Blue State Conservative

2004-06-07T07:38:00.000-05:00

Ronald Reagan

I was very saddened to hear about Reagan's death. But I suppose much like the death of Winston Churchill in 1965, his death was long expected, so I feel the mourning of an expected loss, rather than the sting of a sudden death.

My parents (though my father recently, sadly passed also) and I are all self-described conservative Republicans. The difference among us is that while I describe myself as a Reagan Republican, I describe them as Nixon Republicans. Some find this somewhat strange, as if anything, they are far more conservative than I am.

The differences are this. Nixon held a somewhat cynical view of the world, Reagan an optimistic view.

To Nixon, the world was going to hell. The best we could do was delay the inevitable. To Reagan, the dehumanizing monstrosity that was bolshevism was in fact the system that was doomed. While the Soviets were too strong (and the threat of nuclear war too great) to use military might, we could give aid and comfort to those behind the Iron Curtain and they could free themselves.

2004-04-18T21:38:00.000-05:00

I am back again

It has been a while since I posted. On March 16, my father passed away and frankly work, politics, everything but my mother, my son and my wife no longer seem important. But life goes on and I will to.

2004-03-14T22:49:00.000-06:00

Madrid

This is a defeat of the first magnitude. The loss of life was horrific. And the attack seems to have convinced the Spanish to vote against a party that strongly opposed terror.

I fear this may be the first of many such attacks in Europe, as the terrorists seek to influence elections.

2004-03-14T22:47:00.000-06:00

Been Away

I have been away for a while, a new son takes up a lot of time.

But now I am back.

2004-02-05T21:52:00.000-06:00

An idea that will not go way

Gay Marriage. Both parties really wish this issue would go away. Bush and Kerry both are playing a weird game, not really having a coherent answer to the question.

The GOP is basically split between social and fiscal conservatives. There also is a split between federalists and nonfederalists. Many fiscal conservatives really do not care much about these issues, and if they are also federalists, they would leave it to the states to decide.

The social conservatives, who mostly only pay lip services to federalism, want a federal constitutional amendment. An amendment they will not get, but will keep pushing for. All the while, this push diverts attention from other more important issues, and contributes to more bad press among moderate/independent voters.

For the Democrats, the liberal groups will be pushing for it. But you must imagine that the blue-collar base of the democrats will not be too happy. They will wonder why the Democrats are wasting time and effort on an issue that effects only a few.

Frankly, this issue is a loser all around.

The answer of course is my answer. I alone have all the answers. Let each state decide. Throw a bone to the social conservatives by calling it something else.

2004-02-03T20:38:00.000-06:00

A Stale Pop Tart

I hate the Super Bowl half time show. I find them cheesy and silly. I spent it in another room doing some work.

So I missed Janet Jackson's extremely lame attempt at saving her career.

It is like the Anglo-German naval race of 1900-1914. Each participant in the race needs to do something outrageous to out do their rivals. So Madonna does a concert in here underclothes, Christina needs to show up almost naked, Brittany needs to get married. They all French kiss each other.

What is a stale pop tart like Janet to do but have a clothing malfunction?

2004-02-01T12:12:00.000-06:00

Maybe we should have made a deal

My wife's family is from Germany. She knows me as something of a Europhile (especially a Francophile).

I recently shocked her by saying that the biggest mistake the US ever made was not making a deal with Hitler in say 1941 to resettle the Jews somewhere in the French colonial empire and agree to end the war in Europe. I then said our second biggest mistake was not allow the communists to take Germany and France after the War ended.

I was being angry, a momentary lapse, and I know that Germany or the Soviets controlling all of Europe would have been a bigger threat to us than the Soviets controlling half.

But I am sick of it. For 50 years we spend much money defending them. Yes, we were really defending ourselves, but we could have treated Germany like a conquered province and did not. We could have treated liberated France the way the Russians treated "liberated" Poland. We did not.

The Soviets were sitting there with a huge army and an armada of missiles that could have turned Europe into a smoking ruin in 20 minutes. The had enslaved half of Europe and put down viciously every attempt by the peoples of Eastern Europe to free themselves.

And yet, the Cold War was OUR fault.

If the worst case scenario does play out, and Europe is taken over by fundamentalist Moslems (while I doubt it, if they ally with the Euro Left, who knows), I want no refugees here. The Jewish refugees send to Israel. But the rest, send back. I do not want a load of whining, smoking, Euros taking up all the space at Starbucks or McDonalds (well, I will give them Starbucks and McDonalds).

My wife was very shocked at this. And I really do not believe it. But I get pissed off sometimes.

2004-02-01T12:05:00.000-06:00

Soccer is not a stand-in for liberal

As soccer playing conservative, I have had it with conservative writers using "soccer" as a stand in for "liberal."

In fact, soccer is a far better example of a conservative game that football. Football in fact is the perfect metaphor for communism. You have the coach (party chairman) in consultation with his staff (politburo) coming up with a play (a "five year plan"). They then send the play to the quarterback (the local party boss) who explains it to the team (the worker's soviet). After talking about the play for a while, they run around for about 20 seconds, then talk about it some more (a perfect metaphor for work in the Soviet Union). The game is highly regulated, highly structured, tightly controlled with a large officiating crew, has a bunch of people standing around doing nothing most of the game, and minimizes individual achievement.

Soccer, on the other hand, has a minimum of rules, mostly to protect safety. The coach designs only a basic structure. It is then up to the player to implement it best they can. A premium is placed on individual creativity and achievement.

