is a part of history that has not been widely told. 

According to the article Father Desbois has stated that:

“The reason for taking up this work is simple: to restore the dignity of the uncounted and largely unmourned dead who were slaughtered and piled into pits like animals, and to allow the Kaddish – the Jewish prayer of mourning – to be recited over their final resting places. But there is another reason too; to prevent a repeat of the Holocaust.”

Thank you, Father Desbois, for revealing a part of history that needs to be revealed.

There is an obituary in today’s Telegraph.co.uk that is fascinating.  It is the story of Wing Commander Tim Fairhurst, who died on April 25th of this year. In the summer of 1942, Wing Commander Fairhurst flew one of three Spitfires fitted with cameras, but with their guns removed to allow extra fuel tanks to be installed, on a  a top-secret mission in the Arctic to track down the German North Sea Fleet, which was known to be operating in the waters north of Norway.  Their first destination was Vaenga, 170 miles inside the Arctic Circle.

According to the obituary:

“The RAF ground party met the Spitfires at Vaenga, where the RAF roundels on the aircraft were replaced with red stars. On September 10, Fairhurst took off on the first operational sortie and headed for the fjords of northern Norway with the prime object of locating the battleship Tirpitz. He photographed the capital ships Scheer and Hipper and the cruiser Koln, but the Tirpitz had been moved further south. Over the next few weeks, Fairhurst and his two pilots continued to keep track of the ships as the convoy PQ 18 headed for Murmansk. One of the Spitfires was shot down with the loss of its pilot.”

These are the stories of the greatest generation–the men who fought in World War II to preserve our freedom.  Today we salute them all. 

Power Line has a post today on the appearance of Senator Richard Durbin on Meet The Press yesterday explaining the differences between President Obama’s approach to military commissions and President Bush’s approach.  The article is based on a National Review Online article by Andy McCarthy explaining that there really are no differences between the two policies.

The Power Line article points out:

“Moreover, McCarthy reminds us that a major reason why there have not more convictions by military commissions is the delay caused by the legion of volunteer American defense attorneys who ground the system to a halt by various court challenges.” Another reason is the fact that Obama himself stopped the pending commissions against 21 terrorists (trial was imminent in several cases) so he could first “study” them and, now, propose these illusory “changes.

Sen. Durbin is not known for being constrained by facts. However, the liberties he has been forced to take on this issue demonstrate the utter lack of merit in his underlying position that Obama’s commissions are legitimate where Bush’s weren’t.”

One of the most frustrating things about being an American right now is that you can’t depend on anything you see on a network news show to be the truth.  Now, more than ever, voters have to take the responsibility to inform themselves as to what is actually going on in our country and our government.  Most media outlets are making that more of a challenge that it should be.  The key to a healthy democracy (yes, I realize that we are a representative republic) is a well-informed citizen and voter.  If our media outlets continue to misinform us, we cannot successfully do our duty as citizens. 

This year we are saying goodbye to more of the veterans of World War II.  They are in their 90’s or approaching 90, and we lose more of them every day.  The Korean War veterans  are in their 70’s now, and the Viet Nam veterans are in their 60’s now.  Our new generation of war veterans ranges in age from eighteen to fifty.  We are grateful to all of you who are still with us, and we are grateful to all of your comrades who did not come home.  Thank you to all those who made the ultimate sacrifice (and to their families) and to all those (and their families) who continue to sacrifice so that we can be safe and free at home.  God bless you all.

According to today’s New York Post, yesterday was the first day of the new program of banning automobile traffic on Broadway between 42nd Street and 47th Street.  The idea behind this move is that the angle of Broadway creates odd-angled intersections in the city which congest traffic, so closing down Broadway entirely to automobiles will help the traffic throughout the city flow more smoothly.  This I’ve gotta see!

