Over the past year, many sharia court decisions in the UK have been backed by the force of law. The legal justification is an Act of Parliament which permits courts to enforce arbitration decisions. On the surface, this justification is nothing extraordinary. Many legal systems, including our own, look favorably upon and even encourage alternative dispute resolution. What’s happening in the UK however is not your typical arbitration system.
The types of cases approved by British courts have included not only your run of the mill contract case, but also divorce, inheritance, and even domestic violence cases. Many Brits were outraged earlier this year when the Archbishop of Canterbury claimed that the imposition of Sharia Law was inevitable. I suspect that those who have noticed and bemoaned Britain’s lax attitude toward Islamic extremism in their midst will have a similar reaction to this latest revelation.
I’d like to think Gordon Brown would have something to say about the unprecedented parallel legal system that emerged on his watch. Then again, that might be expecting too much from a Labour Prime Minister who refuses to identify his nation’s enemy and can’t even hold Glasgow East.
There were discussions. There were negotiations. They lasted years. For some reason, today is the day Donald Tusk agreed to allow American-made missile interceptors on Polish soil. In exchange, the United States will provide assistance to Poland so that they can strengthen their military. The timing of today’s agreement is obviously anything but a coincidence.
Having a long history with Russia that includes partition and Communist occupation, few nations have more knowledge of Russia’s national pastime than Poland. Having experienced firsthand brutal occupation by both Germany and the Soviet Union during the 20th Century and now having witnessed Russia’s forceful return into the “near abroad” within the last week, Poland has decided that teaming up with the United States to strengthen its own forces and to help protect freedom-loving nations around them is in everyone’s best interest.
Free Poland is a country that suffered for too long to turn its back on liberty now. Today’s agreement is another example of the resolute pride that has sustained Poland throughout its all too interesting history. Kocham Polske!
Most criticism of George W. Bush is off base and will look downright silly in a few years; however, one criticism of Bush is completely warranted. When Bush looked into Vladimir Putin’s eyes and saw a man he could trust, he should have done a double take. Today was the double take.
When the Soviet Union Russia invaded Georgia a couple of days ago, President Bush was a little slow in reassuring our ally that the US would stand by its side. At the very moment our ally was invaded by its former slave master, the U.S’s reaction should have been repeated statements of support coupled with actions that would make Russia take notice. Thankfully, John McCain is on record stating that Russia should be kicked out of the G8 and that the U.S. should build a missile defense system in Eastern Europe. Since it is now clear that Iran is not the only threat in the region, that would be fine with me. So would fast tracking Georgia, Ukraine and other willing members of Russia’ near abroad into NATO.
A healthy friendship with Russia is in the United States’ best interest. The thing is, a healthy friendship with the United States is also in Russia’s best interest. The world has basically ignored Russia while it whittled away at its civil liberties, armed American enemies in the Middle East, and poisoned people on foreign soil. The world’s reaction to this crisis has been reassuring. It seems that partying like its 1968 was a step too far.
…And I’m sure Putin is reeeally shuddering! Of course, it’s only a matter for the UN because Georgia’s Black Sea oil supply-line and port is being targeted, otherwise they’d wait for a few more Russian-on-Georgian calamities, like a decade of famine or ethnic cleansing policies, to take place. Either way, Russia’s Security Council veto will be exercised until Russia’s goals are obtained. Gotta love the UN!
After an attack coinciding with the Olympic Games, Russia decided not to stop with simply coming to the aid of ethnic Russians in the separatist South Ossetia region (North Ossetia is actually in Russia). They’ve made airstrikes and incursions into central Georgia Proper – way beyond the mere defense of Russians in South Ossetia. Possibly one to two thousand people have already died; add all civilians and soldiers and that number should rise once the dust settles. Plus, the EU tried an unsuccessful ceasefire agreement, 170 American nationals have been taken out of Georgia, and now the majestic UN is involved.
