God Has Spoken

So James Dobson prays for rain during Barack Obama's nomination acceptance speech, and instead God brings Hurricane Gustav down on the GOP convention.

If ever there was a sign of God, I believe this was it.

We hear you God!

'Nuff said.

Bring It On

Barack Obama has just brought the fight to John McCain.

After weeks of McCain baiting Obama, Obama used his youth and vigor and defied McCain to come at him.

By the very fact that he came out strong, willing to stand up and go toe-to-toe against an opponent who has positioned himself as the tougher fighter, Obama proved he is ready for the Oval Office.

The McCain campaign's pathetic response shows they were caught flat-footed. Reports say that McCain's campaign will try to resist the bait, which only affirms that they have been cowed by what they witnessed tonight.

Bring it on.

Florida: Shithole of a State

The NRA has attacked Disney for not allowing it's employees to bring weapons into work.

I always suspected Florida was a shithole, and this confirms it if citizens don't have access to basic law enforcement protection and need to be armed against the crazed gunmen running rampant throughout the state.

Florida's real estate market is one of the worst hit in the country due to the recent mortgate loan meltdown—I guess no one wants to live there but criminals.

Let's hope Florida passes an ordnance requiring ALL citizens to pack heat so that we can watch the mutual genocide of the whole state.

A Lesson from the Redeem Team

One of the most remarkable stories to come out of the Olympics has been the turnaround of the U.S. men's basketball team, the "Redeem Team."

The goal of the team wasn't just to bring gold back to U.S. basketball, which had become vulnerable to opposing international teams. Rather, it was also to rehabilitate its image.

As many outlets have noted, including a recent L.A. Times article, the arrogance of the team had alienated opposing teams and players, and earned it little respect. In many ways, it confirmed the worst stereotypes about Americans.

In contrast, this team made it a point to not only step up its game, but also to raise its image. And by all accounts, this team of star players from the top down—including Kobe Bryant, who seems to have been genuinely moved and re-energized by the experience—have bought into the importance of being good ambassadors both for the sport and for the U.S.

As the team's managing director noted, in order for Team America to be successful, it didn't just need to come out on top, "We have to show respect for our country, show respect for our team, show respect for our opponents. And anything less than that’s not going to fly.’ ”

Sounds like a lesson our present (and any future) Administration should take to heart.

The Naivete of George W. Bush (the Appeaser not the Decider)

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, the President's toothless response to Russia's invasion of Georgia serves as yet another painful reminder of the impotency of both George Dubya and the United States under his leadership (as if they could sink any lower). As much as G.W. pays lip service to defending democracy around the world, like a deer caught in the headlights (in fact, similar to his immediate response to 9/11 when he froze in wide-eyed fear) he stood around and did nothing early on while Russia moved into Georgia and consolidated its land-grab. In response, Bush simply said nations shouldn't act like bullies.

The fallout? The Russians likely will say entrenched in the contested territory as this lame duck President sells out a nascent democracy and cowers in fear of upsetting an upstart power that this President desperately needs as an ally for reasons related to oil, Iran and Iraq.

This latest fiasco is yet further proof of this President's incompetency, naivete, and downright poor judgment. As noted in an a recent L.A. Times article regarding this latest failure of U.S. foreign policy under this Administration, "early in his term, Bush famously said that he got a 'sense of his soul'" after a meeting with then Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding, "I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy."

Putin clearly seized upon Bush's naivete and Christianity to play him for a fool.

Peace in our time

Given all the noise this administration likes to make about the dangers of appeasement, the rather pathetic response it has made about Russia's invasion of Poland, er, I mean, Georgia, speaks volumes. At first essentially turning a blind eye to the conflict hoping it would go away, the President finally felt compelled to speak out against Russia's brazen invasion a week later.

If anything, the President's appeasement of Russia and reluctance to initially rock the boat underscores the U.S.'s decline in power under this administration and its desperation to stay on Russia's good side.

If this President wishes to be consistent in his policies and is sincere about protecting democracy around the world, he should be prepared to rattle his saber a little louder and threaten Russia militarily. Aren't we the world's policeman?

But we all know this President is a pussy who only pays lip service to the idea of protecting democracy, willing to invade for a personal grudge rather than to protect innocent lives.

At left: It's not Hitler we should be comparing the President to. It's appeaser/coward Neville Chamberlain.