Our periodic linkfest pointing you to interesting posts from DIFFERING viewpoints. These viewpoints do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Moderate Voice or its co-bloggers. This edition will contain some posts on the London bombing as well.
Making Sense Of The Bombings: It’s the old question about if there is a God, how can he (she) allow this to happen? Mark Daniels tries to make sense of it in theological terms.
EXPOSING A CULT: A truly remarkable post by Chris Short who shares with readers his secret past in a cult. Backcountry Conservative links to it and also offers you a valuable resource at the bottom of his post. A DOUBLE MUST READ.
Knuckleheads Of The Day Award: Surprisingly, it doesn’t go to members of Congress of both parties but to this guy.
Appeasement Corner: Tales of A Wandering Mind dissects and lambasts those who seek appeasement. A key quote:
The left and right are not enemies in this country, despite what Howard Dean and his ilk say. Political opponents, yes. Adversaries, surely. But enemies, no. And since we are in this war we need to come together and win it. And you don’t win a war by presenting a confused and split image to your enemy. You win it by joining together, focusing your will, and fighting together. To steal a rather lame line from the Army. We need to be a Nation of One.
We agree with that — but would also apply the same admonishment to Karl Rove who seems have the same aged raging hormone problems that Mr. Dean displayed (this causes middle aged politicians to shove their feet firmly in their mouths, even when they think they are helping their side). The goal SHOULD BE unity and criticism is not a sin — and polarization is not a virtue.
The White House Is Reportedly Talking With Democrats About Possible Supreme Court Nominees But Will This Be Enough? The Yellow Line gives you the details on the talks and the reaction from some Democrats (such as Senator Ted Kennedy).
BLOGS ON THE SUPREME COURT NOMINATION: A great roundup from Michael Stickings.
There Something About The Valerie Plum Case (and it isn’t the stuff in her hair…) The Lullaby Pit has a FASCINATING POST (scroll down since permalinks are not working) on this case. We’d spoil it if we try to explain it all, but here’s a small taste (then read the rest yahself..):
A lot of very smart people see this case in a light that doesn’t quite make sense to me, so it’s possible that I’m failing to consider important factors. If so, I trust those reading this to explain my errors.
But: to my way of thinking there is something profoundly wrong with the way this case is being framed. I’m not talking about the obvious legal curiosity of GOP sock-puppet Bob Novak going more or less unmolested by those investigating the case (as far as we know), either. Instead, I’m talking about the way the issues are being presented and interpreted by the news media, which obviously has a pretty big stake in the outcome of the case(s) before us.
London Can Take It: Some thoughts in the aftermath of the London bombings from The Unpaid Punditry Corps.
America The Guilty? The New Editor’s Paul Geary (rightfully and we say “bravo”) rakes a Boston Globe columnist over the coals for suggesting that World War II soldiers weren’t heroes. Read it and judge for yourself but here’s our favorite part (and we stand up and cheer as we type it):
My grandfather, Francis Buckley, happened to be one of those non-heroes in WWII. He floated in the water for hours with his intestines hanging out after a Kamikaze strike during the Battle of Okinawa. He spent nearly a year at a Hawaii hospital recovering before being able to come home to the family.
When I’m at Arlington National Cemetery in August, at my grandmother’s interment next to him (he died several years ago), I’ll remember that he sacrificed to save the world from a brutality that Carroll is too blinded by ignorance and too jaded by ideology to acknowledge.
And I’ll try to forget, just for that one day, that intellectually bankrupt opinion writers still get ink in our nation’s largest newspapers.
Bravissimo!!
Will Rehnquist Retire? Rumors — that have been swirling for days – continue unabated. Charging RINO has a GREAT UPDATE HERE. (We do expect the Chief Justice to get off the bench any day now).
Who’s REALLY Helping The Terrorists? Why, the American press, of course — says Bill “Mr. Loss Of Calm Perspective” O’Reilly.
Terrorists Still Underestimate America: Make sure you read in full Michael Reynold’s piece putting London in perspective titled “Terror and Obliteration.” Here are two paragraphs but it must be ready in its entirety:
The terrorists suffer now from the problem of sequels, of second acts. 9-11 was brilliant. Madrid a bit less so. London still less effective. I don’t want to be in any way glib about this hideous crime, but Bin Laden and the Beardmasters are following the career path of one hit wonders. Let me just say this, Osama: M-m-m-my Sharona….
Governments in Syria and Iran and individuals in the Saudi government all think it is terribly amusing to poke the Americans with sharp sticks. But if this skirmish with Al Qaeda ever really gets serious, if radical Islam ever really starts to threaten us or our way of life, if a real bomb ever goes off in an American city, these governments may find out the hard way just who they have been playing with. They have the weapon of terror. We have the weapon of obliteration.
Exactly. A terrorist catastrophe even more deadly than 911 would definitely be unwise because so far you can say America’s scarf is off. The gloves are not totally off, even though it may seem that way.
The Fantastic Four Is Out and the mysterious, always creative Ayn Clouter offers this alternative version for your edification.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.