Ediblog

"It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood,
A beautiful day for a neighbor.
Would you be mine? Could you be mine?"

Everyone has either seen or heard of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood (1962-2001)...Mister Rogers' Neighborhood was typified by its calm simplicity and gentleness. Each episode, Fred Rogers enters his television studio house, singing "Won't You Be My Neighbor?". He would then hang his coat in a closet, put on a zippered cardigan sweater, and removed his dress shoes to put on sneakers. Then he graciously conversed with the audience about his neighbors and the hood (want to be hip here).

Not exactly the scene we think about when we imagine Israel's test-drive neighbors: The 'palestinians'.

Gaza can be viewed as a microcosm of a full-fledged 'Palestinian' State. Here's a joke...

Q: What's the quickest way to tell Israelis from 'Palestinians'?
A: Israelis turn deserts into gardens, 'Palestinians' turn gardens into deserts.

Since the 'palestinians' took over Gaza in 2005, they turned a nurtured paradise into a barren wasteland...and they did it in mere hours of taking possession of the land.

American Jewish donors had bought more than 3,000 greenhouses from Israeli settlers in Gaza for $14 million last month and transferred them to the Palestinian Authority. Former World Bank President James Wolfensohn, who brokered the deal, put up $500,000 of his own cash.
Palestinian police stood by helplessly Tuesday as looters carted off materials from greenhouses in several settlements, and commanders complained they did not have enough manpower to protect the prized assets. In some instances, there was no security and in others, police even joined the looters, witnesses said.

Thousands of celebrating Palestinians thronged through Neve Dekalim on early Monday just after Israeli soldiers withdrew, setting fire to a building that just last month served as a rabbinical college for Jewish settlers.

There were similar scenes throughout Gaza as Palestinians headed straight for empty synagogues Israel had decided to leave intact. The fires caused little structural damage in the fortress-like concrete and stone structures, but Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said the buildings would be destroyed.

A week after they descended like locusts on the greenhouses that Jewish settlers nurtured in Gaza, looters continue to pillage what
should be a prize asset for a fledgling Palestinian state.

As a foretaste, prior to the Gaza take-over, 'palestinians' desecrated Jewish burial sites (individual graves are considered sacred in Jewish law). And that's not the only way these would-be neighbors have shown their 'love' to the Israelis...

Since Israel's withdrawal from Gaza in the summer of 2005, 'Palestinian' terrorists have fired more than 4,000 rockets and mortars into innocent Israeli neighborhoods...targeting civilians. In the first 5 months of 2008 alone, Hamas et al have fired more than 800 rockets and mortars at the Jewish state, forcing Israel to take augmented actions to defend itself, as seen in the recent (and continuing) assault on Hamas targets in Gaza by the IAF.

I'll bet you're wondering if the 'palestinians' are hospitable? Well wonder no more...they have also sent over their form of a 'welcome wagon': The suicide bomber. Numerous times, the Gaza Crossing has had to be closed due to myriad suicide bombers, including women...attempting to cross over into Israel and rip terror into the hearts of innocent Israelis.

This surely is not the kind of neighbors Mr. Rogers, or his audience, could have ever imagined. Instead of calm simplicity, we have interminable rocket attacks. And instead of extending gentleness, we have hand-delivered exploding gifts.

Hamas was voted in by the 'palestinian' people, as the majority party. Hamas has been the leader in unprovoked civilian attacks. With the current IAF air raids on Hamas, Israel is now speaking Hamas' love language. If the 'palestinian' people finally get the message...they may very well see 'a beautiful day in the neighborhood'...but if they don't...they can kiss their rubble good-bye.

I write this without one degree of compunction: Homosexuals are the most intolerant people in America. If you dare disagree with them (based on deeply held moral convictions) on even one of their core issues such as gay adoption, AIDS research, civil unions, same sex marriage, etc.--they will swiftly label you a puritanical ogre.

Pastor Rick Warren--who will deliver the invocation on Inauguration Day--has recently experienced this psychotic intolerance. Warren's support of Prop 8 (defining marriage in California as between one man and one women) has brought howls from the gay community of disgust, outrage and searing invective.

In fact, the intolerance is so profoundly strident that the gay community (which overwhelmingly supported Barack Hussein Obama) is openly ridiculing the president-elect for inviting Warren.

