Book Review of China: The Gathering Threat, by Dr. Constantine C. Menges
With much US foreign policy and military planning currently focused on trans-national Islamicist terror groups, it is wise to also keep tabs on the country of one billion in East Asia. The late Dr. Constantine C. Menges ably performs this task, warning of the threat currently posed by Communist China and showing how the US should respond.
Dr. Menges proposes a policy of “realistic engagement” based on strict reciprocity, scrutiny, rewards for demonstrated obedience, and assistance for pro-democratic forces within China. In other words, China must deliver on reform and human rights promises before getting economic benefits, unlike the current, appeasing policy of “constructive engagement”.
Of course, the US needs to take prudent military precautions to counter China’s growing armed forces. But Menges’ recommendations are aimed more at bringing about true reform to the Chinese government and true freedom to Chinese society.
(more…)
Seems the UK has a problem with criminals, they have too many, and not enough cops or prison cells to hold them all. So what is thier brilliant idea to deal with the situation? Give ‘em warnings instead!
Our beloved transit authority just might get some ideas:
If Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid has his way, someday a superfast hovering train will whisk tourists from family-friendly Disneyland to the what-happens-here-stays-here city, Las Vegas. But so far, the Nevada senator’s fascination with magnetic levitation — the futuristic technology that would power the train across the desert at 300 mph — has managed only to levitate a steady stream of money out of the federal budget: $54 million and counting.
Few others are climbing aboard. The Transportation Dept. rejects MagLev for its steep price tag, which a 2005 study says eclipses the cost of current high-speed rail by "fourfold to ninefold." Even Nevada’s other senator, Republican John Ensign, questions the value of spending an estimated $12 billion or more on a 269-mile Anaheim-to-Vegas train line.
But Reid has pressed ahead, earmarking $9 million between 2000 and 2004 and winning a $45 million authorization in last year’s federal transportation bill.
This is pretty much the poster child for How To Piss Away Money On Stupid Crap. And yet, it’s got all kinds of advantages over Metrorail:
| |
ReidRail |
Danger Train |
| Top Speed: |
300 mph |
66 mph |
| Track Location: |
Desert |
Your Left Turn Lane |
| Bum Stink: |
Nonexsistent |
Overpowering |
| Can Get You: |
To Vegas |
Killed |
| Cost Per Mile: |
$44.6 million |
$43 million |
Sounds like a better deal than what we’ve got now.
Tax dollars at work:
Detroit NBC Affiliate WDIV reports that six-year-old Robert Turner called 911 on February 20. He thought his mother, 46-year-old Sherel Turner, had passed out. She was later found dead.
911 tapes detail the call, where the boy tells a female operator that his mom had passed out. The operator demands to speak to an adult before sending police.
The boy eventually hung up and called back a short time later. This time, the same operator warns the boy that he could get in trouble for making a prank call to 911. The boy said police didn’t arrive until three hours later and found his mother dead.
And of course, those wonderful civil-service rules come into play:
Officials said the 911 operator will be disciplined, but because of her years of service she will not be fired.
What would you get if you crossed Alec Baldwin with Ann Coulter? I don’t know either, but watching it would be like tossing a bobcat in a tote sack with a pitbull.
The New York Dailey News is reporting that Elle magazine asked Alec Baldwin if he would consider mating with Ann Coulter.
It can’t be ruled out - but judging by their reactions to the possibility, it would sure be an angry coupling.
"Would you rather sleep with Ann Coulter or Dianne Feinstein?" Elle magazine asks the actor in a raunchy interview.
"I gotta go with Feinstein," Kim Basinger’s ex answers. "With Coulter, we’d have sex and I’d have to jump out the window. I wouldn’t even get dressed."
Yesterday, Coulter told Lowdown: "That’s the only reason I can think of for wanting to have sex with Alec Baldwin."
Sen. Feinstein (D-Calif.) prudently declined to enter this fray.
Hat tip Little Green Footballs
by David Benzion ·
04/07/2006 10:07 am
Emotions are still pretty raw down in Sugar Land:
A protest broke out when congressional candidate Nick Lampson made a big demand Thursday in Sugar Land. He thinks it’s time for Texas and Tom DeLay to move on. Supporters of Congressman DeLay were there when Lampson demanded Governor Rick Perry call for a special election as soon as possible.
Nick Lampson was 30 seconds into his press conference when it got hijacked. [snip]
As many DeLay supporters as those backing Lampson were present at the event.
