Friday, October 31, 2008

Predictions

I pretty much don't need to make one: Evans and Novak might as well be channeling me. In a nutshell: an Obama victory, but not a landslide; Democratic gains in the Senate, but just shy of being filibuster-proof, oh thank God; and a Democratic slaughter in the House of Reprsentatives.
This is my prediction. But it need not be this way. McCain is not out, not by a long shot. There is still time for Americans to decide not to drink the Kool-Aid; not to take the chance; to opt against Socialism. Hopefully, over the weekend, good sense begins to prevail.

Sex for Obama Tix?

Sure looks that way, judging from this summary of Craigslist ads in NBC Chicago's website for tickets to an Obama rally in Chicago's Grant Park.
But how do you get to the rally? Drudge says that reporters for the Washington Times, New York Post and Dallas Morning News may have to make other travel arrangements if they want to attend the worship service, uh sorry, rally -- next Tuesday. Seems that they've been kicked off the Obama campaign plane. Honest folks, this has nothing to do with the fact these papers endorsed Senator McCain.
Meanwhile, Reuters reports that Al Qaeda wants the Republicans humiliated. "O God, humiliate Bush and his party, O Lord of the Worlds, degrade and defy him," an Al Qaeda big wig called Abu Yahya al-Libi said in a video sermon posted on the Internet. Hmmm, "Lord of the Worlds," eh? Does Mr. Abu Yahya mean God, or Obama?
Sure looks like the stars are aligning to give Mr. Abu Yahya and his friends what they want. Here's hoping that President Bush and the military can arrange for the Al Qaeda crew to eat some 5.56 mm humiliation and degradation prior to 20 January, since it is unlikely we will be in as good as position to deliver same thereafter.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Gaza for Obama!

Good to see everybody's pulling together: the whole world wants Obama!
Meanwhile, Fighting Gaza's carrying on: resisting the Occupier, fighting the Infidels, and now getting the vote out for Obama!
Venceremos comrades!

Monday, October 27, 2008

"White People Shouldn't Be Allowed to Vote"

No fooling, somebody is saying this in print.
From the website of the Philadelphia Inquirer, a supposedly respectable newspaper, someone named Jonathan Valania says that "I am beginning to think the time has finally come to take the vote away from white people."
Exhibit A for this case is "the last eight years." According to Mr. Valania's interesting view of the world:
In 2000, Bush-Cheney stole the election, got us attacked, and then got us into two no-exit wars. Is not the repetition of the same behavior over and over again with the expectation of a different outcome the very definition of insanity? (It is, I looked it up.)

What a relief to know Mr. Valania looks things up.

Where to begin? Stealing the election ? What a crock. The Left gave stealing the 2000 election for Al Gore its best shot, honest, and has never been sane since -- as evidenced by the absurd and demented claim that the Bush administration "[g]ot us attacked" in 2001. No the administration never got us attacked, but it's sure ensured that plenty of the foreign enemies of this country have wound up stone-cold dead. Here's hoping they double the score before 20 January next.

But Mr. Valania's case is bigger. Exhibit B for Mr. Valania's Bill of Particulars justifying a purge of the voting rolls is "any given Sarah Palin rally." Nothing specific is adduced -- all Right Thinking People are just supposed to take it on faith in the New God Obama that Sarah Palin is beyond the pale. No wrong-thinking people should vote, and we have to suffer a Leftie elite telling us what to think and who to like.

But a few brave souls like John Murtha recognize our evil nature: according to Mr. Valania, "plenty of people in Pennsylvania" (Murtha and others have said) "just cannot bring themselves to pull the lever for a black man -- no matter what they tell pollsters." The problem is, as Mr. Valania so clearly sees, "[t]hese people are ruining things for the rest of us white people who are ready to move on."

Why is it racism not to want to pull the lever (or dimple the chad, or touch the screen) for Obama? Maybe the people in Pennsylvania that Representative Murtha and Mr. Valania are so upset with simply don't want taxes to go up, federal regulation of the economy to expand, free speech to be curtailed, and the wars to be lost? Nah, that's not the real truth, Mr. Valania discerns. White people (at least, those people who are "ruining things") are just racists, and places like Scranton, Allentown and Carlisle are going back "to being the long dark chicken dance of the national soul" before the media showed up. Whatever the Hell that means.

