Quote of the Day

The weird idea that someone who stands up and respects the Founders' belief that we needed a tribunal beyond human power that would guarantee to every individual, whatever their power, the courage and encouragement to stand fast in their human dignity--the idea that that notion has some resemblance to fanaticism or tyranny or oppression or Khomeini or anything else--shows how far some people are willing to go in order to score points when they don't have a point.

-Ambassador Alan Keyes

Congo-Kinshasa: A New Beginning?

In the best scenario, today's elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with more than 25 million voters, will demonstrate the will of the Congolese people for peace and the possibility of increased stability. In the worst case, the elections themselves may prove a stimulus for further violence. In any scenario, the fundamental issues of building a government that works and fighting poverty and corruption lie ahead.

This AfricaFocus Bulletin contains a report from the UN's Integrated Regional Information Networks on violence in recent months, excerpts from a letter to churches in the Congo from the Reverend Samuel Kobia, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, and the executive summary of the report by the UN on the human rights situation in the Congo for January-June 2006.

For a short background summary on the elections, see http://allafrica.com/stories/200607240156.html

For extensive detailed reports, in English and French, see the website of the UN Mission in the DR Congo (http://www.monuc.org).

For earlier AfricaFocus Bulletins on Congo (Kinshasa) and additional links to news and background data, see http://www.africafocus.org/country/congokin.php

The Verdict is in: Dr. King's Dream Not Yet Realized

Thousands braved the cold Chicago wind and rain to witness the annual emergence of the Rev. Jesse Jackson from his warm winter burrow today. Would his appearance announce that at long last we’ve finally achieved the colorblind Utopia of Dr. King’s dream? Or would it predict another twelve months of righteous race baiting and demagoguery in his endless crusade against racial inequality? There was little hope in the gloomy gray sky, though for a moment the clouds seemed to part and the sun strained to poke through. But then it was gone, as was any chance of seeing the Reverend’s stately shadow this year.

The vast throng of gawkers seemed to sense it, too, and a deep moan of disappointment rumbled through the crowd as Jackson crawled out from a hole in the ground and morosely announced: “Dr. King’s dream has not yet been realized.”

It’s a hard pill to swallow, but it’s true. Black politicians, celebrities, and business leaders alike agreed today that they are still by and large oppressed by The Man. Even though it is subtler and almost impossible to detect, racism still exists in every aspect of our society. Indeed, there is strong anecdotal evidence that we’re still living in 1950’s Mississippi. Mayor Nagin of New Orleans, for instance, knows a guy who knows a guy that couldn’t get a bank loan, then watched as a white man simply drove right up and loaded bags of money into his armored car. Oprah's white hairdresser constantly gives her an attitude, and my cousin’s best friend’s crack dealer was “dissed” at a Piggly Wiggly just this year. While he isn’t certain that it was racially motivated, it makes one wonder if society has progressed at all since Dr. King was gunned down by George Bush’s dad.

There was a time, not so long ago, when we were as close as we’d ever be to realizing Dr. King’s vision of an equal and racially just America. We even had our first Black president, and almost a second. But then came the Chimp, and with him a whole slew of white-sheet Republicans stealing their way into power on the backs of millions of disenfranchised Black voters. Almost overnight, Dr. King’s beautiful dream slipped from our fingers. Black churches burned. Hurricanes plowed into predominantly African-American communities. Black children’s books authors were rounded up and systematically exterminated. Jesse Jackson wasn’t allowed to bring hookers to the White House anymore. Officially, Bush replaced "Hymies" as the source of all Black strife, and the Black community is now just one more Republican peeResident away from horse whips and chains again.

As a progressive and long time crusader for racial equality, I yearn for that bright February morning when Rev. Jackson will crawl out of his hole and announce that he will no longer be requiring vast amounts of money to wage his valiant battle against racism. I’m sure he looks forward to that day as well. Yet there is still a long way to go before Dr. King’s dream of a Black community completely dependent on government hand-outs distributed by Democrat politicians will finally be fulfilled.

When in Doubt..Blame Bush

Now Bush is Putting Arsenic in Fiji's Drinking Water

I was scouring the web for more of Bush’s crimes last night when I stumbled upon an interesting news morsel. It seems that when the City of Cleveland conducted a chemical analysis of Fiji brand bottled water, they discovered that it contains dangerously high levels of arsenic – higher even than our own drinking supply.

Which raises the question: exactly why is Bush poisoning the Fijian people? What heinous plot has he hatched now? The answer didn’t come to me as easily as it usually does. Fiji is a major trade partner with the United States and a member of Bush’s Coalition of the Coerced and the Bribed, with over 17 Fijian troops serving in Iraq. English is the official language of the islands, and Christianity is the predominant religion.

Needless to say, Fijian womyn have no Right to Choose, and thousands of young grrrls are beaten by their grandparents on the way to the back-alley abortionist every year. All they need is a Fijian chapter of the Klu Klux Klan and it'd be a tropical version of Texas. So at first glance, one can find little reason for Bush to target the people of Fiji for extermination.

But bear with me. Proceed to your local library and find Baghdad on the globe. Using an ordinary black marker, draw a line from Baghdad to Crawford, Texas. Now draw another line from Crawford to Viti Levu, the main island of Fiji. Look closely. Notice anything peculiar? I didn’t either, although I was a bit distracted by all the shouting.

Sometimes, what appears to be a Rovian conspiracy against a sovereign nation state is something as simple as Bush merely wanting a few less brown people in the World. We learned that lesson in New Orleans, and Fiji is learning it now.

http://blamebush.typepad.com/blamebush/

Ike Turner On Cindy Sheehan's "Hunger Strike"

by Ike Turner

Cindy Sheehan, Cindy Sheehan, Cindy Sheehan. Everywhere I turn it's Cindy Mother-f---ing Sheehan with her loud mouth and big hunger striking ass. Who gave this trick a microphone and media access? Better yet, who's been slipping her the feed bag filled with gravy-soaked bacon double cheeseburgers?

A hunger strike?

I ain't never seen a hunger strike have the sort of effect on a woman like Cindy's has had on her. If she wasn't able to explain away those propeller marks on her back as a childhood incident that occurred when her daddy 'accidentally' threw her under an outboard motor, I'd swear to God she was a manatee. I'm still suspicious about that alibi. Girl, a little more fasting and I can get you some work as a stunt double in the Fahrenheit 9/11 sequel.
Don't get me wrong, I love a nice thick woman, but I'd have to put an end to all that yapping pronto. I know it's supposedly a 'new era' where women are allowed to speak their minds and learn things, and all that junk, and I think that's sort of cute. In small doses.

Believe me when I tell you, if she was my woman, I'd have her in check. No travelling around the country to protest the president (last time I checked, the president is a man and where I come from ain't no woman gonna protest a man). No more going on television and giving her opinion on foreign affairs, politics or anything else. Period.

