Mark Steyn: Witness the ‘Unraveling of the American Middle East’

THE SUPERPOWER AS SPECTATOR

Steyn on the World
Friday, 11 February 2011
If you missed my TV and radio appearances this week, here's a recap of my thoughts on Egypt:

This is not a happy ending but the beginning of something potentially very dark. The end of the Mubarak regime is the biggest shift in the region in 60 years, since Nasser overthrew King Farouk's dissolute monarchy and diminished London's influence in Cairo. We are witnessing the unraveling of the American Middle East - that's to say, of the regimes supported by Washington in the waning of British and French imperial power after the Second World War. The American Middle East was an unlovely place, and perhaps the most obviously repellent illustration of the limitations of "He may be an SOB but he's our SOB" thinking. It's "our" SOBs who are in trouble: After the fall of Mubarak, what remains to hold up the Hashemites in Amman? Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood is more radical than Egypt's, the regime is less ruthless, King Abdullah's Arabic is worse than his English, and pretty westernized Queen Rania, who seems so cute when CNN interviewers are fawning all over her, is openly despised outside the palace gates.

Iran is nuclearizing, Turkey is Islamizing, Egypt is ...what exactly? Well, we'll find out. But, given that only the army and/or the Muslim Brotherhood are sufficiently organized to govern the nation, the notion that we're witnessing the youthful buds of any meaningful democracy is deluded. So who'll come out on top? The generals or the Brothers? Given that the Brotherhood got played for suckers by the army in the revolution of '52, I doubt they'll be so foolish as to make the same mistake again - and the hopeychangey "democracy movement" provides the most useful cover in generations. Meanwhile, James Clapper, the worthless buffoon who serves as the hyperpower's Director of "Intelligence", goes before Congress to tell the world that the Muslim Brotherhood is a "secular" organization. Americans ought to take to the streets to demand Clapper vacate whatever presidential palace in DC he's holed up in.

Amidst all this flowering of democracy, you'll notice that it's only the pro-American dictatorships on the ropes: In Libya and Syria, Gaddafy and Assad sleep soundly in their beds. On the other hand, if you were either of the two King Abdullahs, in Jordan or Saudi Arabia, and you looked at the Obama Administration's very public abandonment of their Cairo strongman, what would you conclude about the value of being an American ally? For the last three weeks, the superpower has sent the consistent message to the world that (as Bernard Lewis feared some years ago) America is harmless as an enemy and treacherous as a friend.

John Bolton: Help make Obama a one term President!

Posted by The Right Scoop on Feb 12, 2011

John Bolton gave the best speech today in my opinion thus far. It was all foreign policy starting with Egypt and ending with China. There are so many memorable lines that I can’t write them all, but a couple that stick out in my mind are:

Worrying about a REAL democracy in Israel is more important than a hypothetical democracy in Egypt!

We do not accept an America president that is week indecisive and apologetic about our country!

To Watch Full Speech

The Reality Of A Green World

"The idea of ownership of private property is inconceivable to the natural world, say the environmentalists."

by Tom DeWeese
February 12, 2011
NewsWithViews.com

After fighting the radical environmental movement for more than 20 years, I have come to one basic conclusion: the people who understand and care for the environment the least are environmentalists. My experience has shown that the leaders of this once-popular and still powerful force simply use the environment as an excuse to impose a radical, socialist agenda. Meanwhile, the faithful rank and file of the movement believe anything if it is attached to the label “green,” rarely questioning if the statement is true or not.

For example, it is an accepted fact in environmental circles that man is not part of the ecology, only its destroyer. Say the Greens, man’s every action results in damage to the environment and to the plants and animals which are forced to co-exist with him.

Based on that premise, the entire economy of the United States has been transformed to reduce man’s earthbound “footprint,” as human civilization recedes back to that of cave dwellers freezing in the dark. The result is not only a new dark ages for the community of man, but also for the environment.  Read More

De-Fund the Predators of Planned Parenthood

February 11, 2011
By Michelle Malkin

Thanks to the persistent investigative work of young pro-life journalists, Planned Parenthood's ruthless, money-grubbing colors are on full, fresh YouTube display. But as shocking as the illicit new videos from Live Action Films are, the routine, parental authority-sabotaging advice the taxpayer-funded abortion racket gives teens every day deserves more front-page headline news, too.

