Oh, Those Tolerant Muslims

From The Telegraph comes this news:

An Islamic court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced a man to death for renouncing his Muslim faith, the English-language daily Saudi Gazette reported on Tuesday.

The man, in his 20s, posted an online video ripping up a copy of Islam's holy book, the Koran, and hitting it with a shoe, the newspaper reported.

Saudi Arabia, the United States' top Arab ally and birthplace of Islam, follows the strict Wahhabi Sunni Muslim school and gives the clergy control over its justice system.

Amazing how they demand tolerance and multi-culturalism from the West, but at home it's "my way or the highway".  Or actually "my way or death".

Don't think it wouldn't happen if they took over another country.

Carve-outs and Exceptions

For those who have followed the Obamacare saga, you know of the many carve-outs and exceptions and waivers that the White House has created to benefit their favored friends.  How the law has become a patchwork of selective application and enforcement at the whim of the administration.

The Obama administration has now taken that one step further.  In seeking to stay an injunction against Obama's executive amnesty, the Justice Department has now formally requested that the judge carve-out and exception for Texas and let the amnesty apply to the other 49 states.

Dear Constitutional Scholar In Chief:  Could you please explain how this can in any way be constitutional?

January 20th, 2017 can't come soon enough.

Hat tip to Breitbart.

The Problem with Caring

At what point does embellishment become a lie?  For the hard-core ethicsists, it's at the point of any embellishment.  For most of us, it's a sliding scale - that 10 pound fish becomes a 12 pounder, the 3 point buck becomes a 5 point.

From Breitbart comes word of our VA Secretary, Robert McDonald:

In a statement released Monday by the VA, McDonald said: “While I was in Los Angeles, engaging a homeless individual to determine his veteran status, I asked the man where he had served in the military. He responded that he had served in special forces. I incorrectly stated that I had been in special forces. That was inaccurate and I apologize to anyone that was offended by my misstatement.”

Inaccurate?  How about flat out false?  Turns out that McDonald served in the 82nd Airborne Division.  Now, not to say that the 82nd isn't a fine outfit, but it's a far cry from "Special Forces".

Note the circumstances of this lie.  The VA secretary was talking with a homeless veteran who was SF.  Then he says that he too was SF.  This isn't something you just mistake.  I can only conclude that this was some attempt at compassion towards the vet.  But that's the problem.

Modern civilian progressives along with politicians of all stripes have made caring the standard.  If we care, that's what matters.  Not if we do anything, not if we accomplish, but did we care.  And the rush is to care more than the next guy.  Does it matter if throwing millions (or billions) of tax dollars at a "problem" are wasted?  Nope...it goes to show we care.  Projects over budget and behind schedule?  Doesn't matter because the goal is not to accomplish anything but to show we care.

Stop caring.  Start real, concrete action.  McDonald could show that by resigning right now.

But we know that won't happen - because he "cares" about our vets.

Winning hearts and minds

From Small Dead Animals comes this item:

A funeral was held on Friday for the man who killed two and injured five in twin Copenhagen attacks over the weekend.

The ceremony for 22-year-old Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein took place at the premises of the Islamic Society of Denmark following Friday prayers.

According to Danish media, some 500 people had gathered for the ceremony.

Until the Muslim "community" loudly, forcefully and sincerely condemns such murderers and until they are shamed by their leaders, the only thing they will understand is force.  Curtis Lemay type unconditional force.

A different kind of cliff

While reading a story in the Guardian about Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, the embattled president of Argentina, I came across this paragraph:

“It’s a peculiar brand of populism because it isn’t leaving the country in debt,” said Nicolás Dujovne, an economist. “They’ve financed their social spending with inflation, not debt. Argentina will be in a much better situation than Spain or Portugal, countries with much larger debt problems.”

So let's see....we haven't run up a ton of debt, we've just left the country with inflation that is running about 40% per year in real terms (not the false official rate).  That's supposed to be a much better situation?

How about a recognition that either kind of phony finance eventually leaves the country for the worse?  Nope...you see, it was for "social spending" - that makes it all worthwhile because it's for the PEEEPLE.  Social spending good, no matter how it happens.

No wonder respect for academics keeps plummeting.  But fawning journalists keep quoting them to prop up the image of leftist leaders.

In the Fray

The OC has been beset with some health distractions...Twitter made for quick activity, but it seems I'll be able to get back into the blogging fray.

Speaking of fray, from Patrick Brennan at NRO comes this gem about a recent fistcuff in the Turkish parliament.

In fact, when it comes to Turkish politics — a world of show trials, actual conspiracies, judicial and military coups, shadowy business networks — legislative fisticuffs almost feels downright transparent and democratic. 

I like the way that sounds....