Yesterday traffic was moving well through the area, but it was a Sunday afternoon on a holiday weekend.  There are definitely doubts about how the area will look during commuter hours.  This will be interesting to watch.  I have a daughter who works in New York City, so I am counting on her to check in with me tomorrow and tell me how this program has actually impacted the traffic situation.

Friday’s Investor’s Business Daily ran an editorial concerning the energy policies of the current administration.  Daniel Yergin, chairman of HIS-CERA, testified before the Joint Economic Committee of Congress last week.  He pointed out that in the past year in regard to energy prices we have experienced a ‘demand shock’ caused by rising global demand.  We have also experienced a ‘recession shock’ caused by falling demand due to the global recession.  He is predicting a “long aftershock” in our future with high demand returning with a vengeance along with a global economic recovery, leaving those who buried their heads in the oil sands in the economic lurch.

Energy is a national security issue as well as an environmental issue.  I am not in favor of pollution, but I am also on the record as a skeptic in terms of man being responsible for any climate change.  To close our eyes and refuse to develope our own fossil fuel resources is economic and national suicide. 

According to the editorial:

“The U.S. and Canada together hold 15% of the world’s proven reserves, and that’s not even including the potential of American oil shale and Canadian oil sands — which are massive.”

There are places in southern California where oil is so plentiful underground that they have a problem with it seeping above ground and polluting.  Think what California could do by capturing that oil and refining it for use within the state!  It would create jobs and tax revenue. 

I am not opposed to ‘green’ energy, but right now we are a carbon-based economy, and to close our eyes to that fact is very unwise.   

AlertNet which is part of Reuters has a story today about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refusing a US request to halt settlements in the occupied West Bank.  There are a few things here that need to be looked at.

1.  If giving up the West Bank would bring peace, where was that peace in 1967 when the Arabs had that land and attacked Israel anyway?

2.  Why are we calling it the ‘occupied’ West Bank?  Is Texas our ‘occupied’ southern border?

According to the article:

“Half a million Jews live in settlement blocs and smaller outposts built in the West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem, all territory captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East War.”

Does anyone remember that Israel was originally given that land?  The Arab countries invaded Israel in 1948 (as soon as Israel became a nation) and took that land away from them.  The borders of Israel today much more resemble the United Nations mandate than the borders of Israel before the 1967 war, why are we asking them to give land back that was taken away from them as soon as they became a country?

The above map is from the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

This is the land originally set aside for the nation of Israel at the San Remo Conference in 1920.  A large part of that land was later given to Jordan.  Has any other country in the world ever been treated so badly as to have had their promise of a homeland cut by more than half and then have the world ask that they give more of it up?

This is a map of Israel after the six-day war in 1967.  This map is also from the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  The Sinai was given back to Egypt after the Israel-Egypt peace treaty in1979 following the Camp David Accords of 18 September 1978.  There have not been terrorist attacks from Egypt in Israel since that time–in fact Egypt has done what it could to stop weapons smuggling into Gaza through tunnels in Egypt.  That is the difference between what peace between Israel and Egypt is and what would not be peace between Israel and a country called Palestine.

Another thing we might remember is that when Israel is in charge of Jerusalem, all the religions of the world have access to their religious sites; when the Arabs were in charge of Jerusalem, Israelis did not have access to the wailing wall–one of their sacred sites–or other historic and religious sites.  It seems as if both sides are not playing by the same rules.

Land for peace has not worked so far, why do we think it will work in the future?

This is what the new ‘smart car’ looks like after a collision.

Do you really want better gas economy at the expense of your life?

The picture is from the American Thinker.

According to yesterday’s Rasmussen Reports, 77 % of American voters see unwillingness to cut government spending as a bigger problem than resistence to tax hikes!  Just 28% of all voters say that increasing government spending will help the economy.  Seventy-nine percent (79%) of Republicans and 61% of unaffiliated voters believe increased government spending hurts the economy.  49% of Democrats think more government spending is good for the economy, while just 27% say it hurts.  83% of the ‘Political Class’ believes increased  government spending helps the economy.  52% of voters now believe they pay more than their fair share of taxes. However, 54% of the Political Class disagree.

