http://medienkritik.typepad.com/blog/2005/08/americans_happi.html
"Americans Happier than Germans: How is that Possible?"
(By Ray D.)
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "It is a land "increasingly plagued by self-doubts" and in the midst of a downward spiral. It is a land drowning in guns, brutal crime and social injustice. It is a land that has become "as scary as Osama bin Laden" embroiled in a hopeless civil war overseas. It is a land that lied to the world for oil and unbridled greed.
This land is an imaginary construct of German media and left-wing politicians. It is the United States seen through the distorted lens of publications such as SPIEGEL and STERN. It is a land in which very little positive ever happens and where the great majority of news are negative horror stories.
The land that many Germans believe they know to be mired in misery, crime and hopelessness, is, in fact, totally foreign to them. The United States that they think they know could never be a land of people more optimistic and content with their lives and more economically prosperous. But that is precisely what it is...
Just yesterday, a superb German blog called Die Achse des Guten cited a Harris Poll, which yielded the following results (emphasis original):
"With a few exceptions, Americans are generally happier with their lives and more optimistic about their future than are Europeans, according to a new Harris Poll. In this survey, Americans were asked some of the same questions that were asked in a recent Eurobarometer survey conducted for the European Union.
The big picture is that Americans are much more satisfied with their lives, much more likely to believe that their lives have improved and much more likely to expect their personal situations will improve than most Europeans.
Fully 58 percent of Americans are very satisfied with their lives compared to the 15-country European average of 31 percent. Fifty-six percent of Americans think that their lives have improved in the last five years compared to 45 percent of Europeans. Furthermore, 65 percent of Americans expect their personal situation will improve in the next five years compared to only 44 percent of Europeans. However, Europe is not at all homogenous and the mood varies widely from country to country.""
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4148520.stm
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40099000/jpg/_40099317_cleric_ap203body.jpg
Last Updated: Saturday, 13 August 2005, 12:13 GMT 13:13 UK
"'Early release' for Bali plotter"
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Ba'asyir denied any link to Jemaah Islamiyah
Bali bomb plotter Abu Bakar Ba'asyir could have his jail term cut under a general amnesty due to be announced next week, Indonesian media report.
Ba'asyir, who is said to lead the Jemaah Islamiyah militant group, was sentenced to 30 months in March for conspiracy over the 2002 attacks.
He may now have his sentence cut along with 53,000 other inmates to mark 60 years of Indonesian independence.
Relatives of some of the 202 people killed in Bali have voiced dismay.
The shortening of sentences for good behaviour may also apply to another 18 of the 24 Bali bombers but not to those sentenced to death or life imprisonment.
A final appeal by Ba'asyir against his sentence had been rejected only last week.
'Not justice'
A lawyer for Ba'asyir and other bombers defended their right to leave prison early.
This is not justice
Peter Hughes
injured Australian survivor
"This happens all over the world if you have been a good boy and don't cause trouble," said Wirawan Adnan.
"We're talking about human rights, and everyone should be treated the same whether you are a murderer [or] rapist."
Just finished a little drive and listened to NPR (pretty much the only radio station with any "news" I can get in this remote location); I listen to it every few months as it is nauseating propaganda and drivel.
Today that idiot interviewer Robert Seigel (sp?) interviewed two fellows about the legality and/or usefulness of racial, ethnic, or religious profiling. Can't remember the two fellows names, one was from the Heritage Foundation and the other had worked for the Justice Dept and now works for some sort of organization to improve some sort of civil rights and curbs on police brutality or something. So you can guess his POV.
Seigel's opening question went something like this (my paraphrasing):
"How can you profile with any utility when there are terrorsists such as Mohammad Atta and Timothy McVeigh?"
I about had a heart attack.
The idiot who used to work for the Justice Dept (didn't say under what Pres, probably Klinton), said something like this:
"The only thing that will ever help in the fight against terrorism is not profiling, since there are women terrorists such as Chechnya, and white ones like McVeigh. They only thing that will help is for freedom and democracy and fairness to be spread all over the world so that those who hate us won't hate us any more."
I had a second heart attack and started to hurl.
No doubt this fool is also against the war in Iraq which is bringing freedom and democracy to a previous horrid dictarship.
With fools and idiots like this pontificating and influencing any policy, we are destined for more attacks. Fortunately there are others in charge who are not all like this.
The Heritage Foundation guy was a little better, but naturally Seigel focused on the complete loser more. Never a word that the vast majority of terrorists are male, Middle Eastern or Pakistani, Muslim, and between the ages of 20 to 40. Nary a word. And not a mention of immigration, illegal or otherwise.
I think some of these people, in their heart of hearts, want to see destruction.
