Dr. X's Free Associations

Pius XII Unfairly Maligned

The Vatican isn't on my list of favorite states, but an interesting piece in the Telegraph says that recently discovered Nazi documents contradict the the notion that Pius XII was a Nazi sympathizer.  The Vatican has long maintained that communist efforts to smear the Vatican were behind the stories.

H/T: The News Junkie

Kermit Does Nine Inch Nails 'Hurt'

For a laugh, Kermit's Trent Reznor is worth the watch:

Click image to open video window.

Embed this video.

And for a serious take, the powerful and moving Johnny Cash cover is below the fold.

Kidnapping Is Okay, if...

Anshel Pfeffer writes in the Jerusalem Post:

"There should be nothing surprising about the the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's capture of the 15 British navy personnel. Kidnapping for tactical and strategic gain was an integral part of warfare and diplomacy throughout the Middle Ages, and in certain cultures well into the 20th Century.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the few - if not the only - sovereign countries that still uses abductions as standard procedure, from its inception in 1979 and the taking of American Embassy hostages."

Can we assume that Pfeffer would have a higher moral regard for the kidnapping if the abductees had instead been innocent civilians who were grabbed at Kennedy Airport, rendered to Syria for torture and released without compensation for the suffering inflicted by their kidnappers and their kidnappers' proxies?  Tough luck, eh?

Perhaps Pfeffer believes they would take comfort in knowing that they weren't kidnapped and tortured for mere tactical advantage.

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kidnapping: (law) the unlawful act of capturing and carrying away a person against their will and holding them in false imprisonment.

How many innocent people has the U.S. abducted in non-combat situations, held without trial or killed or tortured or rendered to torturers in the past six years?  What are the figures for the Iranian government?  What is the operational definition of standard procedure?

No More Posts Today

Work will prevent me from posting until I post the photo of the day for tomorrow, Friday.

Thanks for stopping by.

Dr. X.

A Definition Of Culture

From Another Blue Puzzle Piece:

When a small group of people try to fool a bigger group, I call it conspiracy.

When a small group of people try to fool themselves, I call it denial.

When we all try to fool each other, I call it culture.

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The RUB Party

Rob Knop at Galactic Interactions proposes a new political party: RUB (Republicans Until Bush).

Good idea, Rob.

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Silence: Not Good Enough For Evangelicals But Too Good For Everyone Else?

Ed Brayton often picks up on some of the more amusing reports that expose Evangelical and fundamentalist lunacy.  Brayton is a blogger with whom I rarely find myself in disagreement.  He’s got a good mind, he’s attentive to nuance and has respect for facts.  More importantly, his honesty, his sense of decency and his concern with fairness are implicit and palpable in his writing.  He is a good man.

Today, Brayton rightly ridicules conservative Linda Harvey's call for parents to keep their kids home from school on The National Day of Silence.  The National Day of Silence is a day when students attempt to raise awareness of homophobia by keeping silent in school.  Harvey is a bonehead upon whom I won't waste any extra keystrokes, but I do want to address some concerns I have with the NDS.

The Human Cost Of Immigration

From The ONION.

Novak On Bush Administration's Incompetence

Bush's remaining supporters are kidding themselves when they blame the 'crazy' left wing for Bush's political troubles.  Republican partisan Bob Novak says that, in his lifetime, he has "never seen a president so isolated from his own party."  And, he adds, few congressional Republicans blame Democrats for Bush's problems.  Most blame Bush.

H/T: Bill Arnett

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Photo Of The Day: Alice White

With her dog, Pepe.  Click photo for larger view.

White's acting career blossomed with the advent of sound.  In 1933, however, her career was derailed by a sexual scandal.  Subsequently, she only appeared in supporting roles.

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