I just read an excellent article by TMV colleague, Kathy Gill, titled “Burning The Qur’an, Literally and Figuratively.” The article made me reflect quite a bit on the disturbing increase in anti-Muslim, anti-Islam sentiments and rhetoric in our country, but it also reminded me of a very innocent act of 30 years ago. An act that—along with other “Saudi memories”—seems to be very relevant to what our nation is going through today. When I first moved to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in...

Yesterday, on “a lazy Sunday afternoon,” I posted a humorous article about “An airline that does not take itself too seriously.” But today is Monday morning, just two weeks before all U.S. combat troops are scheduled to leave Iraq, and there are plenty of things to be taken very seriously. Perhaps foremost among those serious issues is the war in Iraq and, more importantly, as we withdraw our combat troops from that country, answering the question: After “[s]even years, $748 billion,...

I just received an e-mail from a friend that is just too good and too cute not to be posted on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It is about a low-fare, 737-carrier based South African airline that tries not to take itself too seriously—something most of us should emulate. According to the e-mail and a related article: The airline started in 2001 and recently took delivery of a new 737-800 with an unusual paint scheme. Dubbed “Flying 101″ it isn’t the typical Kulula logo-jet. Someone...

When you blog, you open yourself up to some pretty intense scrutiny, some sharp criticism, oftentimes some very damning condemnation and, once in a while, to some praise. It comes with the territory and being thin skinned certainly doesn’t help things. But whether thin skinned or thick skinned, I will venture to say that to most bloggers receiving that one nice, complimentary—adulating is even better—comment can wipe away the tears caused by those 10 preceding mean comments. But how...

I have been one of the most vociferous critics of George W. Bush. Of course, the Iraq war was right at the top of my reasons for criticizing the former president. There were many other reasons. Take for example the former president’s proposal in March 2006 to bend the non-proliferation rules by proposing to allow a nuclear-armed India to import nuclear fuel and technology. His proposal came after a visit to India during which he said, “the United States is looking forward to eating Indian mangoes....

I have not been posting very much lately. It is not because I am out of ideas–none of us ever are. It may be because just about every subject, every issue I may want to address can be politically viewed, misinterpreted and even at a moderate site such as this one, “vigorously” debated and attacked. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t shrink from a healthy, civil debate or from equally vigorously defending my principles and positions. However, there comes a time when one’s energy and time...

After three months of spewing millions of barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, it appears that BP’s runaway well has been permanently plugged, albeit both BP and the U.S. government won’t claim victory until the relief well is completed sometime this month. We will not know the short and long-term effects of the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history for months, perhaps years. For months, the world watched the crude gushing from the Deepwater Horizon well via live underwater video. For...

I came across this interesting piece at Open Salon. Its title: “Immigration – Another Political Dog and Pony Show” Its opening paragraph: It is Arizona’s history…home of Japanese Internment; site of German and Italian POW camps, and site of the controversial Phoenix Indian School, a government boarding school that suppressed and prohibited Native American culture and language. The article itself is interesting, but what is even more interesting is the linked article “Phoenix Indian School.”

If you, like many Americans, are wondering whatever happened to the Iraqi Air Force during our invasion and occupation of Iraq—known as “Operation Iraqi Freedom”—it might be more instructive and revealing to ask, “What happened to the Iraqi Air Force in the years prior to Operation Iraqi Freedom?” Why should we ask this question? Because: [W]hen United States and coalition forces invaded Iraq in 2003 they faced no Iraqi Air Force opposition. Not one Iraqi warplane attacked the...

In August 1990, Congress passed a law recognizing a flag that had been adopted by the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia—the “POW/MIA Flag,”—and designated it “as a symbol of our Nation’s concern and commitment to resolving as fully as possible the fates of Americans still prisoner, missing and unaccounted for in Southeast Asia, thus ending the uncertainty for their families and the Nation.” Prior to such legislation,...

A major U.S. newspaper has asked immigrant readers to relate their immigration stories and experiences and, in particular, how they have been affected by illegal immigration—in 250 words or fewer. As one of those immigrants—with a story to tell—I have responded. Cross posted from The Huffington Post

I am one of those misguided, clueless people who, when writing about our military men and women slugging it out in Iraq and Afghanistan, engaged in combat, just trying not to get killed or maimed by an IED or just driving a truck with supplies across the desert, instinctively and invariably refers to them as “heroes.” However, a piece appearing today in the Los Angeles Times tells me how utterly wrong and naïve I am. The writer, William J. Astore, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel,...

I just heard that the list of those invited to Chelsea Clinton’s wedding contains about 400 names. It would be fascinating to learn what considerations and criteria Bill and Hillary Clinton had when they were making up the list and what emotions they experienced. I know exactly how my wife and I felt when we drew up the list of those to be invited to our daughter’s wedding. I am sure that we experienced the same range of emotions that millions of Americans experience when preparing to “give...

