The Washington Post reports that the Democrats are no longer afraid to debate the GOP on national security issues. One of the ‘telling signs’ is that the far majority of Democrats voted against the “legislation governing the treatment of terrorism suspects”. Continue reading.

Perhaps an interesting topic to debate: should your country have a social security system that gives hundreds of dollars every month (, euros, &c) to people who are not even looking for a job, yet are physically able to work nonetheless? If so, should there be a limit to it? UPDATE I believe that welfare should be completely abolished. In the Netherlands we have a system in which people receive a specific amount of money: no ‘rules’ about what they have to spend it on. I am in favor...

Pieter at Peaktalk is keeping track of the (run-up to the) Dutch elections. Read his latest entry on this subject: he does a wonderful job informing American readers about the situation in the Netherlands.

Interesting article about health care costs in the US The average cost of a family insurance plan that Americans get through their jobs has risen another 7.7 percent this year, to $11,500, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. In only seven years, the cost has doubled, while incomes and company revenue, which pay for health insurance, haven’t risen nearly as much. Thoughts on how to do something about this growing problem?

Football player Terrell Owens, from the Dallas Cowboys, tried to commit suicide Tuesday evening. Lt. Rick Watson, a spokesman for the police department, said police were called to Owens’ residence shortly before 8 p.m. Central Time by paramedics who were already there treating him. He said no criminal activity took place and there was no police investigation under way. He declined to provide further details, but a police report posted online by WFAA television in Dallas said Owens was “attempting...

JB published an interesting post (without the sneers) over at Balkanization. I am puzzled by and ashamed of the Democrats’ moral cowardice on this bill. The latest version of the bill blesses detainee abuse and looks the other way on forms of detainee torture; it immunizes terrible acts; it abridges the writ of habeas corpus– in the last, most egregious draft, it strips the writ for alleged enemy combatants whether proved to be so or not, whether citizens or not, and whether found in...

When I look at the campaign tactics used in America, I am often struck by the low grade personal attacks used, the hatred, the fear, the bitterness, the list goes on and on. It truly is incredible. There seems to be but one kind of strategy: make everything as negative as possible. Don’t focus on your own, positive plans / ideas, focus on how much of a (incompetent) jerk your opponent is. People are not called on to vote in favor of something, but in opposition to something. The New York...

Heh. Every now and then the dictators / oppressive governments of the world say something that is nothing but hilarious. Today it’s North Korea’s government: An article on Wednesday in Pyongyang’s official Rodong Sinmun daily said: “The U.S., after the September 11 incident, has murdered many Muslims in cold blood in its mainland, Afghanistan and Iraq and made no bones about insulting and overriding Islam and Islamic culture. “The United States is not a ‘religious...

The New York Times reports that “the European Commission recommended Tuesday that Romania and Bulgaria be admitted to the European Union on Jan. 1″. The Times goes on to explain that the European Commission “attached unprecedented conditions, signaling that there is still deep unease about the union’s expansion eastward and the potential economic and political problems that go with it.” Many people in West Europe feel that the EU is too big as it is. Lots of countries...

The following might be a bit confusing: Joe Gandelman published a guest post at Liberty and Justice: Will Pakistan President’s Deal Weaken The War On Terror? Pakistan’s President Pervez “Buy And Read My Book And You’ll Find Out” Musharraf has made a deal with a hard-line Islamic party. And so, as the Christian Science Monitor notes, the question is: will this weaken counterrorism efforts? Continue reading

I have less time to publish posts at my own blog Liberty and Justice. Luckily I already have two magnificent co-bloggers, Isaac Schrodinger and Muslihoon. However, I could use more help. I am looking for co-bloggers, regular contributors, irregular contributors. If you are willing to become a co-blogger, send me an e-mail in which you explain your general political views and a sample of your writing(s). Contributors: no demands, just send me an e-mail whenever you write something down and would...

The jury has told the judge that they cannot come to a unanimous decision in the case against John A. Gotti. As the NYT points out, this will be the third mistrial in one year’s time for Mr. Gotti on the racketeering charges. One of the most debated issues is whether or not Mr. Gotti ‘resigned’ from the mob “some time before July 1999″: If he quit before that date, he would be immune from prosecution because the five-year statute of limitations on the racketeering charges...

