Free Republic

Today's article on smoking restrictions and the "wellness" movement makes no mention of a politically incorrect truth: some people smoke because they find net positive benefits in it. Nicotine is not just an addictive drug, it is a powerful drug which affects the mind in ways that are often positive. Now let me add that I do note advocate people taking up smoking. I have no financial interest in tobacco, have never owned a tobacco stock, and if tobacco companies have advertised on American Thinker, I have not noticed it. (I would not get rid of their ads if they...

Relativists claim that what is truth for one person may not be truth for another person, or what may be true for one may not be true for another. If truth is relative to one's point-of-view, who can say what is or isn't politically correct speech? Within American society who could say what is or isn't politically correct to say, if truth (and the truth of the matter even concerning political correctness) was relative to one's point-of-view? A relativist could not say that what was true for them (in terms of what is or isn't politically correct to say) would...

As of this writing, the situation in Lebanon outlined in my last post in this series has considerably worsened. Open fighting has broken out on the streets of Beirut, refugees are starting to mass at the Syrian border, and Western governments are planning evacuations. In addition, a former administration insider and U.S. Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, openly voiced what an increasing number of opponents of Iran’s nuclear programs seem to be thinking. Mr Bolton said that striking Iran would represent a major step towards victory in Iraq. While he acknowledged that the risk of a hostile Iranian response...

Holes, Cheese, and Heads The Swiss, a few years ago, added a provision to their constitution that gives dignity to all living organisms using the term “Würde der Kreatur” (dignity of living beings) to apply to both plants and animals. To explain exactly what this means, the Swiss Federal Ethics Committee on Non-Human Biotechnology produced a report called "The Dignity of Living Beings with Regard to Plants." There is a reason the most famous invention of the Swiss is the cuckoo clock. There are obviously more holes in their heads than in their cheese. The report appears to be one...

On May 1, 2008, Richard V. Stevens, of Stevens & Brash, L.L.C, won an acquittal in the case of Sgt. Leonardo Treviño. The week before, Frank Spinner, a counsel with the firm, defended SFC Corrales in a separate case. For background on the cases, see here and here. Rich sent this message for readers of Defend Our Troops and Defend Our Marines._______________________________________________ 10 May 2008 It is very difficult and confusing for our military members and their families, who have sacrificed and contributed so much to the military's missions, to suddenly face accusations of crimes out of combat in the...

KIEV: A gloomy Vladimir Putin wears a Czarist crown, clutching a bag full of dollars and a miniature television tower. Filipp Pishchik says this and similar cartoons, depicting the former president as a corrupt leader who stifles free speech, got him in trouble with authorities and forced him to leave Moscow last year for neighboring Ukraine. "Ukraine is just great," said Pishchik, 37, a designer and architect. "Here there is hope." Since the 2004 Orange Revolution ushered in a vigorous, sometimes chaotic democracy, Ukraine has become an island of freedom and tolerance in an ex-Soviet bloc still dominated by authoritarian...

The focus of media attention is [on Rev. Wright’s] “God damn America” sermon. But that’s not the main conclusion of his theology. The main conclusion of his theology is his call for gigantic reparations payments to African-Americans by the Federal government. This would be the largest government welfare project since Medicare… Rev. Wright is an advocate of what is known as black theology. Black theology is a variant of the radical movement known as liberation theology, which is an extreme version of the social gospel. Rev. Wright is open about his advocacy of black theology-liberation theology… They all preach the...

Here is today's updated Electoral Vote Projection Map and Poll Average Chart for May 10, 2008. Nothing has changed from yesterday on the map. * McCain's poll average in Texas improved with a new Research 2000 poll showing him leading Obama 53% - 39%. Please note that new charts are now posted at the bottom of the main page showing the "Latest State Polls," the "50-Day Average of National Polls," and the "Latest National Polls." Those charts will be updated and kept there on an ongoing basis.

The MSM will hail this as another stunning military victory for "Mookie" al-Sadr.

Check out this hilarious VIDEO parody about Hillary based on the movie, Sunset Boulevard. This parody only makes real sense if you have seen that movie made in 1950. BTW, I am a HUGE fan of all movies and documentaries made circa the years 1950 to 1953. There is something about that era that I find fascinating. I'm not sure if it was the cars or the clothes or the hairstyles or maybe something else but that is sort of a forgotten era. It was the fifties but not yet Eisenhower fifties. Okay, end of lecture. Enjoy the parody!

