Current Affairs – Page 12

“Seriously, is there any part of this idea that doesn’t scream ‘stupid’ to every grownup who hears it?”

I couldn’t find one.

Well, This Would Be Nice

A couple of years ago I read a book by the founder of Stratfor (Strategic Forecasting, Inc.–a private intelligence analysis firm) that analyzed the War on Terror and that was, in points, quite critical of the Bush administration and its handling of the war.

I was thus interested to read Tigerhawk (via Instapundit) quoting the following passage from a subscribers-only Stratfor piece. I wasn’t so interested in the Bush stuff, but the part in blue would be really, really nice if Stratfor is right:

Many see Bush as constrained by his lame duck status, his unpopularity and a Democratic majority in Congress. Stratfor disagrees. We see these factors as empowering the White House.

Bush is not running for reelection, so he need not cater to the polls. He has no clear successor to support, so he need not spare the lash for fear of harming an ally. A Democratic Congress combined with a general election in November means that all of his initiatives are dead on arrival on the House and Senate floor, so he need not even spare a glance in the direction of domestic policy.

All the pieces are in place for a no-holds-barred executive with very few institutional restrictions on his ability to act. Foreign affairs require neither popular support nor Congressional approval.

The president’s primary goal in 2008 is simple: reaching an arrangement with Iran. Ideally, this would be a mutually agreed upon deal that splits influence in Iraq, but we have already moved past the point where that is critical. Al Qaeda, the reason for being involved in the region in the first place, is essentially dead. The various Sunni Arab powers that made al Qaeda possible have lined up behind Washington. Iran and the United States may still wish to quibble over details, but the strategic picture is clearing: a U.S.-led coalition is going to shape the Middle East, and it is up to Iran whether it wants to play the role of that coalition’s spear or its target. And the Bush administration has the full power of the United States — and one long year — to drive that point home.

Chesterton on Babies

In honor of those who march today…

"I doubt if anyone of any tenderness or
imagination can see the hand of a child and not be a little frightened of it.
It is awful to think of the essential human energy moving so tiny a thing; it
is like imagining that human nature could live in the wing of a butterfly or the
leaf of a tree. When we look upon lives so human and yet so small. . . we feel
the same kind of obligation to these creatures that [God] might feel. . ."

from Chesterton’s essay In Defense of Baby Worship
from The Defendant 1903.

For more, visit the Catholic Education Resource Center

(http://www.catholiceducation.org/)

Guard Against Euphoria

(
From my blog, Old World Swine);

Guard, too, against seeing THIS very much as a defeat of the status quo
– we are still looking for differences between the several "men in
frock coats" (as Chesterton called them) with whom we have been
presented. There is still plenty of time, too, for these fresh faces to
be corrupted by the Will-to-Power brokers inside the beltway. That is a
gauntlet I wouldn’t want to run. Pray for these people… they will be
tested and tempted in every way imaginable.

Interesting, to me, how the press are in a tizzy to put this all
behind as fast as possible and focus on New Hampshire. Interesting,
also, how the GOP is reported to be in confusion and disarray as a
result of the Iowa primary, but everything in Democrat land is – one
would think – just hunky-dorey.

I’m looking for stories of Hillary’s amazing comeback starting as early as next week.

A Christmas Gift from U.K. Religious Leaders

Hello, again. Tim Jones, here, with this heartwarming Christmas story from my blog, Old World Swine –

I actually began to tear-up a little at THIS STORY, sent by my sweet wifey.

According to the article, religious leaders of all different stripes
in the U.K. are coming to the defense of Christmas and the right to
celebrate it publicly without, ya know, being accused of Gross
Religious Bigotry and Insensitivity, or something;

Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims joined
Britain’s equality watchdog Monday in urging Britons to enjoy
Christmas without worrying about offending non-Christians.

"It’s time to stop being daft about Christmas. It’s fine to
celebrate and it’s fine for Christ to be star of the show,"
said Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights
Commission.

More eye-moistening excerpts;

"Hindus celebrate Christmas too. It’s a great holiday for
everyone living in Britain," said Anil Bhanot, general
secretary of the UK Hindu Council.

Sikh spokesman Indarjit Singh said: "Every year I am asked
‘Do I object to the celebration of Christmas?’ It’s an absurd
question. As ever, my family and I will send out our Christmas
cards to our Christian friends and others."

Muslim Council of Britain spokesman Shayk Ibrahim Mogra
said "To suggest celebrating Christmas and having decorations
offends Muslims is absurd. Why can’t we have more nativity
scenes in Britain?"

See,
the careful planning of the social engineers will always be undermined
by such common sense from common people. They are saying to the
hyper-sensitive PC enforcers what Jed Clampett once said to Jethro –
"Stop helpin’ me, boy.".

Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and everyone else of genuine good will will
not be offended at my public displays of faith for the same reason that
I won’t be offended by theirs… because we are not jerks. People who
are offended at the mere sight of perfectly ordinary
religious symbols or behaviors are the ones who have a problem with
intolerance and bigotry. They are jerks, they are rude and they
are the ones trying hardest to shove their beliefs down the throats of
others. This is just becoming more and more evident as these bitter,
carping, politically correct foot soldiers endeavor to push any display
of religious faith further and further out of public view. The
intention and unavoidable result of this kind of thinking is to
eventually confine all religious behavior strictly to the private
thoughts of the individual. Ironically, it can only end in forced
education (or "de-programming"), book-burning and the like. Tyranny in
the name of "tolerance".

