links for 2009-07-08

• EurekAlert! – Science News
  EurekAlert! is an online science news service, sponsored by AAAS, the science society. It features health, science and technology news from leading research institutes.
  (tags: Space Science reference technology research news blog)

Misc News Comments

Sarah Palin Resignation

So Palin has decided to resign, for whatever reason, be it media harassment, financial problems, etc., it does not matter. It’s not surprising given the viciousness of attacks against her and her family. One would think that those who blithely dismiss her are in fact terrified of her given their venom towards her in everything she does.

Some think she’s starting her run for President in 2012 or a Senate seat in 2010 and already attacking her in case this is true. It’s funny though how the attacks play out by calling her a quitter by not finishing her term considering how Mr. Obama became President doing the exact same thing as the junior Senator from Illinois. Again it doesn’t really matter.

Personally I don’t think she’s electable as a President even with the ongoing train wreck of the administration’s policies. While she gets points for generally being a State’s Rights Federalists, she loses that federalist brand on a number of social issues being far too conservative for the comfort of many Americans fed up with their lives and nation being run into the ground by the extremists. She and many other self style federalists forget that true federalism doesn’t allow for them to impose their conservative social agenda on America any more than hard left liberals can impose their statist social agenda.

China and the Uighurs

Any hope China has in the Xinjiang region for peace is slim to none given riots there. You can’t keep oppressing the ethnic Uighurs in their own land and not expect to have trouble, especially when Han are brought in to try and dilute the Uighur population and actively practice ethnic discrimination against the Uighurs. Of course the Chinese are planning another crackdown.

TEA Parties

The Tea Parties across the nation appear to have done well despite the holiday and associated weather. The Phoenix Tea Party seems to have done well despite the relatively quick planning. Naturally small given the weather here and the fact that it was a holiday.

Honduras Update

Things appear to be heating up down in Honduras with Zelaya apparently heading back and Chavez’s ALBA puppets in Nicaragua are making Chavez’s threat to invade Honduras a possible reality:

Ousted Honduran leader departs on flight for home – washingtonpost.com

Honduras says Nicaragua has troops moving on border | Markets | Bonds News | Reuters

The OAS suspended Honduras from their membership, though Honduras claims they withdrew. Regardless, it’s good Honduras is out as it clearly tells the OAS that Honduras will not accept the ALBA leftist thugs imposing their Bolivarian nonsense on Honduras and turning them into another poor puppet state under Chavez’s local lieutenant, Zelaya.

Amusingly enough the OAS is saying only “legitimate” governments can withdraw from the OAS. Well that rules out Zelaya. That aside, the OAS is not a dictatorship despite it being controlled by would be despots, and it’s members can choose to leave or stay as they see fit. Otherwise it’s just another dictatorial organization that needs to be annihilated out of existence as a threat to freedom and sovereignty.

Of course CNN and other MSM are still portraying this as an evil plot against a poor innocent victim with reports that CNN refusing or cutting off those who try to tell the Honduran side while prattling on about Zelaya supposed “mass” popularity.

An interesting blog to check out: Honduras Abandoned In effect, a first hand look at what’s going on, good, bad, and indifferent, without the leftist media spin.

Another of interest:
Honduras News,

4th of July

Here is hoping you all have a great 4th of July holiday.

July 4 Tea Party

Just a reminder of the upcoming nationwide Official Tax Day TEA Party, July 4th, 2009

For Arizonan’s interested in more information checkout the following sites:

Arizona Tea Party List

Tucson Tea Party

This of course, is all leading up to the planned mass Tax Payer March on Washington D.C., September 10-12, 2009.

Quick Post: Media Concern Ov er WH Press Control

I got much amusement over the brouhaha started because Helen Thomas dared call out Press Sec. Gibbs for the staged town halls and pre-selecting reporters. I guess she just finally woke up to reality then because those of us watching all along knew what the administration was doing and continues to do.

Dan Choi

As those who have been following the issue of the military’s misguided “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy knows that today Lt. Dan Choi lost his first DADT battle, but vowed to keep fighting. I still find it incomprehensible that the U.S. government and elements in the military somehow think our country’s best interests are served in discriminating against otherwise qualified and much needed personnell based solely on their gender preference. Should not the ability to serve our nation be solely based on one’s capabilities rather than socio-political dogma?

The Obama administration has merely sidestepped the issue (as I knew he would always do) while SecDef Gates softened his public approach (only because the WH is using him as a scape goat to cover their inactivity). Congress abets the administration’s astounding silence by intentionally ignoring the issue as well. Perhaps both pray that it will go away while our military personnel are left wallowing in a muddled policy. The administration’s excuse for this behavior is supposedly to allow time to convince old guard military top relent. President Obama forgets that he is the Commader in Chief and like President Truman when integrating the military could simply order DADT out of existence. Unfortunately Obama is too fearful of taking a stand on anything. Truman faced massive opposition to racially integrating the military but did it anyway.

As those I know in the military like to say: Mission first.

The net effect is the government has gone from always discrimnating against homosexuals in the military to just sometimes. How very progressive. /sarcasm

As usual I encourage all people to contact their Representatives and Senators to tell them what you want on all issues from DADT to the environment to taxes and beyond. Look beyond partisan politics and beyond party to what is best for all Americans within the guidelines of our Constitutional government.