Thanks to all of you for your kind words and prayers. They mean a lot to me and I am sure that they helped my grandmother go from this world, to the one she really belongs to. She died today at 3.45PM. She was very calm and peaceful. I was not present -> I had to go to classes: two aunts were present when everything got worse rapidly, they called everyone, at the moment my mother walked in she died. I am very grateful that I was able to talk to her yesterday. Although, of course, she was not able...

Two nice tests to discover more about your own political identity: Long test Short test (via Libertarian party, so I am not sure about its credibility / accuracy) All in good fun of course.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani asked for a long-term US military presence in Iraq to deter “foreign interference”. “I think we will be in need of American forces for a long time — even two military bases to prevent foreign interference,” Talabani told The Washington Post. “I don’t ask to have 100,000 American soldiers — 10,000 soldiers and two air bases would be enough.” He would like to have such a permanent / long-term base in Kurdistan, but...

Pope Benedict met with Muslim leaders earlier today. He, once again, pleaded for an open, respectful, tolerant and reasonable dialogue between the two religions… Continue reading.

Isaac Schrodinger explains, in great detail, his current situation, how he got there and provides a lot of carefully researched information about the fate he and people like him suffer in Pakistan. An excerpt: am a refugee claimant in Canada. This essay goes in great detail about why I am asking for asylum in the West. Thank you to those who contributed the numerous sources. I hope that, at the very least, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada adds these resources to their national documentation...

I will not be able to post a lot today, let alone participate in the comment threads: my parents have gone to my grandmother who seems to be dying, she does not breath for a while, before she starts breathing again, does not respond to anything, &c. I have to go to classes in a second and after that I have to go to my grandmother. Again: I am afraid that I will have little or no time today to post, let alone actively participate in comment threads. M.

Like heck they are How about doing something against Muslim extremism in Africa? Somalia is now just about completely ruled by the “Islamist militia”. They now seized “the southern town of Kismayo, one of the last seaports that had been outside their control in Somalia”. The United States has accused the Islamic group of sheltering suspects in the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden has portrayed Somalia as a battleground...

Europe has, for the fifth time in the last six years (and three times in a row) won the Ryder Cup. To be honest, I could not care less about golf, but knowing that Europe is the best in something, is always a pleasure. That being said, this year’s Ryder Cup was a special and dramatic one: Darren Clarke lost his wife to cancer 13 August this year. Clarke wasn’t sure he should play in this Ryder Cup after his wife, Heather, died of cancer on Aug. 13. He went nearly two months without...

Another important point in the short history of a Democratic Iraq: Iraq’s fractious ethnic and religious parliamentary groups agreed Sunday to open debate on a contentious Shiite-proposed draft legislation that will allow the creation of federal regions in Iraq”. Continue reading.

David S. Broder does a good job analyzing the current political climate in America and what that climate means for the chances of politicians who are not willing to follow the party-line, just because it’s the party-line. His view: independent thinkers have a (good) shot at winning these days. The uberpartisan climate is frustrating to a lot of Americans: independent thinkers might be able to get votes from both traditionally Democratic voters and traditionally Republican voters. America...

Frustrated are we? An interesting post at Firedoglake. Pachacutec is frustrated with the DC Democrats, but committed to helping the Democrats win the elections nonetheless.

SURPRISE There is a lot of speculation going on in the blogosphere (and outside of it) about what Karl Rove’s ‘October surprise’ might be. A lot of people seem to think that this surprise will be a military strike against Iran. Iran must be dealt with sooner or later. The best thing to do, most likely, is deal with it sooner. The more the West lets Ahmadinejad get away with his behavior, the more bold he will become and the more trouble he will give ‘us’ in the (near)...

Since a fierce debate emurged about private vs public schools / education in the thread about education in Afghanistan, it might be of interest to some, to debate about before mentioned issue, in this thread, which will make it more accessible and orderly. My opinion: government should provide for public schools, while not having a monopoly on education. Private schools should, as such, compete with public schools. In my utopian dreams, public schools would only educate poor children, while private...