I'm getting Breaking News emails about tanks rolling through the streets of Bangkok. BBC: Thailand calls state of emergency Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra declares a state of emergency in Bangkok amid rumours of a coup.CNN: Thailand's state-controlled Army television says the government maintains control of Bangkok and surrounding areas amid an attempted military … [Read more...] about Coup Attempt in Thailand?

I may not agree with what President George Bush and his administration has been doing in Iraq and Afghanistan. For the simple reason that this is going to hurt the USA in the long run. But what he is doing in the Indian subcontinent is unbelievable. Perhaps that's why Bush has a large following in India. India and Pakistan are like small kids hell bent on bickering. I … [Read more...] about India and Pakistan: Thanks President George Bush!

It is no longer a "given" that the Democrats will gain at least one house of Congress in the November elections — and the latest poll shows trend that should make Democrats nervous:Amid falling gas prices and a two-week drive to highlight his administration's efforts to fight terrorism, President Bush's approval rating has risen to 44% in a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll. … [Read more...] about Bush And GOP Gain Significantly In Newest Poll (UPDATED)

Arizona Senator John McCain has been insisting for several days that he is confident a compromise can be struck with the White House on the hotly-debated torture issue that'll be one he can live with. But is McCain already political toast within the GOP? The Washington Post:Sen. John McCain's bid to position himself as the natural heir to President Bush as a wartime … [Read more...] about Will McCain’s Stance On Torture Derail Him Politically?

McCain is hearing it from the Republican base over the torture amendment. They want torture. He doesn't. From the NY Times:After months of orchestrated peace, the battle with Mr. Bush over the administration’s effort to reinterpret the Geneva Conventions has put Mr. McCain back into a familiar position: bucking the White House and at odds again with some conservatives, who … [Read more...] about McCain Fights His Base On Torture

The Moderate Voice occasionally runs Guest Voice posts by readers who don't have a weblog or have one and have something special to say here. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of TMV or its co-bloggers — but they do add to our free-wheeling debate. This is by reader C. Stanley. Freedom, rights and responsibilities By C. Stanley Sunday's edition … [Read more...] about Guest Voice: Freedom, Rights And Responsibilities

Donald Sensing, a United Methodist pastor and retired Army officer, always writes some of the most thought-provoking material on the Internet. Whether you agree with him on an issue or not, he offers solid food-for-thought (not regurgitations of what he heard on anyone's radio or cable talk show) and his unique perspective (looking at issues at times from both a military and … [Read more...] about Islam, Violence And The Pope

...at Moderate Voters.org's new reformatted website. It is GREAT. Moderate Voters has been nice enough to choose TMV for a Blogad from time to time (we do NOT solicit advertisers and all of our blogads come from Blogads itself). TMV himself has visited that site often and it was always an excellent source of info and a must read. Well, just Take A Peek and you'll become … [Read more...] about Take A Peek….

There is a solution to prevent the start of a new cycle of genocide in the Darfur province of Sudan. That may happen if the 7,000 African Union peacekeepers withdraw on September 30 leaving the fragile ceasefire without anyone to defend it. The United Nations wants to replace or expand the force to 20,000 soldiers, including Europeans, under the UN flag but Sudan’s … [Read more...] about Arab countries should help to prevent genocide in Darfur

A reader who viewed the Muscular Dystrophy telethon this month asked if we've posted a You Tube of the young and nutty Jerry Lewis and the young and suave Dean Martin in our occasional posts on great comedians. We did. And we offer you this clip, performed live on The Colgate Comedy Hour (I was too young to watch it so I'm also just discovering and studying this great comedy … [Read more...] about Classic Comedians: Martin & Lewis Live

One of the oldest critiques that supporters of the Iraq war offer is the charge that the liberal, anti-war mainstream media (usually acronymed as MSM) deliberately ignores the "good news" stories from Iraq. Instead, so the claim goes, the media plays up the acts of violence in order to drive home the larger anti-war narrative of chaos and failure. Some war supporters, when … [Read more...] about Why are there no “Good News Stories” in Iraq anymore?

The upcoming Supreme Court term is ground zero for Justice Kennedy. And by extension, the whole Court. … [Read more...] about Judgment Day

Jonathan Adler reports that the U.S. government spent one billion dollars on anti-marijuana ads that not only didn't work, but actually increased the likelihood that teens would use the drug. Worse, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which commissioned the report showing the increased prevalance, continued running the ads, sat on the report for a year, and then when … [Read more...] about Now That’s Hubris!

"Is Jim Baker bailing out the Bushes once again?" asked The Washington Post yesterday: The former secretary of state, James A. Baker III, a confidant of President George H.W. Bush, visited Baghdad two weeks ago to take a look at the vexing political and military situation. He was there as co-chairman of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, put together by top think tanks at the … [Read more...] about Baker to the rescue?

The greater danger for Americans is not from terrorism but from overblown faith in their super power status, which makes them disrespect the emerging strength of the rest of the world. The run up to the November elections suggests that many Americans think they can be safe because the US is a military and economic giant among Lilliputians. Consequently, they seem to care … [Read more...] about The greater danger to Americans is from themselves

Just a short reminder: The documentary about Barry Goldwater, made by his granddaughter CC Goldwater, will be aired today, at 9 p.m., ET, on HBO. Don't miss it... … [Read more...] about Goldwater Documentary

There seems to be quite some debate about the state of the US economy. Some, like President Bush, believe that the US economy is "strong and vibrant". Others, like the citizens quoted in this AP article, say that they are struggling, like never before, to make ends meet. Nancy Pelosi (perhaps naturally) agrees with those citizens: Times are "very good for the rich and very, … [Read more...] about The U.S. Economy

This is the heading of the editorial in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Here is the Haaretz editorial: "During the final days of the war, when it became clear that the Israel Defense Forces had no solution to the ongoing launchings of Katyusha rockets, a decision was made to "flood" the area with cluster bombs, delivered by artillery shells and rockets. This was non-target … [Read more...] about “Shooting Without A Target In Lebanon” , says Ha’aretz

The 'Mujahideen Shura Council - an umbrella group led by Iraq's branch of al Qaida' - joined in on the fun:, it vowed 'a war against the "worshippers of the cross"'. No surprise there of course. Meanwhile, the Archbishop of Sydney, rightfully, said that the reaction to the lecture of the Pope, proved the Pope right. Continue reading at Liberty and Justice … [Read more...] about Archbishop of Sydney: Muslim World Proves Pope Right

Sweden held a general election yesterday, and it seems that the center-right coalition led by Moderate Party leader Fredrik Reinfeldt is poised to take over from the governing center-left (red-green) coalition led by Prime Minister and Social Democratic Party leader Goran Persson. (The BBC reports here.) Sweden uses a variation of the List Proportional Representation electoral … [Read more...] about Sweden moves to the right