Too much time on their hands? Or too much spare ammunition? You be the judge.
William J. Bennett and Alan Dershowitz agree on “A Failure Of The Press”.
Tim Denton mounts a defense of blogging. (Scroll up for the original post).
I’ve been kind of busy lately – so this will have to do. Add your own in the comments.
Better to go hunting with Cheney
Than driving with Kennedy
What has happened? To put it simply, radical Islamists have won a war of intimidation. They have cowed the major news media from showing these cartoons. The mainstream press has capitulated to the Islamists…..
Bingo.
Dhimmiscribes.
Even better, make that dhimmists(sp?) for journalists.
Penny…follow what you say…print up the cartoons and post them all over your yard and the outside of your house.
Newspapers don’t publish them because they believe, correctly, it is unnecessarily inflammatory. It’s legal to run them, but is it wise? The Danish editor who started all this actually recruited cartoonists to draw offensive cartoons (some of those he invited declined). And why did he do it? To demonstrate that in a Western liberal society he could. Well, we already knew that. Some victory for freedom of expression. An editor who deliberately sets out to provoke or hurt people because he’s worried about “self-censorship” is a clown.
The link to the Cheney Experiment is hilarious. The video of the smiling honeydew melon is my laugh of the day and was worth the time spent in the link.
Two days ago:
WSJ Praises Canada’s Forestry Practice
For those that think this is an attack on Kate, you can read your hard hitting news here:
The REAL News from the Olympics
Maybe everyone knew this already:
Louise Arbour was appeasing cartoon haters back in December 05
http://relapsedcatholic.blogspot.com/2006/02/louise-arbour-appeasing-muslim.html
And why did he do it?
Who cares.
I don’t give a damn what the motive of the cartoonist was. It’s besides the point. Mapplethorp’s motives for Piss Christ are moot too.
Once controversy surrounds a public image, I have the right as a person in a free society with an allegedly press to view that image and make up my own mind. Reading commentary on images I’m forbidden to view by the MSM is totalitarian at the very least.
MolarMauler – glad those images made your day.
Got any opinion about the censured Mohammed cartoon images? See any irony?
Or are you just doing a drive-by?
Departing Liberals Kiss Their Grits: Martin made more than 2000 patronage appointments just prior to election:
http://www.ottawasun.com/News/Columnists/Weston_Greg/2006/02/23/1457894.html
Gets your dander up huh. Especially the hypocricy of Liberals being “upset” about the “ethics” of one Senate appointment and a bona fide cloor crosser.
Public hearings for SC nominees????
Oh the humanity, oh the madness, My gawd its, its, creeping “US-style” politization of the process.
Thus sayeth one of the pointy heads at CBC
http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_mallick/20060223.html
If for any other reason Harper is doing it, than that there is even a chance that its p*ssing off this bastion of lib-left thought is more than enough for me.
Heather must be waking up in cold sweats since the night of Jan 23.
Penny, been here all day but I was not aware that I had to comment on all the items listed above in Reader’s Tips.
But since you asked, I will tell you what I wrote to WS when they emailed me to ask me to show support by subscribing.
I think it was silly for WS to publish the cartoons. Anyone with a computer or access to one could have viewed those images a long time ago. The Danish press had their moment of free speech and it doesn’t entitle anyone to practice free re-speech on their behalf.
I viewed the above linked Bennet and Dershowitz article this mornign courtesy of TheCyberMenace and it did me a sober second thought on my position. But it didn’t change my mind. I know that this opinion makes me out of step on this site but I don’t always have to feel in-step.
