Protesters Blast Israel at G8/G20 Summit in Toronto

One of the things we've learned in recent years is that demonization of Israel has become the central foundation of all hardline radical anarchist/socialist anti-capitalist gay-rights mobilizations. Below is the screencap from the Canadian Jewish Congress' Twitter page (via Lumpy, Grumpy and Frumpy):

And check the background discussion at Business Week, "G-20 Protesters Burn Cars, Smash Starbucks Window."

RELATED: Here's Justine Apple and Bernie Farber on Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QuAIA):

“Apartheid” is not a term thrown about lightly. Apartheid is a crime against humanity, a despicable, discriminatory and disgusting regime supported only by irredeemable racists. Thus, Israelis and the vast majority of diaspora Zionist Jews are tarred by the brush of horrific racism, systemic oppression of human rights and visceral hatred.

QuAIA targets Israel with this dangerous and invidious libel, positioning the world's only Jewish state as the racist successor to white supremacist South Africa. International pressure brought down apartheid's racist oppression. Now, anti-Semites use these same tactics to soften up international public opinion and pave the way for Israel's destruction.

Be sure to RTWT.

And check the roundup at CBC, "Toronto's Tarnished Image." Also, Mark Steyn, "Spectators in Body Armor," and iOWNTHEWORLD, "Those Friggin Tea Partiers!!!" Added: See also Pirate's Cove, "Moonbats on the March: Violence at G20."

Putting the Failed in Failed States

The new Foreign Policy is out. There's lots of stuff on failed states, including the "The 2010 Failed States Index."

Somalia is the #1 failed state. See, "In the Beginning, There Was Somalia."

But to go along with that cover shot at left, check out "Why Bad Guys Matter":

Bad guys matter, and when they rule, they make weak states weaker. And the countless anecdotes are backed up by numbers: In a celebrated study, economists Benjamin Jones and Benjamin Olken looked at whether the death of a country's leader altered economic growth. It did, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. Recently, an Oxford colleague, Anke Hoeffler, and I sifted through their results again, distinguishing this time between democrats and autocrats. We found that in democracies, changing the leader does not change growth -- all leaders are disciplined to perform tolerably. But in autocracies, the growth rates are as unpredictably varied as the leaders' personalities. Here lies the difference between good leaders and great ones: Good leaders put right the policy catastrophes of bad leaders; great leaders, like the men who shaped the U.S. Constitution, build the democratic checks and balances that make good leaders redundant.

More at the link.

Radical Feminist Hate Mail of the Day

It's not hate mail, actually (but close enough). It's a STFU Tumblog, "STFUSexists." And I guess that includes me, and I'm targeted for extra STFU-ing for my neocon-ishness. See, "Another neo-con with a woman problem → ...":

Now, I’m not expecting much from someone with a No-Bama icon who thinks that Melanie Griffith has written books about why the right wing is awesome, but if you’re claiming to be a political blog, be a f*cking political blog. Even if you’re a stupid political blog, even if your political blog has no basis in reality, be a f*cking political blog. Objectifying women doesn’t count as “culture analysis”. So cut it the f*ck out, and stick to what I’m sure is your wealth of knowledge on foreign policy and the educational system or whatever.

That's just the conclusion, so RTWT.

And the record, I can't stand feminist ayatollahs, and amazingly, you find them on both the left and right. It's an ideology of hate and anti-rationalism. STFU sums up the views perfectly, and since this lady, "Miss Olga," blows off Melanie Phillips so breezily content-free, we'll put her in the "Own Goal" category. Folks really do need to make an actual argument if they want to be taken seriously, which is why I like debating conservative women like Cassandra and Opus 6, who don't care for objectification too much either but they're more than able to defend their positions.

And by the way, if you're not reading her, check out Cassy Fiano for the best feminist deconstruction in blogosphere.