So think about this when you watch the Super Bowl on Sunday -- you are supporting totalitarian communism.

2004-02-01T11:31:00.000-06:00

Where I've Been

This is a great site where you can map out the states or countries you have visited.

I really need to travel more

create your own visited country map

2004-01-28T23:50:00.000-06:00

Maybe it was all about oil

For over a year, questions have been raised about whether the opposition of some to US action in Iraq was based on principled anti-war beliefs, on the fear of losing business contracts, or on bribes. Rumors had circulated that Iraq had bribed important policymakers in Britain, France and Russia. Soon after the liberation of Baghdad, there were reports that George Galloway had been named in papers as the recipient of oil in return for his support of Hussein.

An Iraqi newspaper has published what it claims to be a list of people who were paid "oil vouchers" by the Iraqi government. Most of the people on the list deny involvement. A French Middle Eastern media source also names names (a poor google translation is here). Here is a poor google translation of a Le Monde article.

Two Americans are on the list. According to the MEMRI report, they are pro-Hussein Iraqi expatriates. George Galloway is on the lost, as is Charles Pasqua, a former interior minister.

The list is heavy on politicians and political parties, especially left-wing parties. Russia received the largest allotment. Journalists also are on the list.

So what does this mean? I reserve judgment on the veracity of the story. The numbers seem high. And it seems that in Iraqi, people would tell Hussein what he wanted to hear. But if there is any truth, there should be a money trial going elsewhere. I say let's look for it.

2004-01-27T21:19:00.000-06:00

Is Kerry Unstoppable?

I do not know, but his comeback has been incredible. Two months ago, I would have bet that Kerry would be giving a withdrawal speech about now. Instead, he is the one to beat.

Will he win? He needs to win in the south, and Edwards and Clark seem poised to win the primaries there. But he seems to have replaced Dean as the candidate of the northern Democrats.

2004-01-26T22:54:00.000-06:00

On Lieberman

Another thing the tracking polls shows is that Lieberman gets much more support from "Undeclared" voters than from registered Democrats -- 10% to 3% if the poll numbers are to be believed. This fits well with my personal experience. I have met many Democrats who view Lieberman as a closet Republican, and many Republicans like myself like Lieberman (in fact, I probably would vote for him over Bush).

Lieberman appeals to the mythical Centrist that Bill Clinton was supposed to be so good at attracting. One must wonder if Clinton had been a better person, not tainted by scandal, he might have signaled a shift in presidential politics and Joe Lieberman might have been the beneficiary.

2004-01-26T22:47:00.000-06:00

Make or Break Time

New Hampshire is make or break for at least three candidates. Lieberman needs to show he is viable. Clark needs to show that skipping Iowa was a good idea. Dean needs to show that he is not a complete maniac.

The last University of New Hampshire tracking poll shows that Dean has recovered some what from the scream. Lieberman showed some movement but is still in single digits. Clark continues to drop. Kerry has increased his post Iowa bounce as has Edwards.

New Hampshire is much more important for Kerry than Edwards. Edwards ill stay down south and concentrate on he South Carolina primary.

My prediction is that Kerry wins, but Dean closes the gap to finish a close second. Edwards has stronger than expected support, causing Lieberman to drop in a week or so. Clark will stay in for now.

2004-01-20T22:37:00.000-06:00

Liberal to English Dictionary

English -- unilateral

Liberal -- acting in concert with 20+ other nations if the French do not approve.

2004-01-20T22:36:00.000-06:00

The State of the Union

There was much in there to like, some to dislike, but you must admit, Bush has become a much, much better public speaker. I agree broadly with our foreign policy, but we should realize that we have made some mistakes. On domestic affairs, it seems that Bush is solidifying his position as the most fiscally liberal president in history. At least he mentioned the deficit though.

I agree that our immigration policy needs revamping. I do not like the idea of a "temporary" guest worker program, though I admit I tend to vacillate back and forth on it. We should take the position that every person who comes here is working toward citizenship, even if they decide they do not want it. Every person who comes here (and we should make it easier) should start with a temporary visa, then work toward a Green Card, and finally citizenship.

This is better for the economy (allows people to plan for the future), the worker (keeps them from being subject to the whims of an employer), and the social fabric of the country. My fear is that a guest worker program turns into a German type system where 30 years later, you have several generations of "temporary" workers who are not citizens, not headed toward citizenship, and not integrated into the fabric of society.

As for the "Defense of Marriage Act" I am still not sure exactly what the president is proposing. I would let the states decide, and limit any federal constitutional amendment to limiting the application of full faith and credit.

2004-01-20T22:26:00.000-06:00

Wes Loses my Vote, Part II

This did not help either:

"Senator [Dole], with all due respect, he's a lieutenant and I'm a general."

Clark on why he is a better choice than Senator Kerry.

As I have said elsewhere, I never served in the military. I did, however, spend time in ROTC in college. I did not stay in long enough to be commissioned. But because of that, I knew people who were lieutenants. Maybe I am being to prickly about it, but General Clark's statement, especially in the context of the dialog with Senator Dole, came off to me as extremely arrogant.

2004-01-20T08:18:00.000-06:00

Wes Loses my Vote

O.K., I admit it. I probably was not voting for him anway.

But this did not help.

2004-01-19T23:56:00.000-06:00

Conventional Wisdom Goes Nuclear

The conventional wisdom was:

1. Lot of endorsements by big name party leaders help in caucuses
2. Candidates who use the "f" word in interviews have no chance

For the last two months, Dean has been lining up the endorsement of every prominent Democratic hero other than FDR, and that only because he (FDR) is dead.

