Free Republic

Making the click-through worthwhile: RussiaÂ’s ham-fisted propaganda efforts, and what makes people gullible; the limits of the Assault Weapons Ban, then and now; a limited defense of FBI Director Christopher Wray; and a sign that Russian athletes cheat, even when it isnÂ’t necessary for victory.You CanÂ’t Legislate Away the Desire to Believe the LieThe New York Times looks at RussiaÂ’s propaganda efforts and offers an unflattering assessment of how easily Americans could be influenced by foreigners posing as out-of-town activists: Heart of Texas and Blacktivist were phony groups, part of a sweeping Russian disinformation campaign that was funded with millions...

Yes, Uma Thurman is mad. She has been raped. She has been sexually assaulted. She has been mangled in hot steel. She has been betrayed and gaslighted by those she trusted. And we’re not talking about her role as the blood-spattered bride in “Kill Bill.” We’re talking about a world that is just as cutthroat, amoral, vindictive and misogynistic as any Quentin Tarantino hellscape. We’re talking about Hollywood, where even an avenging angel has a hard time getting respect, much less bloody satisfaction. Playing foxy Mia Wallace in 1994’s “Pulp Fiction” and ferocious Beatrix Kiddo in “Kill Bill,” Volumes 1...

David Harsanyi commentary: Robust dissent, not unity, needed in Washington Thursday, November 6, 2008 3:23 AM By DAVID HARSANYI DispatchPolitics Unity? No, thank you. Unity: n. the state of being one; oneness -- especially when your chosen political party happens to win an election. Barack Obama is now my president. Though I wonder whether irascible Democrats who rode around with those snazzy bumper stickers reading "He's not my president" for the past eight years realize the irony of their call for national harmony. Let's hope there's none. Winning elections is one thing; governing is quite another. It is impossible to...

Discover the Arab Lobby “Network”   By John Perazzo FrontPageMagazine.com | 1/17/2007 As Western civilization faces the threat of a radical Islamic foe that seeks to annihilate it, the collective self-assurance of the Western psyche continues to wither under the relentless, low-grade assault of the political Left. This assault presents itself in the form of constant criticism aimed at America’s allegedly vast array of societal defects — with the intent of expunging every last shred of self-respect from the Western mind and heart, and of thereby convincing Western man that his irredeemably sinful culture is unworthy of his defense....

On Friday, Sept. 8, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) will host a dinner for former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami at the Marriott Crystal Gateway in Arlington, Va. The theme of his address at the CAIR dinner will be "The Dialogue of Civilizations: Five Years After 9/11." Khatami will be in Washington, D.C., to take part in an event at the National Cathedral. WHAT: CAIR Hosts Dinner for Former President of Iran WHEN: Friday, Sept. 8 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. (A private reception with President Khatami, including a photo opportunity, will precede the dinner at 6 p.m.) WHERE:...

Around 50 retired US diplomats have written to US President George Bush to complain about America's policy towards the Middle East. The letter is similar to one written by 52 former British diplomats to UK Prime Minister Tony Blair last week. The former US diplomats complained that President Bush's approach is losing the US "credibility, prestige and friends". They criticised what they say is Washington's unabashed support for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The American diplomats said they were deeply concerned by Mr Bush's endorsement last month of Mr Sharon's plan to withdraw unilaterally from Gaza. 'Great danger' They were...

The United Muslims Association of Florida, Tampa Bay Area Chapter is a group that openly and closely aligns itself with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and other Islamist organizations. Not long ago, it posted with pleasure on its website news that the University of South Florida (known in the bad old days of Sami Al-Arian's tenure as "Jihad U.") will include two courses on Islam in the Spring 2004 semester. (They are "Islam in World History," taught by William Cummings, and "Islam in America," taught by K. O'Connor). So far so good. But then UMA follows the news with this...