Monday's Must Read Links

As part of the New Right's quest to keep you informed, let me present to you this edition of Monday's Must Read Links. Don't have time to scour the web for all the news sources. Let the New Right do it for you! Just read these, and you'll be the hit of any social gathering this week. Enjoy, and please comment.

Jack Murtha (Dem - PA) suggested that Democrats may bring impeachment proceedings against the President as a tool to force him out of Iraq. Of course, Murtha fails to mention what crimes the President has committed. Don't worry, they'll cook something up. Read about it here.

Here is an interesting article from the NY Times about how Barack Obama became a Christian. Judge for yourself. I won't touch this one . . . yet.

The New Right has already expressed perplexity at the hype surrounding Fred Thompson in regards to the GOP presidential race. Well, an article from today's Telegraph (UK) details how a lot of former Reagan official are jumping on the Thompson bandwagon. Not that Thompson would be the worst thing in the world, but I still don't get it. Anyone care to explain it for me?

Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, recently warned Congress of the necessity to reform entitlement programs (social security, medicare, etc.). Hallelujah. These programs will bury this country, mark my words, unless politicians get the guts to act. So, basically, there is not a chance. Read some of Bernanke's words here.

Finally, the most ridiculous story of the day from the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Apparently, some Harvard economists are suggesting taxing women at a lower rate to encourage more of them to work and to help equalize the pay gap. While the Harvard economists may want more women to work, there seems to be an opposite trend taking place in the United Kingdom. Read about it here. I am sure that this is the one tax cut that Democrats in Minnesota would actually support. I suppose they would reckon that we could afford it if they get their wish to raise Minnesota's top tax rate to the highest in the country.

This Day In History

From the NY Times. On this date in:
1429	Joan of Arc entered the besieged city of Orleans to lead a victory over the English.
1861	Maryland's House of Delegates voted against seceding from the Union.
1862	New Orleans fell to Union forces during the Civil War.
1899	Jazz musician Duke Ellington was born in Washington D.C.
1916	The Easter uprising in Dublin collapsed as Irish nationalists surrendered to British authorities.
1945	Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler married his longtime mistress Eva Braun in a Berlin bunker. The couple killed themselves the next day.
1945	American soldiers liberated the Dachau concentration camp in Germany.
1946	Twenty-eight former Japanese leaders were indicted as war criminals.
1974	President Richard Nixon announced he was releasing edited transcripts of secretly made White House tape recordings related to the Watergate scandal.
1981	Truck driver Peter Sutcliffe admitted in a London court to being the "Yorkshire Ripper," the killer of 13 women in northern England over five years.
1983	Harold Washington was sworn in as the first black mayor of Chicago.
1992	Rioting erupted in Los Angeles after a jury acquitted four Los Angeles police officers of almost all charges in the videotaped beating of Rodney King. Fifty-four people were killed.
1996	Former CIA Director William Colby was missing and presumed drowned after an apparent boating accident in Maryland.
1996	The musical "Rent" opened on Broadway.
1997	A worldwide treaty to ban chemical weapons went into effect.
1997	Astronaut Jerry Linenger and cosmonaut Vasily Tsibliyev went on the first U.S.-Russian space walk.
2002	A year after the loss of a seat it had held for over 50 years, the United States won election to the U.N. Human Rights Commission.
2003	The Palestinian parliament approved Mahmoud Abbas as prime minister.
2004	President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney met behind closed doors with the Sept. 11 commission.
2004	A national monument to the 16 million U.S. men and women who served during World War II opened to the public in Washington D.C.
2006	Economist John Kenneth Galbraith died at age 97.

American Health Care Solutions

The fashionable thing to advocate, at least among Democrats, is universal health care. Sounds great doesn't it? Too bad it doesn't work. In my personal experience, only Americans think this is a good idea. Without exception, every foreigner that I have spoken with from a country that has universal health care has said nothing good about the system. In fact, last night I was speaking with a Hungarian who complained about the long waits, poor quality, and fraud in the Hungarian state heath care system. To get a good doctor, he told me, you need to offer a sizable bribe to get an appointment. He much preferred the American system. Well what about Canada, the UK, and Scandinavia you might say. Long waits, spotty quality, and poor customer service are hallmarks of all of these systems. In all of these places, anyone who can afford it elects to buy in to the private system if one is available. Really, it is quite simple. No competition equals poor quality.