Meanwhile Kerry gives an interview which featured Kerry using the f word.

For months, conventional wisdom was that Dean was a shoe in. Instead, we now have Dean getting trounced by Kerry.

And again I ask -- what is the deal with John Edwards?

2004-01-18T22:22:00.000-06:00

Now, about John Edwards

I have been using this guy as the punchline for jokes for the last year or so. It seemed that this guy was always announcing his candidacy, mostly because that was the only way for him to get noticed.

Now this guy has a chance of winning in Iowa?

Can someone please explain to me what happened? Is this a case of "misunderestimating?"

2004-01-18T22:09:00.000-06:00

The Democrats Get Smart

Two or three weeks ago, it seemed that Dean was a shoe in for the nomination. This was a possibility that scared the daylights out of the Democratic Party establishment. Although I have no proof of course, I am convinced that the Clark campaign is based, in large part, on the fear the Democratic establishment had of Dean. Given that the establishment candidates were either not setting any fires (Gephardt and Lieberman) or frankly losing their sanity (Kerry), they needed another candidate and Clark was the man.

But something happened on the way to the caucus. The Democratic activists that make up the caucus electorate that (1) Dean is a nut and (2) that a Dean candidacy meant that the Democrats could be heading for a 1964 type debacle.

Eventually, people had to realize that simply spouting off lines about the "Democratic wing of the Democratic Party" or anger without answers was not enough to win an election

2004-01-18T22:08:00.000-06:00

Iowa!

Back when I was in college, I was working on the reelection campaign of a local politician. The party wanted him to run for a higher profile position. One of his campaign workers wanted him to run, hoping that eventually, it would lead to the governor's mansion.

I was against it. I explained that if he was elected to a higher office, he would become governor, and he eventually would run for president. In which case I would have to spend Christmas in Iowa, deep in the snow.

Needless to say, I have never been to Iowa. My candidate did eventually run for a higher office, clashed with the local party organization, and was brought down by the unpopularity of another politician on his ticket. Unfortunately, he is today out of politics, though I think he would have made a great president.

2003-12-21T10:21:00.000-06:00

Here is your coincidence McDermott

December 14, the US Army captures Saddam Hussein.

By the end of the week, Libya agrees to end its weapons program.

Back in September, Ghaddafi apparently said the following to Italian Prim Minister Berlusconi:

"I will do whatever the Americans want, because I saw what happened in Iraq, and I was afraid."

Yes indeed.

2003-12-19T07:56:00.000-06:00

Bush's Secret Plan Revealed!

You've got it folks! The Looney Left's theories that Bush timed Hussein's capture (and has Osama on ice) are right! I have incontrovertible proof that President Bush has the whole thing planned out for political advantage.

According to my sources,Hussein was drugged and placed in his hole by the CIA so the Army would find him. In fact, my sources confirm that Hussein was kidnapped 3 years ago by Halliburton and held for just such a use.

My sources also tell me that the CIA has several other persons on ice, just waiting to "capture" them for Bush's political advantage.

January 2004 -- Mullah Omar will be "found" "dead" in a cave, right along the path of the pipeline UNOCAL wants to build.

March 2004 -- Jimmy Hoffa will be "arrested" trying to steal anthrax through JFK Airport.

May 2004 -- Judge Crater will be "shot dead" when trying to poison a reservoir in California.

July 2004 -- right before the Democratic Convention, the military will "announce" that they have killed Admiral Yamamoto.

September 2004 -- Osama bin Laden will be "captured " personally by President Bush. Bush will see bin Laden buying a hot dog on Second Avenue. He will chase bin Laden through the streets of Manhattan, into the subway, and across the island. Bush will "arrest" bin Laden on the site of Ground Zero.

November 2004, days before the election, the CIA will announce they have "found" Amelia Earhardt, who, it turns out, was spying for the Iraqis since 1935.

2003-12-16T23:05:00.000-06:00

Orwell Today

George Orwell is one of the most misunderstood writers the Twentieth Century. But I could not help thinking about him hearing the increasing paranoia of the left. McDermott with his "coincidence" in the timing of Hussein's capture (because all politicians know that the people makeup their minds in December). The increasing shrillness of the Left, claiming the Bush is holding off bin Laden's "capture" until just before the election.

The Left is supposed to be more intelligent, more cultured, that us poor, ignorant conservatives. Which is why these words of Orwell, from his 1945 essay "Notes on Nationalism" have been echoing through my head:

"It is, I think, true to say that the intelligentsia have been more wrong about the progress of the war than the common people, and that they were more swayed by partisan feelings. . . . He could believe these things because his hatred for the British ruling class forbade him to admit that British plans could succeed. There is no limit to the follies that can be swallowed if one is under the influence of feelings of this kind. I have heard it confidently stated, for instance, that the American troops had been brought to Europe not to fight the Germans but to crush an English revolution. One has to belong to the intelligentsia to believe things like that: no ordinary man could be such a fool. "

Some things never change.

2003-12-16T00:33:00.000-06:00

Oprah should do a show about me

On the other hand we have Joe Lieberman. Lieberman responses to Howard Dean's speaks by "taking off the gloves" (to use Glenn Reynolds phrase).

"If he truly believes the capture of this evil man has not made America safer, then Howard Dean has put himself in his own spider hole of denial. I fear that the American people will wonder if they will be safer with him as president."

