Classical Values :: Raging RINOs, long may they range!

July 17, 2006

Raging RINOs, long may they range!

After more than three years of blogging, I'm finally hosting a carnival -- a new first for me. And I don't get new firsts that often, so this ought to be considered cause for celebration.

Over the years, I've written a number of mini-reviews of carnivals, but I can't do that this time, because my assignment is to write it! (If I'm lucky, I'll avoid the hall-of-mirrors of reviewing my own review.)

How to celebrate hosting my first carnival? Well, it's a little like having a first baby -- not new for people who've done it, but new for the person having it. So I think I'll have a baby. (A baby rino, of course.)

VOILA!

A RINO is born

Wow. This giving birth thing wasn't as tough as I thought. I didn't even need an anesthetic, and the little fellow is already off and running. (Of course, the first thing my little RINO did with his precocious, inquisitive self was to watch this video which illustrates graphically what his parents had to do to get him here!)

RINOs being linear types who are fond of charging into things, my baby RINO thought the best way to approach this Carnival would be to simply take the posts in the order they were received. It's also more fair that way, because while obviously some are better than others, each is good in its own way. Remember, RINOs tend to be loner animals, not joiners of herds. But some varieties are more gregarious than others. Above all, they cannot be stereotyped.

Top RINO starts the stampede

The first post I received was from the head bull -- Stephen (aka The Commissar, at The Politburo Diktat).

The fearless leader's post involves an incredible tale about a creationist evangelist who's run afoul of the law.

A Pensacola evangelist who owns the defunct Dinosaur Adventure Land in Pensacola was arrested Thursday on 58 federal charges, including failing to pay $473,818 in employee-related taxes and making threats against investigators.

The entrepreneur, Kent Hovind (aka Dr. Dino), claims he works for God, to which our Satanic Commissar retorts,

Employed by God? Guess what, I’m employed by Satan himself. Can I get a tax break?

Only if you render unto Caesar first! (Something it strikes me the good Dr. Dino forgets.)

Hey wait a minute! What's this Dr. DINO doing at the RINO carnival? Aren't DINOs too big to fit inside our tent? I'll let the RINO readers decide. As for me, the post has reinvigorated my "deeply held religious beliefs against building permits." (Now, if I could just find a fitting religion to expand my religious loophole!)

Why do they want to kill us?

One of the reasons our RINO counterparts in the wild are endangered is because the horns are used to make traditional Arab daggers in countries like Yemen:

It was not until the 1970s that rhinos declined dramatically, due to a surprising cause: the soaring price of oil. Young men in the Arab country of Yemen covet rhino horn for elaborately-carved dagger handles, symbols of wealth and status in that country. Until the 1970s, few men could afford these prized dagger handles. But Yemen and other Middle Eastern countries are rich in oil, and prices for this "black gold" climbed dramatically in that decade due to a worldwide oil shortage. The result was a seven-fold increase in the per capita income in Yemen, a rise in wealth that made rhino horn dagger handles within the reach of almost everyone. This small country, with a population of 6 million at the time, suddenly became the world's largest importer of rhino horn.

The value of rhino horn made it enormously profitable to poach rhinos and sell them on the black market. For example, in 1990, the two horns from a single black rhino brought as much as $50,000. Just like poaching for elephant ivory, poaching for rhino horn is simply too profitable for many subsistence farmers and herders to resist.

(More here.) Undefended wealth is the primary cause of war, as both Hemingway and MacArthur observed. Are we American RINOs also endangered because of insufficiently defended wealth? Undefended wealth of freedom, perhaps?

Knowing the enemy

In this regard, Barry Campbell at enrevanche links to a report which should be of major interest to all bloggers who want to learn more about al Qaeda -- "Abu Bakr Naji’s Management of Savagery":

The Olin Institute, in collaboration with West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center, is making this translation available online for free. Writing as a high-level insider, Naji explains how al-Qaeda plans to defeat the U.S. and its allies in the Middle East, establish sanctuaries for Jihadis, correct organizational problems, and create better propaganda. It is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the strategic thinking of al-Qaeda’s leadership and the future of the jihadi movement.

The report looks fascinating, and you owe it to yourself to check it out. (Barry has the the pdf links.) It's a long read at 268 pages, but it shows that the enemy has a multisplendored plan of attack. Excerpt:

. . .targeting the economy of the enemy is a sharia policy for putting pressure on the enemy so that he may know that continuing to fight the people of faith leads to the loss of this world and the interests which are their secret goal in reality, covered with deceptive slogans and ideology.

I just don't have time to read it all, but what I love about the blogosphere is that I know somebody else will. (Perhaps you?)