Last week, congressman Barney Frank (one of the nation's most outspoken gay activists) stated the following on CNN: “Giving that kind of mark of approval and honor to someone who has frankly spoken in ways I and many others have found personally very offensive, I thought that was a mistake for the president-elect to do...”

Joe Solomonese of the Human Rights Campaign (a gay advocacy group) opined in a letter to Obama "We feel a deep level of disrespect when one of the architects and promoters of an anti-gay agenda is given the pulpit of your historic nomination."

Forget that Warren--when it comes to combating the global AIDS crisis--is an indefatigable warrior, or that his Saddle Back Church has a vast array of outreach programs that provide aid and comfort to all (including gays and their families). Just remember the aforementioned--If you dare disagree with homosexuals (on even one single issue) you will feel their fury.

2. Listen to a streaming broadcast of Armed Forces Radio, December 25, 1943, on the player below:

Armed Forces Radio Service

Christmas Package

December 25, 1943

Just when we thought Bill Clinton had achieved the pinnacle of Mount Perfidy-- we find out that his philanthropic organization (the William J. Clinton Foundation) has accepted large sums of money from a Hezbollah sympathizer.

Records clearly indicate that Issam Fares, former deputy minister of Lebanon and current CEO of the Wedge Foundation, a Houston based investment firm--has given over $5 million to Clinton's foundation. But Fares is best known for his vociferous and unwavering support of Hezbollah. He purports that the Shiite terrorist organization is a "resistance party fighting the Israeli occupation."

Moreover, Fares disingenuously claims that: “Hezbollah did not carry out any resistance operation against American interests in Lebanon..." Truth be told--it was Hezbollah (in 1983) that bombed the Marine Barracks in downtown Beirut that killed 241 US servicemen.

Should any of this really surprise us? After all it was under Bill Clinton--with his insipid approach to combating Islamo-terrorism--that caused the lethal proliferation of bin Ladenism. His endless quest for self-aggrandizement (and self-gratification) helped created a feckless, foreign policy that favored hyper- capitulation over valid conflict.

So, was it totally out of character for the former president to accept such largesse from a militant like Fares? Absolutely not.

In the final analysis--Bill Clinton will be regarded in history as: The quintessential facilitator of Islamo-terrorism.

I've got a question for the citizenry: Where the heck was the Secret Service during the shoe-throwing incident on December 14th?

Now, I will attempt to control my anger...and correct me if I'm wrong, but...don't we pay these clowns to protect the President from such incidents? From the video, we see the man taking his shoes off (it wasn't a Mosque, so that should have been the first red flag), then reach down to grab and hurl the first shoe (red flag number 2)...and then reach down again (red flag number 3) to grab and hurl the second shoe. And then, apparently back from a latte break, the Secret Service descends on the miscreant.

Something you may not know: The Secret Service was created on July 5, 1865 in Washington, D.C., to inhibit counterfeit currency. (Perhaps if the journalist was throwing bogus bucks, they would have pounced on him.)

This is a slap in the face to the Navy Seals who trained these Keystone Cops. They were taught that if someone just about scowls in the President's direction, to detain them for questioning. And this Iraqi pitcher was allowed to throw 2 Straight Curveballs at our nation's leader? What if the shoes contained explosives? Or were laced with razor blades? Were these high-level sentries unable to think that far ahead?

In 1902, the Secret Service took full-time responsibility for protection of the President. I think they have failed their job description.

Never in my life have I ever seen such dereliction of duty. And it should not go unpunished. If the Secret Service were part of the military, there would be a courts-martial in session post haste....and rightfully so.

It's true that it's almost impossible for those in government jobs to be fired. But this kind of negligence must be addressed.

The leader of the free world deserves protection...if not only for him, then for the sake of free people everywhere.

Barack Hussein Obama has repeatedly stated that--as President--he would "eliminate disparities in criminal sentencing." Of course he was referring to the stiff federal sentences for those (typically African-Americans) convicted of using or distributing crack/cocaine.

Firstly, there is not one scintilla of empirical data that points to "disparities" relating to sentencing (between blacks and whites) for crack/cocaine, or for that matter--any other type of conviction. In fact, of the myriad studies done on this very issue--the National Academy of Sciences discovered that: "no evidence of a widespread systematic pattern of discrimination in sentencing."

Secondly, the stiff sentences came as a direct result of the deleterious effect--back in the 1980's--that crack/cocaine was having on the African-American community. Seeing the devastation firsthand--the Congressional Black Caucus feverishly pressed for draconian, anti-crack, federal legislation.

