A View on Israel’s Response

Hamas is an organization dedicated to killing all Jews and the destruction of Israel. In an area where might makes right, especially with the Arabs, forceful action is the only way to get respect. Hamas declared an end to a truce to which they have never adhered to either actually or in spirit. At that time the number of rockets hurled at Israeli citizens accelerated. Israel had no other choice but to meet force with greater force. How Hamas is viewed depends on the how far Israelis carry their offensive. If Hamas is decimated they will lose any support by the occupants of Gaza. That will make it feasible for the Palestinians to form a government that can get along with Israel and Israel can help build up the area. This would be a monumental step towards peace in the area. If they are still able to function then Israel’s efforts will be wasted, Hamas will rearm, and it will start all over again.

Israel Hit Me Back First

To Westerners the Muslim mind is an enigma. Muslims do not see the treachery of heaving up to 60 mortars at civilian populations, indiscriminately hitting homes, schools, and childcare centers. Muslims seem not to mind being put into the lines of fire by the stationing of rocket launchers, weapons cashes, and other military activity right in the middle of civilians.

But when the victimized citizen’s military retaliates, as Israel did on December 27th 2008, against Muslim terror activities, they cry foul. They demand the condemnation of Israel, calling the Israelis murderers and terrorists. They refuse to acknowledge that all that has to happen to prevent military strikes is just to stop firing missals at the Israeli population.

They elevate those that murder innocents, like the one who opened fire on religious students indiscriminately, to hero status. They hail their leaders that spend money and manpower on acts of terror and complain that the west does not help them more. What goes through the mind of a person who kills innocent women, men, and children and then complains that the country of those they have just terrorized cuts off their electricity?

The explanation is not that difficult. It just boggles the mind. A Muslim does not consider a non-Muslim as human. Only a Muslim is qualified to have the respect afforded to humans. The rest of us are Infidels not worthy any consideration. To a Muslim the killing of a non-Muslim is like squashing a bug, trapping vermin, or getting rid of some other nuisance. A Muslim is ruled by the Koran and Shari’ah Law and does not need to answer to or abide by the laws of any country. Anything in the possession of an Infidel is for the taking by a Muslim. An Infidel is expected to acquiesce to the demands of a Muslim and cower in his presence.

This is the attitude that has spurred Islam in its attempt to conquer the world. A quest that started over 1,400 years ago by Mohammed and perpetuated by Islamic leaders through to today by the Ayatollah Khomeini, Yasser Arafat, Ahmadinejad, and others. Without a reformation within Islam this quest will continue until they are vanquished or they conquer us all.

A Danger Denied

Despite the surging of secularism and atheism in the western nations, Judeo-Christian beliefs are deeply rooted in our psyche. Too many are hard to comprehend that a religion with its roots in Jewish tradition could be so brutal in modern times. After all the Judeo-Christian ethics are the basis of true democracy, justice, and moral behavior. Before if affects us directly it is also easier to pretend that a danger does not exist rather than to face it. Facing a danger requires action and that would take away form our self indulgent quests.

The leaders of the west are fearful that if the true and barbaric teachings of Islam are realized a back lash could trigger mass retaliation, causing havoc. Governments are leery of disgruntled populations. There has never been a revolution by a content populous. An informed populous might demand action that just might be to difficult for a government to take on.

There are those in our government that feel a reformation in Islam will happen and happen in the not too distant future. There is even a think tank that addresses this expected eventuality on a regular basis. The facts all around the world do not, in my opinion, support this theory. Quite the opposite, we hear the call to world conquest and see the actions of Islamic rulers around the world. Putting murderous hostile actions aside, where ever there is even a small Islamic presence in the west, there are demands on the non-Muslims to aqueous to the ways of Islam such as making prayer areas available in schools and workplaces to Muslims. Islam demands privileges that are denied to other religions, especially Christianity. Many Islamic communities demand that local rule of law be super ceded by Sharia Law and many municipalities, rather than have a significant portion if their constituents unhappy (they want to be re-elected) go along with it. Sharia Law has some very draconian concepts that all good Muslims adhere to. If the west continues to ignore these facts (as is happening all over Europe) western nations will end up being ruled like Iran. A country where the Islamic leaders have absolute power over the government and Sharia Law super cedes all.

An Islamic Caliphate is the biggest danger the world is facing. For over 1,400 years Islam has been on a quest to eradicate any and all other beliefs or none beliefs. If the West does not wake up and soon, the status of women will that of property of the father, then the husband, and then her children. All independent thought will be denied and severely punished. Scientific and social advancement will regress and the masses will be kept stupid and at the mercy of the Mullahs.

How will the Obama Administration do?

The next four years are going to be the most perilous the world has encountered since the Nazi threat of the 1930’s. Obama may or may not be aware of the road he chose to the White house.