Live Action is a California-based "new media, investigative and educational organization committed to the protection and respect of all human life" led by Internet undercover pioneer Lila Rose. The group's latest video footage at abortion clinics in Perth Amboy, N.J., the Bronx and four cities in Virginia shows Planned Parenthood officials aiding and abetting individuals posing as criminal sex traffickers seeking abortions for underage girls.

Abortion activists first attacked the videos as "doctored," then claimed they had already taken steps to rectify problems at the targeted clinics, then fired a worker (SET ITAL) after (END ITAL) the tapes had been released and finally denied any systemic failures while patting Planned Parenthood on the back for ordering new re-training measures for their employees this week.

Those who dismiss the scandal as an anomaly are in denial or abjectly ignorant.  Read More

Reelection Slogan for Obama & Co: We Bring Down Governments?

Obama, Soros And The Muslim Brotherhood
"How much longer will we put up with this, America? How much longer?"

Sher Zieve
2/11/2011

The Obama regime is now the unsurpassed and most bizarre combination of outward stupidity and hidden (by the media and others) pure evil intent ever to rule over the citizens of the United States of America. Starting with the stupidity factor–perhaps just to throw us off–Obama’s Director of National Intelligence (Intelligence? Really?) James Clapper has again placed his foot in it and this time, it was both feet. Note: In December 2010, Clapper told ABC’s Diane Sawyer that he wasn’t aware of the UK terrorist arrests; arrests that had been all over the network and cable news channels.

Then, on Thursday 10 February 2011, The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence interviewed Clapper, asked him about the current chaotic situation in Egypt and then about the Muslim Brotherhood that is attempting to seize power of the Egyptian government. Seemingly clueless–yet again–Clapper said this about the Brotherhood: “The term ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ is an umbrella term for a variety of movements, in the case of Egypt, a very heterogeneous group, largely secular, which has eschewed violence and has decried Al Qaeda as a perversion of Islam.” First and foremost, the Muslim Brotherhood is not and never has been secular–hence the name ‘Muslim’ (and not “Secular”) Brotherhood. The MB is considered by every viable expert on terrorism and the Middle East to be the Mother of all Islamic terrorist organizations. Far from eschewing violence–let alone condemning Al Qaeda–the Muslim Brotherhood has as some of its progeny Al Qaeda, Hamas, the radical Muslim Students Organization and Islamic Society of North America and the unindicted 9/11 co-conspirator CAIR.  Read More

Agenda 21 A Global UN Con Game

Friday, 11 February 2011 
by Nick Howard

UN Agenda 21 is the ultimate, fatal level of governmental interference with the Private Sector, which happens to be the sector where money is made. The same collective Marxist lies, pseudo-science, falsified data, and urgent artificial crises are used by both the globalist UN bureaucrats and the Obama Marxist-Democratic Congress.

Both seek the destruction of United States sovereignty, the US Constitution, the economy, the US Dollar, and the freedom of the American People. Both have, in effect, declared war on our country and our people. For now there is still a velvet glove hiding the Iron Hand.  Read More

Herman Cain: Stupid people are ruining America!

"The American Dream is being attacked by what he calls “the -ations” — legislation, regulation, and taxation."

February 12, 2011
by Ed Morrissey

If you watch one speech in its entirety, this may be the one to choose. Herman Cain, so far the only declared candidate for the GOP presidential nomination, stole the show yesterday with his speech in the late afternoon. People left the ballroom saying that he moved them to tears. Whether one thinks that Cain has a chance of making inroads for the nomination or not, there is no doubt at all of Cain’s value to the conservative movement. In this speech, Cain delivers a stirring stemwinder, reminding people to “stay informed, stay involved” — and ruffled some feathers by telling CPAC that “stupid people are ruining America”:

No Coal, No Power, No Gas

"The Texas blackouts are a foretaste of what the rest of the country can expect."