Memo to President-Elect-Obama: According to the facts--when it comes to sentencing for crack/cocaine, etc.-- justice is clearly colorblind.

This week, the president-elect announced his choice for Secretary of Education: Arne Duncan.

For those of us unfamiliar with this man, here's a bit about his record as CEO of Chicago Public Schools:

So this is a stellar performance worthy of a cabinet appointment? Obama wouldn't put a man with a failed record into this position, would he? Or would he...?

To better comprehend the current grave situation our nation is in, let's look at NY as an example of literacy rates. According to the 2002 NYS Education Department report:

So, do we want more of this? Is this the result we're striving for? Well, with Mr. Duncan's bleak record on literacy rates, we will surely have more of this.

In order to compete in the marketplace, literacy is a must (well duh)...and our country is waning in this area. Capitalism demands knowledge, and knowledge, coupled with consistency, leads to prosperity.

The choice of Duncan is puzzling in light of the empirical evidence. Is this the hope we've been waiting for?

How do we prevent liberals--who have hyperventilated that Gitmo is a demonstrable sign of vulgar and odious, American imperialism--from ever making such a disloyal remark in the future?

How do we prevent the Supreme Court--who declared that Gitmo detainees must be extended the constitutional right of Habeas Corpus--from ever making such a feckless decision again?

How do we prevent the Islamic World--due to the incarceration of their terrorist brethren in Cuba--from waxing apoplectic yet another time?

Well the answer to these questions--to be quite candid--is strikingly simple: Kill the terrorist bastards on the battlefield.

"There will be no room for Jews or settlements in the West Bank because their presence there will always be an obstacle to peace with Israel" --Ahmed Qurei, head of the Palestinian Authority (PA) negotiating team.

It seems we've heard this phrase before...aimed at Jews...approximately 2,000 years ago, when a Jewish couple, the wife great with child, were looking for a place to stay overnight...but there was no room in the Inn.

And, according to the PA, the quintessential 'Inn Keepers'...there still is no room...

Now...are we at all getting that the 'palestinians' are not good or will they ever BE good neighbors? It doesn't take a whole lot of active Grey Matter to figure this one out...just simply look at the charters of Fatah and Hamas (the parties that comprise the 'palestinian' government)...both calling for the destruction of Israel.

Let's keep all this in mind the next time the PA wants to be 'best buds' with Israel...it's probably not genuine...ya think?

The Republican Intelligentsia (from David Brooks to Peggy Noonan) represents a malignancy that our party can longer endure. It is a flock of hyper-pedantic, grossly pretentious, mealy-mouthed moderates who--while obsessively worshipping at the feet of academia--continuously toss Condescension grenades at the working-class.

Writing for The Atlantic, Brooks opined: "Sarah Palin represents a fatal cancer to the Republican party..."

Noonan scribbled the following in the Wall Street Journal: "In the end the Palin candidacy is a symptom and expression of a new vulgarization in American politics."

These slurs flow from the deep rivers of disdain that Brooks, Noonan and their ilk have for the working-class (particularly Palin)--a popular politico, sans an Ivy League education--who not only toiled with her hands to make ends meet--but openly flouted intellectual thought by giving birth to a down syndrome baby.

The Republican Intelligentsia doggedly embraces the concept that the working-class (within their party) should be seen and not heard. They view them as a horde of misfits who--because of their 'primordial' religious beliefs and lack of a 'pristine' education--have plunged the GOP into the abyss.

The Republican party, in my estimation, has not been damaged by the working-class-- but rather by the likes of Brooks and Noonan who--in order to garner accolades and kudos from those on the left-- have labored feverishly in the cesspool of moderatism. And it is this unholy labor, make no mistake--that has thrust the GOP from Reagan to ruin.

Manifestly Hugo Chavez's defiance of America goes way beyond the everyday, incendiary rhetoric.

The US State Department is reporting that (for several years) high-ranking members of the Venezuelan government have been providing financial support for Hezbollah.

State is also reporting that Venezuelans of Arab descent are being encouraged (by their government) to train in Lebanon with the Shiite terrorist organization for the singular purpose of killing Americans.

Remember it was Chavez who--during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war--repeatedly called the Jewish Nation a "terrorist state."

And as Chavez continues to strengthen his ties with Tehran--his unremitting devotion and financial support for the murderous Hezbollah will only continue to flourish.

