THE HALF-FULL REPORT

You know the old glass half-empty/half-full perspective.  Whenever it's mentioned I always think of Dennis Turner. 

Many years ago, we were having a discussion whether the future of freedom was bright or bleak.  Arguing for the former, I mentioned Reason Magazine's "Trends" feature, which itemized recent pro-freedom developments.

Dennis instantly responded, "Yes, but it's mis-named.  It should be called "Anomalies."

But we are not eternal pessimists here at To The Point.  We aren't naïvely Pollyannic either, but are instead rationally optimistic, always on the look out for opportunities and solutions instead of being bummed out on dangers and problems.

And we'd like you to participate in the hunt.  So we are instituting the TTP Half-Full Report.

Whenever you see something of really good news regarding freedom in the world, let us know about it.  It'll have to contain links and references so we can check it out.

Each week, we'll then present a compendium of pro-freedom news in the Half-Full Report.

This week, for example, there was the thrilling elimination of one of the world's most evil monsters, Imad Mugniyeh, blown up by a car bomb in Damascus on Tuesday (2/12). 

His name was unfamiliar to most folks – but not to long-term TTPers, who read all about him almost three years ago (March 2005) in The Unknown King of Terror.  Read it now, and you'll see why the bump-off of this monster is good reason to break out a bottle of champagne to toast the folks who took him out.

Who those folks are isn't clear.  Who they aren't is clear – our CIA, who have neither the competence nor cojones.  It's too easy to blame the Israelis – but they have both, plus the motivation in spades.  Lebanese leaders like Saad Hariri and Walid Jumblatt accuse Syria – "Syria and its allies are tearing each other apart, they are eating each other," they exulted – for how else could it happen in Damascus without the complicity of the Mukharabat Syrian intelligence?

And, indeed, no investigation has been conducted at the scene of the explosion, no police, no government investigators, nothing.

Yet that same Mukharabat was responsible for killing Saad Hariri's father, Rafik (February 2005).  Our friend Michael Ledeen wonders if Hariri and Jumblatt put together a joint operation with French intel for the hit.  The Middle East is always wheels within wheels.

But whomever, we all need to raise a glass in gratitude to them.

We also need to raise a glass in praise of Europe's most courageous people, the Danes.

You know about the famous Danish cartoon controversy that caused Moslems threatening violence all over the world in the name of the Religion of Peace.  The cartoon that upset Moslems the most was by cartoonist Kurt Westergaard depicting Mohammed wearing a lit-fuse bomb as a turban:

When Danish police announced a few days ago they had arrested three Moslem fanatics plotting to murder Westergaard for his blasphemy, all three major Danish newspapers ran his cartoon on their front pages this week in protest of Moslem terrorism and to show their defiance of it.

This is the only way to deal with Moslem bullying and thuggery – stand up to it, show no fear of it, tell them to shove their threats up where the sun don't shine.

This is fabulous news from Denmark, and hopefully it will be inspirational for all of Europe.

And on the home front, there's good news in liberal Rhode Island, where Republicans and Democrats have joined together to crackdown on illegal aliens.  As the Boston Globe reported on Tuesday (2/12):

"In the past few weeks, state lawmakers and the governor have proposed a battery of measures targeting unauthorized workers, from expelling undocumented children from the state's healthcare system to making English the official language to jailing business owners and landlords who harbor illegal workers."

If this is happening in one of the most liberal blue states in the country – it's a trend, not an anomaly.

So there's three half-full examples.  Send us yours by emailing [email protected].  Then raise an at least half-full glass to freedom.  Always have hope. 

My father was ever fond of quoting what he called The Wheeler Family Motto, recited by generations of Wheelers.  My sister Janine, who flew all the way from Idaho to attend our Sarasota Rendezvous, and I happily recalled the words from our childhood:
 
There is a solution to every problem
The sun will shine after every storm
The soul's highest duty is to be of good cheer

Good advice for today.  That's why it's the TTP Motto as well.  So again, write to us with your good news at [email protected].  We'll be sure and give you an appreciative hat-tip.