Lieberman says so many of the right things. And he is more of a fiscal conservative than the president.

Maybe I am sold on Lieberman's image. Or maybe I am a conservative Democrat trapped in a Republican's body. In which case Oprah, my neighbor here in Chicago, should do a show about me.

2003-12-16T00:27:00.000-06:00

Our nuts versus their nuts

We conservatives have our fair share of nuts. But the big difference is whereby our nuts are marginalized, the left's nuts are given the keys to the car.

How else to explain Democratic Congressman Jim McDermott who told a radio station that the military could have found Hussein a long time ago, but timed his capture to help President Bush. His proof? "There's too much by happenstance for it to be just a coincidental thing."

Yes,I can see it. The generals are sitting there in Baghdad, the situation is grim. The Baathist resistance shows no sign of stopping But they know where Hussein is. So they say to themselves "Let's sit on this until sometime in December." Yea, makes a lot of sense.

2003-12-15T18:51:00.000-06:00

Rationality as a casualty of war

I used to laugh at what I called the militia nuts -- the crazy guys running around claiming the UN was an instrument of the New World Order and was adding fluoride to the water to control us, or some such nonsense.

They were so paranoid, they were funny. Until Oklahoma City that is. Then they stopped being so funny, though they remained just as comical.

While paranoia on the far right has not ceased, the left seems to be trying to catch up. I mean, I have heard and read people claim that Bush had Hussein and OBL on ice, and was going to "capture" them when he needed a pre-election boost.

When Uday and Qusay were killed, there was all this talk about how Bush had them killed, as they knew too much.

Now, we hear the left babble on about how Bush is going to arrange an "accident" before Hussein's trial, as Hussein has "dirt" on Bush.

Leave aside the obvious questions, such as why Hussein did not use the dirt to blackmail Bush before the invasion or why Hussein did not release the dirt to someone like Robert Fisk, Eric Altman, Michael Moore or George Galloway for publication in the Guardian, NY Times or Independent. But for some reason, these folks have lost the ability to think straight. They remind me of how Clinton drove one of my cousins to complete distraction that she stopped being rational when talking about him.

Rationality is their casualty of war.

2003-12-15T18:49:00.000-06:00

Saddam Found

I really have nothing to add.

2003-12-12T23:06:00.000-06:00

I am back!

Though I bet no one missed me. About 7 hours after my previous entry, my wife woke me thinking she was having stomach cramps from something she ate.

Instead, she was giving birth.

My son is 3 weeks old today, and while it is a lot of work, I would not trade it for anything.

2003-11-20T22:23:00.000-06:00

The Shooting of JFK

My wife and I were watching the ABC special on the JFK assassination. I have absolutely no patience for the JFK conspiracy theorists. No matter how much proof they are shown, no matter how much you show that the myths of the theorists are wrong, they still believe. It is like a religion.

The myths really get to me. Oswald was a very good shot, yet we hear that in the Marines, he was an awful shot. He was a communist, yet he is somehow tied to the "military industrial complex." He tried to assassinate a retired general (and right-wing political figure) yet he is portrayed as a patsy who could not have planned the attack.

So, why do people believe the conspiracy? First off, in the immediate aftermath of the assassination, people believed that it was a communist plot. My parents used to believe that. So the idea that it was a conspiracy was planted in peoples' minds.

Then came Oliver Stone. The movie JFK is a fine piece of movie making, but as a scientific documentary, it is a failure. Then there was the last minute evidence brought forth at the House Committee hearings in the 1970s. That evidence was later discredited, but many still place faith in it.

And then there is people longing for certainty, the idea that the world is not random and chaotic but ordered. It is the same reason many believe that the CIA knew about 9/11 or that FDR knew about Pearl Harbor. People want to believe there is an invisible hand behind all events -- even if it is a malevolent hand.

Maybe it is my Catholic upbringing, but I believe in free will and that people shape events, sometimes randomly.

Anyway, as my wife said, if a certifiable nut like John Hinckley could get at Reagan and almost succeed (or the assassins of McKinley or Garfield for that matter), why could not a committed though troubled man like Oswald get at Kennedy?

2003-11-19T22:12:00.000-06:00

London Calling

It is telling that the people showing up to protest resident Bush in London came no where near the throng that came to protest the rural hunting ban, a few short weeks ago. Now it is possible that a huge throng will show up tomorrow. In fact, I think it likely, given the almost pleading nature of the BBC.

One other thing. Why is it that no matter how small a leftist protest is, it always seems to involve some damage to property (I mean, dying the fountains red?)

Yet a march of hunters and rural folk, people who feel that a centuries old way of life is in danger and who have access to guns, who are supposedly less civilized than the left, can have a huge march and . . .no violence, nothing.

Why is that?

{edited to note that the 100,000 showed up today, and were peaceful}

2003-11-15T11:38:00.000-06:00

We finally set a date

The US has set a date of June to hand over administration of Iraq to a new government.

I know the way the left, the Euros, Ted Rall and Michael Moore will spin this -- the US is admitting defeat and cutting and running.

But as I recall, we never meant to stay in Iraq forever. From day one, even before, the whole idea was to get rid of Hussein and set up a new Iraqi government. Without setting a date, the Iraqi National Council will simply dither and argue amongst themselves, we will continue to amble along and things will not reach a conclusion.

So I say screw the left, the Euros, Ted Rall and Michael Moore (though I really cannot figure out who would want to screw Michael Moore). Let's get a government in place and let the Iraqis know that (1) Hussein is not coming back and (2) we are not their as conquerors.