Recently GOP front runner Rudy Giuliani had some intelligent things to say on the topic. In Massachusetts, GOP hopeful Mitt Romney has instituted an innovative program that will insure everyone in the state, but through the private system.

Some seem to think that world class health care is a God-given right. Just because one is born, are they really entitled to free medical care? Why should health care be like anything else. Lesson: Work hard, get a good job, and provide your family with health care. Like everything, you should get what you pay for.

-NT

Can a Woman be the Perfect Wife and the Perfect Mother?

An interesting article from one of my favorite news sources. England's The Daily Mail.

Why we must Win in Iraq

There are several reasons why the U.S.A. must win in Iraq. As demonstrated yesterday, the Democrats in Congress do not understand these reasons.
1. To Avoid the Slaughter of Iraqi Lives: Just like in the aftermath of Vietnam, an American pullout before the Iraqi government is competent to defend itself will mean the quick death of anyone who has shown any support to the US. In addition, large numbers of Iraqis will die in the power struggle that ensues to fill the vacuum left by the American withdrawal.
2. To Save American Lives: Leaving Iraq unstable means that there will be a country the size of Texas, full of resources, with a congregation of terrorists. Without a significant US presence, Iraq will become an unmitigated terrorist training ground.
3. To Save American Credibility: If the United States cuts and runs from Iraq, American credibility will be shattered. Never again will the US be able to project its power on a large scale. No anti-American forces will be intimidated by an America that does not have the will to win in Iraq. Even the weakest enemies will know they only have to wait it out until a craven American public capitulates.

To save lives and to save face. The US must win in Iraq. And we can. The US, with he richest, most advanced, and most skilled fighting force the world have ever seen, only loses when it wants to. Why would we want to lose?

Global Warming Hysteria?

The New Right will have a lot of original thought coming on Global Warming. It would be fair to say it is one of our favorite topics. Here is an article out of Canada. Some leading scientists there are expressing their dismay at the hysteria going on in the current global warming debate. It is worth the read.

This Day In History

From the NY Times On this date in:
1607	An expedition of English colonists went ashore at Cape Henry, Va., to establish the first permanent English settlement in the Western Hemisphere.
1785	Naturalist and artist John James Audubon was born in Haiti.
1865	John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln, was surrounded and killed by federal troops near Bowling Green, Va.
1937	Planes from Nazi Germany raided the Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War.
1945	Marshal Henri Philippe Petain, the head of France's Vichy government during World War II, was arrested.
1964	The African nations of Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form Tanzania.
1989	Actress-comedian Lucille Ball died at age 77.
1998	Auxiliary Bishop Juan Gerardi Conedera, a leading human rights activist in Guatemala, was bludgeoned to death two days after a report he'd compiled on atrocities during Guatemala's 36-year civil war was made public.
2000	Vermont Gov. Howard Dean signed the nation's first bill allowing same-sex couples to form civil unions.
2001	Junichiro Koizumi was elected prime minister of Japan by the lower house of Japan's parliament.
2002	An expelled student went on a shooting rampage at a school in Erfurt, Germany, killing 13 teachers, two students and a police officer before taking his own life.
2004	The government unveiled the new colorized $50 bill.
2005	Syria's 29-year military presence in Lebanon ended as Syrian soldiers completed a withdrawal brought about by international pressure and Lebanese street protests.

McCain is In!

This may come as a surprise to some of you. John McCain announced he is running for president today. I wonder what he calls the last six months or so he has spent in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.

McCain is an interesting fellow. Truly, a great American. That said, it is rare to hear a conservative say anything good about him.
My feelings on McCain are mixed. In some ways, I have warmed to him lately. This is mainly due to his unwavering support for winning in Iraq. This is not the popular position, and I admire his courage advocating for it. Also to his credit, McCain has been a budget hawk and has a sterling pro-life record. On the other hand, McCain has shown poor judgment and a real lack of wisdom advocating for campaign finance reform, teaming with Ted Kennedy on immigration reform, and orchestrating the "gang of 14" which seriously hampered the Presidents ability to nominate conservative judges long term.

