Thursday, June 15, 2017



The DUP is  not an anomaly in Ireland

The DUP is a conservative Protestant party in N. Ireland founded by the Rev. Ian Paisley. Many American Christian conservatives would relate to it. Now that they have become a vital support for the Conservative British government, much incredulity has been expressed about their social policies. But their conservative views on marriage, abortion, homosexuality, etc are not unique to them in Ireland


In the interests of fairness, and for those who are new to Northern Irish politics, it is important to note that the DUP do not represent the views of all Unionists and certainly not the views of all the of people of Northern Ireland. I know many reasonable, compassionate, open-minded Unionists doing great work to better cross-community relations, attempting to drag Northern Ireland out of the dark ages in terms of LGBTQ rights and women’s rights, and who are passionate supporters of protections for minority indigenous languages including Irish aka Gaeilge as well as Ulster Scots. I am proud to have worked with them on various projects and to call them friends.

On the other side of the coin, the closer one looks at the DUP, the more obvious it becomes that they cannot be seen simply as a Unionist counterpart to the Nationalist/Republican parties. Although opposite the DUP with regard to the constitutional question, they are not necessarily always so in terms of being socially progressive. For example, while the main Nationalist/Republican parties do favour marriage equality, the SDLP for example, hold exactly the same highly restrictive views on abortion as the DUP. Sinn Féin’s policy on a woman’s right to choose is marginally better allowing for abortion but only in the often difficult, if not downright impossible, to prove cases of sexual crime, life of the mother including suicide risk, and more recently, in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities. They have also criticised criminal prosecution based on abortion and have suggested that such prosecution should not be brought against individuals procuring or facilitating abortions. Bottom line, politics in Northern Ireland is not black and white, nor is it simply orange and green, and cannot be easily understood based solely on a given party’s stance on the constitutional question; you must dig deeper in order to fully understand.

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Rewriting American History

Walter E. Williams

George Orwell said, "The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history." In the former USSR, censorship, rewriting of history and eliminating undesirable people became part of Soviets' effort to ensure that the correct ideological and political spin was put on their history. Deviation from official propaganda was punished by confinement in labor camps and execution.

Today there are efforts to rewrite history in the U.S., albeit the punishment is not so draconian as that in the Soviet Union. New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu had a Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee monument removed last month. Former Memphis Mayor A C Wharton wanted the statue of Confederate Lt. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, as well as the graves of Forrest and his wife, removed from the city park. In Richmond, Virginia, there have been calls for the removal of the Monument Avenue statues of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Gens. Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and J.E.B. Stuart. It's not only Confederate statues that have come under attack. Just by having the name of a Confederate, such as J.E.B. Stuart High School in Falls Church, Virginia, brings up calls for a name change. These history rewriters have enjoyed nearly total success in getting the Confederate flag removed from state capitol grounds and other public places.

Slavery is an undeniable fact of our history. The costly war fought to end it is also a part of the nation's history. Neither will go away through cultural cleansing. Removing statues of Confederates and renaming buildings are just a small part of the true agenda of America's leftists. Thomas Jefferson owned slaves, and there's a monument that bears his name — the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. George Washington also owned slaves, and there's a monument to him, as well — the Washington Monument in Washington. Will the people who call for removal of statues in New Orleans and Richmond also call for the removal of the Washington, D.C., monuments honoring slaveholders Jefferson and Washington? Will the people demanding a change in the name of J.E.B. Stuart High School also demand that the name of the nation's capital be changed?

These leftists might demand that the name of my place of work — George Mason University — be changed. Even though Mason was the author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which became a part of our Constitution's Bill of Rights, he owned slaves. Not too far from my university is James Madison University. Will its name be changed? Even though Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution," he did own slaves.

Rewriting American history is going to be challenging. Just imagine the task of purifying the nation's currency. Slave owner George Washington's picture graces the $1 bill. Slave owner Thomas Jefferson's picture is on the $2 bill. Slave-owning Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's picture is on our $50 bill. Benjamin Franklin's picture is on the $100 bill.