However, just to show her that I am somewhat of an enlightened individual, I am willing to make some concessions. She can still pitch a tent in the back yard of the house and invite her lady friends to sleep over. As many as she'd like and as often as she'd like. Provided, of course, that they get on the Cindy Diet and not Saddam's version (he's still my man, but the boy is starting to look a bit gaunt).

Thanks to: Point Five, Wizbang, Samantha Burns

Sheehan Asked To Haul Ass, Forced To Make Three Trips

"Peace Mom" Cindy Sheehan wows the crowd at her new Crawford, Texas ranch with her patented "boa floss" move from her critically acclaimed burlesque show, "The Gastrointestinal Monologues."

The performance was part of the larger week long festivities from the first annual "I'm Doing This All For You Casey! Pork Barbecue & Hunger Strike Housewarming Extravaganza".

It's hard out here for a pimp

"Martin Scorcese-0, Three Six Mafia-1"

Clearly the line of the night, and one that will resonate in the minds of Academy Award patrons for years to come.

I have to admit, however that there was something profoundly artistic and compelling about 3-6's performance (your thinking...what??). The other day I was disgusted by the fact that they were chosen to perform. After seeing the performance, I had to force myself to ponder the success of this movie, and likewise, this song. What is it about Terrance Howard that America suddenly loves so much? The immediate conclusion is that lightskin black men are back in style (fall back Taye).

But there has to be more to this. 3-6 was so serious about their performance, and we saw (although we didn't understand) their acceptance speech...serious to the point it has me considering the merits of minstrel rap. Think about it...as much as some people hate what we consider to be this degrading representation of black music/culture, have we ever stopped to consider that these dudes might actually be out there pimping, if they we'ren't rapping about it? The fervor in their performance suggests a limited perception of reality and possibilities, that characterizes the mentality of a lot of aspiring minstrel rappers. 3-6, jeezy, TI, and every other minstrel rapper to precede them are essentially all rapping about the same thing- the trap. And like Talib Kweli has so lucidly observed, "the drugs, the basketball, and the rap" is precisely how so many of them envision themselves.

Now I intentionally say "them", as opposed to "we", in spite of the fact that I'm a black male that's a product of an urban environment, which is in fact the mecca for hip hop culture. Although I was a freestyle fanatic myself that had pipe dreams of being a rapper in high school (more so in the mold, of talib, common, canibus, etc.- my idols at the time) I never saw that as the only option, certainly not the most feasible option, and not even the ideal option. The world was never that small to me. And when the only world in which so many urban youth reside- figuratively- becomes increasingly homogenous we have a problem. The problem is not misogynistic, materialistic, and gangsta-ridden hip-hop. The problem is that that sector of hip hop now has a monolopy on all other sectors.

In the 1992 Run DMC song, "Down With the Kings", one of the rappers (forgot who) dropped the line "and after 12th grade I went straight to college." There was nothing taboo about rhyming about college back then. Dumbing down your lyrics was not a priority back then- in fact the opposite was the mantra. That may have been the last time I heard a popular rapper allude to college until Kanye came along. AND RUN DMC WAS COMMERCIAL TOO.

So my point/question is this...although many rappers now abide by the blueprint that Jay Z laid out ("dumbed down to my audience and doubled my dollars"), with the ascent of Kanye, and the "resurrection" of Common, the mainstream may finally have to recognize that "conscious" or "backpacker" (I'll save the problematic contemporary usage of these terms for another post) music is marketable and profitable. But and should they?

Does more Common and less 3-6 mean more lyrics, and more pimping?

Does more Kanye and less Jeezy mean less gangsta music,
but more gangsta activity?

Intereresting stat of the week
# of black homicide victims in 1991: 12,226 (pre-commercialization of gangsta rap)
# of black homicide victims in 2003: 6,912 (post-commercialization of gangsta rap)

Source: FBI

Although I'm one of the most avid opponents of gangsta rap, I think I can tolerate us rapping about killing each other, if it leads to less of us actually doing it. Maybe minstrel rap does more to help than hurt the community than we'd previously thought. Maybe it's time to stop the tirade against BET, before we turn these actors back into gangstas.

Just something to think about.

-Conservative Hip Hop Iconolcast

Send The Boondocks, back to the Boondocks?

Interesting article attacking Aaron McGruder's cartoon series the Boondocks:

http://www.projectrace.com/hotnews/archive/hotnews-061899.php

I'm one of the few products of the hip hop generation I know that's not a huge fan of the Boondocks. My reason for that is I feel its entire success hinges on the fact that the main character is embroiled in a perpetual state of rage.

I mean why does Huey have to be angry ALL the time?

For many young blacks (myself included) anger becomes a stage in our cognitive development, after learning about the history of Africa's diaspora, but is it really necessary to have an entire show devoted to this theme?

Don't we see enough young black male anger in the media already? Although it can be funny at times (such as the R. Kelly episode), it's often counterproductive in its approach. But that's what happens when you try to entertain, persuade, and inform simultaneously. Now some might claim it's making a political cartoon.

I recall Talib Kweli saying on The Beautiful Struggle, "they call me the political rapper even after I tell 'em I don't f*** with politics." Somehow I'm pretty sure Aaron McGruder doesn't f*** with politics either.

The truth is the cartoon is little more than 30 minutes of, "tell 'em why you mad son!" from a someone who was born and raised middle class. McGruder is a pretty clever dude though...

http://cantbeboxedin.blogspot.com/2006_06_01_cantbeboxedin_archive.html

Jigga Man: The New American Dream is becoming old news

I recently received an email announcing a concert commemorating the release of Jay Z first album, Reasonable Doubt. Widely regarded as an unheralded hip hop classic in the mainstream, that true Jigga zealots eschew as possibly his most skillful display of the talent and intelligence he later "dumbed down" in order to "double his dollars", the celebratory concert is being promoted as Hova embodying the new American Dream. Hip hop culture seems to be running with this idea. I most recently found my boy adorned in an Ecko tee-shirt, boldly plastering the statement, "I am the American Dream" across the front.

Indeed, promoting Jay Z as the new American Dream, while celebrating his only album that, at least in retrospect, can't be classified as a mainsteam version of Jigga, is another audacious proclamation of hip hop's omnipresence. The drug rap that Jigga helped to popularize with this '96 album, through songs such as "Can't Knock the Hustle", now has a dominant hold on the industry. As ghostwriter, and underground legend Mad Skillz accurately proclaims "All you cats rap about is cars and crack."

