World Corruption Index

What a surprise. The parts of the world with the most corruption (sadly, most of the world), are the least free. And yet many of those red countries are never ending in their slothful complaints that we enlightened countries don't give them enough stuff for nothing.

Some red states are that way due to pressure from neighbours (like Ukraine). No matter how they got that way, I pity the poor souls living under the thumbs of the parasitical red country leeches that run their corrupt governments. So much human potential ground into dust by corruption, year after year.




http://www.transparency.org/cpi2013/results

Ronald Reagan Centenary: February 6, 2011

The President who defeated communism and championed freedom for all.

http://www.reagancentennial.com/default.aspx#/Home

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/why-the-cult-of-reagan-still-rules-in-washington-2205042.html

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-reagan-centennial-20110130,0,5272805.story

Vimy Ridge Day

Tomorrow we remember the thousands of brave soldiers who died at Vimy Ridge while cementing the reputation of the greatest country in the world. They represent all the Canadians who have fought and sometimes died defending our freedoms in both world wars and countless conflicts around the world.

God Bless all those who have served our country.

Pat Condell on the Islamic Threat to Freedom

Here is why Islam is a threat to our western culture:

How the Left suffocates our Freedom, Part I: Personal Injury

Tonight I caught the end of a story on TV about new major league baseball helmets being introduced that can withstand a 100 mph fastball. The players, being practical, say they don't want a 12 pound box on their heads. OK, I thought, someone with lots of money to burn wants the pros to buy his helmet, and he'll learn about the marketplace the hard way. Then the segment ended by saying that there are plans to make it mandatory for minor leagues and hope it spreads up into the big leagues.

When I asked my wife if the story said how many people were killed by fastballs she said they profiled two people with brain damage. Two people out of a population of millions? The average calculator doesn't show that many decimal places. What seems to be happening in the west is that the left has decreed that ALL of society must grieve and pass laws to eliminate risk after each and every death or injury.

~

The individual stories are very sad, and I feel sorry for those who suffer. The problem is we all suffer at one time or another. The goal of ending suffering, as exemplified by 100 mph helmets is one more example of how, if nothing changes, we will eventually cease to be free.

We cannot be free if our risk policy is that one injury or death should compel the majority to turn their moderate approach to risk into a panic mode approach. We are now mourning ALL the time about something, and I don't care how many scary pictures of injured people you show me, nothing you or I do will ever stop people from getting hurt. What WILL change is that we'll eventually have to get Big Brother's permission for everything, and we'll STILL have all kinds of accidental suffering.

It is a characteristic of the Left to pass laws that limit what we can do in the name of their never-ending quest to eliminate risk in life. They don't care how many things they ban, or how long it takes. The Left continues to smother and stifle society in the name of safety.

Part II later: Who benefits from all the new safety laws?

Obama scares all who value Freedom

I found a remarkable letter today about what concerns all conservatives about President Obama at the Conservative Grapevine. The CG referenced Chuck Norris' website, and from there I followed the link to Snopes which confirmed its validity. This letter is from an influential businessman, Lou Pritchett, who has 36 years of experience dealing with politicians. He does a masterful job of explaining the reasons why we should, and must challenge the mainstream media and Obama worshippers about the threat to what used to be the most free country on earth.

*******

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA

Dear President Obama:

You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike any of the others, you truly scare me.

You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you.

You scare me because I do not know how you paid for your expensive Ivy League education and your upscale lifestyle and housing with no visible signs of support.

You scare me because you did not spend the formative years of youth growing up in America and culturally you are not an American.

You scare me because you have never run a company or met a payroll.

You scare me because you have never had military experience, thus don't understand it at its core..

You scare me because you lack humility and 'class', always blaming others.

You scare me because for over half your life you have aligned yourself with radical extremists who hate America and you refuse to publicly denounce these radicals who wish to see America fail.

You scare me because you are a cheerleader for the 'blame America' crowd
and deliver this message abroad.

You scare me because you want to change America to a European style country where the government sector dominates instead of the private sector.

You scare me because you want to replace our health care system with a government controlled one.

You scare me because you prefer 'wind mills' to responsibly capitalizing on our own vast oil, coal and shale reserves.

You scare me because you want to kill the American capitalist goose that lays the golden egg which provides the highest standard of living in the world.