Will last Monday's guilty plea, by 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed--cause those dwelling in the far-left precincts of anti-American thought and demagoguery to finally repent?

Lest they forget, Mohammed proudly stated the following in 2007: "I was responsible for the 9/11 operation, from A to Z. I was the operational director fro Sheikh Usama bin Laden for the organizing, planning, follow-up and execution of the 9/11 operation."

doggedly adhere to the twisted notion that our government orchestrated 9/11. They are doctrinaire conspiratorialists who not only deem President Bush as the world's most vile and dangerous outlaw--but perceive America as the foremost purveyor of stealth machinations.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert-- categorically--symbolizes the pinnacle of pathological madness. His crazed and unyielding penchant for releasing imprisoned Palestinian terrorist has placed the Jewish Nation in danger of complete annihilation.

According to the Jerusalem Post--of the scores of Palestinian prisoners released after Oslo-- most engaged "in various criminal activities ranging from armed robberies, extortion, theft and arms trafficking..." Regrettably this trenchant fact has done nothing to dissuade Olmert from releasing these vile creatures-- including 250 this past Monday.

Even the PM's philosophy--that by engaging in prisoner release will serve to strengthen the Palestinian Authority against Hamas--is risibly convoluted. Haaretz recently reported that: "Gaza is a stockpile of weapons, explosives and, particularly, of motivation to carry out attacks against Israel."

Moreover, Olmert's overtures have done nothing to mollify the unhinged anti-Semitism of the PA--which stridently demands all of Jerusalem and the explicitly destructive right-of-return for Palestinian 'refugees'.

Make no mistake: It is this type of madness that will bring about the swift and sadistic eradication of Israel.

With the proliferation of Islamofascism, and the threat it poses to America--how is it possible that the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is still operating on our home turf?

Consider the following: Not only was CAIR spawned from the demon seed of the American Palestinian Committee (a committee designed to raise funds for Hamas), but it was also an unindicted co-conspirator in the just concluded Holy Land Foundation terror-financing trail which rendered guilty verdicts on all defendants.

Moreover, the designation 'unindicted co-conspirator' is only used when a judge unambiguously agrees that an individual or organization acted in a manner that aided in advancing a given conspiracy. And considering the just handed down guilty verdict--one can only conclude that CAIR is undeniably culpable.

Despite the blatant nefariousness, our government continues to seek CAIR's advice on sensitive national security issues such as airport safety and FBI protocol in dealing with Muslim-Americans.

Clearly, there has never been a better time to shatter the shackles of political correctness--and jettison CAIR from the home turf.

This past weekend, the head of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), Mohammed ElBaradei, declared Western efforts to hinder Iran's nuclear ambitions were a failure.

ElBaradei believes that we have even contributed to the "hardening of the position of Iran." He says "Tehran continues to acquire nuclear technology and stockpiling sensitive material."

So what is the director's solution? (....cricket sounds.......). Yeah...that's a far better idea.

The IAEA has been a joke throughout the Saddam days, when it failed to prevent him from pursuing nuclear weapons. And because of their failure, in 1981 the Israelis were forced to strike the Osirik reactor facility to keep Saddam from becoming a nuclear power...and, apparently, it continues its rein of idiocy today.

There's a quote that's been attributed to John Wayne, "Life is hard. It's even harder if you're stupid." I believe life is harder for the IAEA, and a whole lot more dangerous for us.

In the post 9/11 world there is one nation that stands alone in its is depraved dissemination of venomous Islam: Saudi Arabia.

The Saudis, for decades--have doggedly propagated Wahhabism--the most toxic strain of Islam. And, lest we forget--it was this very strain that produced such bloodthirsty mongrels as Imad Mugniyah and Osama bin Laden.

Awash in petrodollars, the Islamic fiefdom has opened mosques around the globe (including America) that preach, teach and espouse Wahhabism. In fact, according to several key intelligence reports--the despotic domain has even funded Laskar e-Tayyiba, the terrorist organization that carried out the recent attack in Mumbai, India.

And yet, despite the Bush Doctrine--the Saudis have carried out this evil with impunity.

America can no longer delay, nor obfuscate-- Saudi Arabia must be dealt with. In a recent column, former Undersecretary of Defense Jed Babbin wrote: "We must use the power we have--economic, diplomatic and military-- decisively to defeat the enemy in this global war. In the seven years since 9-11, we have not done so. The nations that sponsor terrorism--Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia--continue to do so."