People like Jigga Man should heed the words of artists like Skillz. Hip hop's lack of innovation and diversity these days makes me wonder if its nearing it's end. I was delighted to hear that one of my favorite emcees, Nas will be releasing an album called "Hip Hop is Dead." While I'm confident that Nas is alluding to the art form's almost complete departure from its roots, as opposed to prophesying about the end of its corporate profitablity, I for one am not uncomfortable in asserting that its mass appeal will soon decline if CEO's like Jay Z don't revamp its glorification of nihilism.

That's not to say that gangsta/crack rap and naked misogyny won't have an audience. The underground mix-tape scene isn't going anywhere. However, I know I'm not the only person that's getting tired of seeing the same old thing. I've been tired of it for over 7 years, but it's only been within the past year or two that I've essentially stop paying attention to most of it. And that's primarily because I got tired of seeing neo-minstrels test the limits of vulgarity. I finally realized I had to give up on mainstream hip hop when I heard 3-6 Mafia made a song called "Let's Plan a Robbery."

To each his own. That's my philosophy. However hip hop's overrepresentation of ignorant black people is bound to diminish in the next few years. I don't mean this in an offensive way. The choice to exhude ignorance as an entertainer is obviously a profitable venture, a way out of desperate situations for many, and an exercise in personal freedom. However, middle class negroes hoping to follow in the footsteps of their college educated peer Lil Jon should soon realize that 3-6 Mafia's Oscar might be the climactic point for the idiocy that is unconsciously legitimized and promoted in mainstream American music. In other words, minstrels better milk it for what it's worth while it's still here.

I suspect that one of two things will happen in the near future:

1) Hip hop minstrelsy will become increasingly diversified; or
2) The Kanye Wests will take over and push the 3-6 Mafia's and 50 cents out the mainstream

I see this happening within 3-5 years. I happen to think that the latter is more likely, and companies might finally be realizing that there are limits to the dumbing down of commercially successful music. You want to dumb down to your audience, not be dumber THAN them. Part of me feels that people like 50 and his entourage suspect that the same thing is happening, at least domestically. Hence the childish simplistic marketing ploy of beef. His popularity abroad doesn't appear to be waning, proably because no one in Portugal knows what the hell he means most of the time.

The upside-down popular culture with no regard for norms, public decency and shame that hippies, other white liberals, and black entertainers like Rick James (R.I.P.) created in the aftermath of the turmoil of the late '60s, before hip hop babies like myself were born, was the original version of "wildin' out" that we see being promulgated in hip hop entertainment today. This is the only trickle down effect that's occured in recent decades, a cultural one, not an economic one. Ironically, very few young adults seem to be interested in wildin' out in the club anymore, unlike the Studio 54 days. Then again, not all young adults are ready to behave as such, given the inundation of childish mores in popular culture that serve to keep us in our teen years in mind only. All statistics show how everyone's getting married later, having kids later, and maturing later (myself included) these days. Last time I was in the club, it was clearly much more about posting with a drink in hand. In fact, from what I hear and see (from the few visits I've made to NYC clubs in recent months), it seems like a lot of people are throughly bored in the club nowadays.

Thus, Jigga Man may be celebrating on the outside, but if the absolute flop of Young Jeezy's Thug Motivation suggests anything, the Can't Knock the Hustle era's dominance of hip hop will soon be over. The only hustle record companies might not be able to knock is that of Latino immigrants crashing the borders. Reggaeton anyone?

What is Up in the Horn of Africa?

So what is going on in Somalia anyway you may ask?

We are surprised you wonder because since the early 90s the only time that the whole world actually noticed events in Southern Somalia was when "Blackhawk Down" was released five years ago.

You see, trouble in Somalia was ordained by the absurd national mission forced down Somali throats without interruption from independence on by a succession of dictators - that all collapsed in 1991. That ersatz national destiny required the conquest of all of its more populated and powerful neighbors along with 'Revolutionary Democracy' style idiocies such as 'Somali Scientific Socialism' justifying the dictatorship of a few.

Such silly ideology was bad enough but along with a commitment to eternal war it can be no surprise that Somalis had little chance from the beginning and caused its neighbors quite a bit of bother, Ethiopia in particular. Even though Northern Somalia was able to escape what became a tradition of chaos, Southern Somalia became and remains a mess. Since then there has been a steady, almost imperceptible background drum beat of non crisis like stories about warlords, piracy, entrepreneurs providing basic services where there was no government, secret Al Quaeda training camps and the like.

In the past month or so that has all changed big time.

Where to start ... where to start .... OK, the Usual Suspect Clan Warlords (USCW) lost a battle for control of Mogadishu and eventually most of the region to the New Jack Islamist Warlords (NJIW) that we certainly had never heard of. Not only that, but the US was allegedly helping the USCW and Ethiopia definitely was helping them. Oh, and Eritrea was aggressively arming the NJIW in a bid to outflank Meles Inc (actually at this point it seems, just to mess with Ethiopia for hell of it).

The NJIW commenced immediately to vigorously attack Coca Cola drinkers, movie watchers, soccer fans, all females of our species and all men who did not immediately realize what they should have known all along. Namely that if the NJIW said jump - the only appropriate response was an ecstatic and obedient "how high?" Just imagine - the NJIW made even the USCW and Siad Barre 'regimes' look like great liberal democracies in a matter of days.

According to the USCW, Eritrea was joined by Egypt and Saudi Arabia in aiding the NJIW and according to many others the latter had some rather unsavory connections to international terror. As the USCW were being chased across the region, the UN backed (alert the media!), Ethiopian supported, For Real Somali Government in Internal Exile (FRSGIE) welcomed Ethiopian troops sent by Meles Inc. into Baidoia (the FRSGIE capital) and environs.

Meles Inc., however, denied it was attempting any hostile takeovers at all. The FRSGIE said that it was all a mistake due to Ethiopian donated uniforms on its own soldiers while Meles Inc. denied the whole thing with the same straight face it used to deny everything from blocking blogs onto keeping 70 million hostages. A few tame reporters claimed to see nothing but there could have been a legion of Galactic Storm Troopers straight from the Clone Wars right next door for all they were allowed to see.

An old Soviet cargo plane from Kazakhstan loaded with Eritrean arms landed in Mogadishu with goodies for the NJIW along with possibly hundreds of Eritrean troops. FRSGIE ministers started getting killed by somebody, many FRSGIE membere resigned in protest against Meles Inc. troop deployments, some USCW changed sides several times and claimed to be winning and the NJIW declared a jihad against Ethiopia.

Meles Inc. wanted to change the subject from its own bloody dictatorship to just about anything else to finance itself ... and 'fighting terrorism' was rather conveniently waiting right there next door ... especially as the US Congress was considering a bill to sanction the Meles Inc. corporate board for its violent business practices.

