Cross-posted to Random Fate. — While the Commissar of The Politburo Diktat rightly points out that there is indeed a real threat from groups who use terrorist tactics, calling it a “war” is wrong on many fronts, not limited to the terminology alone, but also because the strategy and tactics we are using are appropriate for wars past, not the “21st Century Thinking” that those who are promoting the so-called “War on Terror” like to use as a club against their...

On a non-political note: Astronomers have an unusual problem that those of us who have to clean our houses wish we had: they are not seeing enough dust, at least in the supernovae they are examining. What are the implications? An article at ScienceDaily explains it well. — Cross-posted to Random Fate.

Cross-posted to Random Fate. — The English-speaking culture of England and the United States has a long history of satire, one of the premier examples is the essay “A Modest Proposal: For Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Being a Burden to Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Publick” by Jonathan Swift. I had been contemplating writing a satire along the lines of “A Modest Proposal” in the context of the reaction to the...

…for aesthetic reasons rather than those of avarice or necessity that we now hold high.

I have taken a hiatus from writing for weblogs, but I feel compelled to add this small tidbit to the supposed “debate” over immigration into the United States: For those of you/us who were among those fortunate enough to be born inside the United States, whether to parents who were citizens or aliens, legal or illegal, it is important to keep in mind that our very own status as citizens is entirely due to an accident of birth. We were born inside the boundaries of the US, therefore we...

Singer Lou Rawls died today due to lung cancer. Another great entertainer departs from the scene.

NOTE: Co-blogger Jack Grant posted this highly original and thoughtful piece on this site yesterday. We are running it again, high up in today’s postings, to ensure it gets maximum readership. Please keep scrolling since newer posts are below this one. This post is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to ALL (those who might agree or disagree with Jack). Cross-posted to Random Fate. — A preface is needed: One month ago I was in France, sleeping in a hotel room after my possessions had been moved from...

Boing-boing points to a parody of the Digital Rights Management agreements that come with some music CDs: What if pizzas came with licenses like the ones in DRM CDs?

How many people seriously believe that Pat Robertson has a hotline in to God? The Rev. Pat Robertson said Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is being punished by God for dividing the Land of Israel. Robertson, speaking on the “700 Club� on Thursday, suggested Sharon, who is currently in an induced coma, and former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, assassinated by an Israeli extremist in 1995, were being treated with enmity by God for dividing Israel. “He was dividing God’s...

…here is a lesson in Data Mining 101: This is what’s possible with publicly available information, but imagine if one had access to Amazon’s entire database – which still contains every sale dating back to 1999 by the way. Under Section 251 of the Patriot Act, the FBI can require Amazon to turn over its records, without probable cause, for an “authorized investigation . . . to protect against international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities.” Amazon...

…at Random Fate, for what it is worth.

I have been striving for several days to put together a post that encompasses a number of different, seemingly disparate topics into one whole than points to a fundamental principal upon which our Constitution is based. I have failed. I have been so busy trying to establish myself in the US again after moving back from France that I have not had the time to compose the words upon a topic that I feel is vitally important. What kind of nation are we that we feel the need to actually have a debate between...

I posted below and at my own weblog Random Fate on a case of abuse of eminent domain in Florida, and I commented on how the governmental system in the United States is beginning to resemble that of China when it comes to property rights. From CNN.com, here is an illustration of the state of affairs in that country: Government banners hung at the village entrance said, “Following the law is the responsibility and obligation of the people” and “Don’t listen to rumors, don’t...

Via Boudicca’s Voice comes a reference to how the system of government in the United States is beginning to resemble that of China in terms of ignoring property rights in favor of what is “best for the community.” From Ogre’s Politics & Views: What a damn nightmare. As many as 6,000 people may become homeless, directly because of direct government action. Why? So some politicians can line their pockets with cash — I kid you not. The situation, if you’re not...

At my weblog, Random Fate, I have been writing a series called “The perils of our current path” in an attempt to point out some of the dangers that arise from the decisions that we as a nation have endorsed through those we have chosen to serve as our elected officials. The third in the series was inspired by a simple, small plaque on the side of a building in Grenoble, France. We need to remember that actions speak louder than words when the fundamental nature of a society is in question.

I haven’t posted much here at The Moderate Voice in the past two weeks because I have been in the process of moving from France to the United States, cutting short my expatriate assignment due to family reasons. During one of my final days in Grenoble, I had dinner with colleagues who had become friends, and afterwards I walked around town at midnight taking a large number of photos. I posted those photos at my weblog Random Fate on a time delay so they would appear during the period when...

Since we have posted on the OSM/Pajamas Media story here at The Moderate Voice before, we now note that the name is being changed back from OSM to Pajamas Media, with the two principles involved admitting they were “caught with our pajamas down”. (NOTE: Open Source Media was claimed to never be the name of the venture but instead merely a slogan in one vanished post at the OSM site during the imbroglio, OSM was the actual name) The rationale behind the original change to OSM is being...

…has confused many, but perhaps the secret underlying it has been discovered.

…the dog must have eaten the homework.

What is written at Marginal Revolution encapsulates my view as to why the position of the administration on making “exceptions on torture for extraordinary circumstances” is dead wrong: But it does not follow from the “ticking time bomb” argument that torture should be legal. The problem with making torture legal is that the government will abuse its powers. I do not trust the government, any government, to use this power responsibly. Leviathan must be heavily restrained,...

The assertion that some parties are “rewriting history” merits closer examination. Please make that examination rather than regurgitating the “talking points” which is the easy excuse to avoid the hard work of thinking.

John Cole of Balloon Juice, someone who leans to the right but thinks instead of mindlessly repeating talking points, is discovering that opposition to torture is apparently an attribute of “the left” according to some of his readers.

NOTE TO READERS: Due to the timeliness of this post, the fact that Jack Grant lives in France, and its in depth nature, we’re going to keep this at the top of this site for much of the day. Please SCROLL DOWN to see other, more recent breaking news. As an expatriate in France, I have the dubious privilege of being able to view (from inside the country) the violence while it becomes more widespread. As is typical with most events, there is a complexity underlying the immediate but facile reactions. It...

Despite being distracted by personal issues, I do have a perspective on the riots in France that is in some respects first hand. We need to remember that those presenting the news of the unrest have an agenda, and it is up to us as voters to delve into the fundamentals before we react.

I have a relatively unique viewpoint, watching the riots in France from the inside yet with a non-native perspective. However, I have had some family issues that have delayed any writing I may have had about the news. Despite that distraction, I have finally been able to post some commentary about the riots in France and their origins, despite how unsatisfying they may be to those who have political points they wish to prove.