HALF-FULL REPORT 07/18/14

"What can we think of a regime that so broadly trumpets its vision of peace and global disarmament and yet so callously and quickly commits a terrorist act to sacrifice the lives of innocent human beings? What can be said about Soviet credibility when they flagrantly lie about such a heinous act?"
—President Ronald Reagan on the Kremlin shooting down Korean Air 007 on September 1, 1983.

"Murder In The Air" was the cover of Newsweek at the time.  It reported: 

"The electronic evidence was convincing: the Soviets had tracked Flight 007 a full 2 ½ hours before the Su-15 fired, a lag that would have permitted the decision to be reviewed at the highest levels in Moscow. The fighter pilot trailed his target for 14 minutes before the attack-and radioed full recognition that his missiles were locked on a civilian commercial aircraft."

Yet the Kremlin gave the order to shoot the plane down anyway, purposefully murdering all 269 passengers and crew.  Then it denied any knowledge of the incident, but later admitted it, claiming that the aircraft was on a spy mission.

The Soviet military suppressed evidence sought by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) investigation, notably the flight data recorders, which were eventually released eight years later after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

To this day, the Kremlin has never apologized for what Reagan termed "the savagery of their crime against humanity."  

Sound familiar?  This morning we learned that there are recordings of pro-Russian separatists talking with a Russian GRU (military intel) colonel about their shooting down the Malaysian airliner yesterday (7/17), and that they have recovered the airliner’s black box and sent it to Moscow.  Putin Huilo promptly blamed Ukraine for the atrocity – while refusing to deny his mercenaries in Ukraine did it.  Indeed, he denies any of his total sponsorship of the "rebellion" in eastern Ukraine.

It’s worth reading President Reagan’s address in full.  His words of condemnation of the Korean 007 shootdown apply so clearly to Russia today:  "This was the Soviet Union against the world and the moral precepts which guide human relations among people everywhere. It was an act of barbarism, born of a society which wantonly disregards individual rights and the value of human life and seeks constantly to expand and dominate other nations."

Or you can watch it.  This is a real president speaking:

 
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The fallout of  the MH17 shootdown is that Russia economically and Putin Huilo politically are both seriously screwed.  The day before on Wednesday (7/16), Obama had already announced new sanctions on Russia for its covert war on Ukraine.  Timothy Ash of London’s Standard Bank calls them a "seismic hit" on Russian markets, aimed directly Russia’s biggest companies such as Rosneft and Gazprombank.

This morning in the wake of the shootdown, Ash says they will be ramped up much further.  The sanctions regime is "very sophisticated with numerous gears to go through, depending on the reaction of markets and the Russian government. There is still much more that the US can do, and it is prepared to do it… Be warned."

The Euroweenies were reluctant to follow suit, but now they’ll have to.  This atrocity is already being called "Putin’s worst nightmare."  He has been backing a covert war sneaking in Spetsnaz teams with weapons into Ukraine while whipping up a frenzy of anti-West ultra-nationalism among Russians. 

Bear in mind that MH17 is the third plane shot down in Ukraine by Russians this week.

On Monday (7/14), a Ukrainian AN-26 military cargo plane was shot down by either Russians or their mercenaries in eastern Ukraine by a missile similar to or the same as that of MH17, while on Wednesday (7/16), a Ukrainian SU-25 fighter was shot down by a Russian fighter in Ukrainian airspace.  When they shot down a third plane yesterday, they thought it was military as well – the recordings show their anger when they learned on the scene it was civilian.

How Does The World Deal With A Pathological Liar Like Vladimir Putin? is a good question asked by the London Telegraph’s Con Coughlin.  Will he now become a pariah among world leaders?  Not with the Chicoms, he won’t, nor the Mullahs of Iran or the Kirchners in Argentina.  He almost has to with the Euroweenies.   Eastern Europeans won’t allow them not to.  Mr. Putin is guilty of "unspeakable horror," tweeted Poland’s foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski, and must be held accountable.