The challenges of rewriting American history are endless, going beyond relatively trivial challenges such as finding new pictures for our currency. At least half of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were slave owners. Also consider that roughly half of the 55 delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia were slave owners. Do those facts invalidate the U.S. Constitution, and would the history rewriters want us to convene a new convention to purge and purify our Constitution?

The job of tyrants and busybodies is never done. When they accomplish one goal, they move their agenda to something else. If we Americans give them an inch, they'll take a yard. So I say, don't give them an inch in the first place. The hate-America types use every tool at their disposal to achieve their agenda of discrediting and demeaning our history. Our history of slavery is simply a convenient tool to further their cause.

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Media BLACKOUT: The one thing NO ONE is reporting about the anti-Islam protests this weekend

It's a question we've posed on these pages often: can the progressive socialist left be trusted to safeguard America, and its system of governance? Our own Matt Palumbo has written an exceptional exegesis called "A Paradoxical Alliance," An Anglo-American Analysis of the Left's Love Affair with Islam" and his literary endeavor could not be any more appropriate for our times; necessary reading. This past Saturday the progressive socialist left was out in full force demonstrating why they find comfort in aligning with the Islamo-fascists.

As reported by Fox News, "Demonstrators around the country rallied to protest Islamic law, saying it is incompatible with Western democracy. But many of the rallies drew even more raucous counter-protests by people who called such fears unfounded.

The demonstrations were held in more than two dozen U.S. cities, including Seattle, New York and Chicago. Hundreds of counter-protesters marched through downtown Seattle behind a large sign saying "Seattle stands with our Muslim neighbors." They marched to City Hall, where dozens of anti-Sharia protesters rallied. Police used tear gas to disperse rowdy demonstrators and arrested three people. In front of the Trump building in downtown Chicago, about 30 people demonstrated against Islamic law and in favor of President Donald Trump, shouting slogans and holding signs that read "Ban Sharia" and "Sharia abuses women."

About twice as many counter-protesters marshaled across the street. A similar scene played out in a park near a New York courthouse, where counter-protesters sounded air-horns and banged pots and pans in an effort to silence an anti-Sharia rally. In St. Paul, Minnesota, state troopers arrested about a half-dozen people when scuffles broke out at the close of competing demonstrations at the state Capitol. "The theme of today is drowning out racism," said New York counter-protester Tony Murphy, standing next to demonstrators with colorful earplugs. "The more racists get a platform, the more people get attacked."

First of all, I am just shaking my head over the ignorant statement by Tony Murphy - he earns chucklehead status. How can it be racist to protest against a code that discriminates against women and gays? I guess this is what truly disturbs me about the progressive socialist left - they're so horribly uninformed yet they masquerade about as being knowledgeable.

I personally know Ms. Brigitte Gabriel and have read her books. My wife Angela and I are supporters of her organization, ACT for America. And if these leftists were to read Ms. Gabriel's story, perhaps they'd have a different perspective on her - then again probably not. Brigitte has seen the effects of Islamic jihadism up close and personal, having her home destroyed and living in an underground bunker for years as Hezbollah and other Islamic terror groups laid waste to her homeland of Lebanon. She is a Christian, and is very familiar with what Sharia Law means for Christians, which that can hardly be debated based on what we've seen throughout history. How perplexing that the progressive socialist left has embraced one Linda Sarsour, organizer of the post-inaugural Women's March, who spoke about inflicting genital mutilation against Brigitte Gabriel. Yep, that's certainly something we want to embrace, huh?

One can only deduce that the western progressive socialist left, for whatever reason, finds unity, a special bond, with Islamo-fascism. The left fails to possess the intellectual capability to discern what has masqueraded as a religion yet is actually a theocratic-political totalitarian ideology, advanced using the code of Islamic Sharia law. How does the left explain the Sharia zones in Western Europe and the resulting drastic and grave consequences?