Interesting to me is that those same people are very quiet about the fact that after 4 years of European and U.N. control, Kosovo still does not have self government. And in Kosovo, you do not have the ethnic and religious tensions that you have in Iraq.

2003-11-13T22:24:00.000-06:00

Poster Child for the Estate Tax

I admit, I had no idea who Paris Hilton was until yesterday. She is proof that intelligence and money are not mutually inclusive. The escapades of wealthy idiots like Ms. Hilton have really made me rethink my opposition to the estate tax.

I supported repeal because I felt (and still do) that it is more a trap for the unwary -- for the "accidental millionaire" who built a small business and some real estate into a small fortune.

Of course, folks like the Hiltons pay enough lawyers to avoid the estate tax, but something needs to be done to keep people like this off the streets and into an activity, that provides some benefit for society.

How about universal military service, but only for trust fund kids.

2003-11-09T21:11:00.000-06:00

Hot Gnocchi on a Cold Night

Gnocchi are my favorite pasta. So supple, so tasty, and they hold the sauce so well.

On a cold night, there is nothing better. They go down so smooth, still warm, and they stay warm in your stomach. Just the thing to ward off a November chill.

2003-11-08T19:44:00.000-06:00

The Bombing in Saudi Arabia

The Saudis are in effect having a civil war for some time. But they have always been able to export it. You have some young hot heads talking too much? Tell them they need to go to Yemen to fight the godless Nasserites.

You have some extremely religious, unemployed men? Tell them they need to go to Afghanistan to fight the infidel.

You have a cleric who is calling for a return to true Islamic values? Set them up in a mosque in the Sudan or Central Asia or Dallas and get them out of the Kingdom.

After 9/11, they no longer have that option and now find their extremists stay home and fight their wars. I fear we will see more of this now than less.

2003-11-06T21:49:00.000-06:00

What Year is It??

Lately, I have seen a lot of articles and blogs analogizing this war to World War Two. People have pointed out the old articles from 1946 discussing how we “botched” the occupation of Germany (though, given that our troops are still there, I guess it is a quagmire). Some people argue that the analogy is not 1946 but 1943 (after Torch or the invasion of Italy) or 1953 (after Korea)

I found the comments on the war and the correct analogy is interesting. Yes, I have used the analogy of WWII. Right after the Trade Center, when friends (and my father, the Korean War veteran) were despairing about when we would strike back, I noted in WWII, we did not win a battle (other than the rather narrow victory at Coral Sea) until Midway, 6 months after the attack, and even that was a defensive battle. When in the early days of the Iraq invasion those same people were despairing about the press and its "quagmire" calls, I compared the movement of our troops to Patton's breakout from Normandy or the crossing of the Rhine.

But I think the best analogy for today is the Civil War. At the outset, the north was fairly united in its determination to crush the rebellion. Then things changed. You always had a large portion of the northern population who actively opposed Lincoln.

You had the Copperheads who were willing to allow Southern independence in return for an end to the war. They believed that Lincoln was setting up a dictatorship, and was taking away the rights of the anti-war types. If you think what the Left today says about Ashcroft is bad, read what their spiritual ancestors said about Seward.

You had the War Democrats, who wanted to fight the war, but who felt that Lincoln’s strategies were wrong.

You had the Republicans, who wanted to fight the war, and Radicals who wanted to remake southern society.

The public reacted much like today also. After victories, there was relief. After defeat, there was often an outcry against Lincoln. There were concerns about quagmires (though they did not use the word back then).

Again, analogies can be taken too far. Dean is not Vallandigham, Bush is not Lincoln, and Clark is not McClellan. But I think the Civil War is the better analogy.

2003-11-02T10:31:00.000-06:00

Remember the Gulag?

I recently began reading Annie Applebaums “Gulag: A History” which sets forth the history of the Soviet Gulag system. So far, a very depressing account.

Ms. Applebaum said that she was inspired to write the book due to an incident in Prague, soon after the liberation of that city form communism. She noted that western tourists were purchasing the pins and medals of the Soviet regime and wearing them. She thought this strange, would an American tourist in Germany buy a Nazi medal and wear it around. She concluded that the Nazi system aroused revulsion while the Soviet system aroused humor.

So why is this? I think there are four reasons for the difference.

1. Stopping fascism required the combined efforts of most of the major nations of the world. The US, Russia, the UK, France, China, India, Brazil, and so on, had to fight a horrific war.

Communism was stopped basically by letting it rot itself out. The wars fought either were small (like Korea, but do not tell that to my dad who was there) or fought through proxies (like in Central America or Afghanistan). So whereas Nazism is remembered in the west for the fear and defeats it caused, Communism is not.

2. Communism was an outgrowth of European humanism and the Enlightenment, the Nazi version of fascism was a rejection of those beliefs. For this reason, there were and are more sympathizers for communism than nazism.

3. Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot are guilty of crimes equal to Hitler's. But Stalin had a Khrushchev, Mao a Deng, and Pol Pot a Sihanouk, to admit those crimes. No one denies that the gulag, Cultural Revolution, or killing fields took place. Fascists today continue to deny that the Holocaust took place.

4. The Holocaust happened in Europe. Many Americans still look to Europe as the apex of civilized values. So the fact that it occurred there (and in Germany, where the Jews were most integrated into society) is extremely shocking.