February 11, 2011
By Jeffrey Folks

Let's see if I get this straight. During the early February cold spell in the southern plains, when wind chills in Dallas dipped to minus twenty degrees, Texans were going without power to heat their homes and businesses even as the state was sitting on massive surpluses of natural gas. Even hospitals were having to switch to emergency generating systems. And this in the state with the largest energy production capacity in the continental US.

How was it that Texas suffered an extended period of rolling blackouts at a time when there's a glut of coal and natural gas waiting to be used?

The answer may be quite simple. It seems that a great deal of natural gas got "stuck in the pipes" because there was not enough electricity to operate the pumps to move it along. And there was not enough electricity to operate the pumps because environmentalists had seen to it that plans for new coal-powered generating plants had been shuttered back in 2007. So without the coal, there was no electricity, and without the electricity, there was no natural gas. And since much of the natural gas was intended to supply electrical power generating plants, there was even less electricity to supply the pumps and everything else.
Read More

Gov. Jan Brewer sued the federal government Thursday

Moonbattery.com
February 11, 2011
Jan Brewer Fires Back at Obama–Mexico Alliance
Posted by Van Helsing

Incredibly, the White House has sided with a foreign power against a state that it is invading and colonizing, rendering the contract between the federal government and the states null and void — yet there has been no move to impeach our treasonous rogue president. But at least Arizona Governor Jan Brewer is putting up a fight in the courts:

Gov. Jan Brewer sued the federal government Thursday for failing to control Arizona's border with Mexico and enforce immigration laws, and for sticking the state with huge costs associated with jailing illegal immigrants who commit crimes.

The lawsuit claims the federal government has failed to protect Arizona from an "invasion" of illegal immigrants.

What's with the sneer quotes? You would have to be more clueless than Bureau of Land Management bureauweenies not to know that Arizona has been subjected to an invasion.

Brewer's suit serves as a countersuit to blockage of SB1070 by Obama's Injustice Department.

Arizona's enforcement law was passed amid years of complaints that the federal government hasn't done enough to lessen the state's role as the nation's busiest illegal entry point. Its passage ignited protests over whether the law would lead to racial profiling, and prompted lawsuits by the Justice Department, civil rights groups and other opponents [including the Mexican government] seeking to have it thrown out.

If Obama's alliance with Mexico against Arizona doesn't make it clear that he is not governing in the best interests of the United States, what would?

Mubarak Resignation: ‘Emboldened Every Revolutionary’

Beck Responds to Mubarak Resignation: ‘Emboldened Every Revolutionary’

The Blaze
Posted on February 11, 2011
by Jonathon M. Seidl

“If this were going to lead to freedom it would be great. But I am struck by the overwhelming feeling of a growing evil that is palpable.”

That’s how Glenn Beck responded on his radio show Friday to news the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned. In his reaction, Beck expressed concern that the resignation could be the beginning of a domino effect in the Middle East and even Europe.

“This is going to spread. This is the beginning,” he said. “Now that you have gotten Mubarak out, you have emboldened every revolutionary on planet earth. ”



Earlier in the program, Beck responded to President Obama’s admonishment of the Egyptian youth and their uprising.

“I don’t care what anybody says,” Beck said. “That is the president of the United States inspiring the youth and ‑‑ of the world and saying, ‘Look what you can do. Look what you can do. You keep going. Revolution. Fundamental transformation.’”

Holder's Justice Department stonewalling FOIA requests

February 11, 2011
Thomas Lifson

Add another outrage to Eric Holder's tenure as Attorney General. J. Christian Adams reveals that there is a pattern of stonewalling Freedom of Information Act requests from conservatives, while expediting those from liberals. From Pajamas Media:

Eric Holder's Justice Department has even politicized compliance with the Freedom of Information Act. According to documents I have obtained, FOIA requests from liberals or politically connected civil rights groups are often given same day turn-around by the DOJ. But requests from conservatives or Republicans face long delays, if they are fulfilled at all.  Read More

Sarkozy joins the chorus of leaders condemning multiculturalism

February 11, 2011 by Rick Moran

First, it was Angela Merkel of Germany. Then it was Britain's David Cameron.