If these statistics are accurate, the 2010 elections should be very interesting!

It’s Memorial Day weekend–not just the official beginning of summer or a day for shopping or cookouts–Memorial Day–the day we remember the price that was paid for our freedom and honor those who paid that price.

Maybe because I was part of a high school graduating class that had to choose between college or Viet Nam, Rolling Thunder (even though I have never been on a Harley) is a very special organization to me.  Over the years, these sometimes rather scary Harley riders have gathered in Washington to bring attention to verteran’s issues, active duty military concerns, and POW issues.  There are thousands of them and they have touched people from all walks of life. 

According to an article in today’s Washington Times:

“In past years, former President George W. Bush welcomed Rolling Thunder members Harley Davidson choppers and all in the driveway of the White House. The event became somewhat of a ritual; last year Mr. Bush was inducted into Rolling Thunder as an honorary member and accepted a cowhide biker vest. Bush administration officials and top military brass made a regular practice of riding with Rolling Thunder, tricked out in biker gear.”

This year things were a little different.  President Obama met briefly with representatives from Rolling Thunder on Friday afternoon.  The meeting was described as brief but cordial.

President Obama plans to spend the weekend with his family at Camp David.

I don’t begrudge the President time off spent with his family, but he lost an opportunity to remind all of us of the reason for the long weekend.  I worry that this administration does not seem to appreciate the heritage of America and how we got here.  Filling the White House driveway with Harley-Davidsons would have been a great start!

According to yesterday’s Providence Journal, the Tarbox motors family has asked the Obama administration to reconsider closing their dealerships.  Tarbox Jeep is a third-generation, famility owned business in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.  The dealership ranked 365th out of 3,200 dealerships nationwide at the end of March (in the top 12 % nationwide).

If the dealership closes, the state of Rhode Island will lose 55 direct jobs, $3 million in payroll and more than $2.2 million in sales tax.  Rhode Island in April 2009 had an unemployment rate of 11.1, the fourth highest in the nation.  Closing a successful car dealership does not seem like a wise move on any level.

Governor Carcieri of Rhode Island has sent a letter to President Obama stating the following:

“While you have stated this plan will give Chrysler ‘a new lease on life,’ what it does is favor the [United Auto Workers union] by giving them 55-percent majority ownership of this iconic American automotive company. Government and unions should not be in the business of running companies; the marketplace should decide which dealers survive during these difficult economic times.

“I respectfully ask you to reconsider the Chrysler plan and allow the current bankruptcy laws to prevail in the reorganization of this company going forward. Successful auto dealers, like Tarbox Jeep, are where the rubber truly meets the road. This plan bypasses their rights and deprives them and their hardworking employees the opportunity to compete for their share of the American dream.”

As a former resident of Rhode Island who remembers this dealership in a very positive light, I am hoping it will remain open.  I agree with the governmor that bankruptcy laws should be followed–not ignored.

There is a petition at Tarbox Motors.com that you can sign to protest this closing. 

According to Rueters.com, President Obama has stated that some Guantanamo prisoners will be transferred to top-security prisons in the United States.  He pledged not to release any detainee within the United States who would endanger Americans or threaten U.S. security.  Maybe I’m just basically a difficult person, but I don’t want any Guantanamo detainees released in the United States, period. 

There is an article in today’s New York Post about the four men arrested who were planning a terrorist attack on New York City.  They became radical Muslims while in jail.

We do not want Guantanamo inmates in American jails (even top-security jails) because:

1.  Any interaction with other prisoners could result in recruitment of more radical Muslims.

2.  There would always be a danger that some group of related terrorists would set up a hostage situation near the prison to get the prisoners released.  These people would not hesitate to take over an elementary school and start killing children–that’s what they did in Beslan, Russia.