The New Jack Islamist Warlords wanted attention ... negative attention from the West and Ethiopia could be turned into positive attention from many other circles in the form of cash ... the invasion by Meles Inc. provided a perfect opportunity to have a real live jihad and to define authentic Somali-ness all at the same time.

This came from Foggy Bottom recently via Nazret
"There are many foreign elements in Somalia right now," U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer said, citing reports Ethiopia was sending troops to back the interim government and Eritrea arms for rival Islamists.

"Neither the Union of Islamic Courts nor the Transitional Federal Government can take the high ground by saying the other is violating Somali sovereignty...they've all invited in foreigners, all been backed by foreign forces," she added.
Unless there is some really deep double game being played here it seems that Meles Inc. went into Somalia all on its own. However much Ethiopia's relatively professional army may dominate the field it is simply crazy to imagine Ethiopia sustaining a force in Somalia over time as foreign opposition mounts. Beyond that the attributes of a regular military force would mean little near or in Mogadishu.

Either the expense or logistics or political cost (or all three), of a sustained fight away from the border are well beyond the capacity of Ethiopia's expeditionary force and regime. It would not be humanitarian concerns like those that held back the UN and the US back in the early 90s that would turn back such an Ethiopian force. Unlike the US Rangers and the UN force that took casualties to spare collateral damage, Meles would not hesitate to raze all of Mogadishu to stay in power and collect cash for another day.

Meles Inc. has given all combative and peaceful Somali's the perfect reason to fight to the bitter end. That marks the criminal error of an invasion that costs almost as much if it doesn't go past the border and nothing is accomplished as if it does achieve its nebulous purposes ... Meles has invaded their country just because he did not approve a their potential government - no Somalis, including the temporary allies of Meles Inc will like that in the end.

Unlike Afghanistan, there is no history here of the NJIW supporting international terror (bombings in Ethiopia are generally carried out by the government and blamed on the villian of the moment). Unlike Iraq there is no history here of flouting the UN or waging aggressive international war or of using WMDs. Unlike with Hezbollah or with Chechnyan Islamists, there is no history of sustained acts of terror.

Meles has invaded Somali without any pretext at all that could be sustained in the most forgiving of forums. Via Nazret, this Economist article makes it clear that even those occasional Meles Inc. apologists aren't letting the wool be pulled over their eyes this time around,
Both the Ethiopians and the Islamists have something to gain from fighting. Ethiopia, which has often meddled in Somalia, is one of the world's oldest Christian-led countries, though it has many Muslims too. A war against militant Islam in the region might make it a useful ally of America, bringing cash and diplomatic support. It would also be quite a coup for the prime minister, Meles Zenawi, since America's Congress recently passed a bill condemning his government as an undemocratic abuser of human rights, which it is.
Does this herald an overall 'coming to their senses' phase for the international media after years of breathlessly false 'at least Meles is making the trains run on something resembling a schedule' and 'what a cute & brave former guerrilla fighter he is' nonsense ... we won't hold our breath waiting but every bit of reality is welcome.

Although we are bound to be sympathetic to long standing Ethiopian interest vis a vis Somalia and although we are also supportive of American interests in the War on Terror it seems to us that the policies of Meles Inc. will make everything far worse for everyone. Previous Ethiopian governments going back centuries (even including the reality and mentally challenged Dergue) avoided invading Somalia and did not even intervene except in the most exigent circumstances - and then only temporarily - without a proxy government to prop up.

Not out of fear mind you, but out of common sense because going into Somalia, just like going into any neighbor is like sticking a hand in a hornet's nest. Meles has gone into Somalia with no provocation on an uncertain mission with no end or even clear aim. One miscalculated purpose is finely tuned to influencing Congress with the current parade of tame supposed 'opposition' politicians while the real ones fear death in jail. Another may be a reflexive sense of competition with the former allies of Meles Inc. in Eritrean government.

Whatever the reason this was not thought out well - unless the reason is just to create and perpetuate crisis and instability with the purpose of being seen by the world as both the guarantor of the status quo and its principal manipulator as well. All to the tune of billions of Euros and Dollars and many more years to collect them and ship them into banks and properties abroad.

....................................

One last point about messes that Meles Inc. has and always will be getting Ethiopia and the world into ... because of the tribal based policies and politics of Meles Inc., Ethiopia has become a country which is legally / constitutionally only a barely legitimate collection of bantustans that can become independent at will for any reason at all or for no declared reason at all by anyone from the regional down to the neighborhood level.

In real terms the government uses that potential for chaos as a threat and uses brutal extra-legal means of its own making to hold it all together outside of the absurdities of current 'law'. Like the Sword of Damocles hung over one ruler to teach humility, utter disintegration awaits Ethiopia if it succeeds in getting rid of Meles Inc. - or so Meles Inc. would have us believe - Ethiopia is far more resilient than that.

But ... accepting the espoused logic of Meles and his government ... it seems like the 'Revolutionary Democratic' thing to do would be too ask the people of the Somali Killil what they want and accept that judgement regardless of the larger national interest. They probably wouldn't want to do so but maybe they want to join the Eastern third of Ethiopia immediately to the USCW or the NJIW or to the FRSGIE.

Or given the logic of the Ethiopian constitution, an equally legitimate case is a seat in the UN for any group of kids in Gode or Bishoftu or Adwa or Debre Birhan (or even on Bole Road) who play marbles or soccer together fairly regularly and who feel they have a right to form an independent country. After all, that is what it says in the Meles Inc. constitution right? Confused yet? If you are not you should be.

It is 'governments' and 'leaders' such as these that make us wish conflicts between dictators and aspiring dictators could only be settled by single combat with the victor and vanquished both being shipped off to Devil's Island afterwards. Ethiopia and Somalia (with the exception of Northern Somalia) have never gotten on too well and Somalia has never had a friendly border for that matter.

None of the 'leaders' in question has even a vanishing connection to the interests of the people they supposedly act for. Throughout most of living memory - nation, ideology, tribe, clan and now religion have been the tools of heartless men for the purpose of their personal power.

That is what is up in the Horn of Africa.

http://ethiopundit.blogspot.com/

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I wish Cam'ron spent his vast money holding press conferences, dissing punk ass Congress for taking tainted money from Verizon, SBC, and Comcast instead of going after Jay-Z. Im glad Jay-Z ignored Camron, unfortunately he remained silent as the President of Def Jam on this important issue."

-Davey D on the hip hop commmunity's failure to respond to Congress's attempt to override Internet neutrality

http://community.allhiphop.com/showthread.php?t=264305

Keep it up and the Internet will become another heavily regulated private entity with restrictions on free speech.