While I realize that reading a 268 page jihadi manifesto is a lot of work, it's worth keeping in mind that if you do too much of what the guy in the next picture is doing, you might lose what you most value!

No rest for our RINOs!

Can DINOs be RINOs?

The Unabrewer has a comparison of Joseph Lieberman’s interest group ratings to Harry Reid of Nevada, Hillary Clinton of New York, and Joseph Biden and Tom Carper of Delaware. Sample:

ENVIRONMENT - as rated by the League of Conservation Voters (2005)

Reid: 100
Clinton: 95
Biden: 90
Carper: 80
Liebermann: 70 (a HA! Stone him!)

Hmmm . . . Right after the Sharia lecture, a post about stoning Liebermann. . . (By environmentalist jihadists?)

QUESTION: If Liebermann became a Republican, wouldn't he just go from being a DINO to a RINO?

I know this Carnival is supposed to be the Raging of the RINOs, but twice now I've been thinking about DINOs. Hmmm again . . . Global Cooling might have killed the DINOs the first time around. Maybe the hot air of Global Warming will bring them back?

As to which DINO might most resemble a RINO, I think it would be one of the ceratopsians -- a monoclonius, perhaps?

Well, why not? In my own case, a DINO gave birth to a RINO, and there's always an ecological niche for charging nonconformists who believe in self defense. . .

Lost heads and Yemen

Speaking of jihad and the horn-swaggling Yemenis, did you know that "it is not illegal in Yemen to be an accomplice to the beheading of a diplomat in Iraq"? And helping move fighters to Iraq is the "duty of all Muslims" in Yemen? Neither did I, but fortunately, another fearless RINO, Jane of Armies of Liberation, has the details about that and more, including a report that the Russians are tracking down terrorists in Yemen. A very helpful post, I'd say.

And here's what the Yemenis make from our endangered brethren:

What's the matter? A Kalashnikov's not good enough?

Why the need to kill endangered species simply to get a handle for such outmoded technology?

Superstition, probably.

Medieval quackery

Superstition is pretty much the subject with which Orac at Respectful Insolence grapples in his entry. Orac has a political question that interfaces with his interest in quackery -- at what age does a cancer patient have the right to discontinue treatment and opt for quack remedies like the infamous Hoxsey Clinic in Tijuana? It's a very thoughtful post in which Orac discloses his skepticism (which I share), and he'e very fair to both sides on the legal issue. The case is complicated by the fact that the parents are backing their son's decision. It's tragic, as he's only sixteen, and with the help of his parents, Orac thinks he's throwing away his only chance at life:

t's magical thinking that has led to a very foolish one that will preclude Abraham's surviving his cancer. The Hoxsey treatment is quackery and will not cure Abraham, for reasons that I've enumerated in detail. Conventional therapy (high dose chemotherapy followed by stem cell transplant) has probably around a 50-50 chance of resulting in long-term survival, down from 80% or more, mainly because his tumor relapsed after an initial course of chemotherapy, implying that it is a more aggressive tumor. Also, this is not a matter of Abraham's giving up and letting nature take its course because his situation is hopeless, a perfectly rational decision in cases that really are hopeless. Abraham clearly wants to live and believes that the Hoxsey treatment has a better chance of curing him than chemotherapy and without the nasty side effects. He has in essence fallen for a lie and, if successful in his quest, will pay for it with his life.

Orac is now getting angry traffic from the "alties." Well, as the saying goes, "No good deed goes unpunished." Excellent post!

Two posts on the Mideast

Two Indian RINOS represent two more great posts on the Mideast. The first one from Dan Melson at Searchlight Crusade shares his "Thoughts on Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran." If like me, you're always looking for a good roundup, this post also serves as that. Dan sees the situation as bad enough now, but warns that waiting could make it worse:

I do not want a confrontation with Iran, but if one must come, the worst we could do is delay it until they have nuclear weapons.

Very true.

And Mark Coffey at Decision '08 has some advice for Palestinians and other enemies of Israel which I'd call both heartfelt and practical:

You cannot defeat Israel, and the longer you deny that obvious fact, the longer you prolong the misery of your people. . .

Don't miss the post, or you'll be missing the best part, a gem of a quotation from 1863 which is completely applicable to the events of today!

Taking us for granted?

Below The Beltway's Doug Mataconis has a post to which I really relate: The End Of The Republican Lock?, which takes to heart Ryan Sager's analysis and concludes that the GOP is abandoning libertarianism -- particularly that of the Western states. Warns Doug:

Republicans have taken their libertarian wing for granted for a long time. The social conservative wing of the party would, most likely, just as soon not have them around to begin with. Now it appears that they may learn what not having them around really means.