3.  As soon as they are put in American prisons, some looney judge is going to give them all the rights of American citizens, which they are not and never were.  They are not even covered under the Geneva Convention because they are not uniformed soldiers of a country.

4.  Guantanamo is a very secure and well run prison.  If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

5.  If they are part of the population in an American prison, their religious dietary needs will not be met and someone will file a lawsuit!

6.  At a time when government spending is reeling out of control, we do not have the money to close down a perfectly good prison in Cuba to build a less secure one in America.

The website for WCBS-TV in New York has a great story today. ImamShamsi Ali and Rabbi Marc Schneier came together at the 96th Street Mosque to denounce terrorism. 

Imam Shamsi Ali of the Islamic Cultural Center of New York stated, “These intended evils must be condemned, and I’m here to condemn it.” 

Rabbi Marc Schneier of the Foundation For Ethnic Understanding stated, “Any attack on a Jewish religious institution is an attack on any and every religious institution.” 

The above picture is of the two men embracing during a press conference at the Mosque in New York City on Thursday.

I have no idea how representative this story is, but it is encouraging to see these two men who I believe are sincere take a step toward peace between two groups who do not usually interact well.

This is the link to the information on the new credit card bill at Thomas.gov.  It spells out the changes that are being made to help people with credit card debt.  You can read the bill for yourself.  There are a few things here that I think are positive:

1.  The 45-day notice on interest rate changes.

2.  Prohibits a creditor from opening a credit card account for any college student who: (1) has no verifiable annual gross income; or (2) already maintains a credit card account with that creditor, or any affiliate.

This is a mixed blessing.  My kids used credit cards in college when they had no verifiable income.  A better idea might have been to cap the credit level of a college student at a very low level, and I believe there is something similar to that in the bill.

3.  Prohibits extensions of credit to consumers under age 18, unless they are emancipated under state law, or the consumer’s parent or legal guardian is designated as the primary account holder.

The above three aspects of the bill are good ideas.  The question comes on how they will be implemented.  It will also be interesting to see what the credit card companies do to make up for the income they will lose by not being able to raise interest rates on a moment’s notice.  The Congress has done what it can to make credit cards more consumer-friendly, let’s see what the credit card companies do in response.

According to today’s Financial Times, three Indiana state pension funds have gone to court to fight the government’s bankruptcy plan for Chrysler, stating:

“In a court filing on Wednesday, the Indiana funds accused the government of adopting a strategy of “the ends justify the means”.

They also said the Treasury “has taken constructive possession of Chrysler and is requiring it to adopt a sale plan in bankruptcy that violates the most fundamental principles of creditor rights – that first-tier secured creditors have absolute priority”.”

George Schultze of Schultze Asset Management stated that he felt their actions could galvanize other lenders to renew their challenge.  The charge against the settlement is that it violates the most fundamental principles of creditor rights – that first-tier secured creditors have absolute priority.  The funds have requested that the case be heard in district court instead of bankruptcy court.

There is only one outcome of this case that fits the guidelines in the US Constitution regarding property rights.  It will be interesting to see if the case has that outcome.

Today’s New York Daily News has the story on the four would-be terrorists attempting to blow up two synagogues in the Bronx and shoot down a plane carrying supplies to our soldiers.  Thank God they were total amateurs and had been infiltrated by the FBI, who gave them phony weapons. 

This group was not connected to any other terrorist group, but had they been successful, that really would not have made any difference in the result.  According to the article:

“Among those arrested was (James) Cromitie, of Newburgh, who is the son of an Afghan immigrant and his African-American wife.

Cromitie, who also called himself Abdul Rahman, has served a long stretch in prison.

David Williams, Onta Williams and Leguerre Payen – his alleged henchmen – were busted with him. Cromitie allegedly recruited them at the Newburgh mosque.”