Liberals and urban schooling:

Just another reason why I left the Left


http://www.educationsector.org/analysis/analysis_show.htm?doc_id=376661

This is a very revealing and honest interview with a Democratic coucilwoman from NYC. For years everyone has been arguing that the problem with inner city schooling is unequal funding. Logically, this has always bothered me, because it seemed to imply that increasing funding alone will improve education. Well in recent years, much research has surfaced to show that the conventional wisdom is WRONG. WRONG WRONG WRONG.

Conservatives, and free-market advocates have repeatedly questioned this notion by claiming that the monopoly on public education is an even bigger problem, but have the Democrats budged? Nope. Meanwhile, low-income, minority kids continue to suffer, because of an uncritical assertion that more money is the answer to everything. Well, over the past several years school funding in many urban areas has come close to being leveled off and we haven't seen much improvement.

It should come as no surprise that in NYC, Republican Mayor Bloomberg, a business guru prior to his political days, instituted reforms centered on accountability, decentralization, and smaller schools and, what do you know...test scores are rising. This is one of the primary reasons why I left the Left. Education and economic issues have led me to be somewhat of a moderate-conservative. Of course people don't vote on this stuff. They vote on gay marriage, flashy smiles, and statements from Hillary Clinton insulting the intelligence of black people by saying, "The Republicans are running Congress like a plantation!" Yes, we know the Republicans are failures. But can you address something substantive when you come to Harlem?

One of the best books I've read about the urban education policy is "No Excuses: Closing the Racial Gap in Learning", published in 2003. It is an eye-opening account of how big bureacracies are failing inner city kids, along with a plethora of other factors that liberals are too scared to address because of political correctness, among other things. First it was open-ended welfare, then it was the public school monopoly...what has the Left done in the past several decades to help low-income people? Why are they insistent on keeping kids in failing schools, by limiting school choice?

New Age moderate Democrats, like Cory Booker in Newark, recognize that items like vouchers are essential, in the short-run, until broad reforms occur. Hopefully he won't allow himself to be intimidated by teachers unions, who are highly responsible for the slow process of school reform because they are a leading Democratic interest group.

But this is only part of the story. As I aspire to enter the arena of policy, I've been doing a lot of research on educational reform and policy. There are a lot of problematic issues with liberal politicians. This is why I'm independent, and will not vote for Democrats simply because my parents did. We have to be a little more critical of their policies.

One of the most interesting things to ever come out of Dubya's mouth was his call for "compassionate conservatism." At the time he uttered this, I was college student, and a close-minded liberal that thought Republican = racist, evil capitalist at all times. So, like many of us, I saw through this empty rhetoric about him being compassionate, which he obviously hasn't been. But it's an interesting concept. Here's a good article on what differentiates "compassionate conservatism" from "liberal paternalism" and the welfare state:

http://www.city-journal.org/html/15_2_compassionate.html

Mayor's plea to stop gun violence.

In a sad sign of the times the African American mayor John Street of
Philadelphia appeared on local televison to ask that the gun violence in his city
stop.

Watch his impassioned plea for peace by clicking this link

_Mayor's Plea_ (http://www.letstalkhonestly.com/page/page/1307246.htm)

Bolton Bitch Slaps John Kerry

Kerry is defending Clinton's policy of accepting an agreement with the North Koreans that even the Clinton administration didn' believe they would keep.

Typical Kerry, he walks knowing little except his staff's memo.
Bolton is one awesome dude.
Best damn "ambassador" we've had in a long, long,long,long,
long,long time.

DoD Report: 50 Trucks Carried Iraqi WMD To Syria

DoD Report:

50 Trucks Carried Iraqi WMD To Syria The following is a translation of a newly posted Iraqi document done by an "unofficial" translator.

The document, posted in Arabic, is from a Department Of Defense program.

In the document an Iraqi opposition source working in Syria reports on the movement of Iraqi trucks to Syria before the start of the US invasion of Iraq.

It is his understanding that the trucks contained proscribed weapons of mass destruction. The translation is dated July 13 — probably 2003.

But the original document is dated March 14th, 2003. (Moharram 10th is the tenth day of the Muslim New Year, which in 2003 began on March 4th.)

The International Coalition Forces attacked Iraq on March 20, 2003.

What exactly is an "unofficial" translator?

When it is not CAIR approved?

Link:

http://www.sweetness-light.com/archive/dod-report-50-trucks-carried-iraqi-wmd-to-syria

Documents:

http://static.flickr.com/62/200505473_51a5c9b170_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/78/200505419_f83b5ee970_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/71/200492554_d83926db9e_o.jpg

Hip-Hop in Education: Do You Wanna Revolution?

So while we're on the subject of books (a subject I just can't seem to shake lately), I want to recall a recent topic of spicy debate. In all that I do and discuss these days, my favorite hat to wear is the young "millennial" one. That is, by most adults' standards, the rebellious, misunderstood generation cap. This is also where I usually contend with my fellow conservative associations.

A few weeks back, it came to light that a summer school program in Worcester, MA made "gangsta rap" a part of their curriculum when they placed one of Tupac's collections of poetry, The Rose That Grew from Concrete on their summer reading list. Many people have already tackled the subject of Tupac's poetry being used in the public system. Last month, author and columnist Michelle Malkin delivered a scathing report in her article 2 Lazy 2 Teach.


The backlash was interesting, yet typical. Conservatives got on their moral high horses and spouted their "infinite wisdom" on how we should be teaching, while the usual Tupac lovers emerged from their dens of mourning to defend his honor.

Neither reaction has produced any fruit in my opinion. I have yet to see useful dialogue in this whole topic of the hip-hop generation. I love Michelle Malkin as much as the next, but she and I dissent on a couple of things, and neither of them is Tupac. Due to the hat I wear, I need to come at this from another direction.

(Before we go anywhere, let's clarify the difference between rap and hip-hop. Rap is the act of saying rhymes to the beat of music. Seems rather basic and amoral when you put in those terms doesn't it? Hip-Hop on the other hand, is a four-part cultural movement. It encompasses breakdancing, graffiti art, rapping (aka emceeing) and DJ-ing. For those interested, Rap New Direct has a more in-depth look at the differences.)

The first mistake intellectuals (especially conservatives) make when discussing the topic of slain rapper Tupac Shakur, is to write him off as just that; a slain rapper. Not so boys and girls. Unfortunately, he's a Hip-Hop icon. There has yet to be another person to enter the sphere of hip-hop with the same cross-cultural effect on the masses.

Tupac was a prophet of doom and voice to his generation. Albeit a hurt and wounded voice that cried vapid declarations and lies, he managed to slip in some tangible truth every now and then. That is of course, the essence of true deception.

With lyrics seeping in anger, he empathized with the fatherless generation, dated his gun, called his own dad a "nigga", and ultimately prophesied his own death. Truth be told, an unsettling percentage of my generation related to this, or related to the "fantasy" of this (white folks included). I never did, although I knew some of his lyrics even without owning any of his albums. The guy was everywhere. He was tangible, palpable, and "real"--as real as you can be when you don't even know yourself.