We can learn a few things about this whole incident: it’s obvious that Putin still controls Russia, the UN cares more about oil pipelines than people, and the old Cold War fear of Russian expansionism is not fully over.
The latest piece from Times Online editor, American Gerard Baker, first came to my attention about an hour ago and it’s a doozy!
His latest op-ed is absolutely awesome. Baker takes the media’s open desire to make Barack Obama the Savior/Messiah and completely pokes fun at those who have this view (he also calls Gordon Brown, Gordon the Leper!) through colorful and biblical-style language. I don’t think the New Yorker crowd will misunderstand this satire, but one never knows. Here’s a sample from the beginning:
“And it came to pass, in the eighth year of the reign of the evil Bush the Younger (The Ignorant), when the whole land from the Arabian desert to the shores of the Great Lakes had been laid barren, that a Child appeared in the wilderness.
The Child was blessed in looks and intellect. Scion of a simple family, offspring of a miraculous union, grandson of a typical white person and an African peasant. And yea, as he grew, the Child walked in the path of righteousness, with only the occasional detour into the odd weed and a little blow.”
I wish Obama would have “ventured forth” to the wounded troops at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, but that would have seemed “too political.” The Pentagon simply told him not to bring his media and campaign troglodytes, but he could go as an elected official, rather than a candidate. He chose not to go. However, he made it to the gym though.
As we know, Our Savior Barack Obama will be giving a much anticipated campaign speech today at 7pm local time in Berlin, Germany. Not only will the locals be flipping a $786,000 tab for the non-President’s visit (how nice of him to let the Germans pay for his campaign bills), Hot Air picked up that the campaign’s chosen site has a bit of a Nazi past!
The “Victory Column” (Siegessäule) was initially built to commemorate Prussia’s waylaying of Denmark, Austria and France back in the Otto Von Bismarck days whose expansionism united modern Germany and formed the Second Reich. Where the Nazi Third Reich fits in is the fact that Hitler moved the “Victory Column” to its current location, built a taller column, and celebrated German expansionist polices eventually led directly to World War II.
Obama’s not a Nazi (he’s much closer to a communist anyway), but a little sensitivity would be appreciated!
Nonetheless, let me get this straight: Obama went to the Wailing Wall on the same day he’s speaking to Germans at a site chosen by Hitler to represent the power of the Third Reich, while having the locals pay for his campaign speech which is designed not for them, but for an American audience: now that’s audacity!!!
UPDATE: Obama’s given the speech and it was pretty obnoxious: he pretended not be a candidate, but a “citizen of the world” (laugh — is that his version of an “international test”?); teaching the Germans his view of history without any real context; knocking America on race and torture (obligatory for Libs, of course); he all but admitted that he was the Chosen One to get the world together save us from misery; etc.
The Belgian brewing company InBev is going to buy Anheuser-Busch for $52 million. While many details are still being negotiated, the deal will probably become reality. If that is the case then, in my opinion there are two different ways of looking at this:
1. This is a dark day for America. As the Belgians buy-out the largest beer producer in America, America is a weaker, sadder place… we can’t even brew and market our own storied/historic beer without help from those pesky Europeans! Selling our souls for $52 billion? Anheuser-Busch is a company which even survived Prohibition the honest way! I guess there is a price one could set for selling out to the Man – a Belgian man in this case.
2. Woo hoo! To this beer snob, Bud sucks (always has) and Belgian beers are world-renowned for their flavor and potency. So, even though under the new management Bud will still suck, in the eyes of the world we’ll get a little more international “street cred” when soliciting our crappy beer to others. InBev brews Stella Artois and Becks (meh) and Anheuser-Busch owns 50% of Corona. Ultimately, this could signal a marked improvement to the average beer Joe Sixpack consumes. Though this in no way will affect my own drinking habits, I believe this “sell-out” is an upgrade!