Note:  The London Daily Mail just posted photos this afternoon of the "Smoking Gun,"  the missile launcher with two missiles missing (the ones that shot down MH17) being smuggled back into Russia.

Also this afternoon:  US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power publicly accused the Russian-backed separatists of the shootdown, and said the United States could not "rule out technical assistance by Russian personnel" in operating the Russian SA-11 missile system.

Meanwhile, the world is already calling the MH17 shootdown:

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America of course has its own Pathological Liar to deal with – and when, we ask, will he become a pariah in his own land?  On Monday, the liberal paper of  Capitol Hill, The Hill, helpfully answered in a story headlined:  Obama The Pariah.  The paper reports he’s a pariah among Democrats:

"Democrats in tough reelection races have a blunt message for President Obama: Keep away… Many of the Democratic senators elected in 2008 rode to office on Obama’s coattails. Six years later, they’re asking, ‘Barack who?’"

Today in NRO, John Fund explains the pariah phenomenon further in The Obama Albatross.

But to realize just how much a pariah Zero has become, there’s the feel-good story of the week, that of Peggy Joseph.

Remember her?  She’s the lady who was so excited about Zero’s election in 2008, because in a legendary YouTube clip, Zero would now pay for her gas and mortgage.  That was six very long years ago, and this year documentary filmmaker Joel Gilbert interviewed her for his latest film, There’s No Place Like Utopia.

It turns out she’s a wonderful lady, well-spoken and thoughtful.  She’s a suburban soccer mom with four kids who works as a nurse, and is proud she’s never been on welfare. She got caught up in the euphoric frenzy of The One’s campaign, but has come to see that Zero is not the Wizard but a little phony man behind the curtain.  She loves America.  Here’s her interview – it might bring tears to your eyes:

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The HFR gives three cheers for three countries this week.  First is, believe it or not, for France!

At the order of Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve yesterday (7/17), there is now a police-enforced ban on pro-Palestinian demonstrations in cities throughout France.  Previous demos, such as the one last Sunday (7/13) in Paris had led to violence and attacks on Jewish synagogues, and this "will not be tolerated," said the French minister.  Merci, M. Cazeneuve!

Second is for Oz.  Australia Kills Off Carbon Tax ran the leftie Guardian headline (7/17) and the Greenies are oh so upset.  The New York Times bemoaned the enviros’ dismay.  Oz PM Tony Abbott is the leader America should have.

He calls man-made global warming-climate change "absolute crap," condemned the carbon tax as a "useless, destructive tax, which damaged jobs, which hurt families’ cost of living and which didn’t actually help the environment," and promised to repeal it if elected.  He kept his promise.  Good on ya, mate!

Third is for the world’s most heroic country – Israel – and its heroic leader, Bibi Netanyahu.  Completely sick and tired of Hamas rocket attacks on his country, yesterday (7/17) he ordered the IDF to invade Gaza on the ground.  "Here’s the difference between us," Bibi explained. "We’re using missile defense to protect our civilians, and they’re using their civilians to protect their missiles."

That has got to be one of greatest geopolitical quotes of our day.  Thus the must-read on the issue is Charles Krauthammer’s Moral Clarity in Gaza.  After being given an independent territory by Israel and billions in international aid, Charles asks:

"Where are the roads and rail, the industry and infrastructure of the new Palestinian state? Nowhere. Instead, they built mile upon mile of underground tunnels to hide their weapons and, when the going gets tough, their military commanders. They spent millions importing and producing rockets, launchers, mortars, small arms, even drones. They deliberately placed them in schools, hospitals, mosques and private homes to better expose their own civilians."

Bibi’s had enough and so have the Israeli people.  Let’s hope he finishes the job – all the way to the Med.  The Hamas dream is to "drive the Jews into the sea."  May Bibi succeed in driving the Hamas Nazis into the sea instead.  Bibi Netanyahu is the HFR Hero of the Week.

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The puzzle of the week:  How can such a teeny-tiny fraction of folks in the US be so fascistically powerful?