Listening to Tupac's music alone MAKES you want to be angry. This is an artist who even in his death continues to hold his listeners in bondage. I call him the "Black Elvis", referencing the masses' inability to accept his death. There continue to be numerous theories around the validity of his death and his "second-coming" (warning sign for cult activity). I'm sure it doesn't need to be said, but I'll say it any way. Tupac is dead. Gone. In the grave, and probably in a place you don't want to be. The legacy he's left is more of a stronghold than anything else. I would argue that he's the single most prominent rapper to touch my generation. Hands down. The bells don't go "rah-rah" for this one. It's a sad reality.

The Worcester, MA school's decision to add Tupac's poetry to their reading list is embarrassing and irresponsible. Let's just get that on the table. Conceptually, this attempt to be "hip" and "relevant" is like shooting blanks in the dark. Not because they're using alternative text, but because they're using text steeped in death, lies, and anger.

In her article, Michelle Malkin writes,"The presumption that children -- and particularly inner-city children -- can only be stimulated by the contemporary and familiar smacks of lazy elitism and latent racism. These educators, and I use that term as loosely as gangster rappers wear their pants, are clearly more interested in appearing cool than in inculcating a refined literary sense in students. Their aim is not enlightenment but dumbed-down ghetto entertainment."May be true. In fact, probably true. I don't trust most educators as far I can throw them. But let's be careful here. Hip-Hop doesn't equal dumbing down. Is this instance, that may be their motive, but this is not a black and white issue (take that for face value please).

In fact, given the right lyricist, rap is one of the most intelligent music genres out there right now. I don't say that lightly. Hip-Hop embodies something more than just rap. It's a movement, and it's full of messages. We can choose what those messages should be. Right now, the dominating message is self-destruction.

In terms of Malkin's comments on elitism, I actually think we teeter on the line of elitism when we begin to define what forms of writing can't be considered poetry. It's like the discussion on what art is. In school I read poets, (white men mind you) who were raving lunatics of death, high on every drug imaginable. Yet we consider them great poets. I'm not suggesting Tupac is, but our standards are questionable.

Let me tell you where conservatives get in trouble. They can't disassociate rap's co-conspirators with the artform. "Gangsta rap" and various other offshoots of the original art form have given the genre a bad rap--if you know what I mean. In its purest form however, rap is amoral. Like money, it's merely a magnifier or in some cases, a modifier of its owner. Most conservatives don't see this.

My new found friend, Avery Tooley of the Conservative Brotherhood discussed Malkin's column in a piece he wrote called Et Tupac?. Avery's my resident music buff, so he breaks it down gently,

"I've seen Michelle Malkin on television before (thank the Lord for good eyesight!), so I'm pretty sure that her beef here is not with the selection of Tupac specifically, she doesn't like the idea of using hip-hop in the classroom, period. Once again, if somebody doesn't like hip-hop, they just don't like it. That's a matter of taste. However, I think it's intellectually dishonest to suggest that hip-hop is somehow unsuitable for classroom consumption, particularly if a person doesn't listen to it enough to distinguish between the genres within hip-hop.

Certainly there are elements of hip-hop that lack substance, and unfortunately that's what gets the most attention and makes the most money, but there's a whole lot of other records that could be useful in a classroom context. I know when I was teaching math, I couldn't wait to ask the kids what Redman meant when he said, 'I hit the spot like x,y.' It's not all idiot stuff."Avery's perhaps said it better and more nicely than I would. Once again, this is a place where conservatives and I part ways. I don't agree with teaching Tupac in secondary school, but I also don't agree with our marriage to Westernized teaching structures. Growing up, I could memorize song lyric upon lyric, but yet struggled through the Pre-Amble of the constitution. Even today, I memorize things better if I know a corresponding song or set it to a mental beat. Music is a powerful medium. This was the success of shows like Sesame Street and School House Rock.

Mnemonic devices and teaching methods involving music and culture are probably the most untapped area in the arena of education. Hip-Hop has quickly become the top selling musical form amongst all races. Even in all its accompanying garbage, there's something we need to take heed of about the culture. Toyota, Pepsi, Sprite, Chrysler, and McDonald's have realized it. Hip-hop is the next wave of everything. It's not going to die down as analysts have predicted.

If you thought you were uncomfortable now, just you wait. Thankfully, in the midst of the foolishness, there are people who are being raised up to set a righteous standard lyrically, and in lifestyle. Their albums sit in my collection as we speak. Mark my words. The first person who can package hip-hop in a way that teaches a difficult classroom subject will be a multi-millionaire. You can quote me on that.

http://www.nykola.com/archives/000144.html

Miss Indonesia under fire over 'insulting' Islam

Insulting to Islam??

Sharia Alert from modern, moderate Indonesia. From Reuters, with thanks to David:
A MILITANT Islamic group has filed a police report against Indonesia's Miss Universe candidate, accusing her of indecency.

Nadine Chandrawinata's participation in the contest and display of her body in a swimsuit "is actually insulting for Indonesian dignity and women", Islamic Defenders Front lawyer Sugito said yesterday.

Ms Chandrawinata did not make it to the competition's final in Los Angeles on Sunday, which was won by Miss Puerto Rico, but she had drawn heavy media coverage in Indonesia.

Mr Sugito said the Islamic Defenders Front had also filed complaints against four people involved in sponsoring and organising Ms Chandrawinata's participation.
Under Indonesian law, police would have to investigate whether there was sufficient evidence for a case under the complaint, and if so, turn their findings over to prosecutors for a decision on whether it merited going to court.

The offences carried potential sentences ranging from two to six years in jail, Mr Sugito said. The posing requirements of the competition offended the standards not just of Islam but of other religions, he said.

A government decree against participation in beauty contests issued when strongman Suharto was president is still technically in effect in Indonesia, although in practice it has been disregarded since he lost power in 1998.

Video: Matthews Vs Coulter

Conservative women sure do seem to bring out the tiger in him, don’t they?
Two bits of advice for AC. One, it’s time for a new dress.

And two, the idea that we shouldn’t focus too closely on words isn’t the most persuasive defense coming from a writer.

Memo to Media: You are being used

Memo to Media: You are being used

Found in documents secured from one now-deceased Al Zarqawi:

1. To improve the image of the resistance in society, increase the number of supporters who are refusing occupation and show the clash of interest between society and the occupation and its collaborators. To use the media for spreading an effective and creative image of the resistance.

Mainstream Media can pretend that it is objective and non-partisan in all matters. However that position is only valid as long as all parties being covered recognize that position. Islamofascists do not even pretend to honor such a position. Media outlets exist as a tool for their propaganda efforts. It’s to your best interest to recognize this and act accordingly.