2003-11-02T10:08:00.000-06:00

Moore Fraud

And I do not mean another Enron. I am referring to Michael Moore. The toast of the world wide left, Moore positions himself as the spokesperson for tea "common American." Funny thing is, the only people who seem to notice him are champagne socialists such as himself and the usual anti-globalist types that show up, unwashed, as every IMF meeting.

At last, though, more folks are catching on. He talks about solidarity of the working class while using Time Warner's private jet and SUVs to shepard him around to events. I wonder how the champagne is on those flights. And as a shareholder of Time Warner, how much is it hurting my shareprice?

George Galloway would approve.

2003-10-25T00:45:00.000-05:00

The Honorable Member for Baghdad Central

George Galloway, bon vivant and friend of all things tyrannical, has been drummed out of the Labour Party.

Looked at from a distance, Galloway seems to be nothing more than a champagne socialist (how exactly does his lavish lifestyle embody the principles of the working people) and lover of tyrants (he has stated that he misses the Soviet Union).

He went beyond opposing the war; he is someone who felt that Saddam Hussein was a great leader! I find it funny that some feel that the party of Clement Atlee and Roy Jenkins, who believed in freedom, a party that fought so hard to prevent its takeover by agents of the Soviet Union, would find such views repugnant

I love how some are calling this guy a "martyr." George Galloway now has unfettered use of the BBC to publicize his ideas. You want martyrs, how about the students of Iran or the dead in Tienamen Square. Those are the martyrs.

2003-10-23T22:37:00.000-05:00

October 23, 1983 -- The day this war began

On October 23, 1983, 241 US Marines and 56 French paratroopers were killed in two separate attacks in Beirut.

They were there as peacekeepers -- as part of a multiparty deal designed to get Israeli, PLO and Syrian troops out of Lebanon, and allow the Lebanese people (Moslem and Christian) a chance to rebuild their country.

Islamofacist terrorists could not allow that.

So instead of doing something we cut and ran. And the Middle East sank deeper and deeper into chaos and terror. September 11 was just a taste for us.

It is not as though we were not warned.

2003-10-19T22:23:00.000-05:00

Those Sneaky Jews

Friday night, after dinner with some (rather liberal) members of my wife's family, I told them of my belief that "the cats are plotting against us." Yes, I am convinced that the common ordinary house cats are plotting against us humans, and that in a few years, we may see a massive feline uprising.

When they asked why I was believing a rather odd conspiracy theory, I noted that at least it was no more strange than "the freemasons are poisoning the wells" or "the Jews control the planet."

Well, if the Prime Minister of Malaysia subscribed to my conspiracy theory, maybe I would not be doubting his sanity right now. His speech opening the Tenth Islamic Summit Conference complained that the "Jews" (or as he put it, the "enemy") "invented and successfully promoted Socialism, Communism, human rights and democracy so that persecuting them would appear to be wrong, so they may enjoy equal rights with others."

Gee, those clever Jews. While I am angry with the people who invented Communism and rather mildly annoyed with the folks who invented socialism, I feel rather indebted to the people who invented human rights and democracy. And since Prime Minster Mahathir Mohamad was democratically elected, you think he would be too.

So apparently, democracy one the reasons the Islamic world is in distress, at least according to Mohamad. And of course, it is the fault of the "Jews."

Me, I am blaming the cats.

2003-10-15T23:54:00.000-05:00

Next Year is Next Year

The Cubs lost 9-6. Which means that Armageddon is avoided for yet another year. Tell the truth, you too feared the Cubs in the serves. Especially if they played against the Red Sox. The universe could not take it. It would have ripped about the very fabric of the time-space continuum and ended all life in the universe.

Had a Cubs-Sox Series gone to game 7, I would have spent it under the altar in my church.

So God, Kara, Fate, Nature and the rest conspired to save live as we know it.

As for me, I spent the night dogging thrown soda cups at the Uruguay-Mexico soccer game at Soldier Field, though I admit I made occasional forays to check the Cubs score.

2003-10-15T07:42:00.000-05:00

North Side on a Suicide Watch

I was once a big baseball fan, but the strike and the general corruption of the sport have really turned me off. But I admit it, as a new resident of the North Side of Chicago, I am hoping that the Cubs win.

So the Cubs had 3 games to win one. They lose the first in Florida, no problem right? They just want to win at home.

They are winning 3-0. The game seems well in hand. 5 outs until the World Series. Then as Moses Alou chases down a foul ball, a fan gets in his way. The Cubs then melt down, giving up 8 runs.

I really hope that fan grows a beard a maybe wears a wig today.

Meanwhile, the entire north side of Chicago is on a suicide watch.

This has happened before. The reason the LCS is 7 games is actually because of the Cubs. In 1984, the Cubs won the first two games of a best of five and then blew the next three.

Meanwhile, that whoop you hear is a Fox executive happy there will be a game seven. And that worry you hear is another Fox executive worried that the World Series will be the Yankees versus the Marlins, with about 10 people outside the New York area watching.

2003-10-09T23:29:00.000-05:00

Arafat's Illness

Yassir Arafat has some sort of mysterious illness. Some reports say it is cancer, some a heart attack, some merely a stomach aliment.

I do not wish harm to anyone. But Arafat should use this as an opportunity to save face. He is now a roadblock to a mid-east settlement, and needs to step down, go to France for treatment, and stay there. He can do no more good. He was a bad terrorist, he is now an ineffectual dictator.

What exactly did Arafat do for his people?