The subprime mortgage meltdown has cost the world 15% of its market capitalization, about $9 trillion. The primary culprit who caused all of this financial loss, pain and suffering is not the mortgage companies. Neither is it the overextended borrowers. It is our own federal regulations interfering with the free market. ... The unintended consequences of good intentions can do more economic harm than all the mean-spirited greed within capitalism. Part of the good intention was forcing banks to be good neighbors by making altruistic loans that discriminated in favor of underprivileged communities. Any attempts by banks to set higher...

In its subtly mind-manipulating photographs conveying an alienated, leftist view of America, the New York Times is tops in the field, and its photo of the triumphant Barack Obama greeting people at the U.S. Capitol yesterday, by Doug Mills, is one of the Times' best. Note the artificially dim light, like one of those prime time TV dramas where all the scenes, including in courtrooms, hospitals, and the Oval Office, are in half darkness. Notice how virtually every person in the photo looks nonwhite. Notice how the photo centers on Obama, with all heads turned in unison toward him, giving...

    Radicals, Terrorists And Tyrants Of The World Root For ObamaApril, 17, 2008 — nicedeb The latest terror group to weigh in was of course:Hamas:Cameron’s Corner, Fox News reports: During an interview on WABC radio Sunday, top Hamas political adviser Ahmed Yousef said the terrorist group supports Obama’s foreign policy vision.“We don’t mind–actually we like Mr. Obama. We hope he will (win) the election and I do believe he is like John Kennedy, great man with great principle, and he has a vision to change America to make it in a position to lead the world community but not with...

How do you get a Harvard prof to come out against a tax? Propose taxing Harvard. In the latest debate over gas taxes, Harvard Professor and best selling author of economic texts, Greg Mankiw came out in favor of even HIGHER gas taxes...This morning the Harvard prof woke up to read that Massachusetts officials are ” are studying a plan to levy a 2.5% annual tax on the portion of college endowments that exceed $1 billion.” Mankiw took the whole thing in stride. He proposed that, should the tax be implemented, Harvard should move...

I smell a rat. Look at this picture, the signs are printed and in English. Notice the machine gun in the right hand, bottom corner. The picture in it's original context can be found here: Aid Shipments to Myanmar to Resume; More Rain on the Way

As everyone else is either using the race card, or feeling insulted that others are using the race card in the Democrat primaries, there is only one way for Dems to prove they are not racist or sexist - vote for the all-man, red, WHITE, and blue John McCain. When black Obama supporters are interviewed and asked why they support him, they respond 99% of the time that they will vote for him because he is black. Similarly, most women deeply desire Hillary because she is a woman. Break away from those racist and sexist stereotypes, Dems, and prove that...

RFFM.org Commentary I was watching Bill O'Reilly's interview (O'Reilly Factor--FOX News Channel) with the Republican Party's presumptive presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain, on Thursday and the host asked his guest about the problem of illegal immigration. Remember, McCain came under considerable fire from many Americans on both sides of the political aisle for his stance on the problem and O'Reilly was trying to clarify the position of the senior Senator from Arizona on the subject of illegal immigration. Of course, McCain began with his usual spiel that he gets it, as far as Americans wanting our border with Mexico secured....

It's obvious that I've been favoring Barack in the Democratic primary, but I find the calls for Hillary to drop out of the race somewhat puzzling. As I understand it, pro-Obama pundits and pols believe Hillary should withdraw because: *Even if she wins all the remaining primaries, she will not have enough pledged delegates to win the nomination. *Even if some compromise is worked out with the Michigan and Florida delegations, she will still trail Obama in the popular vote. *Her staying in the race will only further tarnish Obama, to the benefit of John McCain, thus costing the Democrats...

Transcript: Rev. Wright at the National Press Club I’ve said, as I said on Bill Moyers, when Louis Farrakhan speaks, it’s like E.F. Hutton speaks, all black America listens. Whether they agree with him or not, they listen. Now, I am not going to put down Louis Farrakhan anymore than Mandela would put down Fidel Castro. Do you remember that Ted Koppel show, where Ted wanted Mandela to put down Castro because Castro was our enemy? And he said, “You don’t tell me who my enemies are. You don’t tell me who my friends are.” Louis Farrakhan is not my...

While we haven’t seen the results of the toxicology reports (yet), we can draw on events of the past and make a reasonable assumption. We can’t say with absolute certainty that Mario Cadena was drunk when he ran that stop sign and killed all those people, but we can say that as an alcoholic with a history of drunk driving there is a good chance that he was intoxicated. I think Mario’s reputation was defamed a long time ago.