While Doug shares Cato's skepticism that libertarians will ever morph into Kossacks, it's a good question how far a coalition can unravel and still be a coalition. (IMO, it may Take A Hillary.)

After that last post, I need a drink!

So here goes; down the hatch!

Rhinoceros drinks.jpg

While I'm drinking, I might as well drink to Don Surber (a sort of MSM insider's insider) has a classic, much linked post about the MSM -- called "The vicious silence of NYT," in which he contrasts the sanctimonious posturing about the financial surveillance story with the vicious silence about Bob Novak:

These two big newspapers and others were viciously silent as Novak, a journalism Hall of Famer, was dragged before a federal grand jury and required to name names, to divulge sources, while the editors of the Times in LA and the one in NYC enjoyed the air conditioning.

Some journalists even demanded an investigation. The NYT called for an special prosecutor. This was madness. This was political payback because Novak dares to be a conservative voice. If some lefty crackpot like Robert Scheer were under attack by a federal prosecutor, you bet your boots NYT would be wrapping him in the First Amendment.

As well it should. Hauling in reporters and columnists to divulge their sources is anathema to a free press.

Don concludes that the "Pajama People" are looking good. (Which isn't hard, if the Times is used as a yardstick.)

Defending my dog

Longtime favorite blogger jd at evolution weighs in with a topic near and dear to my and Coco's hearts: "so-called breed specific legislation" (which usually means banning pit bulls). The Kansas City Star's Greg Clark demands that the dogs be banned, because, he claims, they'll "maul somebody":

Keeping pit bulls, chows and Rottweilers in our cities is just like playing Russian roulette with fangs.

Sooner or later, a dog will maul somebody. In recent weeks, that horror has played through our souls, over and over. Now it’s time to ban the breeds.

Note that this crackpot dog grabbing advocate doesn't stop with pit bulls. I doubt he'd stop with chows and Rottweilers, either. I think people like him hate dogs for the same reason they hate guns; self reliant people have them so that they don't have to live in fear for their lives. Interesting that he puts the word "pets" in quotes. Might he be forgetting that people love their dogs -- even the ones not on this "journalist's" list?

As to the criminal types who create most of these problems, jd puts it well:

people that get these dogs to attack people aren’t going to stop because they’re banned. The answer, of course, is the same as it is for anyone who incites violent behavior in humans: charge them with a crime. They’re the ones responsible.

I can remember when the pit bull was an obscure breed, mostly owned by rural folks. The choice of thugs who wanted a dog to attack people was the Doberman. Ban one breed, they'll just get another. There are innumerable "pit bull lookalikes" too; just try to spot the right one here.

Coco's reaction? She's glad someone spoke up for her at the RINO Carnival and she's feeling awfully protective of her baby RINO right now:

RINO goes national

Speaking of speaking up, what happens when a RINO visits the nation's capital? Jack Yoest did exactly that when he attended a Judiciary Committee hearing in which Jim Haynes testified in a confrontational hearing involving his judicial qualifications. Just about everyone in the room was after him and the details are in a post titled "Jim Haynes' Hearing: Not a Pretty Sight." A few nuggets:

Ted Kennedy preaching obedience to the law. Goodness.

and

I really don't know what was worse: the contemptuous questions. Or Haynes' gosh-awful answers.

Sounds positively gruesome. I don't know if I could stand to watch something like that. . .

RINO defends border

Obedience to the law, you were saying, Ted? Regarding illegal immigration, Digger posts about a vow by a Dr. Agapito Lopez of the Hazelton Latino Association that "We Will Never Assimilate!"

We will never convert ourselves into Anglos. We will aculturize. We will learn the language. We will learn the laws. We will follow the laws. But we will never assimilate.

To which Digger replies:

Good to see they want to come to this country as other immigrants do -- and have -- in order to not only benefit from the prosperity, upward mobility and opportunity in our society, but also to improve it as people through the history of America have done. These groups just want to benefit from everything America has to offer without giving back. They don't want to embrace the freedom and ideals of our country, they just want to take from it and cause as much divisiveness in our society as they can.

I agree with Digger's retort to the obnoxious Dr. Lopez. What I find even more irritating is that Governor Ed Rendell would put someone like Dr. Lopez on an official commission -- the Governor's Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs. The government should be helping people assimilate, not spending tax dollars keeping them balkanized.

