On The Third Hand

Thursday, 31 Jan 2002

Unofficial blog watch

• I like Samizdata's periodic "News from a Gun-free Britian" posts. Take warning; the Brits are engaged in (as much as they'd hate to admit it) proving our old canard that "If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns." The US Second Amendment is the most important one. It gives us the means to defend all the others -- if that becomes necessary.
• One advantage to being an EX-president is that you can finally say what you really think. [link via Dreaded Purple Master - he was surprised... and so am I]. Maybe Clinton is acquiring some sense?
• Don't drink anything while you read this piece I found on Heretical Ideas.
• Matt Welch starts some trouble between one of his readers and Tony Adragna.
• Justice is blind already, of course. But she does not deserve to be disfigured. Iain Murray has been around Americans too long. He (gasp!!) understands us.

20:10 EST Start or join a forum discussion

Bush's Freedom Foundation

President Bush's new Freedom Corpslooks pretty interesting. There's an overview of the ideas at whitehouse.gov. There will be a new "Citizen Corps", which I and the other Bellicose Women and Men will probably find interesting -- it's the defense branch! The Citizen Corps has its own website here (the link from whitehouse.gov is messed up at the moment). They have a "Citizens' Preparedness Guidebook" in pdf format, which I have downloaded. I will review it after I've had a chance to read it. You can get a print copy by calling 1-800-937-7383.

The Freedom Corps will also include AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and the Peace Corps. The intention is to expand all three, and at least double the size of the Peace Corps program over the next five years (I'm delighted at this). If Bush succeeds in getting the funding for this (I think he will), it is going to create a bit of consternation in the rather leftist gang of three above, and I think that will be a Very Good Thing. If we must have government backed volunteer agencies, it will be great to have them invaded by people who insist on programs with practical results -- rather than happy-fuzzy feel-good programs.
17:47 EST Start or join a forum discussion!

Short Stuff

• Dawson.com has posted a very sarcastic letter from Claire to Pilger. You go, girl!
• Charles at Little Green Footballs has a few words to say about Pilger and a cheer for Tony's and my rants. [I'm blushing.]
• My spell checker keeps wanting to change "Pilger" to "piglet". I find that very appropriate.
• Some young Bellicose Women™ are lobbying for the right of students at Mt Holyoke to carry firearms. I wish them success.
• The domestic terrorist organization, Earth Liberation Front, has claimed responsibility for a fire at the University of Minnesota. When I look at their success -- in carrying out attacks and in evading authorities -- it does not give me a whole lot of confidence in "homeland security".
• I'm impressed with Bravenet. I got a scam-spam e-mail, purportedly from support@icq.com (a chat program) this morning that asked for passwords (I got one the other day and issued a warning to ICQ users here). This letter's return went to an account at bravenet.com. I sent them a copy of the letter, with all the info, and they sent me a reply that the account has been deleted. Same day --less than 6 hours. I'm pleased -- many of these free sites take several days to deal with abusive users.
  
15:27 EST Start or join a forum discussion

Pilger "figures" traced!

Dan Hartung (of Lake Effect fame) sent me an e-mail. He found the source of Pilger's figure of " between 7,000 and 10,000 Somalis killed." Dan says:

I found a source for the "7000 to 10,000 Somalis" ... with the commaretained intact by Pilger. (Who knows what the Guaradependent style guidesays, but it amused me.)
http://www.defencejournal.com/oct98/combating_regoinal.htm
This article says "CIA officials privately concede the US military mayhave killed as many as 7000 to 10,000 Somalis ...", attributed to CharlesMaynes, editor of Foreign Policy (and a member of the Center for DefenseInformation). The footnote leads to ... an article in the Frontier Post(Pakistan) by ...
Noam Chomsky.

The footnote says:"4. Noam Chomsky: No country has a monopoly on the guilt of war, The Frontier Post (Pakistan) August 8, 1995." Unfortunately, the Frontier Post archives don't go back that far. All I can say on these figures is that I distrust anything in which any "officials privately concede" any information. I can't imagine any CIA official even talking to Mr. Chomsky, let alone conceding any sensitive information to him. I'll let you all decide whether these figures are likely to be accurate -- or not. Just... consider that Chomsky is the source. Many thanks, Dan, for digging up that information.
08:52 EST Start or join a forum discussion!