Today's Nuze: October 13, 2006

Friday, October 13, 2006 (ooo! spooky!)

WELL SAID!

I'm posting an editorial written by Phil Boyer, the president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). It was posted on the AOPA website today. Good reading for the hysterics out there who are trying to use the Cory Lidle crash in New York as a reason to put even more restrictions on general aviation.

Enough is enough

BY PHIL BOYER

Mayor Daley's latest rants have sent me over the edge. He used the accident in New York to once again demand a no-fly zone over downtown Chicago for general aviation aircraft.

It was expected, of course. He has an irrational hatred for piston-engine aircraft, as evidenced by his illogical tirade this week. "They should not jeopardize, through intentionally or by accident, a single- or two-engine plane flying over our city [sic]," the Meigs Field destroyer exploded at a press conference. (I don't think he was including Boeing 737s, 757s, and 767s in his list of twin-engine aircraft.) "Remember: a single- or two-engine plane can kill as many people as possible if they want to."

And if it were just Daley, I'd ignore his ravings, just as the folks in the federal government in charge of security and airspace do.

But it's not just him. Other politicians (with the spectacular and notable exception of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg) and self-appointed "experts" are jumping on the tragic accident - repeat, accident - in New York to sound off again about the "danger" of light aircraft, and how they must be regulated, restricted, banned.

OK, for all of those ranting about "threats" from GA aircraft, we'll believe that you're really serious about controlling "threats" when you call for:

Banning all vans within cities. A small panel van was used in the first World Trade Center attack. The bomb, which weighed 1,500 pounds, killed six and injured 1,042.
Banning all box trucks from cities. Timothy McVeigh's rented Ryder truck carried a 5,000-pound bomb that killed 168 in Oklahoma City.
Banning all semi-trailer trucks. They can carry bombs weighing more than 50,000 pounds.
Banning newspapers on subways. That's how the terrorists hid packages of sarin nerve gas in the Tokyo subway system. They killed 12.
Banning backpacks on all buses and subways. That's how the terrorists got the bombs into the London subway system. They killed 52.
Banning all cell phones on trains. That's how they detonated the bombs in backpacks placed on commuter trains in Madrid. They killed 191.
Banning all small pleasure boats on public waterways. That's how terrorists attacked the USS Cole, killing 17.
Banning all heavy or bulky clothing in all public places. That's how suicide bombers hide their murderous charges. Thousands killed.

Number of people killed by a terrorist attack using a GA aircraft? Zero.

Number of people injured by a terrorist attack using a GA aircraft? Zero.

Property damage from a terrorist attack using a GA aircraft? None.

So Mr. Mayor (and Mr. Governor, Ms. Senator, Mr. Congressman, and Mr. "Expert"), if you're truly serious about "protecting" the public, advocate all of the bans I've listed above. Using the "logic" you apply to general aviation aircraft, newspapers, winter coats, cell phones, backpacks, trucks, and boats all pose much greater risks to the public.

So be consistent in your logic. If you are dead set on restricting a personal transportation system that carries more passengers than any single airline, reaches more American cities than all the airlines combined, provides employment for 1.3 million American citizens and $160 billion in business "to protect the public," then restrict or control every other transportation system that the terrorists have demonstrated they can use to kill.

If you're not willing to be consistent, then we might think that you're pandering to uninformed public fears, posturing from the soapbox of demagoguery, screaming security for your own political ends.

Actually, I don't really know if Boyers' column will do anything with the aviation know-nothings out there. I know it won't have an impact on those who hate small airplanes simply because they think that they're all owned by rich people. There are even people out there who want general aviation shut down simply because I own and fly a small plane! Here's a portion of an email I received from a listener in Oregon:

"I was having lunch this afternoon with a group of coworkers. We were talking about the crash in New York and what should be done with all small planes. This guy from our HR department said that he wanted to see all small private planes banned from any populated areas. He also said that nobody should be allowed to fly without first getting permission from the traffic control people and filing a flight plan. I asked him why he wanted to be so severe. He said 'Oh, I don't know. I just know that Neal Boortz guy has a small plane, and I'm for anything that will ruin his day."

How nice. But at least he has a reason!

THANKS YOU KENT STATE

Well .. Belinda, Royal, Tracy (our chaperone) and I got back to Atlanta about 11:30 last night, but what a great time we had last night. Yours truly, that would be me .. now sit down ... was the featured speaker for the "Voices of Distinction" series at Kent State University in New Philadelphia, Ohio! Other speakers in the series have included such luminaries as James Earl Jones, Bob Woodward, Dave Barry, Garrison Keillor and others ... so you could see that I was in way over my heard. But what a great time we had. Our heartfelt thanks to the Kent State staff and all those who attended (some of whom drove hours to get there) for your tremendous hospitality.

STOP OR WE'LL SAY STOP AGAIN

Just as The Gargoyle predicted when he set off his almost-nuclear explosion the other day, the consequences of his actions aren't amounting to much. Unable to get China (or Russia for that matter) on board, the U.S. is forced to shop a resolution around at the U.N. that includes non-military sanctions. You know, stuff like travel restrictions....economic penalties...breaking diplomatic relations and such.

In other words, nothing. The Norks gave the finger to the world by setting off a nuclear device when they were told not to...and there won't be any real repercussions. China, which shares a long border with North Korea, doesn't want to really do anything. They're afraid of a refugee crisis. Neither does Russia. Russia is enjoying seeing the U.S. weakened by this little pipsqueak. South Korea, which always talks big whenever Kim Jong-Il acts out...really doesn't want to do anything. So we're back to square one. The Gargoyle has discovered that he can do whatever he pleases and get away with it.

