Where to begin! Lots has been going on in the news recently and it is time to comment on the latest. Let's start with China.
The Olympics got off to a great start, and China's coming out party started well. However, recent revelations have tainted the luster: lip-synching the national anthem, fake photography, possibly underage gymnasts. All of that is an affront to the Olympic spirit, which is as much about the journey to participate as winning. I've seen one apologist go so far as to state that truth is less important than the outcome in China. That may well be the case, but it doesn't make it right. Prediction: China will take the most gold medals, but probably will not take the most total medals.
Georgia: What the f***! Russia's criminal invasion is best compared with Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. Or perhaps, what was it again, ah yes: the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Or perhaps even all of Eastern Europe after WWII. Responsible nations need to step up and punish Russia for this - and yes that means all of Europe. Expect to see more deals like US missiles in Poland. Expect to see the left blame US-Poland cooperation for further Russian aggression.
Solzhenitsyn: RIP. Read his Nobel lecture. He speaks on the importance of Truth with a capital T. It is very relevant to the previous 2 topics.
US Election campaign: McCain looking responsible. Obama looking like the wrong nominee. Polls neck and neck. Things won't really pick up until after the conventions, but don't expect things to break anytime soon. It will be a close race. . .and make no mistake, Obama is not moving politically to the middle. That's just a tactic to appear safe to voters outside of his leftist base!
John Edwards: What a cad. But anyone who didn't see him for the snake-oil salesman that he has always been was dreaming. Why are so many such pretty-boy, smooth-talkers always Democrats? It's because Democrats care more about power than the people they serve. OK, in fairness that is a gross over-generalization. I meant to say "most Democrats." And where was the MSM on this? It must feel pretty bad to be scooped by the Enquirer, and to have the Enquirer come out more credible than, say, the LA Times ! As Instapundit says: what else is the MSM not telling us?
US Economy - It may very well be in a recession. Certainly calculating real GDP by using the full inflation rate (with commodity prices included) would tend to indicate that the last quarter was a slight contraction. But the US economy is still more resilient than most people give it credit for. The biggest negative impact on job growth was the recent increase in the minimum wage. This has resulted in a huge increase in unemployment for college students and other typical summer workers. Funny how that's not being reported. Also, compared to Japan and Europe, the US is still the engine of global growth. And with commodity prices dropping (especially oil and gold) and the dollar rising, I'd have to say that the worst is over. It won't be reported that way though. The MSM is still trying to get Obama elected.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: The problem isn't that they aren't regulated enough. The problem is that they are not fully private and are subject to favorable regulation.
Oil Drilling: It's simple. Allow drilling off US coasts and in ANWR. Reduce the red-tape that is the primary bottleneck to getting the oil flowing. The major oil companies can get oil out of the ground in less than two years. It's the applications and lawsuits that slow things down, not the technology to get at the oil. And how about Paris Hilton! Her policy to both conserve and drill sounds smarter than Obama's and at least as good as McCain's. Plus she's hot! And somehow I knew she'd be in favor of drilling.
Iraq - guess what?! We won! By "we" I mean anyone who believes in democracy over dictatorship and that the Arab world can defeat extremism. Let's hope Pakistan doesn't become the next battleground. Oh, and did you know that India has had more terrorist deaths recently than Iraq? That's sad, because India has such potential.
Venezuela - Chavez is up to his old tricks. Kudos to Colombia though. The FARC is all but finished.
Global Warming: not in the news so much. That's because it's a myth - well at least the part that human activity is causing it. But be very afraid of the lack of oxygen in the oceans!
Hong Kong: This place rocks! The Olympic Equestrian events, which are being held here, are going flawlessly. Congratulations HK!
Anything else? I'm sure there is more. . .but many many bloggers have written more and better posts than me on these topics!
