Hurts, doesn't it?

Still think you're making sense railing against Israel?

Obama is an International Weenie

Besides unconditional table-talks with dictator Ahmadinijad, President Obama sent invitations to Iranian diplomats to join him at the White House for our July 4th hot dog festival. (source)

The incredible irony here is that he would have to serve them Hebrew National™ hot dogs in order to both honor and violate their religious convictions. You'd wonder what's next on his diplomatic dhimmitude:

Inviting North Korean officials to share cake at a celebration commemorating the Non-Proliferation Treaty? Perhaps inviting the Taliban to a festival celebrating International Women's Day? Maybe we can even invite Zimbabwe to party with the Department of Agriculture, or have Libyan diplomats as guests of honor at a commemoration of human rights? h/t Michael Rubin

Okay...so he's already reneged on his invitation.

Apparently, Iranian response to domestic disputes of non-representative government doesn't cut the mustard. Yet he sees no link with a regime suppressing peaceful protest and the fact that they aren't allowed to have guns.

Yep...according to the Iranian Constitution:

Article 27 [Freedom of Assembly]

Public gatherings and marches may be freely held, provided arms are not carried and that they are not detrimental to the fundamental principles of Islam.
Article 151 [Military Training]
In accordance with the noble Koranic verse: "Prepare against them whatever force you are able to muster, and horses ready for battle, striking fear into God's enemy and your enemy, and others beyond them unknown to you but known to God..."possession of arms, however, requires the granting of permission by the competent authorities.

I don't know about you, but that seems pretty close to what the President thinks should happen with our constitutional right to bear arms. According to the 2007 small arms survey, Iran is at the same level of gun ownership that most gun-banning countries (like China and the UK) are.

Now I'm not suggesting the Iranian intelligentsia stage a violent coup. But as we draw near the commemoration of our own violent coup, I think it wise to stop for half a moment and think about what would have happened in our country's history if men like Obama (yes, there were capitulators aplenty back then) had ruled the day instead of the men who became our Founding Fathers.

Stand up, Mr. President. Russia and North Korea are flexing their bully muscles. Only an America resolved to be strong in itself, and strong for others will be able to maintain global balance.

Peace-loving Iran at it again

Iran is now sabre-rattling about its "newest weapon" for strikes at sea. Some people want to say that Iran is a peace-loving country (and I'm sure her people are), and that the nuclear facilities they hid from the world for nearly two decades are for peaceful energy purposes (in a country with enough oil and natural gas to see it through the next century or more, given steady growth). I find that naive, based on the escalation of tensions - largely on the part of Iran - in the region.

And I'm sure the current ramp-up in weapons testing and chest-beating is just part of its face-saving, non-violent, peaceful attempts at proclaiming their sovereignty and cultural distinctiveness...right? Give me a break!

The sooner this threat is unmasked and declawed, the better it will be for her own people and for the world. Pray that it can be done peacefully, without resort to open warfare. Their government has ready made plain their plans.

Does Iran want to bomb the US?

Well, Newsmax is running a story citing the testimony a PhD electrical engineer, William Graham of the Claremont Institute, gave before Congress.

[sarcasm]

I'm sure it's all just that FauxNews crap and right-wing neocon tripe because I only believe the credible people at Huffinpuff Post and Altermedia. After all, this report is being opposed by all the right people. Let's see, the genteel peace-loving souls at StormFront forum have something to say, as does the good doctor and LA state legislator David Duke. And the fact that it's a propaganda piece supported by the Elders of Zion just proves that it's meant to urge Amerikkka into starting WWIII (especially if McCain - WIII himself - gets elected). Remember, Iran is the good guy.

[/sarcasm]

Hey...at least if they hit us with one of those EMPs, we can go back to a non-greenhouse gas economy!

Obamanation Desecration

In case you missed it, the London Times did a brilliant satire of Obama's messianic voyage to the motherlands. Here's a snippet:

He ventured forth to bring light to the world

The anointed one's pilgrimage to the Holy Land is a miracle in action - and a blessing to all his faithful followers

And it came to pass, in the eighth year of the reign of the evil Bush the Younger (The Ignorant), when the whole land from the Arabian desert to the shores of the Great Lakes had been laid barren, that a Child appeared in the wilderness.

The Child was blessed in looks and intellect. Scion of a simple family, offspring of a miraculous union, grandson of a typical white person and an African peasant. And yea, as he grew, the Child walked in the path of righteousness, with only the occasional detour into the odd weed and a little blow....