A hearty "Thank you!" and Merry Christmas to all those U.K.
religious leaders who had the spine to stand up and tell the
anti-religion busybodies to take a flying leap.

Why NOT Embryonic Research?

I heard about this new stem cell research yesterday on NPR, which broadcast a brief debate on the subject between Sean Tipton, president of the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical
Research, and Richard Doerflinger, deputy director of Pro-Life
Activities for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Basically, Dr. Doerflinger takes this advance as Great News in that soon there may be no scientific (let alone moral) justification to continue controversial research on human embryonic stem cells, whereas Dr. Tipton thinks such research should continue – just in case. He sees stem cell research as a race to the finish line (his analogy) and whatever it takes to get there is fine, even though "some people" have moral problems with it.

It wasn’t so much his point of view that puzzled me (after all, you can’t expect someone who doesn’t believe in moral absolutes to behave as if they do*) but the way he defended it; So, why should we continue with controversial research, even in the face of grave moral misgivings? Because "we live in a pluralistic society".

H’okay…

Now, I’m sure Dr. Tipton could give a better, more well-rounded defense than that, if pressed, but tho whole idea (very popular, of late) that a "pluralistic society" must allow scientists to pursue "whatever works" is just freaky. Never mind advanced ethical philosophy, has Dr. Tipton never seen Frankenstein or Them or even The Hideous Sun Demon? Hollywood had this all sussed many decades ago… there are Some Things that Man was Not Meant to Tamper With.

And, the question must be asked; if Moral Pluralism is the standard, the foundational dogma of our modern society, then what is NOT to be allowed, and why? Aren’t all ethical frameworks equally – that is subjectively – valid? Why NOT eugenics? Why NOT a genetically modified warrior race? Why NOT chemical and biological weapons?

The natural law would proscribe all these things on the basis that they are offenses against human dignity. Pluralism might find them all wrong now (because most people find them morally repugnant, even if they can’t say why), but there can be no guarantee about the future. If most people – or even if enough of the right people – become okay with it at some point, well, we can expect these kinds of examples of the New, Improved Dynamic Morality.

"How beautious mankind is! O brave new world: That has such people in’t!".

*This touches on a recent mammoth combox debate on morality and ethics. There is this idea that one may arrive at a workable moral framework in a number of ways and that there will be little practical difference in the end. But that is not true. Toss out moral absolutes and the divergences in ethical philosophy and practice are profound and immediate.

Where There’s Smoke . . .

. . . there’s fire.

And here the smoke plumes stretch for hundreds of miles over the Pacific Ocean!

Dangerous Secret Societies?

The heroic efforts of the firemen in San Diego county are much appreciated by local residents. They have done an extraordinary job–and continue to do it–operating in dangerous, windy conditions with little sleep and often only the food and water they can carry on them.

Yet not everyone in history has held such a high opinion of fire departments. I was put in mind of the instructions that the second century emperor Trajan gave to Pliny the Younger about having fire departments.

From the correspondence of Pliny and Trajan:

Pliny to Trajan:

A desolating fire broke out in Nicomedia, and destroyed a number of private houses, and two public buildings — the almshouse and the temple of Isis — although a road ran between them. The fire was allowed to spread farther than it need, first owing to the violent wind; second, to the laziness of the citizens, it being generally agreed they stood idly by without moving, and simply watched the conflagration. Besides there was not a single public fire engine or bucket in the place, and not one solitary appliance for mastering a fire. However, these will be provided upon orders I have already given. But, Sire, I would have you consider whether you think a fire company of about 150 men ought not to be formed? I will take care that no one not a genuine fireman shall be admitted, and that the guild should not misapply the charter granted it. Again there would be no trouble in keeping an eye on so small a body.

Trajan to Pliny:

You have formed the idea of a possible fire company at Nicomedia on the model of various others already existing; but remember that the province of Bithynia, and especially city-states like Nicomedia, are the prey of factions. Give them the name we may, and however good be the reasons for organization, such associations will soon degenerate into dangerous secret societies. It is better policy to provide fire apparatus, and to encourage property holders to make use of them, and if need comes, press the crowd which collects into the same service.

SOURCE.

No fire departments? Having untrained people fighting a fire?

Sheesh!

Thank God we’ve got fire departments today!

Three cheers for the San Diego firefighters!

Update 2

Here’s the latest fire and evacuation map.

I was finally able to get into the San Diego County emergency web site again. (They really do need more bandwidth or server capacity–and they need to give maps as nice, simple gifs instead of 1.7 meg PDFs).

This edition of the map has a grid with numbers on it–which, I believe, are the page numbers for the Thomas Brothers maps, which are ubiquitous in SoCal (or were, before GPS, anyway).

The mystery evacuation spot near Catholic Answers seems to have been a precautionary measure, as there were no fires there. My theory has been that it’s an area with poor roadways and they wanted to get it evacuated in advance in case the Harris Fire goes there. Now it’s been linked up with the other evacuation zones for the Harris Fire, so that seems to be its purpose.