Let's take a time out

for a Geo Political update.

The current state of affairs in Lebanon is fairly well documented. It seems as though the time table for an Israeli invasion of Lebanon is in days; possibly hours. Syria and Iran will be watching/have to be watched very closely for their response to this. Also, it will be interesting because the actual Lebanese forces, which for the most part have been uninvolved to this point, are sure to at the very least defend their country from a foreign army.

Now there is this news from Somalia. It seems that Ethiopia has sent troops into that country to supposedly bolster the allied government. The Ethiopian government denies the troops prescence in Somalia. Meanwhile, Somalia Islamic leaders are calling for a "holy war"(I leave the contradiction discussion for later.) against Ethiopia.

Let's go to the map. As you will see by looking at the map you have nice cauldron of activity within a 1500 mile radius, with Beirut as the center, or in a radius that would cover New York City and Los Angeles with Lincoln, NE being the epicenter. Fun!

So, what the heck does all of this mean? It means the next 72 hours will see some of the most hustling diplomacy the world has ever seen. Hopefully. You have an area of the world that is absolutely critical to the world's economy(Bought gas lately?) which could quickly become embroiled in an all out shooting war that would probably start with Lebanon and Israel and could quickly involve Iran, Syria, Somolia, Ethiopia and Saudia Arabia. And who knows maybe Pakistan and India will decide have at each other, just so as not to feel left out.

I know this isn't exactly "happy Friday" fair but I felt it is worth mentioning. I will save any "How did we get here?" and "Why is it getting worse?" for the comments sections. That is if we get any.

Schools aren't teaching the US Constitution?

According to this editorial and the facts contained in it, many high schools aren't teaching US History and/or a Government/Civics class. I took both in high school and don't regret it. Yes, I took world history too and I view them all to be important. Like this writer, I don't understand how we can continue to be strong as a nation if we don't learn what it is we are trying to protect and what the laws actually mean.

The most appalling statistic to me was this on the First Amendment: 36% believed that before publishing, newspapers must first get government approval. What?

What you don't know can hurt you By Nat Hentoff

One day years ago, interviewing the usually cheerful Justice William Brennan in his Supreme Court chambers, I found him troubled. "Liberty," he said, "is a fragile thing. The Framers knew that. How can we bring the words of the Bill of Rights off the page into the lives of students?"

Were he still here, that paladin of individual liberties would have been even more troubled reading the words of retired justice Sandra Day O'Connor on this page: "Public schools have pretty much stopped teaching government, civics and American history. ... I truly don't know how long we can survive as a strong nation if our younger citizens don't understand the nature of our government. ... That is something you have to learn. It just isn't handed down in the genetic pool."

Add Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., who is trying to get his American History Achievement Act - to test the degree of knowledge in schools - through Congress. He points out that half the states don't require a course in U.S. government.Full text

Texas Says "Kinky" Can Be On Ballot

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Writer and musician Kinky Friedman, who once sang "They Ain't Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore," may include the name by which he is best known on the ballot to choose Texas' next governor in November, the state's top election official said on Monday.

Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams said Friedman's nickname was not a slogan and thus did not violate state law. His name will appear on election ballots as Richard "Kinky" Friedman.

But Williams, a Republican, said Carole Keeton Strayhorn, who is also running as an independent against incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Perry, cannot include "Grandma" as a nickname on the ballot.

File under: Follow up and "3rd Party" Politics

White House kept "major program secret

By Alan Elsner 35 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration was running several intelligence programs, including one major activity, that it kept secret from Congress until whistle-blowers told the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, the committee's chairman said on Sunday.

Rep. Pete Hoekstra, a Michigan Republican who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, said on Fox News Sunday he had written a four-page to
President George W. Bush in May warning him that the failure to disclose the intelligence activities to Congress may be a violation of the law.

In doing so, he confirmed a story that first ran in Sunday editions of the New York Times.

"I take it very, very seriously otherwise I would not have written the letter to the president," Hoekstra said...

Believe me when I tell you that when a Republican Congressman from the West side of Michigan is making statements like that it is a huge deal.