Just Lower Our Taxes

At Moonbattery, "Meanwhile, Back at the Joe Biden 'Recovery Summer' Tour," and Gateway Pundit, "Eat Up… Joe Biden Gets Gets Custard in Face When Business Owner Tells Him: “Lower Our Taxes”" (via Memeorandum):

Joe “Bite-Me” Biden traveled to Wisconsin yesterday to campaign with far left Progressive Russ Feingold (D-WI). Smokin Joe ordered a custard at a popular custard stand in Glendale during one of their stops. When Biden asked Kopp’s Frozen Custard stand owner how much he owed him, the owner responded,

“Nothing, just lower our taxes.”

Katy Perry Goes Topless for Cover of Esquire

Yep.

It's the real deal, and she looks fabulous.

See Esquire, "Katy Perry: A Woman We Love."

Also, full cover shot and more at Hollywood News, "Katy Perry Goes Topless on Cover of Esquire Magazine."

I'd say this is a bit more classy than Lady Gaga's bid to use dead bodies as props for the Monster tour. After a while shock is a turnoff. But hotness sells, over and over again. Katy Perry's got that side of the business down cold.

And Celebuzz quips, "Russell Brand is a really lucky guy."

This isn't quite like "going nuclear" at The Classical Liberal, but it's good. Very good.

And I'd say this post deserves billboard status at Sir. Smitty's Rule 5 Sunday!

Sarah Palin at CSU Stanislaus

Video c/o Sissy Willis:

I'm late to this story, but it's a pretty big one. Some unidentified dickheads dissed Palin on live mic, and Fox40 Sacramento's' freakin', since they were the only network doin' a live feed. Best thing to do is read Sistah Toldjah's post, "Fox40, Multiple journo-dudes slam Palin after CA speech (UPDATE 8: FOX40 RESPONDS TO ST)." Sistah's got the audio of the unidentified, unprofessional slams on Palin, and Fox40 actually responded in the comments at the blog. Jennifer Cubachi also covered the story, "About Fox40 and the Sarah Palin Controversy." Interesting how bloggers broke open a big scoop. The network's repsponse is here, "Statement Regarding Comments Overheard On FOX40.com Stream Following Sarah Palin Speech."

BONUS: Ed Driscoll at RWN, "Fox40 Covers Sarah Palin at Cal State, Forgets ‘All Mics are Hot’ Rule."

And check the thread at Memeorandum. And also, at Merced Sun-Star, "Sarah Palin discusses education and freedom at CSU Stanislaus banquet: She pokes fun of Jerry Brown and controversy over her speech, which raised $200k."

Patriotic Gear

This one's for GSGF...

Out shopping last weekend for some new patriotic apparel. My wife used to work at Kohl's, so every June I pick up some new gear in preparation for Fourth of July. Great for tea parties as well:

IDF Women

At Theo's:

Jan Brewer Roundup

Just posting a few links for those who's posted Jan Brewer's YouTube, "Brewer to Obama: Warning Signs Are Not Enough."

See also Atlas Shrugs, Blazing Cat Fur, and Carol's Closet. Added: See Hall of Record, Middle of the Right, Moonbattery, and Stormbringer.

Drop me a link in the comments if you've posted it. Thanks.

RELATED: "Arizona Gov. Stands by Claim That Most Illegals Smuggle Drugs Into Country." (And previously, "Most Illegal Immigrants Smuggling Drugs, Says Gov. Jan Brewer.")

Obama Financial Regulation Bill is Bank Bailout Bonanza

Everyone knows President Obama takes average Americans for suckers, but does he have to be to transparently obvious about it?

Here's his Saturday address below, on the new financial regulation bill in Congress. And get this: The White House homepage notes that the bill "creates a resolution authority to wind down firms whose collapse would threaten the entire financial system." And the president says "we'll create what's called a resolution authority that will help wind down firms whose collapse threatens our entire financial system." But then Obama sums that up by claiming, "Put simply, we'll end the days of taxpayer bailouts..."

Say what? No more Wall Street bailouts?

Well, not exactly. Check the Heritage Foundation, "Obama: Read My Lips, No More Bailouts (But Let’s Keep $50 Billion Around Just in Case)." In fact, the bill includes $50 billion in that resolution account, which will --- wait for it! --- bailout failing firms at taxpayer expense. And according to the Wall Street Journal:

Republicans warned it could restrict access to credit and enshrine the idea that the government won't allow big firms to fail.