And if the left were intellectually honest - which is a far stretch - they cannot argue that Sharia law is compatible with the principles and values of our Constitutional Republic. Just imagine, this is "Pride Month" and over the weekend there was a Pride March in Washington DC. Ever heard of a Gay Pride parade in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan...I think you get my point. Yet, in California yesterday there was a grand Gay Pride "Resist Trump" march...Planned Parenthood also participated.

Funny, we have a group in America whose raison d'être is killing babies. Mark Steyn wrote in his book "America Alone" of the demographic shift in Europe due to the decreased birth rate of Europeans as opposed to Muslim immigrants. The latter, as we know, are not assimilating but demanding Sharia law and courts...and the stuck on stupid leftists in Europe have granted such...of course climate change is a greater threat. In the UK, far left socialist Jeremy Corbin has made lovely kind overtures towards groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. And there can be no doubt that UK Prime Minister Theresa May suffered an electoral setback due to her Islamist leaning policies when she was Home Secretary, allowing the infiltration of Sharia supporting jihadists, to the tune of 23,000 now.

It appears that the progressive socialist left finds more comfort standing with Islamo-fascists, because after all they share the same political adversaries. Liberal progressives on the left would rather align with anyone aiding them in defeating constitutional conservatives; they choose islamo-fascists such as those with the Council for American Islamic Relations. The left leans towards radical secular humanism that denigrates, demeans, and disparages the Christian faith and seeks to relegate it to a non public existence. Well, we know how Islamists who advocate for Sharia law feel about Christians.

The progressive socialist left is where we find the most anti-Israel sentiment, especially with this recent BDS (Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions) movement. The left is aligned with the Palestinian movement, which focuses on undermining Israel's existence, and Hamas flatly calls for Jewish death and destruction. The left and Islamists both rant about "tolerance" but we all know it only means a tolerance of that which they approve. The progressive socialist left does not embrace an ideal of individual freedom and liberty, they prefer collectivism. And the Islamo-fascist jihadists who prefer Sharia law follow suit as the Ummah has no regard for individualism, as they separate the world into Dar-al-Harb and Dar-al-Islam. Am I the only one who is confused by the progressive socialist left that decries women's rights...but this past weekend they were out marching in support of a totalitarian ideology, a code of law, that denies women basic rights?

I wonder how many of the counter anti-Sharia protesters, such as ol' Tony Murphy, have ever read the Muslim Brotherhood's Explanatory Memorandum? In that document, the Muslim Brotherhood, who advocates for Sharia law, outlines how they will conduct a "civilizational jihad" in America. And how peculiar that the poster child for the progressive socialist left, Barack Obama, requested members of the Muslim Brotherhood to be seated front and center when he spoke at Cairo University back in April 2009.

I began this missive asking a question, if the progressive socialist left can be entrusted to safeguard our nation? It was a rhetorical question but the answer is an obvious no. The left is maniacal right now because they demand power and subjugation. Islamo-fascists demand conversion, subjugation, or death - those options emanate from the letter Mohammed wrote to Byzantine Emperor Heraclius. And we know that Mohammed represents the "perfect man," but his actions and traditions are not perfect for a western liberal democracy, certainly not consistent with our Constitution.

Yet, the progressive socialist left thinks it [Sharia law] is ok, and any contrary perspective or discussion will only bring their angst, and yes, their violence, as there were some counter-protesters arrested this weekend. Funny, the progressive socialist left and Islamo-fascists seem to believe that confrontation, coercion, intimidation and violence are the only ways to advance their beliefs. This is why they find themselves in alliance. This is why we have little progressive socialists running around in black with faces covered, resembling Islamic jihadists, burning cars and damaging vehicles, threatening peaceful supporters they see as the enemy.

This is why, perhaps, along with Sharia law, there is no place in America for progressive socialism.

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Melbourne Member of Parliament accuses judges of 'standing in the corner of terrorists'

This is a lively issue at the moment with overheated claims by some that the politician should be prosecuted for what he said.  So the Law Council has emailed out a comment on the matter which begins as follows:
   

The Law Council, speaking on behalf of the Australian legal profession, is calling for an end to political attacks on the judiciary, especially in cases where they might be perceived to interfere with matters currently before the courts.