So what will be the breaking point? Does North Korea have to do it again to get somebody's attention? Will it take them launching a nuclear missile at Japan or Seoul or some other part of the region? Are we going to wait until the Norks sell a nuclear bomb to Islamic terrorists first? Apparently so, because nothing has happened nor will it happen to North Korea as a result of this nuclear test.

And that's too bad. In another time, like say during John F. Kennedy's years in office...this wouldn't be tolerated. Or even during Reagan's term. North Korea would be warned once...and when they did it anyway, there would be a large barbecue going on in Pyongyang right about now. But in this age of global appeasement, we're just going to sit back and do nothing.

IS IT TIME TO PULL OUT OF IRAQ?

The chief of the British Army, a man named General Richard Dannatt spoke to the media in an interview published yesterday. In that interview, he says it's time for the Coalition to pull out of Iraq, saying our presence there is causing problems elsewhere. Said the good general: "I don't say that the difficulties we are experiencing round the world are caused by our presence in Iraq, but undoubtedly our presence in Iraq exacerbates them." Fair enough, everyone has an opinion. He also talked about the post-war planning, saying: "I think history will show that the planning for what happened after the initial, successful war-fighting phase was poor, probably based more on optimism than sound planning." Let's admit it. He's got that right.

Now he has backpedaled just a bit...presumably after a call from Prime Minister Tony Blair's office. Now General Dannatt says our extended presence in Iraq isn't healthy, but he's now pledging to complete the mission. But it's a question worth asking: is it time to pull out of Iraq? And if we do, what will happen? After all, things aren't exactly going very well there right now.

There will come a point in the next year or so where we're going to have to sit the Iraq government down and tell them that we've done all we can, that we've reached the end of the road and it's time for them to take over. There is simply not the will on the part of the American public to continue to endlessly give up blood and treasure fighting the insurgency in Iraq. They'll have to take over the reins.

But leave right now? It would be a disaster. First of all it's what the enemy wants. There can be no good outcome when you cave into the enemy. Second, if we walk out now, it will negate everything we've done over the last 3 1/2 years. The general is right that the post-war planning was a mess...and we can't stay there forever. But we can't just pull out. However, everything has limits. And at some point, it will be time to go. Just not right now.

THE POTENTIAL NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER

Today the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize is going to be announced. If history is any guide, the winner will be an anti-America, Bush-hating peace "activist." Then once they win that Nobel Peace Prize, they will travel the world and be interviewed by the international media. In those interviews, they will talk about how evil the United States is...and if it weren't for America, the world would live in peace. Put some money on it folks. It's a sound bet. In fact ... here's twenty bucks that says when the winner accepts the prize there's some sort of a reference to American "torture" of poor, poor pitiful Islamist terrorists.

But today comes some disturbing news....evidently the other day at a book signing in Austin, Cindy Sheehan announced that she was being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. That's right....the certifiable Moonbat herself...the Crawford Loon....could get the Nobel Peace Prize. But as outrageous as it sounds, the shoe fits.

Think about it....Cindy Sheehan's credentials as an America-bashing, Bush-hating Islamic terrorist appeaser couldn't be better. She's just the kind of person the Euro-weenies want to give that award to. Remember, Moonbat Sheehan has called Islamic terrorists "freedom fighters." That's right...the same ones that killed her son. Freedom fighters.

So we'll find out today. Supposedly there are 191 people in the running. If Sheehan were to win, expect the media to fawn all over her for a solid couple of days anyway.

UPDATE: the Nobel Peace Prize winner has been announced. Boy am I happy to be wrong!

REDNECK SCRAP BOOK

Why buy a mailbox? Just cobble it together from random crap you have around. More in the Redneck Scrap Book.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

The latest on the North Korean "nuclear explosion" is that it was probably a plutonium-fueled device that didn't fully explode. So much for the mighty Norks' new nuclear capabilities. But how long before The Gargoyle gets it right?

Charles Krauthammer says the only way to disarm the North Korean regime is to destroy it, something its neighbor China isn't willing to do and something the United States doesn't seem willing to do either. So what can we do?

Peggy Noonan points out four recent examples where liberals think only they have the right to dissent...not anyone else. If anyone else does...well, it just shouldn't be allowed. Why is it just fine for the left to sit there and complain about something , but not conservatives?

Debra Saunders has an interview with Condoleezza Rice in today's column...after speaking with the secretary of state on Wednesday. At the top of the list of things to talk about: North Korea. She also addressed Iraq and other topics. Great interview.

There is a candidate for Congress in Minnesota that could become the first Muslim elected to Congress. The problem is, he has ties to the Nation of Islam and CAIR, the Hamas-backed group that has ties to terrorism. Joel Mowbray wants to know just how much Democrats are going to embrace this guy.

Ever wonder where all of the bad ideas in education come from? Mona Charen tells us today.....worthless policies like outcome-based education come from the Teacher's College at Columbia University. An interesting look inside the politically correct world of academia.

What are the Republicans' best chances of retaining their control of the House and the Senate on November 7? David Limbaugh says the GOP's secret weapon is the president himself. And he says George W. Bush's press conference the other day was a good start.

In part four of his series on frivolous politics, Thomas Sowell says people should not be thinking about who they personally idolize in whom to vote for in the mid-term elections. They should focus on the policies and the outcome of those policies, rather than demonizing individuals.

Nancy Pelosi is threatening President Bush should she become Speaker of the House....she says he will have to listen to her if the Democrats take over. All the better reason to deny her that gavel...does anyone really want to listen to Nancy Pelosi?

A new poll says John McCain and Hillary Clinton are the front-runners for the 2008 presidential election. Then again, Howard Dean was at one point the frontrunner for the 2004 election...as was Gary Hart in 1984. The moral of the story: early polls like this mean nothing.

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