Worth reading:
“How to clean up our military mess”, Sen. Colin Kenny, Ottawa Citizen, February 23:
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/opinion/story.html?id=40d2596f-5621-46a3-84bd-7e25d9f3449a
“Health-reform joke is on us”, Brigitte Pellerin, Ottawa Citizen, Feb. 23:
http://www.brigittepellerin.com/2006/nomodel.htm
“The Lebanonization of Europe”, Fred Siegel, NY Sun, Feb. 23 (h/t to “Arts and Letters Daily
http://www.aldaily.com/)
http://www.nysun.com/pf.php?id=28013&access=219449
“In Iraq, a heavy blow to optimism”, Jonathan Kay, National Post, Feb. 23:
http://server09.densan.ca/archivenews/060223/npt/060223cf.htm
Mark
Ottawa
Sorry to get off topic here for moment, but when you have a minute … check this out .. it’s unbelievable.
http://tinyurl.com/jlmcm
> William J. Bennett and Alan Dershowitz agree on “A Failure Of The Press”
Because they agree doen’t mean they are correct. See: Bullfeathers. “The freedom to offend does not imply the necessity.”
steve in bc or should that be steve in bs?
“The Danish editor who started all this actually recruited cartoonists to draw offensive cartoons (some of those he invited declined)……… To demonstrate that in a Western liberal society he could.”
Wikipedia
“the cultural editor of the conservative daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten, contacted approximately 40 cartoonists, and asked them to draw the prophet as they saw him.
……… to highlight the difficulty experienced by Danish writer K�re Bluitgen in finding artists to illustrate his children’s book about Muhammad. Artists previously approached by Bluitgen were reportedly unwilling to work with him for fear of violent attacks by extremist Muslims.”
Re:Penny…follow what you say…print up the cartoons and post them all over your yard and the outside of your house.
steve,
Why don’t you print off all your comments, roll them up into tiny balls and stick them up your nose?
It’s legal and I don’t expect it would diminish their value.
(Get it steve? diminish, dhimini a little word play for ya.)
MolarMauler,
“The Danish press had their moment of free speech and it doesn’t entitle anyone to practice free re-speech on their behalf.”
Why?
You don’t need to defend someone’s right to speak by repeating what they said.
You don’t need to display the cartoons to properly say that the reaction was violent and indefensible.
I’m just sad that Penny finally dragged me into this circular debate. I stated my opinion and I have no interest in trying to get you to agree with it.
Ok I think I take your point.
You’re in favour of free speech as long as it’s limited.
No, WS was perfectly within their rights to publish the cartoons. I defend Ezra’s right to have done it. But I personally think it was a cheap stunt that hurt his employees. I may be wrong but I also defend my right to say it.
But thanks for putting words in my mouth.
I guess answering your 3:51pm question succinctly and to the point wasn’t enough for you.
MolarMauler,
We have the right to see these cartoons. Free speech means that sometimes people are going to get offended. I’m scared and ashamed that our society has gotten to the point where everyone is scared to ‘offend’ everyone else. As a society, people need to grow back their spines.
And what makes a Muslim so protected that our free speech should be limited by not showing these MOST INNOCENT of cartoons. Compared to what they produce in the middle east regarding Jews and Westerners, these were tame by comparison. I’m personally looking forward to seeing the Piss Koran – although the author will need to remain anonymous since Muslims have an unfortunate habit of beheading anyone who offends them (and sadly they are easily offended.)
Canadian Infidel
So the right to freedom of speech is complemented by the right to hear it?
Anyone curious can go and find the cartoons. With minimal effort.
I’m supposed to get upset because all the media didn’t get in a line and re-publish them?
I’m off to go home now so if I am not around to respond to any more ‘target of the day’ responses you’ll know why.
As a parting gift to everyone with a right-to-be-curious here is a site I found in one minute with Google. A lot of good Mohammed cartoons for you as well as a lot of new offensive responses.
http://www.zombietime.com/mohammed_image_archive/modern_satires/
Stevie wonder in BC:
“It’s legal to run them, but is it wise?”
Whatcha afraid of, Stevie? A free country? If any of your relatives fought in WWII, they’ll be disappointed in finding out how weak their gene pool has become (presuming they’re still alive).