We need to be aware of what is going on in our prisons and in our mosques.  The majority of Muslim religious leaders may be peaceful, but evidently there are a few who are not.  I know it is not a popular idea, but we need to monitor what is going on in our mosques and in our prison religious services.  This would be a sad day if these man had succeeded in their goals.

Investor’s Business Daily posted an editorial today about the Iranian missle test and what it means to the world.  Iran launched a  Sajjil-2, a solid-fuel, surface-to-surface missile with a range of 1,200 miles, far enough to strike at southeastern Europe.  A threat assessment by a team of Russian and American analysts says the Iranian menace is overblown and a missile defense futile.  I don’t even know where to begin with that statement.  The Russians have technically supported Iran’s missle and nuclear programs for years, why are we asking them to evaluate the threat?

The article states that:

“According to a new report, this isn’t supposed to be happening. The Washington Post on Tuesday reported on the results of a year-long study on the military threat to Europe from Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. The team of six Russian and six American technical experts brought together by the EastWest Institute concluded no threat exists and that a defense against it wouldn’t work anyway.”

This is unbelievable and irresponsible.  The editorial points out that during World War II, there were only six months between America producing weapons-grade nuclear material and detonating the first atomic bomb–and that was when the technology was new!

The article also points out that Iran has rockets capable of launching satellites–any country capable of launching a satellite is capable of delivering a bomb anywhere in the world.  It may not be a really good idea to slowly try to make friends with these people.  While we are making friends, they are planning for our destruction.

WIBC in Indianapolis is reporting today that the State of Indiana will no long invest on bonds issued by banks and automakers who have accepted federal bailout money.  State Treasurer Richard Mourdock stated that since the government rewrote the rules of bankruptcy in the Chrysler bailout, the state lost $ 5.6 million dollars in investments.  The bondholders are supposed to be at the front of the line when a company goes bankrupt.  In the case of Chrysler, the government rewrote the rules, the bondholders got 29 cents on the dollar.  The unions, who were unsecured creditors, got more.  That is illegal according to the laws of bankruptcy, but the government pushed it through anyway.

I am sure savvy private investors are thinking the same thing.  Why should you put any money into a company if the laws of bankruptcy (which previously protected your investment to some extent) are no long followed?  This sort of bankruptcy manipulation is going to have a very negative impact in investment in this country.  Why should any of us invest when we are in danger of losing the value of our investment because of government intervention to protect their pet special interest groups?

Today’s New York Post ran an opinion piece today by Tom Golisano on why he is leaving New York State.  He states in the article:

“Politicians like to talk about incentives — for businesses to relocate, for example, or to get folks to buy local. After reviewing the new budget, I have identified the most compelling incentive of all: a major tax break immedi ately available to all New Yorkers. To be eligible, you need do only one thing: move out of New York state.”

When Rush Limbaugh announced in March of this year that he was moving all of his business operations out of New York State afer Governor Paterson raised taxes, Governor Paterson replied by saying, “If I knew that would be the result, I would’ve thought about the taxes earlier.” (according to the New York Times).  This is the political equivalent of cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Rush, unfortunately, may be the leader of what may become an exodus out of the state by people who are able to relocate their businesses and business interests.  This will lower tax revenues rather than increasing them.

According to his calculations, Mr. Golisano will save $13,800 every day by moving to Florida.  This is money that he can invest to create jobs, spend to help charities, invest for his or his family’s future, or use in any way he sees fit.  He earned it; he should have the right to spend it.

We need to pay attention to incidents like this one–raising taxes does not increase government revenues or create wealth.  Raising taxes puts a drag on any economy and slows down or prevents growth.  Raising taxes at the national level will have the same negative effect on the nation’s economy.   

According to yesterday’s Investor’s Business Daily, even though Reps. Henry Waxman and Ed Markey have modified their cap-and-trade global warming bill, the the Gross Domestic Production cost of their new regime jumps from $7.4 trillion from 2012 through 2035 to $9.6 trillion.

