Free Republic

An article in The Wall Street Journal (April 12) breathlessly informs us of the latest fad on the Incredible Shrinking Continent -- "As Religious Strife Grows, Europe's Atheists Seize Pulpit: Islam's Rise Gives Boost To Militant Unbelievers; The Celebrity Hedonist," the headline teases. The "Celebrity Hedonist," isn't geriatric frat-boy Hugh Hefner, but Michel Onfray, a 48-year-old author dubbed "France's high-priest of atheism" in the Journal piece. Reporter Andrew Higgins describes the doyen of disbelief -- commander of the faith-less -- strutting onto the stage of Caen's 500-seat Alexis de Tocqueville auditorium, dressed in black from head to toe, to deliver...

It's a tale of two Novembers with the horror of September 11th sandwiched in between. In November 2006, six imams on a US Airways Minneapolis to Phoenix flight begin engaging in bizarre behaviors eerily similar to those used by the 9/11 hijackers to takeover the planes used on that terrible day: shouting slogans in Arabic; leaving assigned seats to position themselves much like the 9/11 attackers; requesting seat belt extenders that they positioned on the floor, rather than used to secure themselves. Responding to the reasonable concerns of passengers and the flight crew, the imams were removed from the plane...

Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen laments the fact that candidates are under heavy pressure to tailor their beliefs (or rhetoric) to "get past ideological bottlenecks" in early primary states: "For Republicans, it's the religious right; for Democrats, it's economic pressure groups such as teachers unions. The rest of us can only stand by, helpless, waiting for extremists to pick a man or woman on the basis of issues that mean less to us." For Republican candidates, the toughest litmus tests are not about any actual policy alternatives, foreign or domestic, but about "social issues." What most social issues have in...

Despondent after George W. Bush won re-election, a small group of billionaire Democrats met in San Francisco in December 2004 to reflect on John Kerry’s failure to capture the White House. George Soros, Progressive Insurance Chairman Peter B. Lewis, and S&L tycoons Herb and Marion Sandler were angry and depressed. They felt they had been taken—seduced by the siren song of pollsters and the mainstream media who had assured them that the capture of the executive mansion was theirs. But despite giving millions of dollars to liberal candidates and 527 political committees, the donors came away with nothing. At about...

Why Red China Targeted the Clinton White House By Timothy W. Maier Writing for Insight Magazine Beijing's leaders have set their sights on American encryption and satellite technologies that, once obtained, could kill vital U.S. intelligence operations worldwide. The covert plot was launched in 1992 -- the same year Chinese operatives signed a military intelligence agreement to share secrets with Russia. Red Chinese spies are among us. Their infiltration is so deep, say U.S. intelligence experts, that the prime targets appear to be America's super-secret encryption and satellite technologies. Once obtained, their possession by Beijing could provide access to the...

Shortly after Bill Clinton was sworn in as President, the Democratic Party became nothing more than a single arm of the growing parasitic Clinton octopus. The weak Democratic appendage was firmly cemented to the gelatinous Clinton body when the 900 or so raw FBI files ended up in the hands of that portly man of mystery, Craig Livingstone. You remember Craig, he was the one man no one in Bill and Hilary's open charnel house could remember hiring, what he did, or how he managed to procure those doggone files. But the files went back, Livingstone left, I presume, and...

Hi, You may have heard the news today of a CBS/New York Times poll that stated 51 percent of the American people do not believe Iraq is linked to the war on terrorism. It is a reflection of a biased and dishonest American MSM that people don't know better. If the Democrats should win in November, there will be a "wave the white flag, cut and run surrender in Iraq" (along with cuts or the decimation of the U.S. ballistic missile defense program). I have included a letter that my wife submitted to the Tracy Press (Aug. 22 edition) about...

FBI Director Robert Mueller said this week that his agency busted a smuggling ring organized by the terrorist group Hezbollah that had operatives cross the Mexican border to carry out possible terrorist attacks inside the U.S. "This was an occasion in which Hezbollah operatives were assisting others with some association with Hezbollah in coming to the United States,” Mueller told a House Appropriations subcommittee during a Tuesday hearing on the FBI's budget.

I recieved this e-mail from my friend Debi Vinnedge, Founder of Children of God for Life Dear friends, Following is the homily Fr. Tom gave at Terri's Mass Friday night at my parish. The Schindlers were in tears but so very grateful for all who came. Fr Pavone spoke after the Mass as well, but I do not have a transcript from him. Suffice it to say, both were very moving and very good!! Much love, Debi First Anniversary Memorial Mass for Terri Schindler Schiavo March 31, 2006 Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer Human Life International Dearest Mary and Bob, Bobby...

Today’s domestic auto industry dilemma was all predicted 30 years ago. See… http://westfallmike.tripod.com “This paper will not take prisoners.” “Auto workers are greedy, self centered, over paid, under worked and we shouldn’t give a damn about them! They need to be brought down to their knees to a level equal to the domestic auto makers exploited foreign workers who have been paid starvation wages and treated like slaves”! “Auto workers don’t deserve job security or secure pensions and they and their families have no right to expensive health care!” After workers have spent all of their lives in the factories...

Astute political observers such as Bill Kristol have puzzled over President Bush giving top second term priority to Social Security reform. Unlike tax cuts or other possible priorities, the payoff for private Social Security accounts will come many years in the future, when currently young voters retire. Why spend so much political capital when there is no immediate gain? Just because it is the right thing to do? Unquestionably, the President believes in the wisdom of changing Social Security from an income transfer system to a capital accumulation/income generation system. But there is also a sophisticated and visionary political strategy...

PAT BUCHANAN, GUEST HOST: Is John Kerry unfit for command? That's what John O‘Neill says. He is the Naval officer who took over command of Kerry‘s swift boat in Vietnam. His new book claims Kerry is no war hero at all, that he didn‘t deserve his Purple Hearts, Bronze Star or Silver Star, and that he committed acts bordering on treason in wartime. John O'Neill is here to tell all for his first interview on MSNBC.

How Cuts in Retiree Benefits Fatten Companies' Bottom Lines Trimming a Health-Care Plan Creates Accounting Gains, Under Some Arcane Rules A Shield Against Rising CostsBy ELLEN E. SCHULTZ and THEO FRANCISStaff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNALThe loud message comes from one company after another: Surging health-care costs for retired workers are creating a giant burden. So companies have been cutting health benefits for their retirees or requiring them to contribute more of the cost. Time for a reality check: In fact, no matter how high health-care costs go, well over half of large American corporations face only limited impact...

GUN FACTS 3.2 IS HERE! If you love freedom and need some ammunition to help protect our civil rights, here you go! Gun Facts is a 70+ page e-book that explodes the most common gun control myths. Download it, email it to your friends, politicians, and the local media. Print copies and leave them on the city bus or local lunch counter. Just read the copyright and don't charge anyone any money for this work. Click here to download version 3.2 of Guy Smith's GUN FACTS.