For MSM to publish stories about worldwide muslim protests and violence (resulting in the senseless deaths of non-muslims) without giving the public good background info to put the events into proper context…like publishing the images of the tepid mo-toons…is journalistic malpractice. Bennett and Dershowitz have it right and MSM should be deeply ashamed. The press is only reporting “effects” and ignoring the important stuff: what are the REAL causes???
It’s like asking a witness to pick a murderer from a police lineup in a totally dark room. The crafty culprit gets away to victimize more innocents…
Mauler,
I know! I know! I should stay out of this but I couldn’t help but notice how your argument is EXACTLY in synch with the CBC.
“Anyone curious can go and find the cartoons. With minimal effort”
Ergo: You shouldn’t re-publish the material because someone else has already done it.
We can stay out of TWOT because the Americans are already there? We should have stayed out of WWII because the British were already looking after it?
I much prefer pumpkins when i go-a-hunt’in..They approximate waaay more the size of a REAL politicians overpuffed up head !!!!
I’d rather go hunting with Dick Cheney than Driving with Ted Kennedy.
Just don’t say so if you are a student in Massachusetts.
Maybe the kid should have played it safe and called Bush and Cheney Nazis and nothing would have been done about it.
Via Nealenews
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=48959
A community college student in Massachusetts faces possible disciplinary action for shouting “Remember Chappaquiddick!” during an on-campus speech by Democrat Sen. Edward Kennedy yesterday.
Paul Trost, 20, a student at Massasoit Community College in Brockton, Mass., says he was upset by an introduction of Kennedy given by Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., in which the congressman noted how the long-time senator overcame hardship in life on his way to success.
“Lynch said Kennedy had overcome such adversity to get to the place he was, and that’s a bunch of bull,” Trost said of the introduction, which occurred in the school’s student center yesterday morning.
Just as Kennedy began speaking, Trost was walking out of the room when he shouted, “Remember Chappaquiddick!”
“Most of the crowd gasped,” Trost said. “Then I walked out of the student center.”
The student says a campus police officer went outside and stopped him. He also saw some state troopers go outside, the type who accompany Kennedy around the state to provide security.
Trost says the cop took down his information and told him he would be hearing from school officials about disciplinary action. A spokesman with the campus police verified the incident but stressed that Trost was not arrested.
The student said one of his teachers confronted him after a class about the Chappaquiddick issue.
Most newspapers or news shows that didn’t show the cartoons did so because of intimidation or because they are islamic appologists (Toronto Star comes to mind). They show no such reluctance when something is offensive to say Christians/Jews. This is just symptomatic of the liberal disease that has infected this country that of trying to appease any special interest/minority group regardless of the affect on the rest of us.
I still think the real story is the world wide, open, violent, extreme, etc reaction to the cartoons, and the wimpy, insignificant, almost silent reaction to years of indiscriminant suicide bombing done in the name of Islam and therefore Mohammed. I think the cartoon was asking the question: “Is this what Mahammed would stand for today?”
This obviously touched a nerve. Do you think there would be suicide bombings today if the Muslim communities thoughout the world had risen up after the first bombing and condemned it the way they have condemned the publihing of a cartoon. In effect the entire scenario gives the non Muslims of the world a glimps of where Islam puts its priorities and the Muslims don’t like this vision the world now has of them. Unfortunately their continued objection just drives the point home
Perhaps that was the original intent of the cartoon.
Now, lets face the reality and not pretent there isn’t a problem.
Largs “The student says a campus police officer went outside and stopped him”
To be fair, the same would have happened to someone yelling at Bush at a rally. That is assuming that such a person could pass the pre-screening.
Priority Number One: $.
Filthy lucre; your tax dollars.
Dignity? Wasdat? +
Show us the money: Northern territories
OTTAWA (CP) – The northern territories are more interested in a new deal for sharing resource revenues than in achieving provincehood, says Northwest Territories Premier Joe Handley. +
canoenews
Bin Aladdin is a dhimmi/dummy, says buddy/pal.
