Islam poses a threat to the West, say 53pc in poll - "A growing number of people fear that the country faces "a Muslim problem" and more than half of the respondents to the YouGov survey said that Islam posed a threat to Western liberal democracy. That compares with less than a third after the September 11 terrorist attacks on America five years ago." -- Oh, the propaganda has worked so well.
Beating the Drums of War. US Troop Build-up: Army & Marines authorize "Involuntary Conscription" - "This looks as if it is an unprecedented event in the recent military history of the United States; something that has not happened since the ‘full draft’ during the American war in Vietnam and the World Wars. The obligation of military service or military conscription was not initiated after the tragic events of 9/11—the trigger that augmented and accelerated the aggressive militarization of American foreign policy—nor during the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq in 2003. In fact the only time a draft has seriously been mentioned or entertained publicly is in the circumstances and likelihood that the United States should find itself attacking Iran or both Iran and Syria."
Mysterious Gaza kidnapping stirs U.S. media debate - "In the nine days since two Fox News journalists were kidnapped in Gaza, one of the more notable aspects of the case had been the relative silence that has surrounded it, both in Gaza and in much of the media."
Poll: Majority wants Olmert out - "A poll published on Friday in the Yedioth Ahrnonoth daily shows that 63 percent of Israelis feel that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert failed in managing the war in Lebanon and should resign."
Bush revamps anti-terrorism message - "In the thick of an election campaign, President Bush has revived and retooled his argument that the US must fight terrorists overseas or face them here. Despite the unpopularity of the Iraq war, some GOP candidates are borrowing Bush’s line. “We leave before the mission is done, the terrorists will follow us here,” Bush warned at a news conference this week. Rep Curt Weldon, locked in a tight Philadelphia-area re-election race, went a step further. “We either fight them there, or we fight them in the supermarkets and streets here,” he said Wednesday in an interview with CNN."
Refuse to be Terrorized - "The point of terrorism is to cause terror, sometimes to further a political goal and sometimes out of sheer hatred. The people terrorists kill are not the targets; they are collateral damage. And blowing up planes, trains, markets or buses is not the goal; those are just tactics. The real targets of terrorism are the rest of us: the billions of us who are not killed but are terrorized because of the killing. The real point of terrorism is not the act itself, but our reaction to the act. And we're doing exactly what the terrorists want. We're all a little jumpy after the recent arrest of 23 terror suspects in Great Britain. The men were reportedly plotting a liquid-explosive attack on airplanes, and both the press and politicians have been trumpeting the story ever since. In truth, it's doubtful that their plan would have succeeded; chemists have been debunking the idea since it became public. Certainly the suspects were a long way off from trying: None had bought airline tickets, and some didn't even have passports." -- So, who is doing the terrorizing?
Fear mustn't be driving force in U.S. - "The fear established on Sept. 11, 2001, is the sole lens through which our national political emotion flows. By cultivating this fear, politicians can promote almost any policy — including war — that will maintain their grip on power." -- Things will not be any better with "the other" party in power, either.
What a Moronic Presidential Press Conference! - "Defeating terror by promoting freedom—it's "the fundamental challenge of the 21st century," he has said several times, especially when it comes to the Middle East. But here, from the transcript of the press conference, is how he sees the region's recent events:
'What's very interesting about the violence in Lebanon and the violence in Iraq and the violence in Gaza is this: These are all groups of terrorists who are trying to stop the advance of democracy.' What is he talking about? Hamas, which has been responsible for much of the violence in Gaza, won the Palestinian territory's parliamentary elections. Hezbollah, which started its recent war with Israel, holds a substantial minority of seats in Lebanon's parliament and would probably win many more seats if a new election were held tomorrow. Many of the militants waging sectarian battle in Iraq have representation in Baghdad's popularly elected parliament. The key reality that Bush fails to grasp is that terrorism and democracy are not opposites. They can, and sometimes do, coexist. One is not a cure for the other."
An official secrets act might keep Congress in the dark - "If ever there was a piece of legislation crying out for withdrawal, this is it. Intolerably broad and unneeded, it would deprive Congress and the public of critical information they should know by chilling disclosures of wrongdoing to the press."
Recession will be nasty and deep, economist says - "The United States is headed for a recession that will be "much nastier, deeper and more protracted" than the 2001 recession, says Nouriel Roubini, president of Roubini Global Economics. Writing on his blog Wednesday, Roubini repeated his call that the U.S. would be in recession in 2007, arguing that the collapse of housing would bring down the rest of the economy."
