Russia showcased its military might and youthful new president to the world Friday, as heavy tanks and missile launchers rumbled across Red Square in a Victory Day parade for the first time since the Soviet era.
In a nationally broadcast speech two days after his inauguration, President Dmitry Medvedev avoided the bellicose rhetoric of his mentor and predecessor, Vladimir Putin, who drew parallels between United States and Nazi Germany during last year's parade.
However, in his speech marking victory over Adolf Hitler's Germany, the 42-year-old Medvedev said the history of World War II demonstrated that military conflicts are rooted in "irresponsible ambitions which prevail over interests of nations and entire continents."
"We must not allow contempt for the norms of international law," he said, in what sounded like veiled criticism of the United States and its Western allies.
The Kremlin has consistently criticized both the U.S.-led war in Iraq and wide Western recognition of Kosovo's declaration of independence from Russia-allied Serbia as flagrant violations of international legal norms.
Amazing how things change so quickly in the world. It would be nice to have a Secretary of State who was considered an expert on Russia. Oh wait! I guess Condi dropped the ball on this one. Has McCain picked her for VP yet?
Today's Washington Post has an article by right wing hit man John Solomon. Today Solomon goes after John Edwards and his infamous $400 haircut. They are coining it as "the stylist speaks out", even though I got a feeling Solomon worked hard to get him to "speak out".
Instead of quoting this piece of crap, which has absolutely nothing to do with leadership, I think it is prudent to remember our history. 231 years ago 56 brave men signed their own death warrant. That death warrant was called the Declaration of Independence, and if the Revolutionary War would have gone the other way, all these men would have been hanged for treason.
They took the ultimate risk to build a nation that was better. One above all others. Now we got this - a country that worries about how much a haircut costs. This is not some "scandal" trademarked by Edwards. Clinton also faced the same scrutiny, lead by a rash of right wing lies when he got a haircut aboard Air Force One.
So why is it the right can only find petty things to pick on?
Look at who their top voices are. Ann Coulter, who sinks to the lowest of human standards by making jokes about Edwards dead son. The same person who can joke about a presidential candidate being harassed, while claiming it a "joke" (and you are welcome Bill).
Or how about a man they want to be the next President, Newt Gingrich. This is a man who told a bunch of other neo-cons that people died in Katrina, because the people were "so uneducated and so unprepared, they literally couldn't get out of the way of a hurricane". This statement was also received by a bunch of cheers.
There has been much talk this week about Rep. Virgil Goode's comments regarding Muslim's in Congress:
A congressman said Thursday that he will not retract a letter warning that unless immigration is tightened, "many more Muslims will be elected" and use the Quran to take the oath of office.
Republican Rep. Virgil Goode triggered angry responses from a civil rights group and some colleagues with a letter this month to constituents concerned about a decision by Rep.-elect Keith Ellison of Minnesota, the first Muslim elected to Congress, to use the Quran when he is sworn in.
"I will not be putting my hand on the Quran," Goode said at a news conference Thursday at the Franklin County Courthouse.
While most seem to focus on this as an insult to Muslims (as it is), they seem to overlook the other major insult here. The bigoted Virgil Goode also insulted the people of Minnesota's 5th Congressional district. Ellison did not hide his religion during his campaign, and it actually became a big issue. All the news channels ran segments talking about the fact we could have the first Muslim in Congress. Furthermore, that did not stop 56% of the voters in MN-15 to go out and support Goode.
These citizens of the United States engaged in their Constitutional right of electing their leaders, and for that they get insulted by a member of Congress. That alone should be grounds for Vigil Goode to be kicked out of Congress and this country.
I hope your day is better then it is here. We are getting rained on and there is talk of severe thunderstorms this afternoon with winds up to 50mph and 3/4 inch sized hail.
With the bad weather it is a good time to reflect upon our nation - where it was and where it is. I was thinking last night that 230 years ago our forefathers were in a great fight. They were fighting for a new idea and to remove an occupying force from our nation who we would no long recognize as our leaders.
Here we are less than 2 1/2 centuries later and we are now an occupying force in another nation with their citizens trying to get us out. What has happened to our once great nation?
One part of the Declaration of Independence that always comes to mind when I think about our current state of the union is this:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness
