ELSEWHERE

You are probably not familiar with Project Censored, an annual list of the Top 25 (supposedly) censored media articles. Their latest report has just been released, and it's getting some attention amongst Lefty bloggers. The articles haven't been censored at all, however - in fact most of them have been widely published. It's really just a laundry list of left-leaning articles that, in the opinion of the organizers, haven't received enough attention. So, as a counterpoint, The Vigilant Zem has put together HIS list: It includes, to pick a few examples, the jailing of pro-democracy journalists in Cuba, China and Vietnam; closures of newspapers and television stations in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Tonga and Iran; and the arrest and mistreatment of journalists in Cambodia, Bangladesh, Iraq and Jordan. An interesting contrast. Zem documents REAL abuses.

Anti-democratic Democrats defeated: "The band of dissenting Democratic senators who ran off to New Mexico rather than allow a vote on a controversial redistricting bill will arrive back in Texas today -- their boycott over and apparently a losing effort.

What A fine fellow Iain Murray is -- quoting H.M. The Queen. I myself think the Queen's speeches are generally excellent and take us back to basic truths.

Whoops! The Left are FINALLY beginning to realize that they have been hurting the poor nations by opposing the work of the WTO and that they need to press for MORE free trade, not less, if they really want to help the poor. Not that the "protestors" really give a flying damn about the poor of course. Self-publicity is THEIR top agenda item.

Reuters doesn't interpret the news. Oh No! How about this story: "The gaping, man-made hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica has hit record proportions for this time of year". A theory -- "man-made" -- is portrayed as fact. The fact that the "hole" has also shrunk considerably at times in recent years would suggest to any unbiased observer that it is simply a natural fluctuation -- like any other part of the weather.

The poor old British Tories. They think their electoral failure is all a matter of image. How about some conservative policies? Policies to bring back standards to schools and kick out the illegal immigrants would alone probably win the election for them.

Greece sends back 99 per cent of asylum-seekers. It can be done.

Jeff Jacoby points out that the USA for many years tolerated attacks on its citizens and representatives by Islamic terrorists -- emboldening them to undertake the 9/11 attack. He says that being soft on Saudi Arabia, Syria and Iran is equally dangerous.

Shell (the oil company) does a better job of preserving biodiversity than national parks do.

"The story of America's heroes, accomplishments and ideals is getting surprisingly short shrift in a place of great influence: the nation's public schools. That's the theme of a provocative report about U.S. civics and history education"

There is a very interesting report here about a study by economists that took seriously the Greenie claim that freeing up world trade leads to more pollution. They took into account all the Greenie arguments and still found evidence that freer world trade IMPROVES the environment.

What fun! Interested Participant notes that even the Belgians are having second thoughts about the Kyoto "Greenhouse" treaty now that they see how big its costs are and how mythical its benefits are.

Joe Lieberman is the maverick this time around: "It is, sad to say, really risky in today's Democratic Party, which is tethered to teachers unions, for Lieberman to say that he will soon vote for legislation to establish an experimental voucher program for the poor children caught in the District of Columbia's disastrous schools."

Carnival of the Vanities is up again. Apologies for the late notice but the current host did not send me the link.

Arlene Peck thinks that the Palestinians will never come to their senses until Israel kicks them out altogether.

Michael Darby has an article about the delightful Muslim population of France (scroll down).

The Wicked one welcomes the suicide of someone who defended Janet Reno's Waco holocaust.

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