I agree with the ACLU!

It always makes me cringe when I agree with the ACLU on absolutely anything. Usually it's for different reasons, of course...

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=2326759&page=1

UPDATE:

Here are other recent links with more information:

http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=192201935
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1228714,00.html

Criminal Claustrophobia

More proof that the terrorists are winning this war:

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,20157900-948,00.html

I am claustrophobic as well, and have had it pretty bad on planes before. I have never walked the isles muttering "Pakistan" before, but I did almost punch a police officer (that's a story for another time).

This is another reason I should never get on a plane. If I ever get overly claustrophobic, instead of trying to help me, both air marshals and the flight crew will tackle me. Then they'll scramble F15's and threaten the other 193 passengers and the crew on the plane with sidewinder missiles. Then they will charge ME with federal crimes like they did her. My heart goes out to this woman, and every other passenger whose rights were further raped upon landing.

Then again, I wouldn't be carrying LOTION and MATCHES with me. She could have taken down the plane!

And people wonder why I believe that "the right to keep and bear arms" includes surface-to-air missiles.

Explosive Water in Airports

Once again I get warm fuzzies all over when TSA steps up security. At least I know I'm safe!

I found out this morning about the "liquid explosives" or whatever it was when a business meeting was postponed because the people we were meeting with were delayed at the airport.

"But Calan, are you saying that your business meeting was more important than the LIVES aboard those planes?"

In a way, I am saying that, and in a way I am not. I don't believe it's an either/or situation. What I am upset about is that we HELPED the terrorists hurt this country. The terrorist plot didn't fail, it was SUCCESSFUL. Hundreds of thousands will have their civil rights further raped, American business was hurt, dollars were spent, tax money was spent, resources were expended all so they can control you more and make sure that no one can bring a bottle of water with you on the plane. The terrorists are wielding TSA and the rest of this administration like a double-edged broadsword into the lives of Americans. And I, for one, believe that freedom is worth a few lives. And I'm not talking about other peoples' lives- I would fly MORE OFTEN without TSA (or ANY OTHER security whatsoever) than I do now with TSA in place. I would prefer the risk with a gun in my hand than to have my rights raped by my own government just so I can put the guns in their hands. It sickens me that there exists even a single American that would prefer the so-called "security" that in reality damns us all.

Thoughts on Israel

I don't know why I have not written on Israel earlier than now, I am very passionate about what I think here. I stand in support Israel, even if it means my life.

Thankfully most of the U.S. seems to be very supportive of Israel, and in my opinion it is one of the few correct decisions that the Bush Administration has made as of late (that and the decision not to pay for fetal stem-cell research - I don't want my tax money going to pay for that).

I honestly have even had this small voice in the back of my head urging me to offer to fight in the IDF, but for other reasons I don't think it's what I am supposed to do. I certainly would be willing to though.

There is really only one point that I would like to make about this, mostly because I don't think that there is much contention about this in the U.S. at this point. My only real issue is the idea of "proportional force." What a crock. I honestly cannot believe I am hearing this.

When armies use proportional force, wars last decades or even centuries instead of days. People don't die as quickly, but in the long run the result is more deaths, more animosity for a much longer period of time, and a constant state of war instead of a brief one. The idea behind war is to win, not to sustain it.

The UN has been calling for a cease fire since the first Israeli artillery round was shot (but they didn't care about Hesbollah's rockets). There is even some evidence that the UN has helped Hesbollah before the war to get the rockets in place, and during the war- when Israel bombed the UN building it was apparently also flying a Hesbollah flag. I have a hunch it was a little more than that.

The UN in my opinion is the worst thing that humanity has ever produced. I rate the UN below Hesbollah, below the Nazis, even below my old boss. The funny thing is that I'm not afraid of them. The UN is the stupidest, most incompetent group of tyrants that the world has ever seen. Who are they to tell Israel to stop defending itself? Who are they to tell anyone anything?

Once again I am going to shut it before I say something that isn't covered in the 1st Amendment.