Mo/Al will get ya for this, Ali* Baba; Mo/Al are vindictive, mad, devils in disguise, Ali*.
*Ed’s note: It’s Adl as in Addled. +
An Al Qaeda Terrorist Disses Bin Laden: Another Declassified Al Qaeda Document
Call it Adl�s complaint� a letter from an Al Qaeda terrorist damning Bin Laden as a poor leader and strategist. Bin Laden comes off as aloof, arrogant and blind. (This column from 2004 noted Bin Laden�s elitism and �rich kid� legacy.) The letter dates from June 13, 2002.
The West Point center�s synopsis says Abd-al-Halim Adl �challenges the leadership of Osama Bin Laden and accuses him of being close-minded and oblivious to the great harm suffered by Al-Qa�ida in recent months.�
Indeed�by June 2002 Al Qaeda has had a tough six months. The fanatics have suffered terrible losses. Adl writes his friend Mukhtar:
STOP RUSHING INTO ACTION AND TAKE TIME OUT TO
CONSIDER ALL THE FATAL AND SUCCESSIVE DISASTERS THAT HAVE AFFLICTED
US DURING A PERIOD OF NO MORE THAN SIX MONTHS. THOSE OBSERVING OUR
AFFAIRS WONDER WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO US. PREVIOUSLY, THEIR ERRORS
WERE NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL SUCCESSFUL OPERATIONS HAD BEEN COMPLETED.
BUT TODAY WE ARE EXPERIENCING ONE SETBACK AFTER ANOTHER AND HAVE GONE
FROM MISFORTUNE TO DISASTER. DURING (TN: THE PAST) SIX MONTHS, IT
HAS BECOME APPARENT TO THE OBSERVER THAT THERE IS A NEW HAND THAT IS
MANAGING AFFAIRS AND THAT IS DRIVING FORCEFULLY; EVERY TIME IT
FALTERS, IT GETS UP AND RUSHES AGAIN, WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING OR
AWARENESS. IT RUSHES TO MOVE WITHOUT VISION, AND IT IS IN A HURRY TO
ACCOMPLISH ACTIONS THAT NOW REQUIRE PATIENCE BECAUSE OF THE SECURITY
ACTIVITY THROUGHOUT HE WHOLE WORLD. THIS HAND DOES NOT PAY
ATTENTION TO WHAT IS HAPPENING, AS IF WE WILL NOT BE SUMMONED T O
ACCOUNT BEFORE ALLAH FOR ALL THESE SOULS, THIS BLOOD AND THIS MONEY
(TN: THAT HAS BEEN EXPENDED)
That hand is Bin Laden. (I am not sure why this particular letter appeared as all capitals. The other ones I�ve copied did not.) + more
http://austinbay.net/blog/?p=951
via LGF
Steve in BS,
I posted them on my site just to piss off the Radical Islamic Fundamentalists. Why? To show the difference between a society where pissed off people, such as I was when “Piss Christ” and Mother Mary of Elephant Dung were shown, respond by argument instead of by the torch.
Anything else and you are in the vanguard of the Torch Wielding Mob. Free speech, even if it is repulsive, must be exercised in order to retain it’s strength.
meanwhile, in Australia, common sense is erupting out the muddel of multiculturalism
PETER Costello has lashed out at “mushy misguided multiculturalism,” warning that Australian values are “not optional” � and that migrants who do not share them should be stripped of their citizenship.
In a hard-hitting speech to the Sydney Institute that immediately sparked anger from Muslims, the Treasurer said migrants should be forced to honour their pledge of allegiance to Australia or face the prospect of being kicked out.
In his strongest comments on the issue yet, he said anyone refusing to acknowledge the rule of law “stabs at the heart of the Australian compact”.
“Those who are outside this compact threaten the rights and liberties of others,” Mr Costello said. “They should be refused citizenship if they apply for it. Where they have it they should be stripped of it if they are dual citizens and have some other country that recognises them as citizens.”