Great Signs

Dark skin 'does not block cancer'

Contrary to common perception, people with dark skin are more likely to die from skin cancer than those with fairer skin, warn US researchers.
Although the disease is less common, when it does occur it is typically more aggressive and diagnosed later, which leads to more deaths, they explain.

The Cincinnati University work is a warning to anyone who wrongly assumes skin tone makes some immune to cancers.

Experts advise people of all races to protect their skin from sun damage.

Misconception

Lead researcher Dr Hugh Gloster said: "There's a perception that people with darker skin don't have to worry about skin cancer, but that's not true.

"Minorities do get skin cancer, and because of this false perception most cases aren't diagnosed until they are more advanced and difficult to treat.

"Unfortunately, that translates into higher mortality rates."

He said it was true that the extra pigment in darker skin did afford some added protection against the sun's harmful UV rays and that darker skin is, therefore, less susceptible to sunburn.

But he said this should not lull people with darker skin into a false sense of security.

Dark skin has increased epidermal melanin which provides a natural skin protection factor (SPF) - a measure of how long skin covered with sunscreen takes to burn compared with uncovered skin.

Very dark, black skin has a natural SPF of about 13 and filters twice as much UV radiation as white skin, for example.

Sun protection

However, health experts advise people to use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15.

Dr Gloster told a meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in San Diego that doctors should make sure that all of their patients, regardless of race, use sunscreen and self-check for skin cancers.

This study shows that even people with darker skin need to be aware of the signs of skin cancer

Ed Yong, cancer information officer at Cancer Research UK

Malignant melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer, can present differently in different races.

Fairer-skinned people may notice a change in a sun-exposed mole, whilst darker-skinned people might develop the cancer on areas protected from the sun such as the soles of the feet.

There are over 70,000 new cases of skin cancer diagnosed each year in the UK, making it the most common type of cancer.

Ed Yong, cancer information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: "This study shows that even people with darker skin need to be aware of the signs of skin cancer.

"Although those most at risk of skin cancer are people with fair skin, lots of moles or freckles or a family history of the disease, it is also important for black people to check their skin regularly.

"Black people are most likely to develop skin cancers on the palms of their hands or the soles of their feet.

"Checking your skin for unusual changes is crucial as it can mean that the disease can be spotted earlier, when it is easier to treat."

Democrats opposed the Civil Rights Act.

by R.D. Davis

Former basketball star and current Democratic presidential candidate Bill
Bradley hasn't fouled an opponent on the basketball court in years, but
lately he's fouling the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Bradley claims the
congressional vote on the Act led to which political party he would join.

Oh, really?

On October 9, 1999 at an Iowa Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner, Bradley
exclaimed: "I remember the exact moment that I became a Democrat. It was the
summer of 1964; I was an intern in Washington between my junior and senior
year in college.

And I was in the Senate chamber the night the 1964 Civil
Rights Act passed that desegregated public accommodations in America... And
I became a Democrat because it was the party of justice. It was Democrats
that stepped forward that evening in the Senate and cast their vote that
washed away the stain of segregation in this country."

I believe that Democrats have lied about who supported the Civil Rights Act
for so long that they actually believe their lies. But anytime this lie is
retold, I feel compelled to debunk it. So here we go again...

The Congressional Quarterly of June 26, 1964 (p. 1323) recorded that, in the
Senate, only 69% of Democrats (46 for, 21 against) voted for the Civil
Rights Act as compared to 82% of Republicans (27 for, 6 against). All
southern Democratic senators voted against the Act.

This includes the current senator from West Virginia and former KKK member Robert C. Bryd and former Tennessee senator Al Gore, Sr. (the father of Bradley's Democratic
opponent).

Surely young Bradley must have flunked his internship because
ostensibly he did not learn that the Act's primary opposition came from the
southern Democrats' 74-day filibuster. In addition, he did not know that 21
is over three times as much as six, otherwise he would have become -
according to the logic of his statement - a Republican.

In the House of Representatives, 61% of Democrats (152 for, 96 against)
voted for the Civil Rights Act; 92 of the 103 southern Democrats voted
against it. Among Republicans, 80% (138 for, 34 against) voted for it.

Since Bradley was interning in the Senate, why doesn't he remember the major
role the Republicans played in fighting for civil rights?

During the Eisenhower Administration, the Republican Party made more progress in civil rights than in the preceding 80 years. According to Congressional Quarterly,
"Although the Democratic-controlled Congress watered them down, the
Administration's recommendations resulted in significant and effective civil
rights legislation in both 1957 and 1960 - the first civil rights statutes
to be passed in more than 80 years" ("The Republican Party 1960 Civil Rights
Platform," May 1964).

It reported on April 5, 1963 that, " A group of eight
Republican senators in March joined in introducing a series of 12 civil
rights bills that would implement many of the recommendations made in the
Civil Rights Commission report of 1961."

The principal measures introduced by these Republicans broadened the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, making it "designed to pass unlike Democratic 'public
relations' attempts" (CQ, February 15, 1963, p. 191). Republican senators
overwhelmingly "chided" President John Kennedy about his "failure to act in
this field (civil rights).

" Republican senators criticized the Kennedy
Administration's February 28, 1963 civil rights message as "falling far
short" of the Civil Rights Commission's recommendations and both party
platforms.

"If the President will not assume the leadership in getting
through Congress urgently needed civil rights measures," the Republican
senators said, " then Congress must take the initiative" (CQ, April 5, 1963,
p. 527).

At the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson
praised the Republicans for their "overwhelming" support. Roy Wilkins,
then-NAACP chairman, awarded Republican Senate Minority Leader Everett
Dirksen of Illinois the Leadership Conference of Civil Rights Award for his
"remarkable civil rights leadership.

" Moreover, civil rights activist Andrew Young wrote in his book
An Easy Burden that "The southern segregationists
were all Democrats, and it was black Republicans... who could effectively
influence the appointment of federal judges in the South" (p. 96).

Young added that the best civil rights judges were Republicans appointed by
President Dwight Eisenhower and that "these judges are among the many unsung
heroes of the civil rights movement."

The historical facts and numbers show the Republican Party was more for
civil rights than the Democrats from "the party of justice," as Bill Bradley
called it. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, in reality, could not have been
passed without Republican votes.

It is an "injustice" for contemporary Democratic politicians
and the liberal news media to continue to not give
the Republicans credit for their civil rights triumphs.

Now is the time for Republicans to start informing black Americans
of those historical triumphs to lead them back to their "home party."

http://www.nationalcenter.org/NVDavisBradley1299.html

Bush Signs Voting Rights Act

(AP)— President Bush on Thursday signed legislation extending for 25 years the Voting Rights Act, the historic 1965 law which opened polls to millions of black Americans by outlawing racist voting practices in the South. "Congress has reaffirmed its belief that all men are created equal," he declared.