Honduras

Some posts and analysis of Honduras and assorted political interpretations of the events there.

PoliGazette » Update on Honduras: Just Words, Just Speeches?

Matthew Yglesias » A Smart Take on Honduras

Roberto Lovato: Obama Has the Power and Responsibility to Help Restore Democracy in Honduras

Honduras crisis shows Latin America’s weaknesses – Americas – MiamiHerald.com

Personally I disagree with Obama’s (and other world leaders) public calls of support for Zelaya and suspect that behind the scenes many are grateful that Chavez’s ALBA faces a setback in their attempt to expand their influence through out the Americas. As for the world, foreign nations not involved (e.g. everyone) need to stay out of Honduras’ political affairs and let them sort it out. They don’t have to like how things went down but they should not support a politician that was repeatedly defying his nation’s own laws either.

The MSM also needs to start reporting the facts instead of supporting political agendas and lying about events in Honduras with wild claims of riots, military junta, and so on. Even better, maybe try something fresh like telling the entire story. (Ha! Yeah I know that’s not going to happen.)

The truth will out eventually.

Immigration

So Obama now puts forth his National Guard Plan to “secure the border”. The low numbers of personnel and the size of the border make this gesture meaningless, especially to those of us who’ve lived for decades with Washington’s refusal to solve the illegal immigration problems in this country. Instead this is more pandering to the dimwitted who will fall for symbolic gestures rather than meaningful changes.

We know none of the political parties have any interest in solving the issue as each side makes promises to come up with solutions and then quickly forgets those promises once the election is over. Instead they actively undermine the laws of the United States in a number of ways: refusing to enforce the law, delaying immigration reform, politically and legally attacking law enforcement officials who enforce laws by claiming discrimination and rights violations, and so on. All the while these same politicians do nothing to address immigration reform, pressure businesses not to hire illegals, address human smuggling and extortion involved in the illegal border crosser, and tighten loopholes to prevent illegals from abusing the system nor provide and significant assistance in helping services that are being abused.

Of course President Obama Begins Push for Immigration Reform | CafeSentido.com, yet noting that it won’t get done this year. Surprise. Guess what it won’t get done next year either. Why? Election year. This is the same old arguments that have been used for decades to willfully and criminally ignore the problem.

Some ideas for immigration reform that many on both sides of the issue will hate. Note that these are not my ideas, just ones I’ve heard of. My personal ranking are added as Favorable, Practicle, Grudgingly Practicle (neccessary but not necessarily the ideal option), and Unfavorable.

1. Close the loop hole that allows for “anchor babies”. Change current laws so that non-citizens illegally living and working the United States do not get automatic citizenship for any child born here. On the flip side, those living and working here through normal visas and work visas (see #2) would allow their children to become automatic citizens since they would be in country legitimately. Practicle.
2. Create a temporary work visa and a national foreign worker photo identification card for foreign workers that balances the need for workers without harming US citizens. Favorable.
3. Create and enforce a national verification check system similar to the one used in Arizona as well as a matching employer sanctions law to enforce and punish those that would hire illegal immigrants. Favorable.
4. Change the number of illigal immigrants allowed to legally come this country to a more balanced and fair procedure. Favorable.
5. Illegal normalization program. For one year, and one year only, this program would in effect allow illegal immigrants to come forward and register as documented workers after proving no laws outside of those related to their illegal immigrant status was violated, pay a fine and backtaxes, but would otherwise incur no further criminal penalty. For those seeking citizenship their previous years would not count towards the required time. For those seeking only a work visa they would be required to leave the country and apply for a work visa without any incurred penalty. After the time period was up, all illegals caught by law enforcement would be summarily deported without legal recourse and placed on a 15 year ban on entry into the country. Grudgingly Practicle.
6. Five Year Rotation Plan. For those on work visas, if they decide they do not wish to become citizens, then their work visa is revoked after 5 years and they are ineligible for 5 years for another visa in order for other workers to have an opportunity to work in the United States. Practicle.
7. Blanket amnesty to all non-violent illegal immigrants. Unfavorable.

Honduras Update

Obama and Clinton continue to perpetuate the myth that Zelaya is the victim in this past weekend’s Honduran coup and that said coup was unconstitutional. The Administration has been playing it fast and loose with its words hoping to garner outrage by implying it is now a military dictatorship in control of the country. My suggestion remains that Obama and Clinton remain silent as far as trying to dictate what happens in Honduras. Condemn the use of military force all you like but respect the Honduran Constitution and laws, which Zelaya clearly did not. Such action is always disturbing but sometimes is necessary. The irony is that it seems the Honduran military was trying to avoid being accused of a takeover by deporting Mr. Zelaya in the first place.

The US Administration and MSM naturally hasn’t been reporting the facts about Mr. Zelaya and is ongoing efforts to in fact undermine the Honduran constitution with the help of Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez that led to him being deposed. Fortunately, these facts are being kept alive, well, and circulating on the Net for those who want to get a better understanding of the whole situation, not just the leftist perspective.

Fausta’s Blog continues to provide ongoing coverage and background to the situation:  Fausta’s Blog » Blog Archive » Honduras defends its democracy