Anyway, Mr. Valania's solution for what ails us is to take the franchise away from white people. "And I'm sorry to say" Mr. Valania regretfully informs us ". . .it's going to have to include all white people, even those who would vote for Obama., because you can't just let some white people vote. That would be unfair." Good to know Mr. Valania is concerned with fairness. . .but he is, after all, a leftie. When the lefties throw us righties into camps, it will be done with the most rigorous fairness.

Back on that theme of insanity again, Mr. Valania tells us that we probably "either think I am joking or are calling me an elitist. I assure you I am neither." Not so fast though -- Mr. Valania covers himself in the very next sentence, assuring his readers that "OK, maybe a little of both."
See, if people take too much offense at what Mr. Valania really thinks of those of rubes in flyover land who don't believe that Bush-Cheney stole the 2000 election; don't think that the administration "got us attacked;" or, don't think Sarah Palin rallies are ipso facto Nazi gatherings -- Mr. Valania can quickly proclaim to all interested, with plenty of righteous indignation, that he was just joking.
Anyway, lets give Mr. Valania the benefit of the doubt and assume he's just joking. Now, I don't really believe that Mr. Valania really thinks he and his friends can take the franchise away from white people, and neither should you. Oh, the left these next few years may well do some things to make the choices of conservative voters increasingly meaningless: gerrymander incorrigible districts of voters out of existence; pin down conservatives with lawyers and fairness doctrines; hate speech legislation; a campaign of regulatory harassment of both small business and hostile taxpayers; targeted environmental regulation; and organized social and employment shunning. Conservatives and persons opposed to the New Regime are going to be increasingly marginalized. Nobody's votes are going to actually be taken away (not many anyway). But a whole lot of votes are not going to matter much either.
The loons are coming, people. I'm willing to accept Mr. Valania's limp assurance that he's joking, a little. But the total contempt of the Elect, Right-Thinking people for the rest of us should be obvious, and should give you pause before you drink the Kool-Aid they're offering you. Give these people half a chance and you won't recognize your country. What are you doing about it?
(Hat tip: National Review Online's "Campaign Spot.")

Friday, October 24, 2008

The Obama Crash

The Dow Jones and stocks worldwide are off a cliff this morning, and it's not hard to see why. The politically correct explanation is that there are worldwide fears of a recession.
Uh, sorry, but the arrival of hard times was apparent weeks ago. I think the real explanation is somewhat different. Yes, folks, it's the Obama Crash. McCain's imploded, and it's clear Obama's the next president, or rather, the first Supreme Leader. The advent of Obama means the abandonment of the growth-oriented economic policies of the past twenty years, and a tax-hiking, regulatory friendly, union-oriented administration that thinks wealth redistribution by government fiat's a good idea. Dumping stocks and other paper is understandable, even if the dumpers have left it late. Chaos, wars and trouble, if they were stocks, would be good buys about now. Unfortunately, the US is not going to be a wise or safe place to park money for a long, long time.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