DeLay supporter Mary Geist said, "We’re a tightly knit Republican area here, and when we heard that (Lampson) was going to have a press conference, we decided we would come out here and we would just say, ‘We don’t want you here in our area.’" [snip]
Despite a lot of yelling and verbal sparring, there was no physical violence of any kind. The event stayed relatively peaceful. We talked to some security guards at the press conference who say that the Lampson people had a permit to be on private property just on the other side of City Hall. The DeLay supporters did not. Police were not called.
[Courtesy KABC-13]
KHOU-11 is hyping the fact that someone sent them copies of emails– a process they refer to in their report as having "discovered evidence"– that DeLay campaign staff encouraged local Republican activists to go down and take a propaganda piss in Nick Lampson’s press conference pool.
[Full text of the "discovered evidence" here.]
Local blogosphere reaction so far appears to fall along a spectrum of negativity– with Slampo’s judgement (Rated-R for language) being harshest in terms of hostility to DeLay and contempt for his staff; blogHouston strongly disapproving of the DeLay camp’s actions, but with not quite as much vehemence; and The Texas Safety Forum stepping on toes, but taking care to do so in a humane and nuanced way.
I lean towards TSF’s position– understanding the theoretical logic ("drive Lampson off message") and emotion ("what’s happened is unfair and sucks") behind the DeLay camp’s actions, but recognizing that this wasn’t a public relations "win," and we’ve all got more important things to be focused on.
But I’m open to changing my mind, depending on which commenters donate what amounts to LST’s 2006 Spring Begathon.
It’s like my own little on-line K Street Project. 
Before you travel to Mexico, you might consider sending this letter to President Bush.
Dear President Bush:
I’m about to plan a little trip with my family and extended family, and I would like to ask you to assist me. I’m going to walk across the border from the U.S. into Mexico, and I need to make a few arrangements. I know you can help with this.
I plan to skip all the legal stuff like visas, passports, immigration quotas and laws. I’m sure they handle those things the same way you do here.
So, would you mind telling your buddy, President Vicente Fox, that I’m on my way over? Please let him know that I will be expecting the following:
1. Free medical care for my entire family.
2. English-speaking government bureaucrats for all services I might need, whether I use them or not.
3. All government forms need to be printed in English.
4. I want my kids to be taught by English-speaking teachers.
5. Schools need to include classes on American culture and history.
6. I want my kids to see the American flag flying on the top of the flag pole at their school with the Mexican flag flying lower down.
7. Please plan to feed my kids at school for both breakfast and lunch.
8. I will need a local Mexican driver’s license so I can get easy access to government services.
9. I do not plan to have any car insurance, and I won’t make any effort to learn local traffic laws.
10. In case one of the Mexican police officers does not get the memo from Pres. Fox to leave me alone, please be sure that all police officers speak English.
11. I plan to fly the U.S. flag from my house top, put flag decals on my car, and have a gigantic celebration on July 4th. I do not want any complaints or negative comments from the locals.
12. I would also like to have a nice job without paying any taxes, and don’t enforce any labor laws or tax laws.
13. Please tell all the people in the country to be extremely nice and never say a critical word about me, or about the strain I might place on the economy.
I know this is an easy request because you already do all these things for all the people who come to the U.S. from Mexico. I am sure that Pres. Fox won’t mind returning the favor if you ask him nicely.
However, if he gives you any trouble, just invite him to go quail hunting with your V.P.
Thank you so much for your kind help.
Sincerely,
David M. Bresnahan
(A tongue-in-cheek commentary.)
Hat Tip to my "anchor baby".
UPDATED
And special doff of the fedora to gmland who scooped my post last week. Sorry I missed it.
by David Benzion ·
04/07/2006 5:47 am
… to get her face in front of a TV camera?
Desperate enough to stand next to Cynthia McKinney.
Is there anyone she wouldn’t stand next to for free publicity?
UPDATED– Apparently not.
With Michael Jackson
With Monica Lewinsky’s boyfriend
Barely sharing a stage with Michael Moore
UPDATED AGAIN– In the spirit of racial awkwardness…
Talking to a scared little white boy
As the only black person to ever attend a Howard Dean rally
Doing her dead-level-best to ignore Nancy Pelosi’s pitiful attempt to bond via an Al Jolson impersonation
THE SHOCKING REVELATION– Evil Sheila…
Not Good
Even Worse
by David Benzion ·
04/07/2006 12:02 am
The Begathon is still on!
The online auction begins next Monday… now’s your chance to either propose something to be put up for bid, or contribute something (of actual value) to help us raise money for the cause.
Thanks to everyone who has donated so far.
If you haven’t, how can you turn down a monkey?
Feed the monkey.
Feed it.
Click this button here…
by David Benzion ·
04/07/2006 12:01 am
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