[Previous entry: "The Mood Ring of Terrorism"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Count Down to Valentine's"]

02/10/2003 Archived Entry: "Snow squalls on the highway"

On the Political Front:

...political commentary was delayed today so that I could convoy with Brad up to and provide a drive home back from "our" garage -- the only one in the county with a mechanic whose honesty and competence we trust -- in order to have the truck checked out. The driving conditions were horrendous. Near home we passed an accident that (from the appearance of the smashed car) was probably the hotrodder hellbent to pass us a few miles prior. Tronnies never learn. Tronnies = Toronto residents.

But, now... on to the "war."

On war against Iraq... Who would have thought that, on a matter of war, I would ever say "Thank God for the Germans!" And, yet, that is my response to the impromptu speech by German foreign minister Joschka Fischer to Rumsfeld in which he declared, "I cannot go to the public and say, 'these are the reasons'[for war], because I don't believe in them." In response to such independent thought, Rumsfeld has accused Germany and France of de facto causing the war in Iraq -- (and here I thought it was Saddam!) Germany has also joined with France and Belguim as members of NATO in trying to block any military implications in response to Turkey's request for emergency consultations under NATO's mutual defense treaty -- or Article 4. This is the first time a nation has invoked Article 4 in the alliance's 53-year history. Meanwhile, as Turkey epxresses fear of Iraq, Saddam appears to be co-operating fully with the UN Inspectors.

As for continuing fallout from Colin Powell's "indictment" of Iraq...Saddam's "poison factory," for which Powell produced "damning" aerial photographs to which he dramatically pointed for the edification of UN nations/world TV cameras was visited by journalists. They "found a half-built cinderblock compound filled with heavily armed Kurdish men, video equipment and children but no obvious sign of chemical weapons manufacturing."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Bush is threatening a naval blockage of North Korea if it begins to make nuclear-weapons grade plutonium. I presume he knows that North Korea is not landlocked and that the most proximate results of a blockade would be a strengthening of relations with China -- the continguous land mass -- and a spike in economic exchanges with South Korea, albeit many of them underground.

On the Personal?Movement Front:

Just received the latest Miss Liberty's Film and TV Update which I eagerly read. And Doris gordon informs me that "Three new Libertarians for Life articles are now available on our website:
- Gordon: A Libertarian Atheist Answers "Pro-Choice Catholics"
- Walker: "Personally Opposed" to Abortion?
- Gordon: When in Doubt...

Legally-speaking I am pro-choice on abortion -- tho' I have severe moral reservations about the issue -- but I applaud Doris' efforts to make all information and arguments available for free.

My latest FOX News column is available a bit ahead of schedule due to production problems at the site. I know, I know, production problems usually delay things...but, oh well...there you have it. I'm just the author.

Best to all,
mac