Interesting News From Around the Web - 12/12/07

This is a must-read/watch at Gateway Pundit for many reasons, not the least of which is to put into perspective the threat of orthodox Salafi Islam and Khomeinist Shiaism and all the virulent criticism you will find of it across the net, including on this blog. That criticism cannot be read to implicate your average Muslim in this land. My hat is off to Hassan Askari who jumped into a brawl to save four Jewish men being beaten in an anti-Semitic attack on New York’s subway. I can go one farther to say that, of all the many Muslims I know, there is not a one among them whom I would have any reason to believe would act any different than Mr. Askari.

Also at Gateway Pundit, a humorous Shriek Alert as Hillary lead vanishes. She really is an imperious and hypocritical ass.

RedState looks at a manufactured controversy over remarks by Mitch McConnell that, taken out of context by those who really have no use for our soldiers, are claiming shows McConnel as a "heartless chickenhawk." As a non-chickenhawk, let me say that I concur in RedState’s assessment. Let me say also that this "chickenhawk" label is utterly ridiculous. If you follow the logic of the left, the penultimate "chickenhawk" was Bill Clinton. And to carry it to its logical conclusion, think Pelosi and Hillary attempting to dictate military strategy in Iraq. The neo-liberal left has no intellectual honesty. And as one more aside, it was the transition to an all-volunteer military that has gifted us the most professional military force since the days of ancient Rome.

The NRO endorses Romney in the Republican primaries, finding his social conservatism the deciding factor in distinguishing him from Giuliani. It’s a well thought out piece, though, not being a true social conservative, I disagree with its conclusions. (Hat Tip: Villagers with Torches)

There are two systemic threats to Democracy that gnaw at the base of the system. One is the flow and control of information. The other, more direct threat, is voter fraud. Several authors have argued persuasively that voter fraud has played a decisive role in past elections. The effort to control voter fraud through i.d. requirements at the polls is now before the Supreme Court. Faultline discusses the issue in light of illegal aliens.

Conservative Heresy? Hillbilly Politics discusses the "conservative case" for universal health care. This is a troubling issue. There is not a system of socialized medicine yet that can compete with the somewhat free market healthcare system in America. That said, I happen to concur with the concept of universally available healthcare in the U.S. How to have it without also having all the problems of socialized medicine is beyond my limited intellectual capacity to work out, nor do any of the proposals I have seen floated by Democrats strike me as effective.

Al Qaeda has suffered a huge blow in Iraq, but that hardly spells doom for the larger organization. Right Truth examines al Qaeda terrorism in Northern Africa and the threat it poses to Europe, particularly France.

Bayes analysis, the logic of threat assessment, some past intelligence failures of note, and the NIE on Iran are discussed in an exceptional essay at PJM by the Belmont Club’s Richard Fernandez

They can have my Samuari sword when they ply it from my cold dead hands – so sayeth Q&O. It is a sad commentary on what has become of UK. The socialist government believes in complete control of its citizens – after all, the left know what is best for their citizenry. This means that they cannot be trusted with any means of self defense. If a person is hurt by someone misusing a weapon, than that weapon must be taken out of hands of the populace at large.

A good post on atheletes who have transcended their sport at Politics and Pigskins.

An unusual alliance aimed at attacking the failed policies of those in power. Heh.

An interesting analysis at Liberty Corner of the largely negative role government has played in changing our values for the worse, and arguing that the state must affirmatively act if it is to reverse the damage done.