Archive for March, 2004

The Swiss Army knife for the 21st century:

(Found here.)

Shortly after WWII, it was in vogue among leftist types to call people who’s politics they disagreed with “fascist” while “freedom and democracy” were used to designate favorable positions and governments, regardless of actual policy. Since this trend is on the rise again, I though a 1946-era quiz would be of interest:

The F Scale, is “an instrument that would yield an estimate of fascist receptivity at the personality level.”

I disagree with a number of questions, but I still find the test a much better indicator of Fascist tendencies than today’s leftist rants. (I scored 2.3, mostly because of Q’s 2-4. 1950 avg was 3.84.)
(Link found here.)

Wow:

An experimental pilotless plane has broken the world speed record for an atmospheric engine, briefly flying at 7,700 kilometres per hour – seven times the speed of sound, NASA says.

The SCRAMjet program is an attempt to find a replacement the Space Shuttle. The air-breathing supersonic engine is NASA’s prime candidate for the next generation of smaller, lighter, and much more efficient reusable space vehicles. The technology has the potential to revolutionize space travel, but the program is still in its infancy, and faces significant technical challenges such as sustaining thrust at hypersonic speeds and developing a composite replacement for the space shuttle’s “tiles.” Given the nature of NASA’s bureaucracy, I think it’s more likely that an intermediate Shuttle-era replacement will be developed in the meantime. Meanwhile, several X-Prize teams plan to use a variations of a supersonic-combustion ramjet engine. My bet for the next-generation spacecraft is Burt Rutan.

Kerry’s plan to create 10 million jobs — a plan that Republicans branded yesterday as unworkable and ineffectual — depends on an array of tax cuts and changes in the tax code. The centerpiece is an end to a tax break enacted in the early 1960s, known as deferral, that allows US companies to delay paying taxes on foreign income so long as those profits are reinvested in those overseas operations.
Kerry said this change would strip away an incentive for companies to move jobs abroad and generate about $12 billion annually, which would be used to pay for a 5 percent reduction in the corporate tax rate, from 35 percent to 33.25 percent. Citing IRS studies, campaign advisers contended that 99 percent of US companies would owe less in taxes after these twin changes. The plan also includes a one-year “tax holiday” for corporations that invest foreign revenues into their US operations, proposing to tax those profits at a special 10 percent rate.

Now first of all, economic predictions of this kind are insanely impossible. Second, politicians cannot “create” jobs by the very definition of politics – they can either make it illegal for people to work, or get out of our way so bussinessmen can create wealth. Third, let me get this “recovery plan” straight:

1. American companies are forced to be less competitive by limiting outsourcing.
2. Investment funds dry up as Bush tax cut is repealed.
3. Double-tax American companies for profits they make abroad.
4. (Some miracle)
5. Deficit is gone, so we can decrease taxes one again, making everyone happy.

Is that how it works?

A satirical video demonstrates the hypocrisy of leftist politicians who accuse Bush of lying about Iraq – when they themselves made the same claims. But the truly revealing thing the video shows is that peaceniks don’t find this hypocrisy new or shocking – they don’t let small things like facts get in the way of their dogma.

It has become obvious to any honest individual that the UN is essentially a pulpit for dictators, communists, and looters of all sorts to attack and demand welfare from the few free countries of the world.

The latest resolution against Israel condemned “the most recent extrajudicial execution committed by Israel” and “all attacks against any civilians as well as all acts of violence and destruction.” This was for the killing of a man “responsible for the deaths of 377 Israelis in at least 425 terrorist attacks over the past three-and-a-half years of the Palestinian Authority’s war against Israel.” How many resolutions were passed to condemn the murder of all those innocent people? How many resolutions were passed against brainwashing and sending little boys who “don’t want to die” to blow themselves up? You guessed it – zero. No, the UN cannot even be accused of pacifism –the latest vote demonstrates its open support of terrorists.

Lest we forget that UN representatives represent the policies of the nations they represent, here are the nations that voted to support this mass-murdering “spiritual leader:” China, Russia, France, Angola, Chile, Pakistan, Spain, Algeria, Benin, Brazil, and the Philippines.