In a bid to address the causes of 2008's market collapse, the bill gives regulators power to constrain the activities of big banks, including forcing them to divest certain operations and to hold more money to protect against losses.

If those buffers don't work, the government would have the power to seize and liquidate a failing financial company that poses a threat to the broader economy.

Sounds like this won't be the "end of financial bailouts" after all.

Obama. Is. Fail.

RELATED: At The Hill, "Obama asks Congress to take financial reform over the ‘finish line’." And Jules Crittenden, "Porky Bank." (Via Memeorandum.)

Dave Weigel: 'I don't know how my ego will ever recover...'

Ann Althouse calls Dave Weigel kinda smug, as seen here:

David Weigel 6.14.10 @ 5:01PM#

Well, I really enjoyed the two and a half years I spent here, and I'm constantly confused as to why mentions of my name lead to a lot of schoolyard insults. I really can't figure out why they do it -- lack of fulfillment seems like a good enough theory. After all, I'm here, and they're where I left them in 2008.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to return to my rewarding job and large circle of friends. I don't know how my ego will ever recover...

But big boy Scotty Lame-ieux thinks old Weigel is just the cat's meow:

I haven’t seen anybody raise any objections to Weigel's excellent reporting, and if his reporting is good what he says about people on a private listserv is completely irrelevant...

Uh huh.

That Weigel thought Matt Drudge should burn to death in self-immolation is no big deal. It's all of those awful "whiney" Republicans who're to blame.

Typical stupid Lawyers, Guns and Money bullshit.

Here's what Daily Caller publisher Neil Patel had to say about Weigel's "excellent reporting":

The Washington Post holds out Weigel as their reporter of choice to cover conservatives and Republicans. Weigel spends all his time going to conservative and Republican events and claiming to be an objective reporter there to cover them fairly. In between these events Weigel goes online and vents on JournoList to 400 other journalists — many who claim to be of the “objective” variety — about just how much he hates those “ratfucker” (his word) conservatives and Republicans. All of the other journalists in the know about this fraud just sit tight and let the fraud continue. Are these the “basic journalistic norms” that those on JournoList are upholding? The reporters on JournoList owe their readers an explanation.

More at Memeorandum. And see Media Decoder, "Post Blogger Quits After Limbaugh, Drudge Comments Were Made Public."

Added: From Matt Lewis, "Dave Weigel's Resignation From Washington Post Divides Conservatives."

Lady Gaga Wants Dead Bodies as Stage Props on Monster Tour

Recall Ann Althouse prevously: "You think the new issue of Rolling Stone is tough on General McChrystal, but how do you think Lady Gaga feels?"

Yeah. It's tough being upstaged by the Commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan, and while boasting those double-barrel machine-gun breasts, no less.

So here comes the next ante up, "LADY GAGA has come up with a way to make her live shows even more shocking - having dead bodies on stage."

The singer is teaming up with corpse-preserving scientist GUNTHER VON HAGENS to spice up her already blood-soaked Monster Ball Tour.

German doctor Von Hagens is a controversial figure who has outraged boffins with his Body Worlds exhibition of dead people.

Yep. More here and Confirmed at Von Hagens' website, "ANATOMIST DR. GUNTHER VON HAGENS RESPONDS TO REPORT OF COLLABORATION WITH LADY GAGA..."

But check the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

"It would be good to top this tour - which is already out there - with something nobody has done before, using dead bodies as part of a gig."

No one’s fed baby seals onstage into a Cuisinart blender either, but that doesn’t mean it has to be done. The idea of using laminated corpses as stage props is probably a line we didn’t need to cross, because Gaga will have to top that next tour, possibly by gassing members of her adoring audience. She’ll call it youth-anizing!

PHOTO CREDIT: Body Worlds on Wikipedia.

Bethany Dempsey Soccer Blogging

A little Saturday encore from yesterday's entry, "Bethany Dempsey Body Painting (Probably NSFW)."

And this gives me a chance to give Sir Smitty a shout-out preview for Rule 5 Sunday.

And be sure to visit some of the other friends of American Power:

* Another Black Conservative.

* Astute Bloggers (Honorary).