The US Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, was attacked today by four men in what the American and Turkish authorities are calling an act of terrorism. Three of the attackers were killed, but not before taking out three policemen, one point blank to the head. The fourth attacker unfortunately got away in a speeding car, as Turkish authorities are frantically looking for him and are currently reviewing video tape to help.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but this has put everyone in Turkey on high alert, especially Americans in Turkey. Aside from incursions into Iraqi Kurdistan, one hasn’t heard much from the War on Terror in Turkey — it’s been pretty quiet so to speak. The attack was small, probably cellular. That could mean the beginning of a new series of attacks, or that this attack was the best they could pull off. I hope it’s the latter.
The US Consulate was refitted after al Qaeda’s 2003 bombing of the British Consulate, bank and two synagogues. Yet, our rules of engagement forbid Americans to fire back at anyone outside the compound, hence, they ducked for cover rather than take out the assailants early. I think those rules needs to be renegotiated.
Roger Federer is the best male tennis player in the world in my opinion. Watching him play is like watching an artist paint a great work. He has recently won five consecutive Wimbledon Championships before being defeated in a dramatic fashion by the young clay wizard, Rafael Nadal yesterday [6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (8-10), 9-7].
Some believe the match was the best they’ve seen in a generation, or ever! The defending champ was down 2-0 (one set from a sweep) and tied it 2-2 before finally losing to Nadal (in tennis’ version of overtime) 9-7 in the fifth and final set. Purely great, exciting tennis. Here are some clips:
Some think that Federer is past his prime since he’s been losing more matches than usual lately. He has been so dominant lately on every surface except clay, that it would be difficult for him to maintain this level of excellence! I still think he’s the best out there, but Nadal has been his nemesis lately, and finally beat him at Wimbledon. Good for Nadal, great for the game of tennis!
One thing that bothers me even more than wasteful government programs is the way government often wastes money advertising wasteful government programs. Actually, what really bothers me is being caught off guard by a photo of an oversized vomiting sea cow. Thankfully this masterpiece advertising the fact that government will clean up your puddle of yack was funded by our British friends’ hard earned tax funds and not ours. Small comfort to those of us who, um, enjoyed that photo for free.
On a lighter note, if there is any truth to what was implied by today’s rumor, then this hag would be one heck of a step up for Alex Rodriguez.
The recent dilemma wreaking havoc over the Anglican Church is what to do about homosexuals. Many traditionalists and conservatives are angry by the Church’s lurch to the Left in recent years. Ordaining female priests and having openly gay ministers were vexing enough for the old school crowd, but last month two gay priests married each other in a “blessing ceremony” that went beyond anything sanctioned by the Church before and is also in open defiance of Anglican guidelines.
Some conservative clergy are even threatening a worldwide split over this issue. I believe it is an important issue. Religion is not supposed to reflect the hip new headlines and trends, it’s supposed to be a spiritual road map to help us better understand the depth of our soul. If your beliefs don’t mesh with a particular religion, join a new one, or try going Unitarian or Taoist. But witnessing one’s own religion change its core beliefs on an issue based on the social whims of the last three decades, which seek to change the face of a church approaching its 500th birthday should be vexing.
Go to the polls and change government policy, but leave religion out of this kind of secular social engineering. Or, from another angle, keep it up, Anglicans, and you’ll doubtlessly add more to the ranks of my Catholic faith!
Kudos to Ireland for rejecting the EU Constitution in Thursday’s referendum. Although the rejected document was actually titled the “Lisbon Treaty,” voters realized that it was nothing more than the previously-rejected Constitution under a different name. How do we know this? Angela Merkel admitted it last year.
The main question on everyone’s mind at this point is whether EU proponents will find a way to implement their treaty over the objections of their citizens. I’m more interested in Gordon Brown’s position. During the last General Election, the Labour Party promised voters that the UK would not implement the EU Constitution without first obtaining the people’s approval in a referendum. Sensing his country’s opposition to the treaty, Brown ignored his party’s promise and rammed the Lisbon Treaty (EU Constitution) through Parliament without holding a referendum. Thankfully and ironically, the Irish saved British sovereignty for the time being.
