5/9 Morning Report

Imagine such a thing! Hezbollah getting upset because it doesn’t like government rules? Well, that’s what it amounts to, anyway. Unfortunately, with as much power, if not more so, as the government itself wields, Hezbollah can get away with a lot. And, with their usual rhetoric, they say it is all because the US and Israel are trying to control them.

"The (government) decisions are tantamount to a declaration of war and the start of a war... on behalf of the United States and Israel," he [Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah] charged during a rare press conference.

Of course!…it couldn’t possibly have anything to do with maintaining civil order… how silly of the world to think that could be the case. I loved the comment from the US State Department:

"Hezbollah needs to make a choice: Be a terrorist organisation or be a political party, but quit trying to be both," said US national security council spokesman Gordon Johndroe.

Hezbollah has been very successful ,just like Yassir Arafat and the PLO, at making it look like everything is political—while terrorizing any dissenters, and neighboring nations. Of course, the UN is calling for calm, and not getting involved—as usual. I wonder what country will have a bunch of soldiers killed on a peace keeping mission this time. I also wonder if that would change the way the UN handles situations like this.

(…Darfur…Bosnia…Kosovo…Lebanon…has the methodology changed?…or ever really worked?...long term?...)

02/18 Morning Report

I’ve read enough science fiction that yesterday’s headline really made me smile…mostly because of the way it was worded: Hopes rise for finding alien Earths. The concept of an alien earth made me laugh.


Meanwhile, closer to home, Hugo Chavez backed off of threats to halt exports to the US. Chavez had been claiming that the Bush administration and Exxon were “conspiring” against the Venezuelan economy. Now, Chavez says he was only talking about actions if the US invaded. However, the war over Venezuelan oil and money isn’t over. Chavez is also signaling higher taxes on foreign oil companies operating within his borders.


More foreign affairs that directly affects Americans, Serbia recalled it’s US ambassador. Angry over the US recognition of Kosovo, they recalled their ambassador. It will be interesting to see what else they do, since most of the EU has also recognized the new nation.

At a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Britain's David Miliband said "at least half" of the bloc's 27 member states would formally extend diplomatic recognition by the end of the week.

However, political problems aren’t the only thing the US must address. There are still US servicemen and women deployed in the region as peacekeepers.

(…I wonder where the Democrats and liberals stand on that one…)


Speaking of Democrats, who would have believed just a few months ago that things would go this crazy? Obama may flip-flop on public financing pledge. But, Hillary’s campaign is pretty much reduced to pointing fingers, rather than having control of the campaign—or setting a clear direction. I hate to admit it, but Obama’s TV ads paint a much stronger image than Hillary’s do. Honestly, it’s starting to sound like Hillary may actually have to really fight for her political life here. Too bad the Republicans don’t have a real attention getting platform that people can grab hold of. This would be a great opportunity to take the media by storm with it. As it is, the Republicans are airing…well…nothing.

(…this kind of silence is NOT golden…)