This chart (from the Heritage Foundation) shows the impact the legislation will have.  According to the Heritage Foundation, under the new legislation gasoline prices are expected to jump by 74%, natural gas by 55% and electricity by 90%.  The rise in energy prices will result in higher unemployment and lower incomes.  Our spending power as people will decrease as corporations raise prices to compensate for their increased energy costs.

According to the article:

“It’s conceivable that a cap-and-trade regime — or a carbon tax, which would likely generate similar GDP losses — could create permanent economic stagnation.

Economies grow best when the tax burden is low. But economies are handicapped when the burden is high, and cap-and-trade (indirectly) and a carbon tax (directly) increase that burden. As Myron Ebell, the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s director of energy and global warming policy, noted, this would be the “biggest tax increase in history.””

I am hoping that the American economy can survive the good intentions of some of the people currently serving in our Congress.

As a history buff, I have heard it said over the years that American and western Europe were horrible in that they did not respond quickly enough to stop what Hitler was doing in the concentration camps.  I would like to address that and to relate it to something that is happening now.  Beginning in 1933, Hitler set out to rid Germany of its Jewish population.  Dachau opened in March of 1933, originally used for political opponents,  The first death camp opened in 1941 and the five other Polish death camps began operating in 1942.  Although it would have been impossible for the immediate neighbors of these camps not to know what was going on there, I also believe it would have been impossible for them to do anything about it.  By 1941 Hitler had so consolidated his power that to oppose him in any way meant death.  But let’s widen the picture.  I am not sure anyone in Europe or the United States believed the stories that were coming out of Germany.  There are some things we just don’t want to believe that people are capable of.  That is not an excuse–it’s just a fact.

Today we are listening to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad threaten to ‘wipe Israel off the map’ on a fairly regular basis.  We are watching as he plays cat and mouse with the UN in hiding his nuclear program–claiming he only wants peaceful nuclear energy.  We are seeing rocket testing in his country for longer range rockets as he continues to claim that he is only building up his military for defensive purposes.  At some point (probably within three years) this man will have nuclear weapons.  It is unthinkable to the average American that he would use them.  We also need to remember that by the time he obtains a nuclear weapon, he may have the rocket technology to deliver that weapon (or weapons) anywhere in the world.  American, in his mind, is ‘the great satan’; Israel is ‘the little satan’.  We have no reason to believe that if he is capable of launching a nuclear weapon against us, he will not hesitate to do so. 

America has had nuclear weapons for more than fifty years, and we have only used them once–to end a war.  We inflicted massive civilian casualties, but saved many lives by taking away the need for a land invasion of Japan, which would have caused even more death and hardship.  Anyway, my point is this.  Are we reacting to the threat of a nuclear attack on Israel by Iran the same way we reacted to the initial reports of the concentration camps?  Is the thought so horrible that we are in denial? 

Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal ran an opinion piece by ARTHUR LAFFER and STEPHEN MOORE about the states who are planning to raise taxes to cover budget deficits.  According to the article:

“Lawmakers in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and Oregon want to raise income tax rates on the top 1% or 2% or 5% of their citizens. New Illinois Gov. Patrick Quinn wants a 50% increase in the income tax rate on the wealthy because this is the “fair” way to close his state’s gaping deficit.”

Interesting idea, but as usual we come right up against the ‘law of unintended consequences’.   Mr. Laffer and Mr. Moore recently did a study for the American Legislative Exchange Council entitled “Rich States, Poor States.”  The study, published in March, showed that the tax differential between low-tax and high-tax states is widening, meaning that a relocation from high-tax California or Ohio, to no-income tax Texas or Tennessee, is all the more financially profitable both in terms of lower tax bills and more job opportunities.

