The Muslim Brotherhood Must Be Excluded

In recent days, Obama has been pushing Egypt to find a role in a new government for the Muslim Brotherhood. This is an international front for Islamofascism who tries to make fundamentalist Islam look acceptable, much like the Nazi moderation campaigns in the late 20s and early 30s.

Make no mistake, especially y'all on the liberal side of things. These are people who have no problem with the execution of gays and the mutilation of rape victims, especially if that rape destroyed their virginity. These are the Middle East version of the Westboro Baptist (non)Church in their basic beliefs. They should be allowed nowhere near any power structure anywhere.

Revolutions usually begin with democratic leaning moderates in control and radicals asking just for a place at the table. Over time the radicals use ruthless means to intimidate and shove their way into dictatorial control. The American Revolution was an example of the opposite. Radicals were weeded out or chose to drop out and the moderates too over. In Russia and France, radicals seized control with terrifying and bloody results.

To avoid bloodshed in the increasingly inevitable looking scenario of change in Egypt, we must push for the exclusion of the Muslim Brotherhood. They are terrorists who will kill and maim the weak and vulnerable if their sick interpretation of Islam is given any credibility or influence.

We want a moderate and secular democracy in Egypt that opens up the economic system to a more free market orientation. We do not need terrorists who have temporarily decided to look moderate.

What Is Going On in Egypt?

"May you live in interesting times."

Egypt is living out this ancient Chinese curse as thousands have taken to the streets to protest, confront government forces, and/or loot. People on the outside have a difficult time making out precisely what they stand for, although it is easy to see that they are definitely against the current president Hosni Mubarek. Counter demonstrations have zealously supported Mubrake and his administration which has generally been non hostile to Israel and the United States while strongly opposing Islamofascist terrorism. That being said, under his governance, there has been corruption and the suppression of democracy.

If this falls into a real revolution, it could follow a pattern set for hundreds of years. Moderates take control first with the desire to right the wrongs of the old regime. They are quickly shoved aside by ruthless radicals whose aim is power and control. They will shed blood and lives to get what they want. Radical Puritans in Britain in the 1600s, France in the 1700s, Russia in the 1900s are the most well-known examples. We must watch for the same pattern here.

If radicals do seize power in Cairo, we must be ready. A coalition of countries led by the United States, but including African and Asian countries must be ready to seize the Suez Canal and place it under international control. Not United Nations control, but a temporary trusteeship. India, South Africa, and other non traditional powers should be party to this, but ready to move quickly if Islamofascists gain control of Egypt.

This is dangerous and could spread quickly. Where was our president at the beginning? A star studded party. Where is our Secretary of State?

We need the experienced hand of a Condoleeza Rice right now. Or a George H. W. Bush. Obama is once again in over his head and needs to ask for experienced help to try and prevent the worst from happening.

Skinned

MTV will likely pull the plug on its import show "Skins" under pressure from viewers, advertisers, Congress, and the Department of Justice.

Executives at MTV held long discussions to determine whether or not U. S. law and the American market would accept a television program that is entirely about sex and drug use among teenage children. They apparently forgot that even simulated sex among child actors and actresses is a federal crime, punishable by prison sentences. To me, if you are having that discussion, the show is probably inappropriate.

"Skins" originated in Great Britain on the BBC. Parents should be warned that the show is on BBC America, which is available on satellite and cable. It probably will not be shown very much longer based on the adverse reaction to its showing on MTV.

The show's creators and backers sell it as a "frank" portrayal of teenage life. They claim that those who think teenagers behave otherwise are foolish and deluded. Generalizing about any lareg group leads to dangerous inaccuracy. Lots of teens indulge in sex and use drugs. Lots of teens are afraid of sex and avoid drugs. In any event, one can get the point across on a fictional show that teenagers are doing these things without breaking federal child pornography laws. At a certain point, the show's creators must admit that they are trying to stimulate other things than a frank discussion about teenage behavior.

Fortunately we have an appropriate market response to the show. Not only are advertisers abandoning the show, so are viewers. Even on the most coarse, envelope pushing network offered in America, viewers are not accepting of what has been offered. MTV will likely pull the plug on the show not long after assuring its creators that the market and the law would be permissive of this type of programming.

People my age are nostalgic for the days when you saw music on Music Television (as MTV was once known.) As far as I am concerned, Jim Morrison sang something that resonates very well here "when the music's over, turn out the lights . . ." Apparently, the Department of Justice might do the same. Personally, I think the government should back off. MTV's lawyers looked over this show with a fine toothed comb. They will either prove that they did not violate the letter of the law, or hide behind deniability, claiming they didn't know how far the show would go. I doubt that a costly investigation will reveal any technical wrongdoing by MTV. The market has spoken and rejected it. No need to go any further.

Democratic Delegates Deal Delay to Bill That Will Return Miners to Work

Delegate Stan Shaver has had an interesting week. He is sponsoring a bill to charge seniors $25 for hunting and fishing licenses (they are currently exempt) while also trying to keep West Virginia coal miners out of work.

The bill (HB 2854) to create the new class of license for the elderly (because we don't want to miss out on this lucrative source of fee income) will be first read on Monday and probably pass the House and be sent to the Senate by the end of the week, according to the Boone Examiner.

In all honesty, this is not a measure that I have too much of a problem with, so long as the money goes back into state supported outdoor recreation, or gun classes, or something else useful. If other citizens have to pay fees, people over sixty five should as well.

However it is interesting that Delegate Shaver's bill to raise these fees will probably sail through the House while he is helping to stall the Intrastate Coal and Use bill (HB 2554. See link http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=hb2554%20intr.htm&yr=2011&sesstype=RS&i=2554 ) Delegate Shaver (D-46) and Delegate Larry Barker (D-18) both represent areas that benefit from coal mining (Tucker, Preston, and Boone counties) yet have worked to keep HB 2554 off of the committee agenda. This will eventually prevent the bill from even being sent to the full House of Delegates for a vote.

The importance of HB 2554 is two fold. It would block mines that only sell to West Virginia customers from any federal oversight. Several mines whose operations have been prevented or suspended by the EPA can come back online with state permission. In the past, the EPA could be trusted to objectively make decisions solely based on environmental issues. The current administration has repeatedly stated its desire to end the coal industry and is using the EPA to further that end. When Congress refused to create limitations that will harm the coal industry, Obama's administration signalled its willingness to ignore Article 1 Sectioon 1 of the Constitution ( http://www.house.gov/house/Constitution/Constitution.html ) and write its own law.

The passage of the Intrastate Coal and Use Act would put West Virginia miners back to work and result in the collection of more tax revenues. Since our state needs to extra income gathered from elderly hunters and fishermen, it could certainly use the revenue from coal miner incomes and coal operations. Additionally, West Virginia and other states need to send a message to Obama and his federal cronies that they are violating the Constitution by overstepping legal limits on their power. States must defend their prerogatives under the Tenth Amendment.

HB 2554 has bipartisan support and will put West Virginians back to work if passed by both houses of the Legislature. If our state needs more revenue and jobs, let's push through a bill to create work and business as quickly as we push through a bill to charge seniors fees to hunt and fish. Miners and others who support jobs in this state need to ask their legislators a question. Do you support Barack Obama's War on Coal, or do you support West Virginia and its coal miners and operators?

Which side are you on?