Merry Shucksmas

Apparently John Shuck has his panties in a wad over the House of Representatives voting to give a hat-tip to Christmas. He invokes the almighty wall of separation between church and state. Funny...from this blogpost, you'd think he didn't like walls that kept blood-thirsty religious nuts from damaging otherwise democratically run institutions.

What really gets my goat, however, is that he pretends to be taking the high-road of neutrality in church-state relations. I might be able to swallow that if he'd posted something similar when the House passed an identically worded resolution honoring Ramadan. But let's face the facts: the guy hates Christmas almost as much as he hates the virgin-born Lord of the Church.

update: I almost forgot to mention this. I admit that, as a Reformation junkie, I don't get as worked up about Christmas as I do about Easter or even every single Lord's Day. Moreover, the whole "war on Christmas" bit is overplayed by folks in my camp. Nevertheless, I find this anecdote illustrative.

I was examined for candidacy at First Elizabethton, where John serves as guru. The presbytery meeting was held in December, so the nice elder that was hosting us wished us "Happy Holidays." A moment of silence passed, after which an astute elder seated behind me shouted "And a MERRY CHRISTMAS as well!"

First Liz regularly hosts awareness events for other religious celebrations. However, I'm afraid they've forgotten (more likely forsaken) their own....

Another Salvo from the Religion of Peace

A picture that I saw from the Columbia University protests over Ahmadinejad's invitation to speak there sent me into action. Here's a letter I wrote.

I am writing to inform you that one of your employees at the New York branch office has represented your company in a very poor light. And he has also brought shame on my friends who are of Turkish ancestry.

Mr. Burus, a financial analyst with your New York branch office since April, was exercising his right of free speech at a protest on the campus of Columbia University. The protest was organized by students who rejected the presence of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from Iran, a man who has continually threatened the sovereignty and safety of neighboring countries. Your employee, Mr. Burus, was photographed twice carrying a sign that reads as follows: MAY ALLAH MAKE A MUSHROOM CLOUD OVER 'ISRAEL' He then gives the URL of his website, http://www.al.burus.com/, which is an online resume listing Vakif Bank as his employer.

Here is a shortened version of the URL that should be easy to input so that you can see the pictures yourself: http://tinyurl.com/2m4f2h

The original is: http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2017403380102230180xZLrUy

Mr Burus has the right to speak his mind and believe whatever he wants to believe. However, when he publicly risks your company's reputation, I believe that you owe it to your stockholders to investigate the matter and take action against any possible financial harms he may bring about as a result of his violent statement.

Thanks for being proactive about this. I'll be watching for a notice of his release from employment.

You can let Vakif Bank know what you think about their employee's reprehensible statements.

Neither Harm nor Destroy on all My Holy Mountain

The Palestinian Muslim authorities are advancing their claim that the Jewish Temple was never on the Temple Mount by digging it up. Too bad they have to overlook all those carved marble porticoes they keep tossing aside!

God's Warriors

[sarcasm]
My favorite "sinister minister" recently drew his reader's attention to the insanity of the Christofascist theocrats behind BattleCry. I sniffed a little bias, so I took a look at Amanpour's CNN docuganda called God's Warriors and I have to admit, I can think of nothing more vital than pointing out the dangers of those Christian wack-job evangelicals.

I mean...those crazy theocrats at BattleCry are pointing people to Jesus' command to love your enemies (and they even reference John Calvin!). Along with my colleague, I think all Christian leaders should be pointing out this thuggish behavior of "speaking out" and "praying" and "voting" so that we don't become a DEMONocracy under their oppressive strain.

And can you believe the nerve of that Amanpour woman...She actually wastes our time referencing murders by Jews in Hebron and throat-slitting Muslims in the Netherlands, but not doing the hard work of turning up a single Evangelical act of violence? I mean...Christofascism is the greatest threat to humanity. Surely there's got to be more than trying to keep kids out of drugs, pornography, and pre-marital sex. After all...the show is promoted as an examination of how religious fundamentalists are the cause of violence in our political and cultural systems.

I demand of CNN a recount. They need to retract any negative portrayals of Judaism and Islam and focus solely on the dangers of those Christians who are hell-bent on equipping their children to articulate a Biblicist worldview (which we all know is just a pretext to further violence).

[/sarcasm]
Talk about biased reporting!