You scare me because you have begun to use 'extortion' tactics against certain banks and corporations.

You scare me because your own political party shrinks from challenging you on your wild and irresponsible spending proposals.

You scare me because you will not openly listen to or even consider opposing points of view from intelligent people.

You scare me because you falsely believe that you are both omnipotent and omniscient.

You scare me because the media gives you a free pass on everything you do.

You scare me because you demonize and want to silence the Limbaughs, Hannitys, O'Relllys and Becks who offer opposing, conservative points of view.

You scare me because you prefer controlling over governing.

Finally, you scare me because if you serve a second term I will probably not feel safe in writing a similar letter in 8 years.

Lou Pritchett

*******

From Snopes:

Origins: Lou Pritchett is a former vice president of Procter & Gamble whose career at that company spanned 36 years before his retirement in 1989, and he is the author of the 1995 business book, Stop Paddling & Start Rocking the Boat.

Mr. Pritchett confirmed to us that he was indeed the author of the much-circulated "open letter" quoted above:
I did write the 'you scare me' letter. I sent it to the NY Times but they never acknowledged or published it. However, it hit the internet and according to the ‘experts’ has had over 500,000 hits.
Last updated: 31 May 2009

http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/youscareme.asp

Manifesto against Sharia

This is so good I decided to reprint it all (thank you Baron). I found it over at Gates of Vienna. Europe has a far more serious case of Islamic aggression than we do so it's good to know that they are fighting back.

by Baron Bodissey

Manifesto Against Sharia

I became acquainted with the Wiener Akademikerbund through our Austrian correspondent ESW, and was fortunate enough to meet a number of the group’s members during my visit to Austria for the Counterjihad Vienna meeting this time last year.

The Akademikerbund is in the forefront of efforts to confront and roll back the Islamization of Europe. I reported last fall on its “Fifteen Demands” for Islamic reform in Austria, as showcased during the forum on Euro-Islam (from which Tariq Ramadan withdrew at the last minute).

More recently the Akademikerbund brought to my attention a parallel effort in Germany known as the “Manifesto Against Sharia”. Piggy Infidel has kindly translated the Manifesto into English:

Press-release
Manifesto Against Sharia
Joint Statement of Muslim Organisations in Germany

Cologne: along with the German Central Council of Muslims (ZMD), the declaration was signed by ten other organisations. According to the ZMD, this would ease dialogue between Muslims and other religious communities and the mainstream.

The signatories:

• Islamrat für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland e.V.
  
• Zentralrat der Muslime in Deutschland (ZMD)
  
• Türkisch-Islamische Union der Anstalt für Religion e.V. (DITIB)
  
• Islamische Gemeinschaft Milli Görüs (IGMG)
  
• Union der Türkisch-Islamischen Kulturvereine in Europa e.V. (ATIB)
  
• Verband der Islamischen Kulturzentren e.V. (VIKZ)
  
• Islamisches Zentrum München
  
• Islamisches Zentrum Aachen Bilal Moschee (IZA)
  
• Islamisches Zentrum Hamburg Imam-Ali-Moschee
  
• Ahmadiyya-Muslim-Jamaat e.V.

We the undersigned hereby state:

OUR AIMS —

• To explain to Muslims the dangers contained in the Islamic religious texts, as well as the necessity of a reform of Islam
  
• To explain to non-Muslims the differences between moderate Muslims and Islamists (a.k.a. religious fanatics, radical Muslims, fundamentalists, extremists, Islamo-fascists)
  
• To inform both Muslims and non-Muslims that they are both the targets of Islamic terrorism

Our Declaration

Acknowledging mistakes

The majority of terrorist attacks during the last three decades, including the 9/11 attacks, have been carried out by fundamentalists in the name of Islam, specifically based on the Koran. For us as Muslims it is despicable that Islam is being used to murder millions of innocent people, non-Muslims as well as Muslims

Contradictions in the Koran

There are unfortunately religious texts in the Koran, as well as in the Hadith, that call for Islamic supremacy and incite violence against non-Muslims. It is time to change this. Islamic fundamentalists believe the Koran is the literal word of Allah. But could Allah the Compassionate really order the mass murder of people just because they are not Muslims?

