The New Terrapin Gazette Number 253

The New Terrapin Gazette ^ | 6-11-2012 | LBB

[Jeff Chandler]

The core issue is whether Muslims shall be permitted to import into the West the teachings, ethics and demands of their religion.

Those who answer in the affirmative do so from within a context that respects the right of the individual to profess his chosen spiritual teaching. Of course religious Liberty is fundamental; that noble sentiment is enshrined in the US constitution. It is one of the foundational tenets of a federal democratic republic that imposes absolute restrictions on its central government: hands off freedom of speech, press, and religion.

This respect for human rights leads to an inescapable conclusion: it is wrong to compel Muslim immigrants to the West to live by Western standards. Those who would require the new arrivals to embrace Liberty, individual rights, and the freedoms of speech, press and religion must be the inheritors and propagators of Hitlerian fascism.

To many, that will seem an absurdly irrelevant assertion, unnecessary and insulting. Of course a tolerant society will not be Hitlerian, now will it? And are the leaders of the West not tolerant?

[Jeff Chandler]

Good morning campers.

[Jeff Chandler]

From the blog:

The NTG is fortunate to have a subscriber in Madrid. Thanks go to him for his observations as Spain teeters on the brink of Heaven Knows What:

Spain appears to be on the way to a big crash. Our local shopping center, located not too far away, is a modern 3-story structure that has a huge supermarket where we regularly shop. There are, of course, tens of other shops in the building. In recent weeks we have noticed that perhaps 50% of them have shuttered their doors. They range from a photography shop to a store specializing in cheap (primarily Chinese-made electrical) goods to mom and pop tailor/sewing shops to the nail painting shops and haberdashers. Even the guy ostensibly selling “Persian carpets” closed up this month. (In the years we have been here, we NEVER saw a customer in that store. IMHO, I think these “Persian Carpet” stores are fronts for the Iranians to launder money, probably to finance their illicit activities. Could it be that Western governments have finally caught on to their shenanigans and are forcing them, as a part of the economic pressure being placed on Iran, to close down? That could be a topic for an upcoming newsletter.) The only shops remaining are the ubiquitous cell phone shops, a few walk-in banks, bars, coffee shops.

When I first came here, there was much more traffic on the road, even on my relatively short drive to work. Now, there is less than half the regular number of cars on the road. Gasoline prices are relatively low, but in spite of this, people are driving less and using public transport. But on the other hand, the prices for tickets have increased considerably in the last few months. A regular inner zone metro ticket used to cost a ridiculously low 1.00 Euro and a combination ticket to travel to the outskirts was 2.00 Euros. Now, the inner zone costs 1.50 Euro; the outer zone 3.00 Euros. A strip of 10 rides costs 12.00 Euros and 18.00 Euros, respectively. The transport prices are still very low compared to the rest of Europe, but one sees that the city is trying to increase revenues and also improve cash flow.

[bayouranger]

Enjoyed it, thanx!