First he is in debt to some very nasty people like the corrupt Chicago political machine, Chicago gangsters, and socialist revolutionaries. His view of world politics is at best naïve and at worst despicable. If one refuses to see the enemy he is doomed and so is the country he is governing. Domestically his stated goals are to decimate our military and create an armed National Civilian Security Force. This is reminiscent of Hitler’s youth movement, the Brown Shirts, and the SS, organizations that spied on the populous and then terrified the nation. Nationalizing health care is another very scary proposal. All over the world this way of administrating health care is a huge failure, without exception.

Currently he is confusing people on all sides of the political spectrum. Most of his promise of “change” has taken a back seat to the very established Clinton era with a splash of very left wing radical views. He has accepted as fact his total ignorance of military strategy by keeping (at least for now) the current leadership.

This man needs very close scrutiny in all his actions. His command of rhetoric (which is highly polished and honed) is of no use in decision and policy making. The result of his presidency is dependent on to what extent he will pay back those that have put him in the White House and if he is willing to learn and accept the reality that is facing him. He has the capability learn. We will have to wait and see the path he takes.

What Can Save Our Auto Industry?

The American auto industry has moved away from a capitalist and entrepreneurish system to one based on the demands of consumption. The UAW kept making demands for wages that had nothing to do with the ability to produce a product that the consumer would buy. The management is also not invested in the product but in the value of the stock. Stock value is what has determined their pay, bonuses, and options. The focus has not been on what product will sell at what price but on how much can we suck out of the industry.

Capitalism is based on investment and risk. The investment has been minimal and the risks have not been accounted for. Constantly borrowing to pay wages and benefits without concern for the profitability of the operation is what put the industry in the situation they are in.

To prevent a total collapse of the industry (including suppliers) a rework of operations is necessary, without that no matter how much money is sunk into it, it will collapse completely. Salaries and benefits of management must be based on performance and not stock value or how long they can manage to borrow money to keep afloat. Wages need to be based on the profitability of the product produced. The product lines need to be evaluated as to salability and reduced to those that are profitable.

Once the SOP of the industry is changed then and only then should the government step in with loans to allow the industry to achieve profitability and stabilize the economy.
It is interesting that in the last 30 years Ford Motor Company has been moving production to other countries while Toyota has built 12 new plants in this country. This has produced a $4 billion profit for Toyota in the last reporting period while Ford has lost $9 billion.

Islam is not compatible with the rest of the world

I see very little hope for Islam and the rest of the world to get along. First of all non-secular Islamic regimes are run by Sharia Law. Sharia Law leaves no wiggle room for reformists and governs with strict interpretation of the Koran. In the past any candidate with any reform ideas has been disqualified from any election by the religious leaders (Iran is an example).

Second are two edicts in the Koran. Islam is dedicated to create a World Caliphate ruling the world with Sharia Law that does not allow any opposition. The meaning of Islam is to submit. This means that one becomes a Muslim or accepts dhimmitude. Although the Koran expects Muslims to be truthful with each other it is a different story when dealing with Infidels. According to the Koran it is almost mandatory to lei and use deceit when dealing with Infidels if there is an advantage to Islam to do so. This destroys the creditability of the “moderates”.

Third is that a bad Muslim does not follow the Koran and a good Muslim does.

Capitalism: The Remix?

On December 4, 2008 Sebastian Mallaby wrote in the Washington Post:
The nastier this recession gets, the more people will talk about the discrediting of markets and the failure of deregulation. So the next time the Dow dives off a cliff, splash your face with ice water and remember two things: This end-of-capitalism talk is bunk, and it distracts us from the debate we should be having. The real question is how to manage the necessary shift in the balance of our mixed economy. Outlandish though it may sound now, red-blooded capitalism must be part of the answer.

My comment is:
Capitalism must be more than just a (small) part of the economy. Capitalism’s base are the small entrepreneurs who are willing to take risks and go into business. This becomes very difficult when huge corporations are propped up by governments using taxpayers’ money. When the government becomes the owner or part owner of these huge entities, competition is stifled. This is socialism, a system that does not allow capitalism and is doomed to failure. The production of unwanted/unneeded products or service just consumes. An economy based on consumption can not survive.

All these CEO’s begging the government for bailouts are not capitalists. They have no capital invested in these businesses. They are just trying to protect their enormous salaries and bonuses. They are like government bureaucrats doing all they can to feed an enormous beast at the expense of the taxpayer.

Under a capitalist system people are allowed to succeed and to fail. If the product is needed by the consumer and is affordable the enterprise succeeds. If there is no demand for the product it fails; no matter how much money is infused. In this case it deserves to fail. Only in a socialist system are businesses artificially propped up to keep them going.

The only interference that should be allowed in a capitalist system is not to allow any one business to become so big (a monopoly of sorts) that “it can not be afforded to fail”. In a society with 100 banks, when one fails the impact is small. If there is only one bank and it fails, the impact becomes a calamity.