Fear factor: 44 percent of Americans queried in Cornell national poll favor curtailing some liberties for Muslim Americans

In a study to determine how much the public fears terrorism, almost half of respondents polled nationally said they believe the U.S. government should — in some way — curtail civil liberties for Muslim Americans…
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Conversely, 48 percent of respondents nationally said they do not believe that civil liberties for Muslim Americans should be restricted.
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[Professor] Shanahan notes: ".. our findings highlight that personal religiosity as well as exposure to news media are two important correlates of support for restrictions. We need to explore why these two very important channels of discourse may nurture fear rather than understanding."

Also from the study (PDF):

In November, 2004 37% of respondents believe a terrorist attack within the next 12 months is likely, compared to 90% in November 2002.

Nearly half  (47%) of respondents support greater power for the government to monitor Internet activities, while nearly two‐thirds (63%) agree that the government should be able to detain indefinitely suspected terrorists.

As now only 37% expect a terror attack, contrarian thinking lets me believe that there is one right around the corner. Even a small incident, propagandated as Muslim terror through the news media, would put the majority in the US into a very dangerous mood.

Time to recapitulate:

Helmut Schmidt, chancellor of Germany between 1974 and 1982, just published his new book "The Powers of the Future", meant as a global strategic overview. (So far it is only available in German.)

From the covertext:

"In the foreseeable future there is neither a strategic nor a moral reason for the majority of the continental-european nations to willingly subdue to a possible american imperialism … We shall not degenerate to compliable yes-men. Even if the USA for the next decades may be more capable of acting as the European Union, even if the hegemony of America will endure for a longer time, the European nations must keep their dignity. This dignity is based in holding fast to our responsibility in front of our own conscience."

This will sell like fresh baked bread.

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It’s the last weekend before Christmas and lots of people will be out to buy, buy, buy. Here are some ideas on possible gifts – please add yours in the comments.

Cont. reading: Gift Ideas

William Kristol in WaPo:

Surely Don Rumsfeld is not the defense secretary Bush should want to have for the remainder of his second term.

Cont. reading: Rumsfeld Execution Continues

Remember the desecration of the Herrlisheim Jewish cemetery back in April?

It was, despite the national outcry of indignation and official protests, yet another sign of France’s (and Europe’s) growing antisemitism and treasonous behavior…

Well, a suspect has been arrested today, after a long investigation involving graphology and 15 investigators.

As it were, the suspect is a neo-nazi and a member of the Front National.

Of course, this does not fit in the frame of the growing restlessness of Muslim populations in France and their supposedly increasingly aggressive and increasingly tolerated behavior towards Jews, and, unsurprisingly, I have not found a single story about it in the press.

So, had you heard about it? Do you care?

Yukos thinks US civil law should reach from Houston to Moscow:
Yukos files for bankruptcy in the US

The embattled Yukos oil company has filed for bankruptcy in the United States and appealed for an injunction against the auction of its main production unit that is scheduled for Sunday.
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"Yukos is asking the court for a temporary restraining order halting the planned Sunday auction of its Yuganskneftegaz subsidiary by Russian authorities," said the statement posted on Yukos’ Web site.

Cont. reading: International Jurisdiction

whatever …

The Defense Department spends $10 billion per year on Missile Defense.

Some 10 interceptor rockets are already stationed in Alaska, but the system has never been tested successfully. Those tests that occurred were are deemed unrealistic and even then three out of eight attempts failed.

A complete test was planed to take place late 2003.  It was delayed until yesterday and then – the system failed. The interceptor (pdf) did not even take off.

The first test in nearly two years of a multibillion-dollar U.S. anti-missile shield has failed after the interceptor missile shut down as it prepared to launch in the central Pacific, the Pentagon said.

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The aborted $85 million test appeared likely to set back plans for activation of a rudimentary bulwark against long-range ballistic missiles that could be fired by countries like North Korea.

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In 2002, President George W. Bush pledged to have initial elements of the program up and running by the end of this year while testing and development continued.
Reuters

Missile Defense

• is a system that does not function
• could be easily cheated by fake targets
• is useless against cheap kind of attacks like 9/11 or from cruise missiles fired from sea
• is useless against new Russian ICBM developments

It is the most useless way to waste money I can think of.

Today was inaugurated a truly spectcular bridge in Southern France, the Viaduc de Millau.

More pictures and plenty of very detailed technical data

Sometimes, it is good to also be able to celebrate man’s ingenuity and ability to reach for the sky…

Iraqi Resistance speech on videotape – December 13 2004
via Information Clearing House

… We have not crossed the oceans and seas to occupy Britain or the U.S. nor are we responsible for 9/11. These are only a few of the lies that these criminals present to cover their true plans for the control of the energy resources of the world, in face of a growing China and a strong unified  Europe. It is Ironic that the Iraqi’s are to bear the full face of this large and growing conflict on behalf of the rest of this sleeping world.

We thank all those, including those of Britain and the U.S., who took to the streets in protest against this war and against Globalism. We also thank France, Germany and other states for their position, which least to say are considered wise and balanced, til now.

Today, we call on you again.

We do not require arms or fighters, for we have plenty.

We ask you to form a world wide front against war and sanctions. A front that is governed by the wise and knowing. A front that will bring reform and order. New institutions that would replace the now corrupt.