Fleecing the Flock 101...They Actually Have Classes! - "I have to say when I first saw the title, "There's Gold in them thar Pews," I thought it must be a parody on religion with regard to getting the faithful to part with their money. Certainly no one would actually promote a pastoral class on how to get more money out of a congregation with that title? ... The article begins..."Be encouraged: "There’s gold in them thar’ pews! Sitting in your pews each week is a goldmine of resources waiting to be lovingly extracted and put to work for Christ. If your church’s giving is poor, I assure you it is not because your people are. They have far more money to give than you think. The proof is in the results we have seen in the poorest of churches worldwide. When pastors in Zimbabwe, Africa, implemented the ten steps I am about to share with you, their giving increased 100 percent. In the Philippines, churches that used these steps saw giving increases of 100, 200, and almost 300 percent. Obviously, even the poorest of God’s people have money to give. They just need to be taught biblical stewardship.""
Black students ordered to give up seats to white children - "Nine black children attending Red River Elementary School were directed last week to the back of the school bus by a white driver who designated the front seats for white children."
Russia Overtakes Saudi Arabia as World’s Leading Oil Producer — OPEC - "OPEC statistics show that in the period since 2002 Russian companies have surpassed the Saudis as the world’s biggest oil producers on an on-and-off basis. The latest figures, however, have been hailed in Russia as evidence that such periodic production spikes are no one-offs and that Moscow really does have a right to lay claim to the number one spot."
This is TV news? - "Take last Thursday, for example. On that day, US District Court Judge Anna Diggs Taylor ruled that the Bush administration's warrantless surveillance program was unconstitutional. Taylor's ruling means that the National Security Agency's communications-monitoring effort is finally beginning to get the judicial scrutiny it needs. But had you turned on the TV expecting that important story to top the nightly news, you would have been greatly disappointed, for that was the day TV coverage of Karr really got rolling. All three major networks led with the latest development in the decade-old case. By my count, some five minutes of broadcast time had gone by before they began shifting to other stories. ... "It's an embarrassment," says Tobe Berkovitz, associate dean of Boston University's School of Communication. ``This case is totally irrelevant to the life of the nation." Not only that, but there actually are serious events taking place in the world -- events that should be explored more regularly and thoroughly by news organizations with international reach."
The Most Trusted Names in News (Really!) - "There are still some hero-journalists out there standing in front of the schoolyard bullies and fighting the good fight."
Federal student aid site exposes borrowers' data - "The U.S. Department of Education has disabled the online payment feature for its Federal Student Aid site, following a security breach that could affect up to 21,000 borrowers."
Microsoft puts police link on Messenger - "Microsoft will add a "report abuse" icon to Messenger that will link any users worried about their anonymous internet buddies directly to online police services."
Apple recall deepens Sony battery crisis - "The recall applies to 1.1m batteries sold in the US and 700,000 batteries sold outside the US. It comes amid heightened concerns about the safety of Lithiumion battery packs commonly used in laptop computers. A number of videos and news stories describing fires caused by laptops spontaneously bursting into flames have circulated on the internet."
Ford Motor considers going private - "Ford Motor (F) is considering taking the company private, a move that could give the ailing automaker time to restructure operations outside the glare of critics, a source with direct knowledge of the discussions said Wednesday."
No Suit Required - "Terry McBride has a maverick approach to music management: Take care of the fans and the bands, and the business will take care of itself. ... McBride wants to make the individual files available so that amateur DJs can use them like Lego bricks to create something all their own. The record industry likes control. McBride is proposing unfettered chaos."
Who killed the newspaper? - "The most useful bit of the media is disappearing. A cause for concern, but not for panic."
NYC Officials Want New 'Survivor' Pulled - "As CBS prepares to launch a new season of the hit reality show "Survivor," this time featuring teams divided by race, enraged city officials are saying it promotes divisiveness and are calling for the network to reconsider."
Wynn alters rules on tips - "A restructuring of how Wynn Las Vegas manages its casino soon will leave many dealers there a little lighter in the wallet. Starting Sept. 1, table game supervisors will share in the tips earned by dealers, a move gaming industry insiders said is unheard of along the Strip."
Milwaukee is named 'Drunkest City' - "Milwaukee has been ranked by Forbes.com as "America's Drunkest City" on a list of 35 major metropolitan areas ranked for their drinking habits."
Quote of the Day
"Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings."
~ John F. Kennedy
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