Bush signed the bill amid fanfare and before an South Lawn audience that included members of Congress, civil rights leaders and family members of civil rights leaders of the recent past. It was one of a series of high-profile ceremonies the president is holding to sign popular bills into law.

The Republican controlled Congress, eager to improve its standing with minorities ahead of the November elections, pushed the bill through even though key provisions were not set to expire until next year.

"The right of ordinary men and women to determine their own political future lies at the heart of the American experiment," Bush said. He said the Voting Rights Act proposed and signed by then-President Lyndon Johnson in 1965 "broke the segregationist lock on the voting box."

With the Republican Party's majority status in Congress in jeopardy and Bush's approval ratings low, the White House has turned to the South Lawn to provide a high-profile backdrop for signing popular bills into law.

Later in the day, Bush is to sign another bill sure to resonate with voters in this congressional election year: legislation establishing a national Internet database designed to let law enforcement and communities know where convicted sex offenders live and work.

By contrast, Bush chose to exercise the first veto of his 5 1/2 years as president in privacy last week, no audience, no cameras, no reporters. The bill he vetoed would have expanded federally funded research of embryonic stem cells, which is opposed by social conservatives but has wide support among the rest of the public.

White House officials said an open ceremony to veto a bill seemed inappropriate, although other presidents have done just that. Forty minutes after the Oval Office veto, Bush gave a major address on the issue in the East Room, open to the press and surrounded by families who have "adopted" leftover frozen embryos and used them to bear children.

In May, Bush took to the South Lawn to sign into law a bill that extended $70 billion in previously passed tax cuts. That package was also seen by Republicans as an opportunity to boost the popularity of the president and the Republican-controlled Congress

The South Lawn is hardly a common venue for presidential bill-signings, which usually occur in an office building next to the White House or, for particularly important legislation, in the East Room. The majestic backyard of the White House is typically reserved for pomp-filled welcoming ceremonies for foreign leaders or large social affairs like the annual Easter egg roll.

On Wednesday, workers scurried to get the expanse of lawn ready for the Voting Rights Act signing, setting up water stations and a large stage for Bush and the bill's primary supporters.

The list of some of the 600 expected guests reads like a who's-who of prominent black leaders and civil rights veterans: the Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson; friends and relatives of Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks; Dorothy Height, the longtime chairwoman of the National Council of Negro Women; and National Urban League head Marc Morial. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, despite its rocky history with Bush, was sending several representatives, including current president Bruce Gordon, chairman Julian Bond and former head Benjamin Hooks.

The White House also anticipated heavy participation from Capitol Hill, where a long line of lawmakers were looking for a chance to share the spotlight.


Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


As usual the Democrats pushed there way to the fron of the line,
to get there picture taken, they will then attack Bush next week
claiming he was "forced" to sign the bill. As usual history will be rewritten
and Republicans will still be called racist.

A perfect example of the the rewriting of history is Edward Blum who says the Bush administration has really done a flip-flop on this," a senior fellow at the Center for Equal Opportunity who.

Mr Blum is no doubt a democrat, who uses he profession to bash Republicans.

"This is not where he was, and this is not the kind of philosophy that then-Governor Bush had when it comes to getting Texas out from under the thumb of the federal government."

Given that Texas was Democrat for many years I am sure the Democrats
opposed it the longest, but Mr. Blum will play dead on this fact.

Ethiopian forces take second town in Somalia

Ethiopian troops moved further into Somalia yesterday, opening a new front in the American-led "war on terror". An estimated 5,000 Ethiopian soldiers are believed to be inside Somalia, protecting the weak transitional government from an Islamist force that controls half the country.

The US does not want Somalia to fall into the hands of the Islamists; so far, regional observers point out, neither the US nor any other UN Security Council member has condemned the Ethiopian invasion.

The Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) - which defeated an alliance of US-backed warlords to take control of Mogadishu last month - boycotted proposed peace talks on Saturday. The Islamists, who are far more popular among ordinary Somalis than the fragile transitional government, are now expected to try to take control of the rest of the country.

The US has already tried once to defeat the Islamists and has repeatedly said it fears Somalia could become a safe haven for terrorists. Ethiopia fears an Islamist state on its doorstep and has invaded Somalia in the past. Its troops entered Somalia in 1996 to defeat Islamists who were backing a rebel group in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia.

Ethiopian troops entered Somalia again on Thursday and have been seen in the town of Baidoa, the seat of the transitional government. Over the weekend, they took control of a second town, Waajid.

One Somali analyst, based in Nairobi, said it is likely that the current invasion was supported by America. Ethiopia and the US "share a security agenda," he said. "There is a lot of military co-operation between the two countries. They have been carrying out joint exercises along the Ethiopian-Somali border, tracking suspected terrorists. Ethiopia certainly seems to be acting as if it has a free hand. We are at a tipping point right now. The Islamists would not be unhappy with a conflict. It is shaping up to be a zero-sum game - winner takes all."

Analysts throughout the region share this view. John Prendergast of the International Crisis Group has warned that the region is heading for "full-scale war".

Somalia has not had an effective central government for 15 years, since warlords overthrew the dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991 and then turned on each other.

The likelihood of the conflict in Somalia becoming part of the war on terror appears high. Osama bin Laden, in his most recent tape recording, backed the UIC and said Somalia must remain Islamic. The new leader of the UIC, Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, is on America's most-wanted list of terrorists and other senior members of the UIC are wanted by the US for involvement in the 1998 bombing of its embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Unconfirmed reports say that some of the UIC's troops are foreign, possibly having travelled across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen.

No love is lost between the two major players in Somalia. The president of the transitional government, Abdullahi Yusuf, and Sheikh Aweys fought each other in the mid-1990s in the Puntland region in central Somalia. Mr Yusuf succeeded then in expelling Sheikh Aweys from the region.

* Gunmen have killed 682 civilians, including a Swedish journalist, in executions over the past year in Somalia, according to a report published yesterday by the Dr Ismael Jumale Human Rights Centre.

Ethiopian troops moved further into Somalia yesterday, opening a new front in the American-led "war on terror". An estimated 5,000 Ethiopian soldiers are believed to be inside Somalia, protecting the weak transitional government from an Islamist force that controls half the country.

The US does not want Somalia to fall into the hands of the Islamists; so far, regional observers point out, neither the US nor any other UN Security Council member has condemned the Ethiopian invasion.

The Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) - which defeated an alliance of US-backed warlords to take control of Mogadishu last month - boycotted proposed peace talks on Saturday. The Islamists, who are far more popular among ordinary Somalis than the fragile transitional government, are now expected to try to take control of the rest of the country.

The US has already tri