Mr Costello said the citizenship pledge should be “a big flashing warning sign” to Muslims wanting to live under sharia law.
“Before entering a mosque visitors are asked to take off their shoes,” Mr Costello said. “This is a sign of respect. If you have a strong objection to walking in your socks don’t enter the mosque. Before becoming an Australian you will be asked to subscribe to certain values. If you have strong objection to those values don’t come to Australia.”
His comments follow Prime Minister John Howard’s claims this week that a fragment of the Islamic community is “utterly antagonistic to our kind of society”. Last week Liberal backbencher Danna Vale said that Australia could become a Muslim nation within 50 years because “we are aborting ourselves almost out of existence”.
People will not respect citizenship that explains itself on the basis of “mushy multiculturalism,” Mr Costello said.
“We are more likely to engender respect by emphasising the expectation and the obligations that the great privilege of citizenship brings.”
Mr Costello said he had attended an Australia day citizenship ceremony at the Stonnington Town Hall in his electorate of Higgins during which a state MP “extolled the virtues of multiculturalism”.
He said the MP said becoming an Australian did not mean giving up one’s culture or language or religion � and it certainly did not mean giving up the love of their country of birth.
“The longer he went on about how important it was not to give up anything to become an Australian, the more it seemed to me that, in his view, becoming an Australian didn’t seem to mean very much at all, other than getting a new passport.”
slamic Council of Victoria president Malcolm Thomas said he was disappointed at Mr Costello’s speech. “We have had the uninformed comments of Danna Vale, we have had the comments made by the Prime Minister and now we have these comments � all they do is reinforce a stereotype which doesn’t exist.”
Mr Thomas said that singling out Muslims was pandering to a conspiracy that Muslims wanted to overtake Australia.
“Australian Muslims are Australians first,” he said. “They abide by the law and they want to live here in peace and harmony. They are not interested in taking over the country. They are not interested in creating a theocracy”.
Ikebal Patel, an executive member of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, said the comments were “inflammatory”.
“Islam law teaches that when you go into a country you embrace the laws of that country,” Mr Patel said.
“I hope we are not going away from multiculturalism as the founding stone of our immigration policy.”
Mr Patel said the timing of the comments smacked of an attempt by the Government to deflect attention from the AWB scandal.
Islamic Friendship Association of Australia chairman Keysar Trad accused Mr Costello of making “divisive, politically opportunistic comments that do nothing but play on people’s fears”.”This is very poor form from the Treasurer,” Mr Trad said. “It seems to be (something) we are increasingly hearing from members of the federal Liberal Government. It’s most disconcerting that instead of giving a logical argument they would resort to fear-mongering.”
Mr Trad said the overwhelming feeling at a national symposium at Griffith University last week was that multiculturalism was the best thing for Australia and any country.
Mr Costello said Muslims who did not like the depiction of the Prophet Muhammad in newspapers should recognise this does not justify violence.
He said he did not like “putrid representations” such as Andres Serrano’s controversial work, Piss Christ (showing an image of Christ immersed in urine), but recognised that art galleries should be able to practise their “offensive taste” without fear of violence or a riot.
World Vision chief executive Tim Costello praised his brother for raising the debate about multiculturalism. “I think there should be a debate because it’s complex,” he said. “Should people from countries who practise female genital mutilation or bigamy and say it’s part of their cultural or religious beliefs be allowed to do so here? I would say no, they have consented to our laws by coming here. I think Peter is right in that fact.”
MolarMauler: “… But it didn’t change my mind. I know that this opinion makes me out of step on this site but I don’t always have to feel in-step.
”
You’re right, Molar. You don’t have to always feel “in-step”. That’s the beautiful thing about freedom of speech. Your right to disagree, or hold a particular viewpoint.anyones right to their opinion, or position, to agree or to disagree. In the end it provides for intelligent (usually) debate and discussion.
