On The 70th Anniversary Of The Start Of World War Two
August 31, 2009
Seventy years ago next week—at 4:45 a.m. on Sept. 1, 1939, to be precise—the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein began to shell the Polish military base at Westerplatte. For the Germans, for the Poles, and for the British and French, who immediately declared war on Germany, this was the beginning of World War II. The Soviet Union, having signed a secret agreement with Nazi Germany, did not declare war but was itself preparing to invade Poland and the Baltic States. Which it did, two and a half weeks later, on Sept. 17.
None of these basic facts is in dispute. Nor can they be rightly described as “current events”: Two generations have passed, yet those signature events nevertheless continue to be remembered, contested, and commemorated in every anniversary year ending with five or zero. I remember joking with a friend on May 8, 1995, the 50th anniversary of the Nazi capitulation, that now, finally, we had reached the end of the anniversaries. But we had not. Next week, on Sept. 1, 2009, the prime ministers of Russia, Poland, and France; the foreign minister of Britain; the chancellor of Germany; and more than a dozen other European leaders will meet at Westerplatte to launch the cycle of 70th anniversaries—barely on the heels of the 65th. Why?
The answer cannot lie in the personal experiences of any of the statesmen involved, since none was alive at the time. It lies, rather, in the way that memories of the war have come to be central to the national memory, and therefore to the contemporary politics, of so many of the countries that fought in it…
How Obama Will Heal The Nation
August 31, 2009
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Is religiosity beneficial in affluent first world nations?
August 31, 2009
In recent decades, scholars have discussed the evolutionary origins of religious beliefs. Some hold that religious beliefs confer benefits to individuals’ abilities to cope with their life experiences; others propose that religious beliefs and identities facilitated the successful survival of human groups and their competition with other groups for land and other scarce resources.
As some nations become increasingly secular, one may wonder what role religious beliefs play for those living in technologically advanced societies. Advocates for religious systems often argue that these beliefs are instrumental in providing moral foundation necessary for a healthy, cohesive society – a view shared by Benjamin Franklin and Dostoyevsky.
In a follow up to his 2005 paper, Gregory Paul argues that high religiosity is not universal to human populations, and it is actually inversely related to a wide range of socio-economic indicators representing the health of modern democracies. Paul holds that once a nation’s population becomes prosperous and secure, for example through economic security and universal health care, much of the population looses interest in seeking the aid and protection of supernatural entities. This effect appears to be so consistent that it may prevent nations from being highly religious while enjoying good internal socioeconomic conditions.
National level statistics suggest that strong mass religiosity is invariably associated with high levels of stress and anxiety, which are created by impoverishment, inequality, or economic security, related to high levels of societal dysfunction. These relationships are largely consistent when the United States, an outlier amongst advanced democracies in the high level of both religious belief and social decay, is removed from the comparison.
The belief held by some scholars that strong religious belief is the universal human condition deeply rooted in our psyches, may be false. Also contradicted is the hypothesis that evolutionary selective forces have played the leading role in determining the popularity of religion. Environmental conditions appear to exert great influence on the degree to which religious beliefs are held. The popularity of religious belief may be a reflection of a psychological mechanism for coping with the high levels of stress and anxiety resulting from adverse social and economic environments.
Because creationism can be popular only when religion is widespread, extensive disbelief of evolutionary science is also associated with the dysfunctional societal environment, which encourages the conservative, scriptural based theism that favors special creation. Large scale secularization is the only method proven to suppress creationist opinion to well below majority status.
The findings also have strong implications for consequential political debates, such as the current tussles amongst politicians and interest groups over health care reform in the United States. This may be seen as part of a larger ideological battle between those advocating for progressive government policies leveling health and economic outcomes and social conservatives who oppose the secularization associated with such outcomes.
An American Nightmare
August 31, 2009
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This cartoon was originally published at Town Hall.
Spoiling The Stew
August 31, 2009
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This cartoon was originally published at Town Hall.
Drug Costs
August 31, 2009
Spinning Teddy
August 31, 2009
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This cartoon was originally published at Town Hall.
Germans Detain Suspect in Anti-US Terror Plot
August 31, 2009
Police in Germany have arrested an additional suspect connected to the Sauerland terror cell. According to the federal prosecutor, the man is a 24-year-old Turkish-German from the central state of Hesse. He is believed to have been preparing to travel to a terrorist training camp.
German officials said Friday they had arrested an additional terror suspect with connections to the so-called Sauerland group, a terror cell whose leaders are currently on trial in Düsseldorf for planning terrorist attacks against American targets in Germany. Officers with the Federal Criminal Police Office said they detained 24-year-old German-Turk Kadir T. on Wednesday.The man is suspected of purchasing a video camera and a night-vision device for the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) terror group. The devices were given to Adem Yilmaz of the Sauerland cell, who is then believed to have passed them along to IJU through his brother Burhan, prosecutors said.