The Polls Look Very Strange

The rolling average of polls maintained by Real Clear Politics has Supreme Leader Obama ahead by 7.2 points as of 0842 Central Time this morning. Since the collapse of the markets, the Supreme Leader has pretty steadily maintained a lead here of between five and seven points. The average appeared to tighten a little last week, moving back to five points and under. . .but now the gap is widening again in St. Barack's favor.
My own sense of things, for the record, is that Obama is ahead by an amount slightly exceeding the margin of error, perhaps four or five points. But seven points? A new Zogby/Reuters/C-SPAN survey of 1,200 or so "likely voters" from 20-22 October has Obama leading by twelve points. Fox News, hardly a hotbed of loyalty to the Leader, has Obama, (in a poll taken by Opinion Dynamics) during roughly the same period, up by nine points among 936 likely voters. Meanwhile, there are the outliers: a George Washington University Battleground Poll of 1,000 likely voters, taken between the 15th and the 21st, has Obama up by only two points. Finally, there's an AP/GfK Roper poll of 800 likely voters, taken from the 16th to the 20th, showing Obama leading by one point.
Moving to the battleground states, the polling there is weird too. For example, in Virginia, a state that went Republican in the last two elections -- the Real Clear Politics rolling average has the Supreme Leader up by 7.0 points -- but an NBC/Mason-Dixon poll of 625 likely voters from the 20th to the 25th has Obama on top by only two points. On the other extreme, a CNN/Time poll of likely voters from the 19th to the 21st has Obama up by ten points. If you don't believe a poll compiled under the auspices of two of the most objective outlets in journalism, try a Rasmussen survey taken on the 16th of 700 likely voters showing an Obama lead of ten points, also.
What on Earth is going on here? I think it is indisputable that demographic and other trends in Virginia favor the Democrats, the areas around Alexandria and Richmond have been driving Virginia in a more Blue State direction for some time. But I just can't credit that Virginia has made this dramatic a swing since the last election.
The same strangeness is showing up in other places. Polling is showing Obama leading by an average of 2.7 points in Missouri, of all places. In 2000, Bush carried this state by 3.3 percentage points -- even giving Gore all of Nader's 1.6 percentage points of the vote would not have helped the Democrats. In 2004, the doubtfully popular President Bush defeated Kerry in Missouri by 7.2 percent of the vote. I'm sorry, I simply do not give much credence to polling showing that Obama is really ahead in Missouri.
I am not saying that the polling is inaccurate. . .I think. But I wonder about the methodology of some of these pollsters, I wonder about the degree to which the media, and the Obama campaign (through the agency of its massive cash advantage) are hyping trends that favor the Supreme Leader. Finally, I wonder about the degree to which the Obama advertising blitz and the trendiness of his candidacy are driving respondents to flat-out lie to pollsters.
My sense is that Obama is ahead, but that he has not closed the sale. I don't know if McCain can still win: time is short, and he has monstrous structural handicaps to overcome. But if he can't win, he should still (if his campaign is even half-competent) be able to come close enough to make Mr. Cool do some sweating.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Trafalgar - 1805

Horatio Nelson (1st Viscount Nelson, Duke of Bronté), K.B., as a Vice-Admiral, by Lemuel Francis Abbott, oil on canvas, painted probably about 1800. (1760-1802). Painting is in the Terracotta Room, No. 10 Downing Street, London. The diamond encrusted decoration seen on the Admiral's hat, presented by Ottoman Sultan Selim III, was called a "Plume of Triumph," and contained a rotating clockwork centerpiece. The medals at the Admiral's neck are for the Battles of St. Vincent (1797) and the Nile (1798). Among other decorations, Nelson is wearing the red riband (just visible at the bottom of the picture) and the star (lower right) of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath, of which Admiral Nelson was a Knight Companion (K.B.).

Today is the anniversary of the naval battle of Trafalgar, fought in 1805 off of the Atlantic coast of Spain, near Cape Trafalgar. In this greatest naval battle of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, a British fleet of 27 ships of the line, commanded by Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, destroyed a Franco-Spanish fleet of 33 ships of the line, commanded by Admiral Pierre-Charles-Jean-Baptiste-Silvestre de Villeneuve.
Nelson died winning the splendid victory that he never, ever doubted his fleet would win. The French and Spanish possessed some splendid ships -- overall, they probably had better ships than the British. But the earlier purge of the very royalist French Navy officer corps by the republican revolutionaries and the enforced confining of the French Navy to port by the British blockade ensured that French crews and admirals, with some exceptions, were just not the equal of the experienced and well-trained British. The then-allied Spanish Navy suffered from similar troubles. Moreover, and fatally, the Franco-Spanish crews knew their limitations and were all too aware that they lacked the British tradition of victory at sea.
All through his reign, Napoleon tried hard to build a strong navy and invested vast sums and much personal attention in this effort; and to some extent, he succeeded in overcoming the years of naval neglect that characterized the last years of the Bourbon monarchy and the chaos on top of neglect brought by the revolutionary First Republic. From the moment Napoleon took power, he oversaw a vast material reconstruction and expansion of the French Navy, seeing to the construction of building yards, harbors and bases, and hundreds of ships.
But the French Navy's problems were not as much material as moral. Napoleon really tried to improve the conditions, training and doctrine of his naval personnel; but, in general, the landlubber Emperor never understood the morale and training limitations of his sea service (let alone the constraints at sea imposed by weather, tides and geography) and never found an admiral who could transcend them. Consequently, the French and their Spanish allies entered any sea battle half-beaten before a shot was fired.
Although Trafalgar was decisive, its effects were more transient than usually recognized. The British victory temporarily abated the threat of a French invasion of Britain, to the extent this peril was then a real one. (It is even possible that Admiral Sir Robert Calder's earlier, tactically indecisive encounter the previous July with the French off Cape Finisterre was more strategically decisive in terms of blocking an invasion). But the French fleet Nelson destroyed was only one of Napoleon's fleets, and the French Navy in fact ended the Napoleonic Wars stronger in terms of ships than it had been at the time of Trafalgar. Had Napoleon really cared to, he could have resurrected the invasion threat, with possibly greater chances of success, at any time from about 1808 through the time he invaded Russia in 1812.
The moral and economic effects of the British victory were possibly greater: it enabled the British to temporarily make their continental blockade tighter, and in the near term possibly decided waverers in various European courts in favor of supporting British measures against France and her allies. But the decisive battles of 1805 were on land, and were French victories (Ulm and Austerlitz). The outcome of the Napoleonic wars was decided in 1812-13, by events in Russia and Germany, and was only secondarily (but strongly) affected by British sea power.
Still, the British won a great victory at Trafalgar, and the memory of the battle, and of Admiral Nelson -- who deserves his place as Britain's greatest naval hero -- set the pattern that navies of all powers sought to emulate for almost 200 years.

