Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Cry Me A Rio Grande.
Anti-immigrationists are jumping up and down and crying "no amnesty" at the news of the proposed immigration legislation. Radio talk-show ratings must be through the roof and phone lines in Congress must be red hot by now. Anti-immigrationists are one pissed off and vocal constituency.
Thomas Sowell is the latest commentator to criticize the plan to offer legal status to current illegal immigrants. He complains that the plan would not be tolerated as a way of dealing with other crimes. As he puts it,
What he describes is pretty much what we do with petty criminals who deserve some kind of punishment and monitoring but who don't deserve imprisonment. We have them pay a fine, we may make them serve a bit of time, we monitor their behavior, and we set them on a path to be restored to good standing in our society. We'll even expunge their crimes from court records in certain cases.
If probation is an option for petty criminals, it should be an option for illegal immigrants. Illegal aliens violated our immigration laws to come and stay here, but at least they are here to work. Let's secure the US-Mexican border as needed. As for the illegal aliens already in our country, let's make probation an option.
-tdr
Technorati:
Immigration, 
border, 
illegal immigration.
Thomas Sowell is the latest commentator to criticize the plan to offer legal status to current illegal immigrants. He complains that the plan would not be tolerated as a way of dealing with other crimes. As he puts it,
"Does anyone suggest that, if domestic criminals come forward, pay some fine, and apply to have their crimes overlooked, they can be put on a path to be restored to good standing in our society?" (Here.)One wonders if he's ever heard of probation.
What he describes is pretty much what we do with petty criminals who deserve some kind of punishment and monitoring but who don't deserve imprisonment. We have them pay a fine, we may make them serve a bit of time, we monitor their behavior, and we set them on a path to be restored to good standing in our society. We'll even expunge their crimes from court records in certain cases.
If probation is an option for petty criminals, it should be an option for illegal immigrants. Illegal aliens violated our immigration laws to come and stay here, but at least they are here to work. Let's secure the US-Mexican border as needed. As for the illegal aliens already in our country, let's make probation an option.
-tdr
Technorati:
Immigration, border, illegal immigration.Labels: Immigration, News, Politics
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Peacetime, Wartime. Whatever.
There are all kinds of people in this world and all of them can be divided into dichotomies, false or otherwise. In the Friday, May 11, 2007, print edition of USA Today on page 10A, Jeffrey Stinson's generally fair profile of Tony Blair's term as Prime Minister of Great Britain appears. This paragraph appears right about in the middle:
-tdr
* You'll have to take my word for the quote from Stinson's story. USA Today has already archived the story on its website and charges a fee to view it online. Not gonna happen.
Technorati:
War, 
terrorism, 
Jihad, 
Blair.
"Blair saw Britain through tragedy and triumph. He comforted a mournful nation after the death of Princess Diana in 1997. He stood defiant as British support for involvement in Iraq waned and when four terrorist suicide bombers killed 52 people in 2005 in the worst peacetime attack in London's history. On Tuesday, he saw a shared government between once-warring Protestants and Catholics restored in Northern Ireland -- long a Blair goal."*There are two kinds of people in this world. There are those who read that paragraph and breeze right by the line "worst peacetime attack in London's history" without a second thought. And then there are those who are brought to a screeching halt by the line. Count me in the latter category. The Jihadist bombing in London in 2005 was an act of war committed by war criminals during wartime. We were not at peace in 2005 and we are not at peace now.
-tdr
* You'll have to take my word for the quote from Stinson's story. USA Today has already archived the story on its website and charges a fee to view it online. Not gonna happen.
Technorati:
War, terrorism, Jihad, Blair.Labels: News, War on Jihad
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Two Cents On Top Space Stories of 2006.
Space.com is polling readers for the top space story of 2006. The top 10 so far can be seen here. They are about what you'd expect with the hardy and totally lovable little Mars Rovers coming in first, followed by the decision to save Hubble, and NASA's return to flight.
In my view the top space story of 2006 is Bigelow Aerospace's successful launch and continued operation of its inflatable prototype for a private space station. This story signals the promise of private human space operations in orbit. (Here.)
Second would be NASA's awarding of the COTS contracts, which demonstrates the government's move towards reliance on private space companies for operations in lower Earth orbit. (Here.) Tied for second would be the Democratic Party's takeover of the House and Senate, which has immediately imperiled NASA's plans for human space operations. (Here.)
Third is publication of the United States new space policy document which makes official the view that space is a place within America's security and economic spheres of influence. This is a baby step in the direction of undermining the current unrealistic legal regime that governs human activities in space. (Here and here.)
The most ridiculous space story of 2006 is number 8 on the Space.com list. That story is the decision by astronomers to adopt the neighborhood bully definition of planets and fix the Solar System's planetary population at 8. The story gets my vote for most ridiculous story because it reveals how out of touch scientists are from the general public. (Here.)
What's your opinion?
-tdr
Republished once to fix links.
Technorati: NASA, space, astronomy.
In my view the top space story of 2006 is Bigelow Aerospace's successful launch and continued operation of its inflatable prototype for a private space station. This story signals the promise of private human space operations in orbit. (Here.)
Second would be NASA's awarding of the COTS contracts, which demonstrates the government's move towards reliance on private space companies for operations in lower Earth orbit. (Here.) Tied for second would be the Democratic Party's takeover of the House and Senate, which has immediately imperiled NASA's plans for human space operations. (Here.)
Third is publication of the United States new space policy document which makes official the view that space is a place within America's security and economic spheres of influence. This is a baby step in the direction of undermining the current unrealistic legal regime that governs human activities in space. (Here and here.)
The most ridiculous space story of 2006 is number 8 on the Space.com list. That story is the decision by astronomers to adopt the neighborhood bully definition of planets and fix the Solar System's planetary population at 8. The story gets my vote for most ridiculous story because it reveals how out of touch scientists are from the general public. (Here.)
What's your opinion?
-tdr
Republished once to fix links.
Technorati: NASA, space, astronomy.
Labels: Leviathan, NASA, News, Scienceism, Space Captains Of Industry