In a stunning defeat for proponents of the latest take on a future European Union Treaty, Irish voters rejected the Lisbon Treaty in a referendum Thursday, which has sent shockwaves throughout the continent and may derail this latest effort at union. While other nations have ratified this treaty, Ireland was the only country thus far that has actually let the people vote, rather than legislators or executives.
The Lisbon Treaty is highly complex, bureaucratic, cold, and top-heavy with confusing voter rules and qualifications. Simply, it’s typically European at a cool 271 pages! Those in Ireland who voted against the Treaty said it was too complex and too alienating. And they’re right. It’s huge, cumbersome, and easily has the capacity to squash local rights once approved by all and implemented. The Irish people were simply voting in their self-interest.
Any American can pick up the American Constitution and, though the language has oldened, can make pretty good sense of it: three co-equal branches with enumerated powers, rules about statehood and state interaction, an amendment process with 27 Amendments tacked onto the end. True, it’s purposely vague and broad in many spots, but the Founders left it to elected and appointed officials to figure out the details later through a republican/democratic process. With small, still readable writing one can fit the entire document and its Amendments on one 8 1/2 by 11 sheet of paper (front and back, of course).
Oh, and it’s lasted nearly 221 years, surviving a Civil War and the international upheavals of the mid-20th Century. Maybe Europe can learn something from America on the issue of individual rights and responsive government. Maybe then the people will rally around it, rather than bureaucrats who seemingly just want a new way to guarantee they keep their jobs at the end of the process.
Russia inaugurates its new President, Dmitry Medvedev tomorrow, and no one is really sure whether Russia will turn toward democracy as they did under Yeltsin. Many argue that despite Medvedev’s constitutional role, the real power will continue to rest with the puppet-master Vladimir Putin, the soon to be Prime Minister. If this is turns out to be the case, Russian democracy will continue to whither.
New York’s best newspaper printed an interesting overview by the Washington Compost’s Anne Applebaum on this very question. Applebaum overstates (slightly, and I place heavy emphasis on that word) the current state of Russian democracy.
Although Russia sometimes looks like a democracy, it is not a democracy. Elections aren’t merely rigged, they are carefully programmed in advance. Voters aren’t just coerced, they are never given any real choice at all.
I disagree with the use of the term “rigged.” Russia’s political system is corrupt and undemocratic. The media is state-controlled. Opposition assembly is technically allowed, but with severe restrictions. Political opponents seem to literally be dropping - like - flies. Some will argue that this constitutes rigging and I think that position is reasonable, but we should be careful here because words mean things. It’s undemocratic, dangerous, and sick, just not rigging. People are still technically free to vote as they please. Nevertheless, Applebaum’s point is well taken. Russia has turned away from democracy under Putin and will continue to do so if he turns out to be the one pulling the strings after tomorrow.
No one can be certain about what happens next. Many predict a puppet situation, but I predict a power struggle. Putin currently has standing and political capital. Medvedev will have institutional power. Neither man will want to be the other’s puppet. Struggle is inevitable. That’s just my hunch and could be total crap. In any event, Russia is about to get interesting.
Our British friends went to the polls in a series of local elections in England and Wales on Friday and the results were an unmitigated disaster for Gordon Brown’s Labour Party. In fact, it was the Conservatives’ best election result in years. The icing on the cake however, was that Boris Johnson defeated Red Ken Livingstone to become Mayor of London.
Although he was recently placed under the Imperius Curse, I’ve always been a Boris Johnson fan. He’s right of center, intelligent, amusing, and will not suffer from the same kind of anti-all-that-is-right-with-the- world diarrhea of the mouth that plagued Mr. Livingstone.