Monday, October 20, 2008

The Leader Orders His Horse

The Leader is already picking his cabinet, including apparently, some soon-to-be former Republicans. I wonder if the Weapon of Mass Defection gets to be Secretary of State again?

Polls Tightening

Away for the weekend (Boy Scout camping trip) and in my absence, the polls appear to have tightened a bit. I'm not sure it matters much: we will have to see if there is movement in the battleground states, or if anything happens which might make the Supreme Leader have to defend his own turf.
The Powell endorsement; the blatant bias of the media; and the defections of some eager to jump on the Leader's bandwagon all help make the outlook for McCain, and for the country, rather bleak. Legally speaking, the odds of denying Obama the prize the whole world wants to give him are slim -- if he doesn't win, he's going to simply litigate until he does. Finally, once Obama wins, the great and good are going to fix it so that he can really rule, and the Right can be locked out, forever.
Still, here's hoping for some overreaching; that the backlash comes before the election, rather than after.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Era of Suckage

By Imperial and Royal decree, all of time from the advent at Galveston of Ike (of damnable memory) through the indefinite future (certainly including the balance of 2008) is to henceforth be known as the "Era of Suckage." Yes, there will be good days, bad days, sort of half-____ days. But all covered in the mire of suckage.
At least it seems that way. Don't know just what it is, but things have just not been normal since the lights went out. Hopefully the groove comes back, and we see normal around here again, someday.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Who IS This Guy?

Why don't they just have done with it and call the game "Game 6 of the God-Emperor of America Barack Obama World Series?" Maybe he'll magically teleport himself to the stadium to throw out the game ball and heal the sick.
Who the hell IS this guy? Why is he so special? How does he rate that? How did he go about asking for that? Are they going to offer the same to McCain?
It's like he's not running for President, not at all. That's so over. He's not just the President, he's our Führer.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Marcia Brady. . .

. . .that is Maureen McCormick, has a new book. Cool, but I'm going to wait until it's in the pulp-rack.

The Return of Nation-States

Stratfor.com's free offering this week is an interesting little article by George Friedman ("States, Economies and Markets: Redefining the Rules") on the subject of the US/European efforts to rescue the banking system. It's worth your attention, and available on Stratfor's site.