I concur, we must "defeat the enemy," and put an end to this depraved dissemination.

Those of you who are familiar with the wonderful world of UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency), know the inequity of this group. They are known to take a biased view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, focusing on Israeli military actions (taken in defense) while ignoring the 'Palestinian' acts of terror that were the provocation.

This past week in Jerusalem, the UN announced their “2009 Consolidated Appeal,” and $275 million are earmarked for UNRWA. All the speakers at the event took their turn bashing Israel for their mistreatment of 'Palestinians'. Yet each speaker conveniently ignored the 'palestinian' actions that provoked Israel to react as they did (i.e. closing the Gaza crossing due to constant rocket attacks, building of the fence to keep suicide bombers out, etc.).

I live in the real world, and if somebody wants to blow me up, and I own the street they need to cross to get to me...I'm going to close it. Not a lot of Grey Matter necessary on that one...

Yet the UNRWA jesters keep playing this idiotic lop-sided game...crying, 'Look what mean Israel is doing...limiting palestinian access'...opportunely leaving out the detail that those desiring access were donning explosive fashion accessories. Oh those dastardly Israelis...

UNRWA is unequivocally inequitable. And not another single US penny (and there have been billions poured into their coffers) should be given to these anti-Semitic buffoons.

Our political leaders, sadly--have taken an intensely sycophantic posture towards Islam. President Bush--as well as many other high level officials--have openly declared it a religion of "peace and tolerance." In fact, they never miss an opportunity to bestow eternal praise and exaltations on the primeval religion.

But this is nothing new. President Eisenhower, while speaking at Washington's Islamic Center in 1957--spoke these very words: "With their traditions of learning and rich culture, the countries of Islam have added much to the advancement of mankind."

These utterances are implicitly spurious because they deny the very history of Islam itself. A history (according to a consensus of Arab scholars) punctuated by warfare, bloodshed, subjugation, misogyny and the most caustic form of anti-Semitism.

Incredibly, our leaders (by and large due to malignant, political correctness) have miserably failed to understand that Islam is not only a religion, but also a belligerent, political system that mandates--under a future global Islamic hegemony--the suppression of all non-Muslims.

Unfortunately, when it comes to combating terrorism--Barack H. Obama offers the usual liberal nostrum: Treat it like a crime. And nothing speaks to this more explicitly then his stated intent to close Guantanamo and allow the detainees access to our criminal court system.

This injurious ideology has been tried once before under former President Bill Clinton, who viewed every act of terrorism (from the first bombing of the World Trade Center to the al Queda attack on the USS Cole) as a criminal act. And the end results were cataclysmic: Not only did a majority of the culprits go unpunished (including the first WTC bomb maker Abdul Rahman Yasin)--but it also aided in characterizing the US as a paper tiger throughout the Islamic World.

And, lest we forget--it was that lethal characterization which led to the proliferation of bin Ladenism. And the rest is history: Over 3,000 dead Americans on 9/11.

Manifestly Obama is willing to ignore past blunders in order to curry favor from a world that looks upon Guantanamo as symbol of American arrogance and hegemony.

Regrettably, it is this type of acquiescent willingness that will led to many more dead Americans.

Following their faithful path, this week Hamas launched a rocket attack against an IDF base. This, according to Hamas spokesperson Ismail Radwan, is not a violation of their truce with Israel. Radwan stressed that the attack "was not meant to violate the truce. We are simply responding to the enemy's violations." Violations? Oh yes, what Hamas deems to be a breach. Hmmm...

So, a truce, is still a truce even if you violate it...because, you said so? Whaaaat??

Let's get something straight right off...what we consider a truce, is not the same to Muslims. Their truce is what is called a hudna. The hudna is based upon the Quraysh Model - negotiate 'peace' with your enemy until you become strong enough to annihilate them. Grasping this, we can now see what Hamas' plan is all about (as if we didn't have a clue).

This 'truce' game is for media consumption...the PA appears to desire peace (yeah, right) and Israel continues to kowtow to world opinion to stay in the good graces of its allies. But nothing is resolved and innocent Israelis become further imperiled due to the constant surrender and concession of Israel's land and security to its enemies.

So when a terrorist group like Hamas cries 'TRUCE'...look out for a homicidal sucker punch...that's their MO.