The Koran and the Bible

Many biblical figures, from Adam to Jesus, are recognised and respected as prophets in Islam. Islamic scholars believe, however, that both the old and new Testaments are from God, but that they have been falsified by Jews and Christians. Could it be possible that the Koran itself has been falsified by Muslims during the last thirteen centuries?

The Necessity of Reform

Islam in its current form is not compatible with the principles of freedom and democracy. Muslims have two possibilities: We can continue with the barbaric practices of the seventh century and with the politics of Hassan al-Bannah, Abdullah Azzam, Yassir Arafat, Ruhollah Khomeini, Osama Bin Laden, the Muslim Brotherhood, al-Qaida, Hizbullah, Hizb-ut-Tahrir, etc. This will lead to a global war between the Islamic world and the West.

Or we could reform Islam, keeping our rich cultural heritage and cleansing our religion of the ugly relics of the past. We as Muslims who want to live in harmony together with people of other religions, agnostics and atheists, choose the latter possibility. We have to protect future generations of Muslims from the brainwashing of Islamic fundamentalists. If we fail to prevent the spread of fundamentalism, some of our children will become murderous terrorists.

Accepting Responsibility

To begin this healing process we have to remove the evil that has been carried out by Muslims in the name of Islam, and we have to accept responsibility for these misdeeds. We have to remove the bad passages from the Islamic texts, so that future Muslims are not confused by contradictory statements. Our religious message should be clear: Islam is peace, Islam is love, Islam is the light. War, murder, violence, division and discrimination are not Islamic values.

Private Religious Sphere

- - - - - - - - -

Religion is the private affair of each individual. It should be possible for any person to practice his religion freely, so long as that religion does not break local laws, and no one should be forced into any religious practice. Any type of belief which is spread through violence is fundamentally immoral and is no longer a religion, but rather a political ideology.

Equality

Islam is one of many world religions. There will be no peace and harmony in the world if Muslims and non-Muslims do not have equal rights. The doctrine of Islamic supremacy is just as repellant as the doctrine of Aryan supremacy. History has shown us what happens to societies whose members see themselves as superior to other peoples. All moderate Muslims have to reject the notion of Islamic supremacism.

Sharia

Sharia law has to be abolished; it is incompatible with the rules of a modern society.

Outdated Practices

Any customs which may have been acceptable in the seventh century, such as stoning, limb amputation, marriage/sex with children or animals, must be condemned by all Muslims.

Outdated verses

The following verses encourage division and religious hatred, fanaticism, and discrimination. They either have to be removed from the Koran or else declared as obsolete and irrelevant: Sura 9:111, Sura 8:55, plus many more.

Out-dated words and phrases

Use of the following words and phrases as well as all their variations must be banned from religious ceremonies:

• Unbeliever — this has a negative connotation and leads to division and aversion from others; Islam is not the only religion.
  
• Jihad — often interpreted as holy war against non-Muslims.
  
• Mujahideen — no more wars in the name of Islam.
  
• American occupation (or Christian/Israeli/Zionist) — these expressions lead to fanaticism. To date, Muslims living in non-Muslim countries enjoy far more freedoms than Muslims in the Islamic world.

Islam against Violence

There is no place for violence in Islam. Anyone calling for violence in the name if Islam must be ejected from Islam. All instances of this must be brought before the relevant authorities. It is the religious and civic duty of all Muslims to condemn any act of terrorism carried out in the name of Islam. Any Muslim group which has connections to terrorism in any way, shape or form, has to be totally condemned by both religious and secular Muslims alike.

Artistic Depictions of the Prophet

Although artistic representations of the prophet are unacceptable in Islam and considered insulting by many Muslims, other religions do not share these restrictions. Therefore the artistic representation of the prophet must be protected as a basic freedom of expression.

The Crusades and the Inquisition

While the Inquisition was a repressive period of Christian fundamentalism, the Crusades were not unprovoked acts of aggression. They were actually attempts to take Christian areas back from under Muslim control. They were hardly known about by the Islamic world at the time, and are nowadays being used by Islamic fundamentalists simply as propaganda against Christians. We reject such propaganda and are starting a critical review of the history of brutal Islamic warfare.

Brothers and sisters!
Don’t make the next generation of Muslims pay for your mistakes!
Let’s fight Islamic fascism today, so that your children don’t have to!