Most people may already know about this, but I didn’t see it addressed here in a post: a lawyer representing Guantanamo detainees claims that “abuse of prisoners” has increased since Obama’s inauguration:
Abuses began to pick up in December after Obama was elected, human rights lawyer Ahmed Ghappour told Reuters. He cited beatings, the dislocation of limbs, spraying of pepper spray into closed cells, applying pepper spray to toilet paper and over-forcefeeding detainees who are on hunger strike.
While these practices certainly deserve our disgust and abhorrence, I can’t help but wonder what the MSM would have done if this occurred with Bush in office… I feel terribly for the soldiers guarding GITMO, who do so with the knowledge that after their brave service, some of the detainees, who threaten our nation’s security, will soon re-enter public life.
Next, Jake Tapper gives a breakdown of Obama’s tax increase proposals for the ten years beginning in 2011. Some of the parts that I particularly revile:
- $118 billion – capital gains tax hike
- $5.3 billion – excise tax on Gulf of Mexico oil and gas
- $3.4 billion – repeal expensing of tangible drilling costs
- $13 billion – repeal manufacturing tax deduction for oil and natural gas companies
Increasing capital gains taxes is one of the worst things Obama can do to instill confidence in the markets. The excise tax on Gulf of Mexico oil and gas will hurt consumers. And Obama takes us farther away from energy security by reducing incentives for energy companies to increase production. All in all, too much redistribution and not enough pro-growth initiatives.
The Washington Post and Erick Erickson of Red State provide some commentary on Mike Huckabee’s activities and reception at CPAC. One part of Huckabee’s speech that impressed me, as reported by the Post:
He [Huckabee] said the free market should be permitted to engage in creative destruction to restore the economy to equilibrium.
That provides an encouraging sign that a guy with questionable fiscal conservative bonafides really does “get it” when it comes to the counterproductive effects of government intervention in the economy.
And finally, here is the Afghanistan strategy proposed by none other than Henry Kissinger. I’ll try to identify his key points:
- “Heretofore, America has pursued traditional anti-insurgency tactics: to create a central government, help it extend its authority over the entire country and, in the process, bring about a modern bureaucratic and democratic society. That strategy cannot succeed in Afghanistan — especially not as an essentially solitary effort.”
- “Reform is a moral necessity. But the time scale for reform is out of sync with the requirements of anti-guerrilla warfare. Reform will require decades; it should occur as a result of, and even side by side with, the attainment of security — but it cannot be the precondition for it.”
- “Military strategy should concentrate on preventing the emergence of a coherent, contiguous state within the state controlled by jihadists.”
- “In the rest of the country, our military strategy should be more fluid, aimed at forestalling the emergence of terrorist strong points.”
- “…the United States should propose a working group of Afghanistan’s neighbors, India and the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. Such a group should be charged with assisting in the reconstruction and reform of Afghanistan and establishing principles for the country’s international status and obligations to oppose terrorist activities. Over time, America’s unilateral military efforts can merge with the diplomatic efforts of this group. The precondition for such a policy is cooperation with Russia and Pakistan.”
- “Pakistan’s leaders must face the fact that continued toleration of the sanctuaries — or continued impotence with respect to them — will draw their country ever deeper into an international maelstrom. If the jihadists were to prevail in Afghanistan, Pakistan would surely be the next target — as is observable by activity already taking place along the existing borders and in the Swat Valley close to Islamabad.”
February 26th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
Guantánamo Meets Geneva Rules, Pentagon Study Finds
Britain Acknowledges 2 Detainees Are in U.S. Prison in Afghanistan
February 26th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
You could also write about how Huckabee attacked fiscal conservatives for ‘losing’ the election by not voting for him.
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/02/26/1812802.aspx
February 26th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
Joseph–I was just about to post that thing.
February 26th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Joseph and Rick, you both make a good point. Huckabee should not blame fiscal conservatives. However, I do believe that to truly appreciate his record on taxes and spending, you have to put it in context: as governor, he worked with a legislature dominated by Democrats. Granted, Arkansas Democrats have different priorities and positions than most “national” Dems, but still, considering what he had to work with, I think he did a great job.
February 26th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
Was Huckabee working with Democrats when he wrote his speech? It sure looked like it to me.
February 26th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
Ok, perhaps not all his speech, but just those parts where he attacked fiscal conservatives for not voting for him.
Does Huckabee think that insulting fiscal conservatives will somehow gain him favor? That kind of sarcasm and back-stabbing is the worst kind–made even more caustic by the fact that he says it with a chummy grin.
We need some positive forward-looking leadership and not snarky comments that tend to divide the different conservative estates.
February 26th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
Mike Rips Paterson, Hails Rudy
February 27th, 2009 at 12:40 am
A Visit With the Palins
Take That, Bristol!
Palin backs parental consent for abortion
Palin Pushes Parental Consent Legislation
Audio
http://www.gov.state.ak.us/audio/ParentalCon_Feb26-2009sm.mp3
http://community.adn.com/adn/node/138482
Senate Panel to Pursue Investigation of C.I.A.
Senate to investigate CIA’s actions under Bush
The ‘fact-finding’ effort will seek details on secret prisons and interrogation methods — but will not aim to determine if CIA officials broke laws, legislative sources say.
Obama’s intelligence pick linked to Saudi Arabia
Obama Plans Major Shifts in Spending
Obama Gives Failing Schools a Pass
The day of reckoning has arrived — except for teachers’ unions.
By Chester E. Finn Jr. & Michael J. Petrilli
Secretly ending welfare reform
Class warfare returns to Washington
The Robin Hood Budget
Rosy economic predictions underlie Obama’s budget
VIDEO: AUC: Rush, GOP root for failure
Undocumented Population Declines in U.S.
Immigration is top issue for both Labour and Tory voters, YouGov poll shows
Cutting immigration is now the number one issue for both Labour and Tory voters, a new poll reveals.
Arms control’s dangerous allure
Negotiate without a clear baseline of what forces are needed?
by John Bolton
Alaskans fume over Jindal volcano-monitoring gripe
STIMULUS: Louisiana GOP governor’s remarks roil Outside critics too.
The Joe-the-Plumberization of the GOP
by Patrick Ruffini
April 26th, 2011 at 11:49 pm
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