Readers may remember the unconscionable appearances by members of a so-called religious group from the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, at military funerals claiming that the deaths of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are God’s punishment for America’s acceptance of homosexuality. They show up at military funerals regardless of whether the fallen hero was gay or not. They appear at funerals of our heroes carrying signs proclaiming “God Hates the USA/Thank God for 9/11,” “America...

I was going to start out with “this is just outrageous.” However, in the spirit set by Laura Ingraham’s new book let me say that this is “informative and hugely entertaining” and it is meant to “inspire both laughter and critical thinking about the future of the nation and the man currently at the helm.” I am talking about Glenn Beck’s appearance last night on the O’Reilly Factor. Glenn Beck discussed President Obama’s depraved “Collective Salvation” plans for our nation–part...

A few days ago, I wrote a piece of satire describing what I believed would be the conservative reaction to the First Lady’s latest initiative to assist parents in improving their kids’ health by doing something about one of our nation’s biggest challenges to their health: child obesity. Michelle Obama published a letter to announce her most recent effort. This is some of what I said about the letter and about her project to fight child obesity: I have just received a letter from the First Lady–as...

A Republican group is challenging the constitutionality of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law in a federal court in California this week. The Washington Post’s Ed O’ Keefe interviewed the group’s executive director. One of the questions was why the group has fought for six years to end “don’t ask, don’t tell.” The director answered: It’s to directly challenge the constitutionality of the policy. We’re seeking a ruling from the federal court that the policy violates...

About six weeks ago, we had a spirited debate here at The Moderate Voice on the policy, the strategy and the tactics of the Israeli government and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the interception of and subsequent violence aboard the Gaza-bound Turkish flotilla, which intended to challenge, perhaps break, Israel’s authority and control over what goes in and out of Gaza. The debate covered all aspects surrounding the “incident,” including ancient and modern Jewish and Palestinian history...

I have just received a letter from the First Lady–as I am sure millions of other unsuspecting, righteous Americans have. The insidious letter starts innocently enough with the words: As a mother, I know there is nothing more important than a child’s health. But today, obesity threatens the health of one out of three American children. That’s why we launched Let’s Move! — a nationwide effort to solve the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation. (The new BIG...

It is not that the German psychic octopus has been turned into a recipe, or that he has met some other tragic fate. No, according to the New York Times, the famous cephalopod who correctly predicted “the outcome of as many World Cup matches as he has legs — all seven of Germany’s games plus the Spain-Netherlands final — is going to retire.” According to a spokeswoman for the Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany, where clairvoyant Paul held his aquatic court, Paul will...

The history of our Generals of the Armies (note the plural use of “armies”), Generals of the Army and, more recently, five-star generals and admirals is interesting, memorable and may I say, star-studded. It is also a somewhat complicated story. Thus, in my effort to summarize and simplify this fascinating bit of history, I hope that I won’t make any major gaffes. The first and last living General of the Armies of the United States was General John J. Pershing who was promoted to that...

This morning, I wrote that Gen. James N. Mattis was being nominated to succeed Gen. Petraeus as commander CENTCOM. I quoted the New York Times’ example of the general’s “bluntness” : For his part, General Mattis has gotten in trouble for past observations on a life of combat. In 2005, he received an official rebuke for comments that included “it’s a lot of fun to fight.” “You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap around women for five years because they didn’t...

I promised that I would not write anymore about Paul the clairvoyant octopus, unless… Well, the “unless” has just happened. But first some other “breaking news.” This “breaking story” is about a psychic Singaporean parakeet. CBS News has just published the news that Mani, a World-Cup-forecasting parakeet–not to be outdone by Paul–has predicted that the Netherlands will win the World Cup final match against Spain: A crowd of soccer fans leans forward as Mani, Singapore’s...

The firing of Gen. McChrystal, followed by the assignment of Gen. Petraeus to lead the war effort in Afghanistan, left the position of Commander, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), open. (It was being temporarily filled by Lt. General John Allen, USMC, who was deputy to Gen. Petraeus at CENTCOM.) In “Who will Replace Petraeus at CENTCOM–If Anyone?” we speculated that it could be Gen. Allen, or Gen. Ray Odierno, or Gen. James N. Mattis, commander of the U.S. Joint Forces Command. Gen....

By now just about everyone has heard about Paul the German Octopus (actually Paul is English-born and a naturalized German) who has been accurately predicting the outcomes of Germany’s World Cup match. Of course its (or should it be “his” now?) latest correct prediction was Spain’s victory over its/his adopted country, Germany, in yesterday’s World Cup semi final. At the end of one of my posts on Paul’s amazing oracle skills–that time predicting Spain’s win over Germany–I...