Some Old News Items

Progressives Just Can't Shut Up

The Archbishop of Canterbury just couldn’t manage to keep his mouth shut during festivities for the queen’s diamond jubilee and insisted on talking about leftist issues instead of staying on topic. See here. What is it with these people that they feel they have to say things at inappropriate times? They all act as though no one has ever heard their message, even though they basically run the media and our schools and are saying this sort of thing all the time.


The New Young Turks: Leftist or Islamist or Both?

A new political group in Turkey, calling themselves Anti-capitalist Muslims, pose a puzzle in political classification. (See here.) Are they basically leftists who are also Muslims, or are they Islamists who are also anti-capitalist? The article at the link gives the following information: they are anti-capitalist, Muslim, not associated with the Turkish left (which is presumably secular), in favor of Kurdish rights, and against nuclear power, compulsory military service, Turkey’s siding with the United States, and any attempt by Turkey to dominate the region the way the Ottomans did. Where they stand on the rights of women, gays, and secularists is uncertain.

I’m guessing that they are more leftist than Islamist, but whatever the case, my plea to them is, “Let’s you and him fight.” That is, go ahead and have a battle with the ruling Islamic party.


Racism in European Soccer

Charges of racism continue to swirl around Euro 2012, especially among fans in eastern European countries. See here. This poses a puzzle for leftists since eastern Europe was part of the communist world where equality was supposed to reign more than it did in western Europe and of course America. Can it really be that the values instilled in these people have completely disappeared after just twenty years? I’d be more inclined to say that the supposed equality was just a mirage and that, yes, here in America we have been ahead of them for decades.


The Stupid Gambler

A man in Detroit was able to take out about $1.5 million from ATM machines due to a bank error, but instead of using that money to buy things or for travel or other pleasant experiences, he gambled it all away. See here. How pathetic. After all, what’s the point of gambling except to get lots of money, but if you already have lots of money, there’s really no need.