Now French President Nicholas Sarkozy has joined the chorus of European leaders who have pointed out the obvious; multiculturalism has failed.

AFP reports:

French President Nicolas Sarkozy declared Thursday that multiculturalism had failed, joining a growing number of world leaders or ex-leaders who have condemned it.

"My answer is clearly yes, it is a failure," he said in a television interview when asked about the policy which advocates that host societies welcome and foster distinct cultural and religious immigrant groups.

"Of course we must all respect differences, but we do not want... a society where communities coexist side by side.

"If you come to France, you accept to melt into a single community, which is the national community, and if you do not want to accept that, you cannot be welcome in France," the right-wing president said.

"The French national community cannot accept a change in its lifestyle, equality between men and women... freedom for little girls to go to school," he said.

"We have been too concerned about the identity of the person who was arriving and not enough about the identity of the country that was receiving him," Sarkozy said in the TFI channel show.  Read More

Arizona Taking Feds To Court

Arizona is the Second State to introduce the USPU State Nullification Act!

February 11, 2011
HOW MANY MORE WILL FOLLOW SUIT?

by JB Williams
(Feb. 10, 2011) — The Arizona State legislature has introduced the USPU Nullification Act and like Montana, who introduced it first a little more than a week ago, the AZ bill was introduced without alteration. Senator Lori Klein introduced the bill and she has a number of co-sponsors for both bodies, including the President of the Arizona Senate. So we are very excited about the early progress we are having with this very important initiative.

The bill is AZ SB 1433 and hearings on the bill are scheduled for next Thursday, one week from today. I spoke with Ms. Klein last night and she is requesting that AZ residents who support this bill come and testify next Thursday.

Several of our members were involved in making this happen and we are grateful for those efforts. Now that the bill has been introduced, we need members to support this effort by working with their AZ legislators to get the bill passed into law.  Read More

State Sovereignty Resolution Introduced in PA Senate

Jim Vetter, Pennsylvania Tenth Amendment Center
2/10/2011

The Pennsylvania Senate introduced a State Sovereignty Resolution (SR9) at the beginning of the 2011 Legislative Session. This bill was introduced under the leadership of Senators Folmer, Robbins, M. White, Orie, Erickson, Alloway, Ward, Rafferty, Brubaker, Eichelberger, Waugh, Argall, and Earll.

The goal of the bill is to strongly re-assert State Sovereignty under the 10th Amendment to the United States Constitution. The resolution articulates solid constitutional language. The introduction starts with a recitation of the 10th amendment and then goes on to detail current conditions and overreach by the Federal Government. The resolution explicitly acknowledges the Compact Theory relationship between the States and the Federal government and sovereign State status. The resolution then strongly ends with the following resolutions:  Read More

MUBARAK STEPS DOWN – Egyptians Celebrate

Friday, February 11, 2011

Posted by Jim Hoft

It’s February 11- Hosni Mubarak stepped down.

This is the same day that the Shah’s regime was forced from office in 1979.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down today.

The AP reported:

Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak resigned as president and handed control to the military on Friday, bowing down after a historic 18-day wave of pro-democracy demonstrations by hundreds of thousands.

A massive crowd in Cairo’s central Tahrir Square exploded into joy, waving Egyptian flags, and car horns and celebratory shots in the air were heard around the city of 18 million in joy after Vice President Omar Suleiman made the announcement on national TV just after nightfall.

“In these grave circumstances that the country is passing through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to leave his position as president of the republic,” a grim-looking Suleiman said. “He has mandated the Armed Forces Supreme Council to run the state. God is our protector and succor.”

Nobel Peace laureate Mohammed ElBaradei, whose young suporters were among the organizers of the protest movement, told The Associated Press, “This is the greatest day of my life.”