Meanwhile, here's a little tidbit for thought, taken from the piece. Wish I had written it: Professor Friedman could almost be channeling me:

What is most interesting in the long run is the fact the Europeans, even in the eurozone, have not attempted a European solution. Nationalism is very much alive in Europe and has emerged, as one would expect, in a time of crisis. . .
However, it has always been our view that the state ultimately trumps the economy and the nation trumps multinational institutions. We are strong believers in the durability of the nation-state. It seems to us that we are seeing here the failure of multinational institutions and the re-emergence of national power. The IMF, the World Bank, the Bank for International Settlements, the European Union and the rest have all failed to function either to prevent the crisis or to contain it. The reason is not their inadequacy. Rather it is that, when push comes to shove, nation-states are not prepared to surrender their sovereignty to multinational entities or to other countries if they don't have to. What we saw this weekend was the devolution of power to the state. All the summits notwithstanding, Berlin, Rome, Paris and London are looking out for the Germans, Italians, French and British. Globalism and the idea of "Europe" became a lot less applicable to the real world this weekend.
Whatever the international lawyers and bankers think, history is not yet finished with the nation-state. Moreover, economic and financial considerations, although important, will be impacted by the new geopolitical reality that began to emerge late last year, when it became apparent that the Europeans were unwilling, and the US unable, to stop the acquisition of nuclear weapons by Iran. Events quickened this summer with the Russian humiliation of the US in Georgia. Now the apparent collapse of the world financial system (don't kid yourselves, the the government maneuvers of the past three weeks are band-aids, only) and the impending take-over of the US by a left-wing regime have created a geopolitical outlook profoundly unfriendly to US power and US interests.
Pity our children. We grew up in a world where the Main Enemy was operating considerably under its potential; hobbled by a ridiculous ideology and a worse economic system. Now America confronts state actor rivals (not to mention a raft of non-state actors) not held back by ideology, which are economically and militarily hungry, who want to change the world system (which currently suits America and the West), in ways that we will not like, but that we are going to find ourselves powerless to prevent. We're bankrupt, and on the point of installing a regime that will keep us bankrupt and wants us (militarily at least) powerless. Americans want peace, but are heading into wars and scary times. I don't know about you, but I want gold, not the dollar, and to get out of the city.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Pro-McCain Incursion Into Hostile Territory



What brave people! I hope they were wearing flak jackets. I hope they march every day. (From The People's Cube).

Columbus Day, 2008

Today is when we celebrate Columbus Day in the USA, although much of the world celebrated it yesterday; it is part of the National Day commemoration in Spain, and is celebrated in many Hispanic countries as Día de la Raza.
Columbus Day, of course, commemorates the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, Admiral of the Ocean Sea (1451-1506). Americans are still allowed to remember Columbus, if they choose, but fear not, Columbus Day will no doubt disappear into the liberal memory-hole, or go the way of Washington's Birthday (folded into generic, anonymous, obnoxious "President's Day"), soon enough.
The great sailor's role in the American story was perhaps small, but certainly decisive. Legions of the politically correct despise the memory of Columbus, his voyages and his culture, never mind that many of them walk the streets spouting their nonsense only because the Admiral found San Salvador on 12 October 1492 (although it was clear he was near land on the 11th). The value of a man may often be gauged by the political enemies he has made; and the fact that so many of the Politically Correct dislike Columbus so much is quite enough reason to think that he must have been quite a splendid fellow.
Some say he was born in Genoa, others that he was born in Calvi, Corsica. If the latter, he was probably the most distinguished native of that island save Napol̩on I. Son of a weaver, and already a distinguished sailor when he began his American voyage, Columbus hoped to find a practicable route to India, but he did better, and found a new world instead Рand his discovery changed everything.
The European discovery of America was the biggest event in western civilization since the fall of Rome, and changed the whole world forever. The future existence of the United States was only one consequence of his voyages; made in barely seaworthy, leaky vessels, with abominable food and mutinous crews.
In recent years, Columbus has suffered from the slanders, slings and arrows of the stupid, the ignorant, and the outright malicious, and all of the other enemies of civilisation who gather under the soiled banners of leftism and “political correctness.” The memory and record of the Admiral are themselves ample defense from the insults of this mob, and Columbus' reputation will survive long after today's philistine lefties have crawled back under their rocks, and back into their midden-pits, to die.
Columbus’ nautical achievements, and the whole colonial experiment, were indubitably worth it. Columbus, and the other heroes of the colonization of the Americas need no special commemoration. If you seek their monuments, look around you. The riches of the Americas, in the short run, enabled Europe to prosper, maintain itself and expand in the face of challenges from Asia and the Islamic world. In the long run, the successful implantation of European colonies in the New World, particularly in North America, ensured that civilization came to these shores, and Europe’s American children, would, in due course, be a credit to all that was good in their parents.
Finally, thanks in some part to Columbus and his sailors, in the Old World’s darkest hour, Europe’s children of the New World were there to step forward to redeem the Old World from bondage and tyranny. No doubt Columbus, who sought a new route to Asia so that Europeans could carry on lawful commerce despite the Muslim blockade and harassment of Europe, would understand and sympathize with the struggles of the American soldiers of today, carrying the banners of America and civilization in Baghdad and Kabul in the struggle against the Islamo-fascist peril.
After Columbus’s initial voyage to America, he made three further trips to these shores, dying two years after the return from his fourth voyage. The authorities still argue whether he is buried in Seville (Spain), or in Santo Domingo. Here's to you Admiral, and to all your officers and sailors, for all you did.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