30% of households in this country DON’T have internet, and so can’t see the cartoons unless on TV or in the print media. They have a right to the information. Nobody is forcing anyone to look at anything. If I don’t like what I hear on radio I can switch stns or turn it off, or listen and see what that provokes within me. While publishing something might be “insensitive” to some, denying the majority of people their right to information is even more “insensative”. By having seen the information, I concluded that a few images were somewhat tasteless, but overall innocuous. There are rights I was born with, and I’m not willing to give them up because “someone” might get offended. I refuse to be subjugated by hypocritcal people. If they don’t like what they see, they can turn the page or channel, just like anyone else. If I didn’t have the net, and had to rely on the MSM, I wouldn’t have seen the images and would be under the impression they were vile, offensive hate-filled images…. kinda like the ones from the Arab press. As you have seen there is a HUGE difference between the Danish and Arab cartoons. Just as it might not be wise to present info and risk fanning passions, so too is it unwise to present partial info and let people “ASSUME” the rest of it. People who find our information-permissive society offensive should go back to where they came from….. and then have another look at it from there. If they still don’t like it, bloody-well stay there!!
Since we’re on the weapons bit ala Cheney, check this one out…
http://nfttu.blogspot.com/2006/02/example-of-what-not-to-do.html
I heard this one done here, they used a garbage bag, one helluva boom! Not very safe either!
From my buddy, who has a pretty good grasp on the subject. Any questions?:
“Muslim outrage huh. OK … let’s do a little
> historical review. Just some lowlights:
>
> Muslims fly commercial airliners into buildings in
> New York City. No Muslim outrage.
>
> Muslim officials block the exit where school girls
> are trying to escape a burning building because
> their faces were exposed. No Muslim outrage.
>
> Muslims cut off the heads of three teenaged girls on
> their way to school in Indonesia. A Christian
> school. No Muslim outrage.
>
> Muslims murder teachers trying to teach Muslim
> children in Iraq. No Muslim outrage.
> Muslims murder over 80 tourists with car bombs
> outside cafes and hotels in Egypt. No Muslim
> outrage.
>
> A Muslim attacks a missionary children’s school in
> India. Kills six. No Muslim outrage.
>
> Muslims slaughter hundreds of children and teachers
> in Beslan, Russia. Muslims shoot children in the
> back. No Muslim outrage.
>
> Let’s go way back.
>
> Muslims kidnap and kill athletes at the Munich
> Summer Olympics. No Muslim outrage.
>
> Muslims fire rocket-propelled grenades into schools
> full of children in Israel. No Muslim outrage.
>
> Muslims murder more than 50 commuters in attacks on
> London subways and busses. Over 700 are injured.
> No Muslim outrage.
>
> Muslims massacre dozens of innocents at a Passover
> Seder. No Muslim outrage.
>
> Muslims murder innocent vacationers in Bali. No
> Muslim outrage.
>
> Muslim newspapers publish anti-Semitic cartoons. No
> Muslim outrage
>
> Muslims are involved, on one side or the other, in
> almost every one of the 125+ shooting wars around
> the world. No Muslim outrage.
>
> Muslims beat the charred bodies of Western civilians
> with their shoes, then hang them from a bridge. No
> Muslim outrage.
>
> Newspapers in Denmark and Norway publish cartoons
> depicting Mohammed. Muslims are outraged.
>
> Dead children. Dead tourists. Dead teachers. Dead
> doctors and nurses. Death, destruction and mayhem
> around the world at the hands of Muslims .. no
> Muslim outrage … but publish a cartoon depicting
> Mohammed with a bomb in his turban and all hell
> breaks loose. ”
…..Interesting religion, n’est pas?
>
>
>
>
fred….
“Should people from countries who practise female genital mutilation or bigamy and say it’s part of their cultural or religious beliefs be allowed to do so here? I would say no, they have consented to our laws by coming here. I think Peter is right in that fact.”
devils advocate here, but have you heard of circumcision? is that not a form of mutilation? i believe it has religious origins.
