Russisk reportage om den østrigske politiker, der blev idømt 179.000 dkr i bøde for at “fornærme og bagtale religion”. (engelsksproget). Det er noget andet end når SVT tager på feltarbejde.

En uintelligent nazist som kulturminister ?

“Pia Kjærsgaard har ikke den bredeste tankegang, og det vil gøre udviklingen af kunsten meget vanskelig, hvis hun bliver kulturminister. Hun anerkender kun sin egen smag, og det betyder vel, at vi må imødese en lang periode med blomsterdekorationer som det eneste gældende.

Når hun hårdnakket benægter, at eksempelvis udstoppede hundehvalpe kan være kunst, affærdiger hun eksistensen af noget, andre mennesker kan lide. Det er direkte uintelligent og minder mig om Hitler, som så over skulderen, hver gang en kunstner satte en streg. Michael Brammer, kunstneren bag bl.a. de udstoppede hundehvalpe.

Sjovt som adjektivet “uintelligent” er begyndt at brede sig i visse kredse, de mere intelligente må jo tro. Hvad mon Brammer, der laver kitch ud af kitch, har imod blomsterdekorationer? Problemet  i Folketinget er vel snarere, at der knap er en håndfuld af de 148 andre, der har så meget almen kulturel dannelse, at han/hun er  oplagt som kulturminister. Det skulle da lige være den meget  belæste Jesper Langballe, som er på vej ud eller P.S. Møller, der desværre valgte et andet ministerium. Så hvorfor ikke lige så gerne Kjærsgaard ? JP: National socialists ready to rule,  Henrik Dahl: Dansk kunst er statskunst, Michael Brammer & Said Mansours 9-eleven.

Islam in the UK: The Numbers

I hvert europæisk land er der lige præcis to tal af afgørende betydning for vurderingen af en endeløs strøm af daglige, nedslående nyheder fra forstæder og ghettoer i de indre byer: Antal og vækstrate. Og disse tal er statshemmeligheder der bliver bevogtet som kronjuveler, hvorfor det overlades til kvalificerede lægfolk at prøve at fastslå dem. Skribenten Free Hal kommer frem til følgende skøn for Storbritannien (LFPC):

How big is the Islamic population of Britain, and how fast it is growing? Britain is generally considered have a population approximately 3% Muslim (by 2001 figures). France (10%), Netherlands (7%), Belgium (8%), and Sweden (5%) have higher percentage Islamic populations. […]

There are two points to establish: the base figure, and the growth rate. […]

This puts the number of Muslims in Britain, reasonably conservatively, at about 1.9 million in 2000. […]

The growth from 1.9 million to 2.4 million in the 4 years from 2004 to 2008 is a growth rate of just over 6% per year, not including illegals, i.e. a doubling every 12 years. Plus illegals. […]

Switch on your calculator and enter the figure of 1.9 million in 2000. Then multiply it by 106.5%. And then multiply that by 106.5%. And again, and again…

By 2030 Britain is 20% Islamic (assuming the total British population stays at 2001 levels).

By 2045 the figure is 51%.

WARNING: THIS IS A PROJECTION. A PROJECTION IS NOT A PREDICTION. […] Free Hal: Islam in the UK: The Numbers

Yes: Prog rock lever

Blogredaktøren må lige bære over med mig. Har man sagt Genesis må man også sige Yes, to af de mest forhadte dinosaur-bands fra midt-1970’erne og frem, hvor punken dikterede primitivitet og væk med dygtig musiceren og opblæste sceneshows. Begge bands overlevede dog, og i dag opleves der vel ikke denne modsætning mellem det opulente og det simple. Man ‘må’ godt kunne lide begge retninger, hvor det dengang var ødelæggende for ens street credibility at kunne lide f. eks. disse to bands. I modsætning til Genesis holder Yes efter min mening rigtig godt fast ved deres arv, der er ikke den samme glatte lyd over dem som Genesis desværre gled over i. Der findes utallige live-dvd’er med Yes, og det er en nydelse at se disse aldrende, og så vidt jeg kan skønne, hamrende dygtige musikere, spille kompleks musik lige fra rygmarven, fordi de kender hinanden så godt. Et utal af musikere er passeret gennem gruppen, men den klassiske konstellation optræder stadig sammen, af og til med vikarer for fraværende medlemmer. Og måske mest imponerende er Jon Andersons lyse stemme nærmest intakt efter 40 år i rampelyset. Hvad gjorde Bob Dylan forkert? Her et af deres fineste numre, sangen And You and I med den karakteristiske opbygning af et crescendo i omkvædet. Hvilken forløsning når det nås (LFPC).

Fra Hyskensstræde til Det Hvide Hus

Et spøgelse går gennem den vestlige verden. Fra Hyskensstræde til Det Hvide Hus hærger illusionen om at tilbageholdenhed vil få det bedste frem i dem der vil os ondt (LFPC).

The great powers of history understood the truth of Virgil’s dictum that “they have power because they seem to have power.” As much as soldiers and weapons, prestige and perception are critical for a great power’s ability to pursue and defend its interests. Both allies and adversaries must show by their behavior that they respect and honor a dominant state, and understand that consequences will follow the failure to do so. And to reinforce the perception of its power, a major power must be willing to take actions that demonstrate that is worthy of this respect. To do otherwise is to create a perception of weakness and to invite encroachments on the state’s security and interests. The decline of great empires like that of Rome or of England is in part a consequence of the loss of this respect on the part of enemies and rivals, and the perception that they were weak rather than strong. […]

Some may argue that our strength lies in our principles such as the rule of law and a preference for reasoned discussion over force. Indeed it does––but only when it is clear that our power lies behind our principles, that we believe in them ardently enough to use force not for territory or wealth, but to strengthen our principles and defend our security when we have determined they have been attacked. But to think that those principles and beliefs can stand on their own without being guaranteed by force is delusional, for the simple reason that most of our adversaries do not believe in the same principles. To our enemies, those principles are not self-evidently the best way to live, and so our adversaries must be compelled to respect these principles with deeds rather than words. The prestige of our principles depends on the prestige of our power.

Liberals, however, have a different view of foreign policy. They think that our adversaries are like us and believe in the same goods, such as the resolution of conflict through reasoned discussion, and so liberals take force off the table. They think that our example alone will be sufficient to convince our enemies to change their behavior. We see this approach in the current administration’s overtures to Iran. More discussion, more diplomacy, more offers of various material boons like increased trade supposedly will convince the mullahs to forgo the enormous boost in power and prestige they will enjoy by possessing nuclear arms. Clinton’s North Korean Odyssey By: Bruce Thornton