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Russia Must Follow Rules

Posted by Scotchman on Monday, August 07, 2006 9:33:57 PM
I was without internet access the last few days while at the beach for some much needed R&R, so that explains the absence of posts lately.

CNSNews.com has this story about Russia paying the price for some of its companies selling arms to Iran.  Apparently, they are quite upset at our imposing sanctions against Sukhoi (the makers of the MiG aircraft) and the export agency Rosoboronexport, along with companies from other countries.  Russia terms the sanctions "unacceptable".

I have no idea whether or not these companies actually sold arms to Iran, but their prior history, much of it spelled out in the article, certainly makes one suspect them.  Their behavior in Iraq is another leading indicator (who can forget their dealings with Sadaam and the notoriously corrupt Oil for Food program at the UN).  But I find it incredibly humorous to be lectured by Russians in this area.  One priceless quote: "yet another illegitimate attempt to force foreign companies to follow internal American rules."

Let's see, how shall I put this... Duuuuhhhh!  In the first place, we cannot "force" any foreign company to follow our rules.  We can damn sure tell them that if they want our business, they will follow certain principles or they can kiss our business goodbye.  The same can be said from their side of the table as well.  Secondly, the fact of the matter remains that there is little that Russia can offer us that we can't obtain elsewhere or manufacture ourselves, so quit whining about the way the world works and stop selling arms to nations we don't like.  The alternative is to not do business with us, and quite frankly, I don't care which alternative they choose.

We have laws that require we impose sanctions on nations who deal with Iran, particularly in the area of arms that can be used against us.  Assuming the evidence of guilt is there, we have every duty to impose these sanctions, and Russia has the right to go elsewhere for their business needs if they so choose.
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Corruption not Unique to Feds

Posted by Scotchman on Tuesday, August 01, 2006 11:03:04 PM
Corruption in government is nothing new and certainly not unique to the federal government, as this story from the Dallas Morning News makes clear.  The linked story is the continuation of a series into the corruption and misuse of Dallas Independent School District-issued credit cards.  I think it is important to remember that government corruption occurs at all levels, and that while it may not rob all US taxpayers of their hard-earned cash, it certainly affects people locally and, I would argue, more costly as well.

Most people at Townhall would agree that the federal government is a giant morass of a bureaucracy that is far larger and more encompassing than the founders ever intended.  Federalism dictates that the government that most affects us should be the level of government closest to the people, where the voting strengths of the constituents are least diluted.  Since the federal government dwarfs any state or local government in size, it is easier for these lower levels to be ignored and experience levels of corruption that are not commensurate with their size.  I think this is borne out during elections, where the federal elections draw circa 50% of registered voters, states average somewhere in the 25%-35% range, and here in Dallas, we are lucky to draw 10% on local ballots and bond elections - arguably the issues that most affect us.  It is also borne out in stories such as this one.

The DISD is no stranger to corruption.  In the late 1990s, as quoted in the article, the superintendent at the time was imprisoned, and several others were indicted in a corruption investigation that consumed years and millions of taxpayer dollars.  In this story, district-issued credit cards were abused to the tune of $20 million dollars in spending, with much of it spent on personal items.  One secretary with a card (not sure why a secretary would have one in the first place) spent over $100,000 at an air force base exchange and grocery store, and a total of $383,788 in undocumented spending.  Even more amazing to me is that she has not been accused of any "wrongdoing" yet.

The current superintendent is new in his post and to his credit (no pun intended) has canceled the credit card program and taken some initial disciplinary action against some of the offenders, and now the FBI is expanding its probe of the district into this area - it was already investigating the district for corruption in district vendor relationships.  We will see where this ultimately leads.

My point in this is to convey the importance of not losing sight of what happens in your state/county/town/schools and focus only on the federal government.  Stay vigilant on your local issues and get involved - the dollars you ultimately save might just be your own!
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Lebanese Civilian Deaths

Posted by Scotchman on Monday, July 31, 2006 9:55:15 PM
We always hear about the number of Lebanese civilians that have died at Israeli hands.  We see pictures of bodies ripped apart by the relentless bombing and shelling of cities, hamlets and villages.  We have endless reporting about how Israel is not responding proportionately to Hezbollah and the deliberate targeting of innocent people.

There are two things that strike me about the portrayal of the deaths in Lebanon.  First, how many of the deaths are really Hezbollah terrorists hiding among the civilians?  Since Hezbollah terrorists do not wear uniforms, how can they be distinguished amongst the dead?  Obviously, small children are not members of Hezbollah, but what of their parents, older siblings, etc.?  Could it be that they are members of this terrorist organization?  It is well known that Hezbollah hides their military assets in civilian population centers, effectively using the civilians there as shields, so even in the case of the small children, is there some culpability of the family for their deaths?

Second, what are we to make of the innocent civilians killed in Israel by Hezbollah attacks, both of the recent rocket variety and the suicide bombers recruited by Hezbollah leaders?  Are they somehow less innocent, less in need of our empathy?  These deaths are seldom reported, and when they are, they are accompanied by more stories of the retaliation taken by Israel (usually in "disproportionate" terms).

It is interesting to see how the media culture portrays this war (yes, it is a war, and the way to peace is victory by the democratically represented country [Israel, just so there is no misunderstanding]).  It is another window into their collective soul and what I believe to be an evolving ideology of its own.  But it should be clear that it is in no way unbiased.
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