Law Council of Australia President, Fiona McLeod SC, said recent comments from Government MPs referring to "ideological experiments" supposedly being carried out by the judicial system were gravely concerning.

“It is inappropriate to suggest that judges decide their cases on anything other than the law and the facts presented to them by the parties,” Ms McLeod said.

“Attacking the independence of the judiciary does not make Australia safer, in fact it erodes public confidence in the courts and undermines the rule of law.

“It is Australia's robust adherence to the rule of law that has underpinned this nation's status as one of the most peaceful, harmonious, and secure places in the world.”

Ms McLeod said the Law Council has particular concerns about comments made in the media today by Government MPs about a terror-related case currently before the courts in Victoria.



Fiona McLeod

Respect cannot be commanded. It must be earned. So Fiona might do well to look at the CAUSES of disrespect for the judiciary.  Almost the whole of Australia would find leniency for terrorists obnoxious so it is about time that the judiciary responded to that.  They have plenty of leeway in their sentencing options to enable that.  And the right to criticize judges is democracy at work too.

Respect cannot be commanded. It must be earned. So If Fiona wants to end "political attacks" on judges, let her urge the judges concerned to come down from their ivory towers.  Let her urge them to have discussions with the family members of those who have been killed at random by Jihadis

I am afraid that to me Fiona just sounds like another mentally isolated Leftist twit.  She would probably have done better to keep her mouth shut.  She herself is provoking disrespect for the judiciary

A federal Liberal MP has launched an extraordinary attack on Victoria's Chief Justice and her judges, accusing them of 'standing in the corner of terrorists'.

The state's top judge Marilyn Warren is under fire following a controversial sentence for a teenager who had plotted to behead a police officer on Anzac Day.

The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions is appealing the Victorian Supreme Court's seven-and-a-half year non-parole jail term imposed last year on Sevet Ramadan Besim.

The 19-year-old criminal had plotted to cut off a police officer's head in 2015.

Melbourne-based Liberal MP Michael Sukkar, who is also Assistant Treasurer, said judges needed to be called out for soft sentences when it came to terrorists.

'As far as I’m concerned, we need to be asserting as much pressure as we can on lawmakers and calling out judges who seemingly are standing in the corner of the terrorists and not in the corner of our society and the victims,' he told Melbourne radio station 3AW on Tuesday.

The conservative Liberal PARTY MP, who studied law, clarified his comments to say judges cared more about the welfare of terrorists than the public. 'Seemingly, more interested in their rehabilitation than in the safety and security of our society,' Mr Sukkar said.

'There are multiple numbers of cases where you’ve got people who are planning the most heinous acts and the only reason they’re stopped is because we’ve got amazing law enforcement agencies that stop them from happening.'

He added that as the chairman of the parliamentary Intelligence and Security committee, he believed 'the prospects of rehabilitation, particularly for Islamic terrorists is extraordinarily low'.

Last year, Besim pleaded guilty to an act in preparation of planning a terrorist attack, which would involve running down and beheading a police officer, an offence that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

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Political correctness is most pervasive in universities and colleges but I rarely report the  incidents concerned here as I have a separate blog for educational matters.

American "liberals" often deny being Leftists and say that they are very different from the Communist rulers of  other countries.  The only real difference, however, is how much power they have.  In America, their power is limited by democracy.  To see what they WOULD be like with more power, look at where they ARE already  very powerful: in America's educational system -- particularly in the universities and colleges.  They show there the same respect for free-speech and political diversity that Stalin did:  None.  So look to the colleges to see  what the whole country would be like if "liberals" had their way.  It would be a dictatorship.

For more postings from me, see TONGUE-TIED, GREENIE WATCH,   EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL, AUSTRALIAN POLITICS and  DISSECTING LEFTISM.   My Home Pages are here or   here or   here.  Email me (John Ray) here

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