No, these people are not worthy of the blessings of democracy. Keep telling yourself that Teddy. And it looks like a crushing defeat for Michael Moore’s “minutemen”.

Damn, I am happy for these people. Long live a free Iraq.

Via Right Voices

Sorry for the dearth of posting this weekend. I have been busy with both the interesting and mundane. I will update you all on my activities later tonight. Now, having completed doing the laundry (odd, my clothes used to magically appear washed and folded in my dresser drawers when I lived in the States), I am going to brave the cold and walk over to check out the commissary. Hopefully, I can snap a few pictures while I am out and about. It is sunny and relatively clear today (you can actually see the mountains that surround Seoul).

So before I go let me leave you with these words:

A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down, but it is not this day. This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you *stand, Men of the West!

Yes, you Tolkien fans will recognize the words of Aragorn. They seem particulary appropriate as we support the Iraqi people on the eve of their historic election. I found this post over a Mudville Gazette particularly moving. I think you will enjoy reading how the words of Tolkien still resonate as our brave soldiers stand tall in opposition to the forces of evil. (The Tolkien references are at the end of the post, but it is all good and I encourage you to read it.)

And while you are at it, frequent commenter (and daughter) Ashley pointed me to this blog, which is the newest addition to my blogroll. I do believe we are kindred spirits. Go have a look.

Back soon.

Some of the more interesting comments on my blog come from family members. By way of background, only my mother and I voted for the President. And my new found political enlightenment has been cause for much consternation, if not genuine concern for my sanity, amongst my liberal relations. Still, I press on with my efforts to speak the truth in the hope that eventually reason will prevail. It occurs to me that perhaps these intra-family debates are a reflection of the rhetoric that fuels the red/blue divide in our nation today. And maybe there is something to be learned in that.

Recently I posted a link to this video which provides what I thought was a rather funny depiction of some of the more extreme views of the Bush-hating crowd. I titled the post “The faces of the American left”. Which led my son Kevin to respond:

Yeah, that is a real accurate portrayal of the American left…just like Fahrenheit 911 is an accurate portrayal of Bush and the war. When are we all going to get past all these petty shots and focus on the important matters in our country? The election is over. Believe it or not…most people ARE over it! Bush won. Instead of taunting like Randy Moss after a touchdown why don’t we just focus on winning the war!

I actually agree with him for the most part. I don’t believe the mostly tongue-in-cheek video compares with Moore’s propaganda piece, but the extreme views of those on the fringes of the left (and right) do not accurately reflect the America I know and love. And while I don’t see anywhere near the level of taunting from the right that would compare to the whining of disaffected liberals, we on the right do need to gaurd against hubris and arrogance if we want to hold on to the hard won majority of the mainstream Americans. And yes, we can still argue and disagree vehemently amongst ourselves about the wisdom of various domestic and foreign policies. But we should be able to come together around the principle that our nation is at war and the recognition that our defeat would be a victory for tyranny. No true liberal is in favor of oppression. Freedom and democracy are values we can all cherish, regardless of our political leanings. It was gratifying to hear my son acknowledge this fact.

My daughter Renee had this to say:

Enough already! I did not vote for Bush and I disagree with many of his policies, but I am downright embarrassed by the juvenile whining currently emanating from the anti-Bush camp. Time to face the facts. If liberals spend the next four years addressing issues such as how to re-connect with rural voters, then they can seriously contend again in 2008. If instead they sit around debating whether Donald Rumsfeld or Darth Vader is more evil, then the GOP is looking at eight more years at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Indeed. And my question to Democrats is where is the outrage? Why aren’t responsible leaders of the party standing up and renouncing the extreme views of groups that can only be described as anti-American. Instead, the Democrats pander to these folks and in so doing, alienate the vital majority of voters. It was disgusting to watch Senator (and former Klansman) Robert Byrd attack and demean Condi Rice in such a vile manner on the Senate floor. Or to hear Barbara Boxer weave a tale of lies and then have the audacity to call Rice a liar. And still they wonder why they continue to lose elections.

I honestly don’t care which party is in power provided that party is true to the traditional values of freedom and liberty, with no UN veto or “global test” regarding America’s interests and national security . As Superman might say, I’m all about truth, justice and the American way. When Michael Moore was given a seat of honor at the Democratic National Convention, the party lost my vote. If my children are a reflection of the more mainstream liberals in America, the Democrats might be in serious trouble for a long time to come.

I will continue my efforts to get the word out to any and all who care to listen. In the words of Kris Kristofferson:

And you still can hear me talking to the people who don’t listen
To the things that I am saying , hoping someone’s gonna hear
And I guess I’ll die explaining how the things that they complain about
Are things they could be changing , praying someone’s gonna care.

I was born a lonely singer and I’m bound to die the same
But I’ve got to feed the hunger in my soul
And if I never have a nickel I won’t ever die ashamed
Because I don’t believe that no one wants to know.
(from To beat the devil)

cross posted at The Wide Awakes

Instapundit links to this story about the growing power of blogs and how some in the mainstream media are reacting to having their reporting fact checked by the blogging community worldwide. Here’s the meat:

If you don’t believe that bloggers are giving newspapers a headache, talk to Nick Coleman. A veteran newspaper columnist for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Coleman is in the middle of an old-fashioned feud with one of the leading conservative Web logs in the country.

So far, his battle with Powerlineblog.com — Time magazine’s “blog of the year” — has sparked an anger-spewing column by Coleman, an ombudsman’s clarification, and a threat by a leading bank to pull advertising from the newspaper.

Moreover, it has confirmed the growing ability of blogs to get under the skin of the mainstream media. “This is just the beginning,” an exasperated Coleman warns. “People need to pay attention to [bloggers]. To watch out.”

Nick Coleman, Dan Rather and their ilk are like the Wizard of Oz when the curtain was pulled back and the fraud was revealed. Except the Wizard was gracious about it.

The elections coming a week from Sunday are obviously critical to the effort to bring peace and stability to that troubled land. Are Iraqis capable of embracing democracy? Do they have the will and courage to make the necessary sacrafices to secure their freedom? Who are you going to believe, the NY Times or the citizens of Iraq?

Check out the results of this recent poll and draw your own conclusions.

From the always insightful gentlemen at PowerLine.

After reading this, I agree we owe the world an apology.

Next time, call Canada. Or France.