Free Republic

BEIRUT (AP) — These are tough times for Hezbollah. The Shiite militant group's uncompromising support for Syrian President Bashar Assad and allegations that it attacked Israeli tourists in Bulgaria are both unpopular in Lebanon, where it is increasingly accused of putting the interests of longtime patrons Iran and Syria over those of its home country. For many in the deeply polarized and war-weary nation, Hezbollah's involvement in last year's bus attack that killed five Israelis, if confirmed, constitutes further proof that the group is willing to compromise the country's security for external agendas. "Hezbollah uses the Lebanese people like sandbags,...

Now that the elections are over, attention is turning to the economy. The stock market rose steadily from the end of August up to the elections. Since the stock market tends to be forward-looking, its recent strong and steady rise suggests that investors have been optimistic. In my opinion, two factors have generated that optimism: 1) The expectation that significant Republican gains in Congress would produce political gridlock, thereby putting the brakes on the Obama/Pelosi/Reid/progressive spending binge. 2) The Federal Reserve's promise of "QE2," a second round of "quantitative easing," the currently fashionable euphemism for creating mind-boggling sums of new...

WASHINGTON (AFP) – President Barack Obama Monday unveiled a budget projecting a record deficit this year, with billions of dollars to curb unemployment and tax hikes on the rich to tame big fiscal shortfalls. "It's a budget that reflects the serious challenges facing the country," Obama said at the White House after sending the mammoth spending plan to Congress. "We're at war, our economy has lost seven million jobs the last two years and our government is deeply in debt after what can only be described as a decade of profligacy." The 3.834 trillion dollar budget includes a freeze on...

Hebrews 5:8 8Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered Guess what? Life is messy, it is hard, and it can be painful at times. However it is at these times that we find out how deep our faith is. It is during the height of our struggle that we will truly find where our strength lies. We learn from our mistakes, and that is the key. These hardships that are placed in our path are not the atonements for past sin, as much as they as opportunities for us to change course, see truths that...

The French: celebrating 60 years of cowardice!