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung is reporting that Kadir T. was preparing to travel to a terrorist training camp located in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area at the time of his arrest. Police investigators say they have evidence that the suspect was planning to obtain training for conducting terrorist attacks at the camp. An investigating judge at the German Federal Court of Justice on Thursday ordered the man to be held in investigative custody, Federal Prosecutor’s Office officials said. The man is said to be from the city of Langen near Frankfurt. He is accused of supporting a terrorist organization and violating German export laws.
The suspect is believed to have been recruited by the members of the Sauerland group currently on trial and other members of IJU, the paper reported. But the extent to which the suspect provided support to the terror group is unclear. The only concrete evidence is that he planned to train in a terror camp, the paper reported, citing sources within the police investigation.
Adem Yilmaz and three other suspected members of the Sauerland group are currently being tried in Düsseldorf’s higher regional court. The Federal Prosecutor has charged the men with planning massive car bomb attacks on United States citizens and American facilities in Germany, where the US Army has a number of bases.
Tools Of Torture
August 31, 2009
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Understanding The Numbers
August 31, 2009
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This cartoon was originally published at Town Hall.
First Days
August 29, 2009
A brazen attempt to assassinate Saudi Arabia’s top counterterrorism official shows that al Qaeda has not been eliminated in its birthplace and is redirecting its efforts to target members of the Saudi royal family, analysts and U.S. counterterrorism officials say.
Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, the deputy to and son of Interior Minister Prince Nayef, was injured Thursday night at his office in Jeddah by a suicide bomber who infiltrated the receiving line at an iftar – the meal that breaks the fast at the end of the day during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
U.S. officials are closely watching developments in Saudi Arabia and take “seriously” the attempt on Prince Mohammed’s life, a U.S. counterterrorism official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the nature of the subject.
No Muslims at Malaysia Black Eyed Peas concert
August 29, 2009
Muslims in Malaysia have been barred from attending a concert by U.S. hip hop band the Black Eyed Peas sponsored by Guinness which is owned by the world’s biggest spirits group Diageo…
The concert, part of celebrations of Guinness 250th birthday, asks on its website (www.arthursday.com.my) “Are you a non-Muslim aged 18 years and above?” and if the response is no, access is not allowed.
Muslims account for 55 percent of the 27 million people in this Southeast Asian country and are barred from consuming alcohol although the rules are regularly flouted, especially in big cities like the capital, Kuala Lumpur…
Democrats Get To Painting
August 29, 2009
New Jersey Deals With Ghadafi
August 29, 2009
What Recession? The $37,000 Haircut
August 29, 2009
STV:
A British hairdresser charges £20,000 for a trim.
Stuart Phillips charges the extortionate amount for a hair wash, cut and blow dry at his salon in London’s Covent Garden – which is home to Swarovski crystal chandeliers and Japanese shampoo beds.
Unlimited glasses of champagne and food from the nearby exclusive five-star Covent Garden Hotel – where clients from Moscow or New York will be able to stay for two nights – are also included in the hefty price tag.
The lucky clients will also be looked after by bodyguards, escorted by interpreters and a chauffer.
Stuart said: “You get treated like a king or queen – it’s glamour and luxury all the way.”
More Condolences
August 28, 2009
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Man saddled with drunk-riding conviction
August 28, 2009
A Tennant Creek man has lost his driving licence for riding his horse while drunk.
It is alleged the man had earlier tried to take the horse into a pub.
The ABC understands the 33-year-old man had been told by police not to ride his horse home from a Tennant Creek pub in April.
But police say he was hoisted onto the horse by an unknown person and galloped up the street, shouting.
Police again told him to walk the horse home, but he rode off into the night and was arrested the next day.
Last week a Tennant Creek magistrate disqualified the man from driving for six months over the incident.
This means he is not allowed to ride his horse in a public place during that period.
He was also fined nearly $1,000 over the incident.
Obama And The Amazing Democrats
August 28, 2009
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Campaign to stop Christmas cards investigated by police
August 28, 2009
Three charity shops and a newsagents in Headingley, Leeds, have received letters threatening attacks on their premises if they put cards on sale before November 1. One shop has already had its lock glued up.
The writer claims to speak for the ”Movement for the Containment of Xmas”.
Clive Barker, manager of the Oxfam shop in Otley Road, said the letter was posted through his letterbox on Monday evening.
He said: ”It is very odd. Every morning I wonder if I am going to be able to open up or will the lock be glued up.
”We are not going to take our cards down as we are a charity and we raise money for all the Oxfam projects.
”The cards are important for our fundraising. Like the rest of the High Street there are Christmas cards on display as early tasters.
”Four shops have been targeted and I just hope that nothing comes of it. The police say they are treating it very seriously and have taken the letter for fingerprints.”
The letter states: ”This is a very polite but very serious reminder not to display Xmas cards until 1st Nov. We will put super glue into your locks if you do. Peace and goodwill.’
The lock on the mental health charity shop Mind on St Michael’s Road has been glued.
The manageress, who asked not to be named, told the Yorkshire Evening Post: ”This has made staff – mainly volunteers – feel very uneasy and we have alerted the police.
”We have removed our current Christmas cards sales display for the moment. This is great pity as we have been selling off last year’s stock and making £70 a week for the charity.”
A police spokesman confirmed they had received complaints and were investigating.