PPCLI: The other heroes of Kapyong
PPCLI stood alongside 3RAR at Kapyong in Korea and both were awarded the … On 28 January, 1919 it was consecrated as the PPCLI Regimental Color. …
http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-flags/ppcli.htm – 32k +
Canada’s military priorities: more troops, closer relations with U.S. (100,000 Troops)
CBC News ^ | Thu, 23 Feb 2006 | CBC News
Posted on 02/23/2006 5:02:52 PM PST by fanfan
Defence Minister Gordon O’Connor says his vision for the Canadian Armed Forces is for more troops in the ranks and closer ties with the United States.
The Conservatives made a long list of promises to the military during the election campaign. But O’Connor says the new government’s defence policy can be summed up in a few words.
“It’s about having a three-ocean navy, a robust army and a revitalized air force,” he said in Ottawa on Thursday. “Increasing the strength of the Canadian Forces to at least 75,000 regular force personnel is a clear priority. We will also intend to increase the reserve force by 10,000.”
Under this plan Canada will eventually have more than 100,000 full-time and part-time soldiers. +
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1584452/posts
Canada stands with John Howard and Australia. +
Anzacs and Diggers
War Historian C. Bean who was stationed at Gallipoli during WW1 … We don’t believe in God, but we respect our diggers like Gods. And with good reason. …
http://www.australianbeers.com/culture/anzac.htm – 16k – +
PM backs Costello’s Muslim comments
The Age ^ | 24 February 2006
Posted on 02/23/2006 5:02:24 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
Prime Minister John Howard has refused Muslim calls to censure Treasurer Peter Costello over comments he made about Islamic extremists.
And Mr Costello has challenged Muslim leaders to pledge their allegiance to Australia before they criticise him over his comments about citizenship.
Muslim leaders have called for Mr Howard to censure Mr Costello over his speech last night to the Sydney Institute in which he said anyone who believed Islamic sharia law could co-exist with Australian law should move to a country where they felt more comfortable.
Islamic Friendship Association president Keysar Trad said Mr Costello had unfairly singled out Muslims and was promoting division and Islamophobia.
But Mr Howard said Mr Costello’s comments were “fundamentally accurate”.
“He’s not trying to stir up hostilities with Islamic people any more than I was when I made some comments three days before the Cronulla riots,” Mr Howard told Southern Cross Broadcasting in Melbourne.
Mr Costello said Muslim leaders should be pledging themselves and their followers to Australian values before they started criticising him. +
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1584451/posts
Hello. My name is Stephen Harper. I’m from Calgary; the economic/political centre of Canada. See my redneck.
BTW, We ordered Don, oops, We mean Lawrence, to write this & he got paid for it by WSLevant. +
His cold-blooded political play for Quebec support with the appointment of the unelected Michael Fortier to his cabinet was another signal of strategic certitude. He reaches out to the Charest government on health care and child care, he brings in many old faces from team Mulroney, he has the gall to give Quebec the major pork-barrel cabinet posts. All this from a Western Prime Minister.
The Harper transition period, courtesy of a Derek Burney team not clicking on many cylinders, has had a slipshod, confused air about it. But, as in the Emerson appointment, it should not be viewed as a harbinger.
The Tories had been out of power for 13 years. A confusion-free transition was hardly to be anticipated.
Few have ever found Stephen Harper to be confused. There is an air of calculation about him and those who will govern with him. As his top bureaucrat, his clerk of the privy council, he has appointed Kevin Lynch. A man of advanced strategic intellect and other strengths, Mr. Lynch has never been known for flexibility or reaching out. Then there is Carolyn Stewart-Olsen, Mr. Harper’s highly suspicious confidante and gatekeeper, who sees enemies at every pop stand.
A populist government this will not be � nor will it be one dictated to by the media. As prime minister, you can set the agenda yourself, or you can let the press do it for you. To his credit, Mr. Harper has no intention of being dragged off by the latest journalistic feeding frenzy. It’s a gamble. Three earlier Tory PMs � Brian Mulroney, Joe Clark, John Diefenbaker � all got hacksawed by the media, in some cases, for good reason. Mr. Harper seems more inclined to try and ride herd above the fourth estate, as did, quite successfully, Mr. Trudeau.