All that said. If McCain is the nominee, and I doubt he will be (I hope to expound later), I will gladly support him. If he is right on nothing else, he is right on the major issue of our time.

-NT

Young People the Biggest Supporters of the War in Iraq?

I came across some interesting statistics today. Recent polling shows that the by age bracket, 18-29 year olds have the highest level of support for the war in Iraq and for President Bush. Surprisingly, 48% of people polled in this age bracket think that taking militart action in Iraq was the right thing to do. This number is shocking for several reasons. First, after all that has happened since the war began (supposedly no wmd, a struggle to pacify Iraq) 48% of young people still think it was a good idea that the United States took military action. In addition, many in this age bracket spend their time on college campuses enduring an endless deluge of anti-war rhetoric.

What are the reasons for this relatively high level of support? A few possiblities. First, young Americans do not rely on network news, newspapers, and other traditional news sources. These establishment news sources not fans of this war. Secondly, younger Americans have a lot of life yet to live. Looking at facing another 50 years of life living with an radical Islamic threat, many young Americans may conclude that it is better to address this challenge head on today.

Sadly, the generations that are supposed to be wise are the generations that have the least support for the war in Iraq. Reasons? Left-over Vietnam paralysis may explain Boomers opposition. Even older Americans seem to become too safe. Let's not do anything that may jeopardize social security and medicare payments. They have lost the aggressive spirit that made America great.

Obviously more complex than this analysis, but maybe a starting point. Please join the discussion.

Why the Fred Thompson Hype?

Fred Thompson is running third in most of the polling right now for the GOP nomination. I don't quite get all the hype. Matt Lewis from Townhall.com gives a great explanation that mirrors my thinking on Thompson.

I keep trying to self-analyze exactly why I'm not buying into the Fred Thompson hype.

Logically, I would argue that 1. His popularity has more to do with discontent over the current crop of GOP candidates than with him, and 2. His record, while fine, is not substantially more conservative than the other candidates.

So it appears to me that the main thing a lot of conservatives like about him is ... style.

You can read his entire article by clicking on the above link. Please share you thoughts on Thompson by posting a comment. The New Right hopes to get out a complete assessment of the GOP and Democratic Presidential fields in the near future.

-NT

One Square of Toilet Paper?

Sheryl Crow recently stated that Americans should cut back to one square of toilet paper per bathroom visit to help the Environment.

One problem (actually many) with this logic. Trees grow back. In fact, America has more forest land now than when it was first settled by Europeans. We do not have to worry about deforestation so long as there are loggers. If all the trees disapear, they go out of business.

-NT

Should American Schools Build Footwashing Basins For Muslim Students?

Editors Note: This post is from a recent email debate between JB and NT regarding Minneapolis Community and Technical College's decision to install foot washing basins in the bathroom to accommodate the schools notable Muslim population. These thoughts represent the very divergent perspectives that can be found on the New Right.

FROM JB:

Warning: Controversial

Honestly, I do not think the school is out of line. And, if Muslim students are hurting themselves trying to observe their religion, I don't see a problem with the school providing a 'safe' environment to accommodate them.

As for the baptism argument (ridiculous as it is), most public schools do provide baptism basins; they're called swimming pools. I have seen this done many times.

I think it is important that we Christians do not hold double standards. Think about it like this, devout Muslim students are only trying to avoid sin (as they define it). We Christians would be happy to hear that our secular school/ employer/ government made accommodations in such a way that allowed Christians to avoid a sin dilemma.

Muslim prayer is a expression of their religion, just like Christian prayer around the school flag pool is and expression of Christian religion. Yeah it looks like MTCT is favoring Islam, but could it not be said that by not making reasonable accommodations for a segment of their students is in-itself discriminatory towards Islam? I feel pretty comfortable with these facilities so long that non-muslim students are not barred from using them.

As for the objection that the school is not making accommodations for other minority religions (i.e. Bahai', Hindu) I think an institution only has an obligation to make accommodations when a need is brought to their attention. To expect otherwise is unreasonable.