* Blazing Cat Fur.

* Bob Belvedere.

* Classical Liberal.

* Daley Gator.

* Left Coast Rebel.

* Not a Sheep.

* POWIP.

* The Other McCain.

* Reaganite Republican (Honorary).

* Right Klik (Honorary).

* Saberpoint (Honorary).

* Serr8d (Honorary).

* Snooper's Report (Honorary).

* Stormbringer.

* Theo Spark.

* Washington Rebel.

* WyBlog.

BONUS: Don't forget Instapundit.

Brewer to Obama: 'We Will Not Surrender Any Part of Arizona' (VIDEO)

Well, this is getting to be an Arizonapalooza weekend!

See, "Mexico Represents Single Biggest Drug Trafficking Threat to U.S.," and "Most Illegal Immigrants Smuggling Drugs, Says Gov. Jan Brewer."

And here's this awesome clip from Gov. Brewer:

Mexico Represents Single Biggest Drug Trafficking Threat to U.S.

Following up on my previous post on Gov. Jan Brewer's statements on Mexican drug mules, I'm struck by Joe Gandelman's response at The Moderate Voice, "Latest Immigration Comment From Arizona Politico Beneath Contempt":

This fits in with the entire national trend on how politics is now “discussed” right down the line. It’s sheer demonization — stemming from a growing belief that if you say something angrily enough and discredit those on the other side of an argument you win the argument. Proof, schmoof.

Outrageous is an understatement — but the way politics is trending these days Brewer will likely be rewarded with re-election.

Yeah.

She should be "rewarded with reelection":

But let's be honest. Drug trafficking is out of control, and Gandelman should know better than to categorically reject Gov. Brewer's statement, and of course the governor's staff has already issued a clarification, saying there may have been some "missteps." And thus as one of Gandelman's own commenters suggests:

... the way I read the governor's statement as clarified is that she is saying that most of the human smuggling into the US is controlled by Mexican drug cartels and that these cartels press "a lot" (which is different than most) of people into service as drug mules. That's the literal interpretation of what she and her office said.

Yep. That's the "literal interpretation."

And according to the "National Drug Intelligence Center — National Drug Threat Assessment 2010":

Mexican DTOs [drug trafficking organizations] continue to represent the single greatest drug trafficking threat to the United States. Mexican DTOs, already the predominant wholesale suppliers of illicit drugs in the United States, are gaining even greater strength in eastern drug markets where Colombian DTO strength is diminishing. The extent of Mexican DTO influence over domestic drug trafficking was evidenced in several ways in 2009. For example:

•Mexican DTOs were the only DTOs operating in every region of the country.

•Mexican DTOs increased their cooperation with U.S.-based street and prison gangs to distribute drugs. In many areas, these gangs were using their alliances with Mexican DTOs to facilitate an expansion of their midlevel and retail drug distribution operations into more rural and suburban areas.

•In 2009, midlevel and retail drug distribution in the United States was dominated by more than 900,000 criminally active gang members representing approximately 20,000 street gangs in more than 2,500 cities.

•Mexican DTOs increased the flow of several drugs (heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana) into the United States, primarily because they increased production of those drugs in Mexico.

•Drugs smuggled into the United States by Mexican DTOs usually are transported in private or commercial vehicles; however, Mexican DTOs also use cross-border tunnels, subterranean passageways, and low-flying small or ultralight aircraft to move drugs from Mexico into the United States.

•Mexican DTOs smuggled bulk cash drug proceeds totaling tens of billions of dollars from the United States through the Southwest Border and into Mexico. Much of the bulk cash (millions each week) was consolidated by the DTOs in several key areas, including Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and North Carolina, where it was prepared for transport to the U.S.-Mexico border and then smuggled into Mexico.

•According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Mexican DTO members or associates acquire thousands of weapons each year in Arizona, California, and Texas and smuggle them across the border to Mexico.

Most Illegal Immigrants Smuggling Drugs, Says Gov. Jan Brewer -- UPDATED!!

The Arizona Guardian reports that, "Brewer advisor says "missteps" were made on immigration claims"

Still, anything Gov. Jan Brewer says will "ignite controversy." As long as any official speaks bluntly and honestly about the crisis, media types will repudiate those remarks as extremist.