On Tuesday (7/15), the Centers for Disease Control issued its annual National Health Interview Survey which included the first large-scale study of Americans’ sexual orientation, making headline news like this in the WaPo.  It’s entitled Sexual Orientation Among US Adults.  You want to look at Table 1 on page 7.

It reveals that 1.8% of men and 1.5% of women are homosexual, while less than half of one percent (0.4%) of men and less than one percent (0.9%) are bisexual.  The overall results are 2.3% of Americans are homosexual ("gay or lesbian") or bisexual, while 97.7% are fully heterosexual or "straight" ("not gay, lesbian, or bisexual"). 

97.7% qualifies as being "normal," or there is no meaning to the term.  Nonetheless, 98% of people cannot outlaw the other 2%.  Freedom is the right to be peacefully different.  The obverse, of course, is that the 2% cannot demand that 98% must obey the 2%’s orders – like forcing Christian bakers to make homosexual wedding cakes, or the 98% trash their most important institutions, marriage and the military.

So how in the world do almost 98% of Americans allow themselves to be tyrannized by little more than 2%?  ‘Tis a puzzle.  And it won’t cease being one until a substantial fraction of the 98% refuses to be tyrannized any longer.    

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The best news of the week is that Americans have begun to rebel against Zero’s Illegal Invasion.  Thanks to Mae on the Forum, the HFR can tell you where to find protests in your area and all the news about them – at Americans for Legal Immigration.

There are 320 protests in all 50 states against the Illegal Invasion scheduled this weekend, and the link lists them all.  Please try to attend the one nearest you.  As John Wayne would say, it’s time to saddle up for America! 

There is also good news from the Boehner House this week – which on Monday (7/14) voted to cut IRS enforcement funding 25% or $1.2 billion.  This gives the HFR an idea.

Zero has asked Congress to give him $3.7 billion for the "immigration surge."  Boehner has said fuhgetaboudit – but hasn’t yet proposed an alternative.  Here’s one.

Last week (7/10) in Senate testimony, DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson declared that "without supplemental funding, in August U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will run out of money."  It’s the old scam – we’re broke, we have to spend more taxpayer dollars or it’s total wrath of God catastrophe… human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together… mass hysteria!

Thanks for sharing, Jeh – and what the hell kind of name is "Jeh" anyway?  So here’s what we’re gonna do. 

We’re going to give you some money, a few million, that’s it.  And that money will be spent only – you’ll have to sign in agreement with your own blood – on the immediate deportation of all these illegals back to their home country.  That’s the only supplemental money you and ICE and the CPB are going to get:   for immediate deportation.  Take it or leave it.

I know you’re thinking, "never happen."  But the #1 issue for voters right now is the Illegal Invasion.  Immediate Deportation is an absolute vote-winner in November – and that’s all what candidates and incumbents care about, right?  The Amnesty Crowd in the Boehner House is silent as a churchmouse.  Now’s the time to press the issue – carpe diem!

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Let’s close with some plain fun.  Ever hear the 1920s expression, "It’s the bee’s knees"?  You still hear it ever so often and it’s making a comeback.  Believe it or not, Google "the bee’s knees" and you’ll get over 54 million hits.  It’s funny, it memorably rhymes, and it means the absolute best, totally awesome – but it doesn’t have anything to do with bees.

For all the urban legends swarming around its origin, the real bees knees we’re named after the Queen of the Charleston, Bea Jackson – whose dancing, especially how she moved her knees, was amazing.  Here she is:

That’s the only clip of her dancing I could find – perhaps you can find others.  How does she compare to modern dancers?  The Charleston is having a revival.  Here are the finalists in the 2013 ILHC Charleston championships:

You don’t have to watch the entire clip to see that, while they’re really good, they can’t match Bea.  Yes, Bea Jackson is the real bee’s knees.

There have been many times in the recent past when America was the bee’s knees.  In the Roaring 20s, in the Fabulous 50s, in the Reagan 80s.  We’ll soon be in the Post-Zero era, and we’ll be the world’s bee’s knees once again.

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