The new PM’s priorities are clear, as is his modus operandi. Certainty is good. Too much can kill you, especially in a minority situation. But it will be refreshing to see a government not flying by the seat of its pants. Canada needs a compass. + http://www.voy.com/178771/137515.html
PM Harper’s priorities have been quite clear all along. I applaud him and fellow conservatives here should also.
Whatcha afraid of? Martin, Wayne..
Seeing the cartoons in your paper isn’t brave or backing up your point of exercising free speech or the clash of civilizations…why don’t you put the cartoons reproduced on large plywood and place them on your front lawn?
Seeing the cartoons in your paper isn’t brave or backing up your point of exercising free speech or the clash of civilizations…why don’t you put the cartoons reproduced on large plywood and place them on your front lawn?
Get real!! Symmetry between plywood yard signs vs the MSM?? Your point is idiotic!! Besides the fact that you’ve missed the point.
The issue isn’t my lawn – hardly a purveyor of news and commentary expected from my neighbors. It’s a given that my neighbors don’t rely on me for news, images and commentary. The issue is the newsroom – the public forum.
Stop repeating your dumb challenge. It’s junior high rhetoric at best. Fine for the playground. Adults are beyond it.
MolarMauler – you did better as a drive-by artist. Some people are better skilled at one- liners. (Hint. Hint.) Spilling all of your brains out on this board isn’t working as well.
You didn’t answer the damn original question, of course.
Please don’t. Keep it to yourself. Pretend you never saw it.
Please. Please. Please.
Penny, Steve in BC has yet to mature beyond the playground. Having read numerous efforts at commentary, I find it difficult to comprehend that an adult could have such naivete.
….why don’t you put the cartoons reproduced on large plywood and place them on your front lawn?
Agree, bob. Pure Pee Wee “I know you are, but what am I?” Herman in his classic playground film.
The repetitive challenge shows a 7th grade level of comprehension skills. We are a hypocrit without a lawn sign. That’s the whole ironic point with the CBC, CNN, NYT’s , etc. No lawn sign from the public newsrooms. No free press.
Stevie Wonder in B.C.:
“Seeing the cartoons in your paper isn’t brave or backing up your point of exercising free speech or the clash of civilizations…”
Actually Stevie, it’s all of those things but more importantly (a point you selectively keep missing) it’s about telling the whole story. And in a TRULY FREE COUNTRY, not only is there a right to tell the whole story but a duty. It’s about keeping something sacred in Canada too…but no muslim tyrant would ever try to understand. If MSM doesn’t have it in it’s heart to tell the whole story then we don’t have the free speech we thought we did.
You’re not sensitive, Stevie. You’re just another chicken trying not to get the big bad wolf’s attention…and you seem to realize that there’s wolves in the henhouse.
As for putting cartoons on my lawn I think Penny says it all. It’s not my job. But if called to fight for our country’s freedoms, rights and liberties I’ll do it. Would you? Are you aware why you’d even bother?
Canadian Infidel “We have the right to see these cartoons. ”
I agree. But its worth noting that Freedom of Speech also includes the freedom to choose what you wish to say. A paper that doesn’t publish something isn’t violating your freedom of speech but excersizing theirs.
If you don’t like their editorial stance (and let’s face it most media outlets are very subjective) then change the channel.
I don’t understand the outrage over the cartoons on the right. If you want to see them you can, they’re easily available. If you want to see them distributed wider then you can publish them yourself.
maz2 “And Mr Costello has challenged Muslim leaders to pledge their allegiance to Australia before they criticise him over his comments about citizenship.”
That will poll well with racist yobs. But its no way for a politician to talk to law abiding citizens. Or have Australian muslims committed some kind of act of collective treason that I don’t know about?