At NYT, "Arizona: Governor Ignites Controversy With Remarks on Drug Mules." (Via Memeorandum.)

RELATED: "Obama picks another illegal alien-coddler for key role at ICE."

UPDATE: At Fox News, "Arizona Gov. Stands by Claim That Most Illegals Smuggle Drugs Into Country."

The 100 Americans the Left Hates Most

This is cool:

Jennifer Love Hewitt Rule 5 Entry

A follow up to "Jennifer Love Hewitt Looks Fabulous in New People Magazine!"

She looks great, doesn't she:

Check back for a Rule 5 update a little later this morning.

World Cup Gives Leftists (Another) Chance to Root Against America

While driving to work the other day, westbound on the 22 Freeway, I noticed a big Chevy pickup getting on the road, merging over quite aggressively, pushing toward the carpool lane. The owner had painted a large sports slogan in the back window: #1 Mexico #1 Lakers. The driver was kinda pissed as he was unable to cut me off and get over to the unoccupied diamond lane. I noticed he was a young Hispanic guy, and he glared back at me with some pretty typical machismo. But it was that painted slogan on the back that got me to thinking: Yeah, the dude liked the Lakers, but if the U.S. and Mexico made it to the World Cup finals, no doubt this homie'd be rooting for the Mexican team.

So lo and behold, here's a pic of this morning's hard-copy Los Angeles Times, with the headline, "Mexican Flags Wave Again" --- and as the dude below looks like a gang-banger, not sure if that's the message LAT was hoping to send. Plus, checking at the website we find the headline, "World Cup Brings Mexican Flags back to Streets of Los Angeles," with a different picture at the link.

Actually, the Times badly overstates the decline of Mexican flags at the radical left's pro-amnesty rallies. And just drive around L.A. on Cinco de Mayo and you know what I'm talkin' about, yo!

Of course, the Times interviews Mexico fans who claim that soccer is different, "strictly cultural," says Miguel Haro at the piece.

Right.

Check this report, "Do You Root For Both Mexico and the USA?":

You must understand how bitter of rivals Mexico and the USA are in the sport to know that rooting for both them, even when they don’t play each other, doesn’t make sense. Both teams are hated rivals. You wouldn’t be a fan of both Barcelona and Real Madrid, so why is it okay in this situation? The matches are derbies: fights break out both on the field and on the pitch, smack is talked in the press, and when one team loses, it is devastation just because of who they lost to instead of having lost 3 points. There is historical significance in the rivalry, such as the USA knocking Mexico out in the 2002 World Cup and Mexico raping the USA 0-5 last July then 2-1 again a month later. Our supporters usually don’t get along either. We have some bad Mexico fans, but many of the USA fans that I have encountered are racist and very uninformed about the sport (watching so much MLS does that to you). And I’ll state again, Mexico does have bad fans as well. Every team does. But I don’t fit in with the USA fans at all, and I’m fine with that.

Uh huh. Got it. Racist.

Sounds pretty familiar.

RELATED: At Commentary, "Leftist Soccer Agony: U.S. Victory Equals Jingoism."

Toronto in Total Lockdown for Protests at G20 Summit

There's a fascinating slideshow here: "G20 Ghost Town: Toronto Eerily Empty."

Funny how when the left protests, authorities bring out the police-state apparatus the protect against the anarchy and violence. There's irony there. See, "G20 Law Gives Police Sweeping Powers to Arrest People," and "Police State In, Power Suits Out as Toronto Goes Into Security Shock."

But Jawa Report says it best, "Tea Party Protest Forces Lockdown of an Entire City":

Did I say tea party protest?

Sorry - I meant the annual leftwing/progressive riot-masquerading-as-political-protest known as the G-20 summit in Toronto. The police have had to practically institute martial law in an effort to deter and prevent the widespread rioting and destruction that these leftwing thugs bring to whatever city the descend upon.

And check the communist organization page at the Toronto Community Mobilization Network. It's all about "environmental justice" and "migrant rights," and, well, you know: workers of the world, blah, blah ...