The fires of emotion

One of my favorite bloggers, Rachel at Tinkerty Tonk has a great post about mastering emotions:

Nowadays, everytime you turn on the news there's emotion by the carload--whether at a funeral or a meeting of the public utilities board. We love emotion. Emotion gives good footage, but not good public policy. Consider Cindy Sheehan: Her willingness to display her emotion has made her an icon of the antiwar movement. Her emotion gave her moral authority, we're told. Her emotion should have been reason enough for us to pull out of Iraq.

But isn't mastering emotions a sign of maturity? So let's discard emotion in favor of a stiff upper lip.

I was thinking about this earlier today when I recalled taking a logic class in (I kid you not) the fifth grade. We all have our emotions (hell, that's what makes us RINOs rage), but it's better to use them as fuel for reason than let them overwhelm our ability to reason?

Rachel's post about controlling passions reminded me of the unconfirmed legend:

There are a number of legends about rhinoceroses stamping out fire. The story seems to have been common in Malaysia and Burma.

This type of rhinoceros even had a special name in Malay, badak api, where badak means rhinoceros and api means fire. The animal would come when a fire is lit in the forest and stamp it out.

Whether or not there is any truth to this has not yet been proven, as there has been no documented sighting of this phenomenon in recent history.

Can't stand the heat? Charge in and stomp out the fire!

And with that, it's time to cover the fire, for this brings me to the the end* of this week's RINO Sightings Carnival.

I'd like to thank all who participated -- a wide range of bloggers with a wide range of subjects.

RINOs, of course, need plenty of range space, and they're not used to getting together like this. But when they do, watch out!

Till next time . . .

LATE UPDATE (07/17/06): JimK at Right Wing Thoughts sends a fascinating last-minute submission with this look at informer Mubin Shaikh's role in the recent Canadian terrorist plot. I realize that in the real world, we can't expect informers to be saints, and this Mubin Shaikh clearly does not qualify for sainthood (unless working for the imposition of Sharia Law in Canada qualifies as saintly activity). I think it's wise to consider all possible motivations when dealing with someone like that.

Jim also shares his thoughts -- and a video -- about Girls who kick ass, and concludes:

If you are a man who doesn’t appreciate a strong woman, I put it to you that you are not a complete man.

Well, RINOs seem to appreciate tough love. . .

* I could be wrong, though. RINOs are not elephants. We sometimes forget! So . . . if I left anyone out, just let me know.

UPDATE: Thank you, Glenn Reynolds, for honoring the RINOs by linking this Carnival!

Welcome all!

posted by Eric on 07.17.06 at 12:03 AM

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Comments

Great post! Thanks for the top mention.

Linked.

The Commissar · July 17, 2006 10:12 AM

Nice job. Thanks.

Jane · July 17, 2006 10:57 AM

Great job. And thanks for allowing my late entry.

Rachel · July 17, 2006 12:12 PM

I'm not very impressed by this. Perhaps I missed something. Am I supposed to think that RINOs have moral principles?

Pink Pig · July 18, 2006 12:17 AM

No wonder these countries are economically depressed. Consider the productivity of an economy that kills a whole rhinoceros to make a few dagger handles. That's like killing giraffes to make fly whisks of their tails or whales to get oil for lamps.

They'll never enter the modern world at this rate!

Someone needs to tell them about plastics, other than the explosive kind.

AST · July 18, 2006 02:52 AM

Keeping pit bulls, chows and Rottweilers in our cities is just like playing Russian [r]oulette with fangs.

How do you play Russian [r]oulette with fangs? Get in a room with six dogs, only one of whom has teeth, and bet on which one bites you first?

This guy's analogy is like Hitler at an ice rink.

Raging Bee · July 18, 2006 11:03 AM

Thanks for helping me post this, at long last. So I'm guessing the word "[r]oulette" made your software think my post was on-line gambling spam?

Yep, that's it all right...though that's not quite as silly as the time I couldn't post a comment containing the word "soci[a]list" in it, 'cause that word contains "ci[a]lis."

Oh wait, your software has the problem too...

Raging Bee · July 18, 2006 11:42 AM

The Houston Zoo is sponsoring a Bowling for Rhinos fundraiser July 22.

T-shirts are just $10.

http://www.houstonzoo.org/BFR

beloml · July 18, 2006 12:09 PM

This is, without a doubt, the most masterful hosting of any carnival,any where. And I've already hosted one, submitted to lots and read hundreds. Great job... now, if only I can learn to emulate this ability...

GM Roper · July 18, 2006 01:48 PM

One word (RINO)is perhaps, too often profaned?

What is the crucial genetic difference between what I hope you view as a true red state pachyderm and its letter wrinkled cousin (RINO).

The Real Sporer · July 18, 2006 11:26 PM

Man who run in front of car get tired.

Rudolf · July 28, 2006 09:04 PM