Free kibbles

Instead of pulling out of Georgia, Russian troops are taking Georgian prisoners and seizing US equipment in Georgia. This shows the worthlessness of rhetoric and talk. The Europeans are scared about upsetting Russian relations. The Russians sure weren't scared about upsetting relations when they invaded Georgia, were they? Russia is waging a new Cold War, and the west is playing ostrich, as if that will make things better. That's nothing but moral cowardice, self-indulgence, and laziness. Western Europe is pathetic, and we're not much better. Russia's actions warranted an immediate, unified, strong diplomatic response such as kicking Russia out of the G8 and withdrawing from the NATO-Russo talks. Trade sanctions should already be in the works. Instead, all we've done is spout off hot air.

Russia scoffs at NATO threats and continues to play the west for fools, a role we seem to be naturals for.

Taliban launches major attack in Afghanistan, killing 10 French. NATO is exposing its irrelevance, and we should dissolve it and enable Europe and the US to make make new agreements based on modern threats.

Chavez nationalizes another foreign business.

So far this Congress is setting do-nothing records for least legislation passed, but at the same time, they've passed more resolutions than any other. Cato points out that passing resolutions translates to political gain for representatives without any cost, and that we shouldn't judge Congresses by how many laws they pass. I prefer they do nothing to most everything else they do.

Pat Buchanan makes some good points about US policy playing a role in sparking this new Cold War, but he's wrong on some issues. The US should never apologize for supporting self-government in eastern Europe. Putin may not like those people being free and interacting with the west, but that's his problem because he's a tyrant. We did the right thing. Russia has no legimate claim to the oil around the Caspian and that's no excuse for invading Georgia. But pushing NATO into those countries was a huge mistake. Georgia isn't going to protect the United States from attack. And while it did send 2,000 troops to aid in Iraq, to its credit, Georgian troops could never mean the difference between winning a losing a war for the US. We should have encouraged the old Soviet satellites to band together to defend themselves against an Imperial Russia because we have no business sending American troops over there and western European countries, other than dwindling Britain, are practically useless as allies in a war.

Buchanan seems to be trying to draw equivalences between US encouragement of democracy in eastern Europe and Russia's start of a new Cold War. There is no such equivalence.

Abortion rights group produces documents proving that Obama has lied about his votes on legislation requiring doctors to attempt to save the lives of babies who survived abortion attempts. Obama voted to kill the bill, allowing abortion doctors to let the babies the die. Obama's campaign has grudgingly admitted that the documents are correct. But Obama is taking a page from John Kerry's playbook, who took it from Clinton, and calling the people who produced the document liars. To a Democrat president candidate, anybody who exposes the candidate as a outrageous liar must be called a liar themselves but louder and more often so the people can be convinced of the Big Lie. This could sink the Obama campaign because it's clear evidence Obama voted to support infanticide.

Thank you Thomas Sowell for pointing out something I've been saying for a long time - the US needs to stop walking loudly while carrying a little stick and recognizing the US should pull out of NATO. The EU has a larger GDP than the US and can certainly defend itself from any threat if it so chooses.

Boortz shows that the so-called mortgage crisis affects less than 2% of homeowners.

Hillary Clinton wants a plank in the Democrat platform saying the primary process "exposed pervasive gender bias in the media". She wants Democrats to institutionalize the excuse that she lost the nomination because of gender bias in the media. This would basically say she's the legitmate nomineed, not Obama.This is an attempt by the Clintons to put Obama in a no-win situation. He either has to basically say she should have won or say gender bias in the media isn't a problem. Either way, he loses.

Library mysterously blocks reporter from investing documents that detail the links between Barack Obama and Bill Ayers of Weathermen infamy.

House earmarks up this year.

Whereever government money flows, corruption flows with it. Wind farms are no exception.

Washington bartenders tell the differences between Republicans and Democrats in bars.

Interesting essay describes how the '60s enabled the radical, hate America movement to hijack the Democrat party in an attempt to turn America into western Europe.

Ann Applebaum explains that at least part of Russia's motivation to invade Georgia is that fear of elected governments embracing free markets so close may lead to the same kind of revolution in Russia. She also points out how Russia is using Gazprom to fracture the west. Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who has been sucked onto the board of Gazprom by Russia, blames the west. He's basically an obscenely paid apologist for Putin. Clear, concise essay describes the circumstances around the Russian invasion of Georgia. and why mistakes made by the west are no excuse or justification for Russia's invasion.

Amity Schaels lists 5 ways to derail the economy, comparing 5 policies that kept America mired deeper and longer in the Depression that we should have been and highlighting how today's government, mainly Democrats, are repeating or planning to repeat the same mistakes.

The drinking age should be lowered to 18. If you are responsible enough to vote and responsible enough to get a job, an apartment and start your own life, you are responsible enough to drink. It's ridiculous that fraternity party behavior, notoriously irresponsible anyway, should be used as an excuse to take away the freedom to drink alcohol from all people between the ages of 18 and 21. Obviously, the prohibitionists disagree.