The article points out that when you continually raise taxes on ‘the rich’, they relocate to places where the taxes are lower.  Since ‘the rich’ are usually people who generate jobs, any jobs they provide move with them.  New Jersey is cited as an example of what happens when taxes are continually raised–in the 1960’s New Jersey had no state income tax and no sales tax.  It was a state that was growing rapidly and consistently had budget surpluses.  Today New Jersey has income and sales taxes that are among the highest in the nation and the state has growing budget deficits.  People are leaving the state because of the excessive tax burden.

As some states (including Massachusetts) look to raising taxes as a solution to their economic woes, they might want to consider that raising taxes may be the problem–not the solution.

There was an historic two-hour meeting between President Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House today.  The Washington Times reported that President Obama expressed concern about Iran’s progress toward nuclear weapons.  Prime Minister Netanyahu said that a nuclear-armed Iran would be a grave danger to Israel.

There has been much pressure put on Israel for a ‘two-state solution’.  Until the Palestinians acknowledge that Israel has the right to exist, I am not sure that this is a reasonable goal.  The increase of anti-Jewish sentiment around the world at this time is troubling.  The dictatorships in the Arab world are much better at manipulating the media than the democracies of the western world, and I believe the rise of anti-semitism around the world is a result of that.

According to The Hill, Democratic Senator Jim Webb of Virginia has changed his position and now thinks an artificial deadline to close Guantanamo is not a good idea.  Senator Webb also opposes bringing any detainees to American soil.  He stated that:

“We spend hundreds of millions of dollars building an appropriate facility with all security precautions in Guantanamo to try these cases,” Webb said. “There are cases against international law. These aren’t people who were in the United States, committing a crime in the United States.  These are people who were brought to Guantanamo for international terrorism.  I do not believe they should be tried in the United States.”

The wisdom of the policies of George Bush regarding the war on terror is beginning to shine forth.  This is an interesting statement for a variety of reasons, first, when George Bush was President, the Senate wanted Guantanamo closed down ‘yesterday’, now that the facility is under President Obama, they don’t seem to be in such a hurry.  One reason might be that the political advantage in screaming for Guantanamo’s closing is gone.  Another reason might be that any Senator or Representative that ends up housing terrorists in his (or her) district is not going to be popular with the people who live there. 

Jed Babbin reported in Human Events in April of this year that the White House lawyers were refusing to accept the findings of an inter-agency committee that the Uighur Chinese Muslims held at Guantanamo Bay are too dangerous to release inside the U.S.  President Obama had planned to settle the Uighurs in Virginia somewhere and give them financial aid to help them get settled.  I don’t think it is a coincidence that Jim Webb is the Senator from Virginia and that he has gone on the record as wanting a slowdown on the closing of Guantanamo and no resettlement of terrorists in this country.  This situation should be interesting to watch.

Today’s Washington Post posted an article today by Lisa Rein about the changes that had been made at the Preakness race track for yesterday’s race.  The infield of the race had been known as an all-day party with rowdiness as a routine part of the menu.  The racetrack sought to change that by banning spectators from bringing their own beverages into the infield.  They wanted to restore some civility to the area (ending the topless women and flying beer cans).

One racing fan on Facebook protested the move–according to the article:

“Ryan Goff, 24, a Baltimore resident who works in media marketing and started one of many Facebook groups that protested the change. “What’s the point of going?” someone wrote on one of the pages. “As if there’s some reason to be there other than drinking and partying.” “

But there was another viewpoint also:

“For all the criticism, the new policy also drew some new spectators. Mark Lennon, 30, who works at the University of Baltimore Law School, said he had stayed away from the infield for years because of its rowdy reputation.

“I was hesitant to come,” Lennon, of Baltimore, said. “I’d like the day to be about the actual event, which is horses.””

In watching the event, I noticed that all the owners were in suits and ties and looked very formal.  The beginning of civility in the infield initially has caused a serious attendance drop, but hopefully that will be reversed.  I credit the officials at the Pimlico Race Course for their efforts to bring civility back to the race.