What Gives With the Polls?

The polls seem to show a big movement towards St. Barack towards the latter part of the week. . .or do they? Blogging Caesar (an excellent observer) is skeptical, although like me, he gives the Sainted One all the advantages.
I'll be the first to admit to being completely out of touch: what would drive one to pull the lever for Obama over McCain is just beyond me.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Blogrolling Down

Blogrolling.com, which runs the blog roll for the Kingdom, has evidently been hacked, and their server is down. Since this has truly been a bad week, in a bad couple months, in a year that appears to be from Hell, one more thing won't make any difference. In any case, the blogroll is down for the moment.
UPDATE: 11 Oct. Blogrolling appears to be fixed.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Prisoners

Read this sitting down. A US District Court wants to release 17 detainees at Guantanano, who are not Americans, into the United States, because of some supposed right they enjoy under the US Constitution against indefinite detention. The decision is momentarily stayed while the Government appeals.
Given the coming change in administrations, and the views of the incoming President, jihadist prisoners in US hands, who are not actually and currently covered by court orders, should be distributed abroad, to places outside US jurisdiction willing and able to hold them, immediately.
Hat tip: Tigerhawk.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Slough of Despond

Going to brood for awhile I think, so I don't know if I will be posting, much. I don't believe much of what I hear or read, but all the news, economic, political, personal, is just dark beyond belief. I can barely force myself to read the papers anymore, or look around much on here. Since 2006, there has been little to read but disaster and rumors of disaster.
Enough. I suppose if people want to be fools and drink the Kool-Aid, there's nothing for it but to let them.

Crash und Storm und Drang, Oh My

The Dow falling like a stone, a demoralized people, a paralyzed government. This all sounds very familiar. Now we have stormtroopers too -- yes, it's back to the 1930's!

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Waiting for President Obama

The media has declared the Presidential Race over, and the reign of the Messiah almost a reality. St. Barack is coming! Given how hard the media establishment has worked for this result, the tone of self-congratulation is understandable.
It's not just the media. The bad guys are happy the US banking system is in the soup; and the rest of the great and good think it fitting that the economic and geopolitical humiliation of America is about to be crowned with an electoral act of American acceptance of all the country's transgressions. "Obama or else" -- the world wide chattering class has commanded, because "America's got to change." The foreigners are going to get their wish, it seems. Whether American voters will wind up enjoying it I beg leave to doubt.
No doubt once the Bringer of Hope's been crowned with many crowns next 20 January, he will bring forth the chicken in every pot and sub-prime loans for whoever needs them. Then St. Barack will sally forth into the world bringing salvation; and Putin, Chavez, Ahmadinejad et al will (after laughing themselves sick) cease their contumaciousness when the Great Community Organizer asks them to.
I'm looking for the upside of the advent of President Messiah, but finding it damn hard to see. I suppose it's some consolation that all the glory and credit for the Nirvana that's coming will accrue totally to St. Barack and his friends. Meanwhile, there's nothing to do but open some good Euro champagne, and welcome the new era in a true and cooperative spirit of bipartisanship. St. Barack's supporters have so nobly shown us the way here during the Bush years. Drink up ! Champagne is wonderful, but sparkling wine goes flat so quickly.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

"Tomorrow Belongs to Me"

Your kids will be singing for change soon. . .just like these.