Author Archives

Frustrated by the lack of depth in most media; we aim to discover the dimension of ideas beyond the left/ right, red/blue, and liberal/conservative thinking. We write about economics, politics, power, history, religion and culture. We are enthralled with most things American but skeptical of ethnocentric biases and group think. Clarity and discovery is often found with humor.

The Freedom to be Left Alone

Freedom as a concept is thrown around like a drunken midget at a frat party (tips to metaphor maven Dennis Miller). The same conservatives that proudly send their sons and daughters half way around the world to fight for freedom

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Surge in Anti Semitism in Turkey

From American ThinkerJune 13, 2009 Talking Turkey: My Own Speech in a Muslim Country By Joel J. Sprayregen excerpt:I recalled tense days last January when I was in daily contact with leaders of Turkey’s Jewish community of 22,000 members–living among

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Which Party is More Hostile towards Jews?

from The Weekly Standard here Kristol: Democrats, Republicans, and Jews There’s an article in the May/June Boston Review on an interesting study that seems (I wonder why?) to have gotten little attention. Neil Malhotra, of Stanford Business School, and Yotam

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The Wars Over Women’s Rights

As the unrest in Iran has showed the conflicts in the Middle East are largely about women’s rights. Which side are we on?

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Swatting at Flies

During an interview the young agile president smacks a fly that is distracting the conversation. The film crew films the event including a close up of the dead fly, the president acts a bit ‘tongue in cheek’ macho. Barbara Boxer

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What I Look For on Twitter

I find Twitter a fascinating market of thoughts and ideas, and I am generally impressed at how responsible most Twitterers are without any regulation or guidance. I consider Twitter an adjunct to my blog, Rebelyid. I look for intelligent comments

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Do Facts Matter?

Victor Davis Hanson challenges the facts in Obama’s Cairo speech Just Make Stuff UpPresident Obama’s war on the truth. By Victor Davis Hanson excerpts In the Cairo speech, nearly every historical allusion was nonfactual or inexact: the fraudulent claims that

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Netanyahu Clarifies Israel’s Existence

Netanyahu speech is commented on in American Thinker by Leo RennertJune 15, 2009Netanyahu Lays Down His Markers Excerpts: That said, Netanyahu also took sharp issue with Obama on several fronts, starting with his rejection of the president’s view that Jewish

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Life Outside the Bathroom

from National ReviewRetreat into ApathyA society of children cannot survive. By Mark Steyn Excerpts According to the U.N. figures, life expectancy in the United States is 78 years; in the United Kingdom, it’s 79 — yay, go socialized health care!

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Castro’s Cuba

Cuba is like a museum of the communist utopias sought by the revolutionaries of the 1960’s. While the Russia and Chinese Communist countries have greatly modified their economies toward free market reform, Castro’s Cuba still believes in the utopian ideal.

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Missing from the Cairo Speech

From the Wall Street Journal Why Israelis Are Cool on the Obama SpeechWhat’s needed is an affirmation of Israel’s historical right to exist.by Judea Pearl summary 1. The litmus test for Palestinians is the Israeli settlements. The litmus test for

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Being Skeptical of Corporate Support of Cap and Trade

In the July/ August ’09 issue of Atlantic on page 19 lies a full page ad from Shell Oil Company featuring a message from their President Marvin Odum in support of Cap and Trade. Odum opens his letter “For Shell,

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The Cars of Cuba

Cuba is known for the old cars still kept in mint condition. You may think it is just because of pride and it is – the pride of ownership. In Cuba these old cars are one of the few things

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An Asthmatic Constitution

One of the strongest divides in the political spectrum is the conflict between a “living, breathing constitution” and a strict constructionist. Thurgood Marshall explained his philosophy, “You do what you think is right and let the law catch up.” This

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Spoof of Castro

This spoof of Fidel seems realistic after my trip to Cuba. When an ideological dictator is unrestrained by the checks of a Congress or a court, the rulings can be unbelievably absurd. Hell, even with our numerous time tested checks

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A Lttle Recent Fiat History

Yesterday Fiat acquired Chrysler thanks to the good offices of the federal government. Six months ago Fiat had some lesser-noticed dealings with the federal government, reported at the time by London’s Times: Fiat, the Italian carmaker, has agreed to pay

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Stephen Tyrone Johns

Stephen Tyrone Johns R. I. P.

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