For me, what this boils down to, is how ridiculous this notion of "Separation Between Church and State" has become in this country. All humans are religious, and thus a total separation can not be obtained between the people and the people's institutions. As an American, and especially as a Christian, I value plurality and non-partiality. Because one day, I (a Christian) may find myself in the minority where my traditions are deem irrational, superstitious, and or dangerous. I can only hope, and pray, that the majority would tolerate my religion and allow me to practice it freely/peacefully.

When we as Christians rail against those institutions that appear to be showing partiality toward a religion other than our own, we only strengthen the aims and goals of those radical secularists who would like nothing more than to bring about a society free of all religion (Islamic or otherwise). Why should we (the majority in this Country) play the part of spoiled babies who whine whenever some other religion appears to have been given precedence over ours? Fairness????? Please.... the world (by this I mean the world without God) has never, nor will it, show complete fairness to the Gospel.

I guess I am for Religion more so than I am for this ridiculous definition of Separation. The more religious freedom in the country, the more foothold the Gospel will have. The more Islamic expression at MTCT, the more opportunity the Christian groups have to identify and build relationships with Muslims.

Also, what will the Muslim community think when the most prominate critic of MTCT's decision is not the secular humanists, but us Christians?

Matthew 28:19 (New International Version):

"19Therefore go and make disciples [NOT ENEMIES] of all nations, baptizing them [IN THE SCHOOL POOL, IF NECESSARY] in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,"

RESPONSE FROM NT:

JB,
With all due respect, I think you are mischaracterizing the argument for several reasons. I actually do not think the main objections to MCTC’s decision should be religiously motivated. The true question is, I believe, cultural dilution.

(1) First, however, I will address the religious freedom argument you make. For Christianity’s sake, I agree that our goal should be equal, free treatment. However, you presume that Christians are accommodated. There may be swimming pools, but public school systems built them for swimming, not baptizing. Can you point to examples of school’s remodeling a bathroom, or spending money, or any other overt accommodation for Christian religious expression? In this way the baptism argument is compelling, there are no equivalents, and it is hard to imagine a school doing construction work to accommodate Christian practice. Considering we already live in a country that accommodates others, and not Christianity, there is no real basis to conclude that allowing more religious freedom for Muslims will lead to more freedom for Christianity.
(2) The real argument, though, is in my opinion a cultural one. Do we believe enough in Western culture (influenced heavily and positively by Judeo/Christian tradition) to guard it. Put another way, is it something worth preserving. If it is not, build the Muslims a wash basin. Is our culture superior enough to expect
others to live within its confines and norms? Do we believe that
others will benefit from our culture? If we do believe in ourselves,we should guard against attacks against it and frown on resisting it.
(3) There is a dangerous trend brought on by this urge to
accommodate. This is the stratification of American society.
Allowing these gross deviations from the cultural norm will drive a
great chasm between these different communities. We will be a
society of us vs. them. There will be no common ground to bind us.
This lack of cohesion is poison to a society. One look at Europe
gives a vivid picture of where this leads. There, Muslim minorities have been highly accommodated. Saying that accommodation of Muslim practice in Europe has led to good results. British Muslims blow up the tube, the rift between Muslims and natives in Holland is unbridgeable. The list goes on. None of these accommodations has led to any similar accommodation of European Christians. It is unreasonable to expect the same to happen here. In fact, now much of Europe is trying a different tact, banning burquas in school, etc. Will it be good for America to be a country where cashiers refuse to check out pork, where bathrooms are especially outfitted for Muslims,where our very way of life is altered to accommodate cultural and religious minorities? I answer a clear no.
(4) What America need if it is to continue to thrive, lead the world, and be a force for good, is an unshakable confidence in its superior values, culture and way of life. Only when we believe in our own culture will America be able to lead the world and make it a better place, and hold it to a high standard. It is this lack of confidence or sense of superiority that leads to emasculated
prosecution of wars (Iraq), fear of drawing cartoons of Mohammad, and now building wash basins in schools for Muslims.
(5) So the question is, do we set a standard that all must live by, or do we set no standards that all must live by? No standards, I argue, will lead to a diluted culture incapable of doing any good in the world. Must four centuries of the American way of life give way give way to a new minority? Does this majority have the right to insist that its way of life not be altered? I say yes, for the sake of America, and the sake of the world.

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