1. Start a war against Jordan causing the Jordanians to kick the PLO out.

2. Start a war in Lebanon, destroying what was once the richest, most prosperous, most free country in the Arab world (and did it without oil too) leading Syria to move in, Israel to invade, and the Lebanese to kill each other.

3. Refuse to negotiate every time save one (Oslo). Refuse to even talk about the Barak plan (which even the Saudis thought the PA should accept).

4. Basically use the Israelis as the force to dispose of his enemies in Hamas, IJ and the PFLP.

5. Overseen the looting of the Palestinian people, stolen aid money, and seen the Palestinians drop even further into poverty and despair.

To borrow a phrase from English history: "You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!"

If God forbid more war is to come, let others fight it. If God willing peace is too be made, others must make it. You are nothing but a roadblock. GO!

2003-10-09T22:54:00.000-05:00

Turks and Kurds and Iraq

Add me to the chorus of those that think sending Turkish troops to Iraq is a bad idea. I agree that we need Moslem troops in the country. And yes, it shows that the preeminent Moslem military power thinks we are winning (and wants to be on that winning side).

But this sends a bad message to the Kurds. And maybe even to the rest of Iraq. The Turks were willing to work with the Baathists in order to suppress the Kurds. Some might see Turkish troops as proof the Baathists are coming back

2003-10-08T00:39:00.000-05:00

Proof the Evil Ascroft is Suppressing Dissent in America

I was in the book store the other day and could have told you that. Not one book critical of Bush except for all those books by Al Franken, Michael Moore, and the books with titles such as "The Lies of George W Bush"

Yes, dissent is being suppressed!

2003-10-07T23:47:00.000-05:00

ARNOLD!

Well, it is all over except for the shouting. The recall is yes and Arnold is yes. It seems that many Californians saw the last minute allegations as a very primitive attempt at sleaze and reacted accordingly. Hopefully this cause politicians to be less willing to do the last minute surprise.

Though I won't count on it.

And one more thing. What is Jesse Jackson doing going around as though he was still relevant? He complains that the election is not well run, especially in Los Angeles. Well, isn't LA (including the election board) run by the Democrats?

I half expected to see the next interview on CNN with Mario Cuomo.

2003-10-07T23:41:00.000-05:00

It's Over

The Germans beat the US women 3-0. The US found that is normal game of strength and athleticism was in the end no match for a more technical German team.

This game though showed what is frustrating about soccer. The US clearly had the run of play. The Germans scored an early goal and then for the most part sat back and defended (the 2 additional goals were scored late, as the US attacked in desperation).

But those are the breaks.

2003-10-05T12:57:00.000-05:00

Maybe Roland was not singing

It is likely that those Roland missles found in Iraq were of an older variety and not manufactured this year.

2003-10-04T09:44:00.000-05:00

What the inspectors found
Reading the press reports of the interim report, you would think that the only thing the inspectors in Iraq found were baby milk factories and candy shops. I wonder if any reporter has actually read the "report" past its opening paragraph.

Actually, the report is really a statement before Congress. And it is "interim." David Kay warned that much data has been lost and that it may be impossible to ever draw definite conclusions.

Read the report for yourself.

Here are a few highlights:

1. No weapon stocks have yet been found.

2. Iraq had a highly secret and highly compartmentalized weapons program.

3. WMD personnel crossed borders in the pre/trans conflict period and may have taken evidence and even weapons-related materials with them.

4. Dozens of WMD-related program activities and significant amounts of equipment that Iraq concealed from the United Nations have been discovered.

5. A clandestine network of laboratories and safehouses within the Iraqi Intelligence Service that contained equipment subject to UN monitoring and suitable for continuing CBW research.

6. Documents and equipment, hidden in scientists' homes, that would have been useful in resuming uranium enrichment.

7. Clandestine attempts between late-1999 and 2002 to obtain from North Korea technology related to 1,300 km range ballistic missiles.

Anyway read the report. It seems to my inexpert eyes that Iraq did not have a large stockpile of weapons, but rather had the secret infrastructure to build them.

2003-10-04T09:31:00.000-05:00

Song of Roland

More weapons found in Iraq. Almost mint condition 2003 model Roland anti-aircraft systems made in France.

Anyone surprised?

2003-10-01T21:55:00.001-05:00

Take that Herring Eaters

US 1 -- Norway 0.

The Wombat strikes!

2003-10-01T21:55:00.000-05:00

Soap and the Globalist Conspiracy

For some reason I was thinking about the "anti-globalists" today. You know, the folks in Seattle who in order to protest the WTO throw newspaper boxes throw the windows of you neighborhood Starbucks. No granted I am just as against spending $5 for a double decaf mocafrapacino with an espresso shot as the next guy, but what exactly does that have to do with the wages of a Nike worker in China?

But my real question is this. What do the anti-globalist anarchists have against soap? I have lived in Washington and New York and have seen quite a few of these demonstrations up close. Or rather, smell them from afar. These folks never seem to wash. Is soap part of the globalist conspiracy against us? Do the soap cartels have huge sweatshops that produce Ivory?

2003-10-01T21:48:00.000-05:00

Homeland Security

Last weekend I was stopped by the TSA in Midway and Columbus Airports and given a more through examination. My wife and I were moved off to a secondary line, our bags were opened and we were more closely checked, even though we did not set off alarms.

I do not know what it is in my profile that caused this. Until 1999 I was never stopped at airports, and the first time was trying to leave Rome. As best as my bad Italian could understand, they were looking for draft dodgers, and hence stopping American men with Italian last names.