Stop using the U.S. dollar, use the Euro or a basket of currencies. Reduce or halt your consumption of British and U.S. products. Put an end to Zionism before it ends the world. Educate those in doubt of the true nature of this conflict and do not believe their media for their casualties are far higher than they admit. …

There is an American exile billionaire sitting in Switzerland.  He expects some bad press about his business dealings in the Iraq Oil-for-Food program. A neutral investigation by the estimeed Paul Volker is looking into various, probably illegal, deals.

The billionaire calls up his old lawyer and buddy, who is in a high political position, and asks him to help to divert the developing scandal. The lawyer-buddy discusses the request with his boss.

Cont. reading: Reality Based Scandal

"There is no question in my mind that the coalition and the Iraqi people are winning."

Lt. General Ricardo Sanchez, Commander, U.S. military forces in Iraq
Press Briefing in Baghdad
December 13, 2003

Behind the discussions about the future of Social Security, the situation of the Trust Fund, the requirement for personal retirement accounts and other such financial instruments, you have some basic reality-based facts that are sometimes forgotten.

Below (the fold) is a simplified description of the social security problems that we face and how not to solve them – in non-financial terms.

Cont. reading: Social Security reform for dummies

When an administration is in dire need of an intelligence service does it mean it lacks intelligent people?

John Bolton, Neocon WMD hunter at the State Department, had the NSA spying on IAEA chief El Baradei’s phone calls with Iran (and others).  This is not unexpected, but is it really intelligent to have the spying and its fruitlessness printed in the Washington Post?

Cont. reading: Lack of Intelligence

News, views, opinions …

Karzai declares jihad on poppy cultivation and starts digging his grave.

"Poppy cultivation is more dangerous than terrorism, it is more dangerous than civil wars because this crop is not only a source of weakness, dishonour and defeat of Afghanistan, but also an internal danger."

Anti-narcotics agencies say some local warlords, government officials, police commanders and governors are implicated in the trade.

Cont. reading: Poppy Deal

"The enemy is operating in smaller cells with every bit as lethal capabilities as we have, but they can turn on a dime," Rumsfeld says in an interview.
Defense secretary shifts his focus to the Pentagon

FY 2005 – Department of Defense Budget (PDF):

Procurement:  US$ 75,905,000,000; R & D: US$ 68,942,000,000
;

If the enemy has every bit as lethal capabilities without such a budget there is finally proof that this spending is nothing more than buying big toys and company welfare. Ask for your taxes to be returned immediately.

Other news:

To be Chief Financial Officer of a big company is a high profile and lucrative job. A CFO  savors respect and of course expects to be handled with dignity.

Suddenly the markets read about rumors floated by company board members and the chairman’s staff. The sitting CFO is to be fired as soon as a replacement is found.

With a job description in hand head hunter are out to search for a new CFO. The chairman requires any new CFO to publicly support any of his decisions. Regard for the company’s financial position or economic logic is not desired.

As anybody knowledgeable knows, the chairman’s economic ideas are nuts and will bankrupt the company. The search team fails to come up with a candidate.

The sitting CFO, already on his way out, is reluctantly asked to stay. He acquiescently accepts.

One senior administration official said Treasury Secretary John W. Snow can stay as long as he wants, provided it is not very long.
WaPo – Monday, Nov.29 – Bush to Change Economic Team

President Bush has decided to replace John W. Snow as treasury secretary and has been looking closely at a number of possible replacements.
NYT – Monday, Dec. 6 – Treasury Secretary Is Likely to Leave Soon

Treasury Secretary John W. Snow woke up yesterday and read in a major newspaper for the second Monday in a row that President Bush has decided to replace him, but the former railroad executive still had not gotten the word directly from the White House.
WaPo – Tuesday, Dec. 7 – Snow’s Status Remains Uncertain

President Bush invited Treasury Secretary John W. Snow yesterday to remain on the job after the White House withheld its endorsement for 10 days while aides hinted that he would be replaced.

Snow was kept on only after the White House considered a variety of possible replacements and sounded out at least one top official on Wall Street. That executive turned the White House down, according to financial executives.

.. conservatives realized the remaining candidates were Wall Street executives who might put their concern about rising budget deficits ahead of a push for lower taxes … Given their options, they decided Snow would be the best Treasury chief to push the partial privatization of Social Security and, especially, a restructuring of the tax code
WaPo – Thursday, Dec. 9 – Treasury Secretary Is Asked To Stay

• How sympathetic will the markets be towards the company´s chairman?
• Will anybody ever have trust again in that CFO’s public declarations?
• Will any sane investor think of buying these company’s bonds or shares?

Barfly DM came up with this cite by Pat Buchanan:

Under a global democracy, India and China, with 2.5 billion people, would be the dominant powers, and peoples of color, five-sixths of all mankind, would enter a claim for a more equitable distribution of the world’s wealth now held by that shrinking one-sixth of all mankind that is of European descent. Global democracy is the death of the West.
Kofi’s not the problem, the United Nations is

Six people in the room and six apples. One person of European descent has 5 apples and 5 persons of color have a fifth apple each. Now introduce democracy and you may have to share more – incredible thought.

DM says:

I fear that (however awkwardly this is put) – that this is the mindset of too many USA/UK plebs and pseudo-intellectuals alike – and that the denoument to this sort of color-conscious thinking will be when they learn that they don’t have the mettle of a master-race.