I will say the TSA folks in Columbus were very nice, very though, and got through the search quickly.

2003-09-28T22:52:00.000-05:00

Cleveland Rocks!

Well, not really. My wife and I figured there is not much to do in Columbus before the game, so instead we flew to Cleveland. We figured we would visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and had heard much about how nice the downtown was revitalization.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is nice, in a beautiful location on the lakefront. The downtown area has been rebuilt nicely (although there still remains too many vacant storefronts).

The only thing it was all missing were people. The entire place seemed devoid of people. The area surrounding the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was empty, no people, no stores, no street vendors. In the "Historic Warehouse District" which is supposed to be a nice filled by nice little stores and restaurants, we found a few uninteresting stores and two open restaurants. At night, the "Flats" which is supposed to be home to over 50 restaurants and clubs, seemed to have only about 10.

In all, it was quite sad. The city government is clearly trying and has done a wonderful job. All that is missing is the people.

2003-09-28T22:46:00.000-05:00

Korean Team Losing

My favorite image of the 2002 World Cup were the Korean supporters, decked out in red. Their shirts would say "Korean Team Fighting." From what I understand, in Korea, it is hip to put things in English.

Well, 3-0. Korean team losing.

2003-09-25T23:53:00.000-05:00

USA!

US 5 Nigeria 0. The Nigerians have a reputation of being very physical. But the US went out and out handled them.

In the WMD game Sunday, we face North Korea.

My Koreans friends, it is NOT 1966.

2003-09-25T23:52:00.000-05:00

Secession, eh!?!

Much notice in the blogsphere has been given to a "progressive" professor who wants the blue states to secede from the US and join Canada. Granted the piece is done a little tongue in cheek (or at least I imagine), but you have to wonder.

"Progressives" seem quite into democracy, except the part about them losing just about every election. Listening to WBAI in New York, you get the idea that for progressives, democracy is legitimate only if the WBAI types win. And the only way they could win is not allow anyone else to vote.

But suppose the Blues join Canada, then what. The whole blue state thing is somewhat misleading. When you look at the county by county map, you see that in the north and Midwest, blue territories (generally cities) are surrounded by wide red suburban and rural territory. In the south, besides the cities, the blue zone takes in some heavily rural, heavily black areas. So what do the secessionists want to do about red zones in blue states and the blue zones deep in enemy territory.

And do they really believe that EVERYONE in a red state is a "progressive" of their ilk? I live in Chicago. Mayor Daley was one of Gore's biggest supporters. Yet, could you see Daley ordering the Chicago police to seal off the Indiana border? Well, maybe if he wanted control of the airport, but otherwise no.

2003-09-24T23:08:00.000-05:00

DIVE LIKE A BRAZILIAN

The Women's World Cup is upon us, and while it gets less press elsewhere than it does here, it still is a great event.

The Brazilian women easily defeated Norway today. Is it possible that the Brazilian women are emulating the Brazilian men? Will we see samba soccer in feminine guise? One can only hope so.

In one aspect though, the Brazilian women are the equal to the men. Touch them, even cough in their general direction, and they hit the ground, holding four differnt body parts.

2003-09-23T23:48:00.000-05:00

.PREGNANCY

My wife is over 7 months pregnant. The baby was squirming around today. It is a wired feeling. At 36, I am an adult, yet I still feel as though I have not quite grown up. But I should be on course for a midlife crisis soon. And I am going to have this little person completely dependent on me. Makes you wonder if there is any rhyme or reason to the universe.

One of these days, I plan to start a blog specifically dedicated to fatherhood

2003-09-23T23:43:00.000-05:00

HANGING ON THE EAST SIDE

President Bush gave his UN speech today. I did not see or hear it, but I have read parts of it. It seemed to me to be right on the money. Others such as James Lieks have pointed out very eloquently that the opponents of the war in Iraq complain that we support dictators then complain that we actually managed to overthrow one.

I just would like to hear once that they admit that Saddam Hussein and his bunch of Baathist thugs were bad, and that the world is a better place with them gone. The only people who should feel sorry for their removal are the Baathist thugs themselves, who now will have to find jobs -- a difficult prospect when you killed someone from 3/4s of the families in your village.

Yet "world opinion" seems to mourn his passing.

I feel strange talking about the Iraq War. I never served in the military. Other than some ROTC while in college, I never seriously considered a military career. So I feel strange and guilty wanting to use the military. But as a former Army officer I worked with reminded me, there is no draft, and the constitution requires the military to be under civilian control.

I believe that the military would not be used lightly. But Iraq had to be done.

2003-09-23T23:22:00.000-05:00

Hello world and welcome to "Blue State Conservative." This is my first attempt at blogging, but I figure if Glenn Reynolds can do it, so can I.

I am not sure where this will lead. I am sure that much of what I have to say is rubbish, but that is what is so great about America and the Internet!

The name of the blog comes from the famous election map of 2000. Despite being a conservative, I find myself drawn to live in the "red" zones. I currently live in the Lincoln Park section of Illinois. Before that, I lived in Brooklyn Heights.

BEFORE THAT I lived in the hippest neighborhood in America, Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It would not surprise me if in my old election district, Ralph Nader received more votes than George Bush.

Before that I lived in the somewhat blue county of Arlington Virginia.

Why am I drawn to the "Blue"? I am not sure. My wife thinks I just like to have something to complain about. Maybe I just like the different mix of cultures and people.

But I do seem to complain a lot.