You Big Mouth, You!

Census link [pdf file]

Median household income, while below the peaks of 1998-2000, was still higher than at any other time prior to 1997. The number in poverty is lower than any time in the period 1992-1997. The overall 2003 poverty rate of 12.5%, though higher than the years 1997-2002, is still lower than in any year since 1981.

The under 18 poverty rate is lower than at any time in the period 1980-1998. The poverty rate for the elderly is near record lows, lower than at any time before 1999. The poverty rate for adults is lower than any time in the period 1991-1997.

The poverty rate went up in only 6 states, Nevada, Texas, Michigan, Illinois, North Carolina and Virginia. This hardly represents a nationwide trend.

Women are closer to parity with men’s wages under the Bush administration than ever before. The female to male earnings ratio is down for 2003, but the ratios for all three years of the Bush Administration are much higher than at any other time in history, with 2002 being the record year. The 2003 ratio of 75.5% is still much higher than the previous high, before Bush, in 1998 of 74.2%.

The black poverty rate in 2003 was 24.4%. But it was higher in every year before 1999.

UPDATE: I wanted to get this post up, so I banged it out. My analysis follows:

The Clinton bubble is what all the Democrats and loony leftists prefer to compare Bush’s economic record to. The bubble was, of course, an aberration, created by the dot coms, and by financial chicanery by such companies as Enron and Xerox. A host of firms had to restate their earnings after the bubble burst and people began to review their practices at the time.

The Census report cited at the top shows some needed historical reference. Absent the bubble, the Bush years look pretty good. Combine that with the employment numbers, at near historic highs, and the rate of formation of LLC’s and you get a somewhat different picture of the Bush economy.

I just wish George Bush was shouting about this every day, at every opportunity.

Lone Sentry After Mortain, the 4th had its first and only real rest. No Germans were seen for 10 days; enemy artillery even moved out of range. Alerted for an urgent mission, the division was transferred to V Corps Aug. 23. In a driving rain, the 4th rolled along the road to Paris all that night and the next day. Although the FFI had been battling Germans for several days inside the city, the capital still was surrounded. Bringing support to the patriots, the 4th and the 2nd French Armd. Div. raced to clinch the victory. The 4th bivouacked 12 miles south of the city as Germans retreated hastily across the Seine River. The 22nd set out in pursuit. That evening, 2nd French Armd. met strong opposition between Versailles and Paris. At midnight, the 12th was ordered to move into the city. EARLY Aug. 25, while the 8th and 22nd crossed the Seine, the 12th advanced north on Boulevard d’Orleans, ready to take on all comers. For once, doughs found the job nearly accomplished before they arrived. On trucks, the 12th rode in triumphal procession through streets jammed from wall to wall with thousands of joyous Parisians. Third Bn. reached Notre Dame Cathedral at high noon, first Allied military unit to see the famous square for more than four years. Other battalion elements arrived as fast as they could push their way through the surging throng. Paris was free — the biggest news the world had heard since D-Day. Gen. Barton and Gen. Blakeley represented the division when the German commander surrendered at the Gare de Montparnasse. Moving to the north suburbs of Paris, the division cleared the city. Germans now were frantically trying to get out of France. Next, the Famous Fourth advanced northeast as First Army’s drive to the Belgian border picked up speed.

U.S. Navy

NORTH CAROLINA (NNS) — Secretary of the Navy Gordon R. England presented the Navy Cross to Hospitalman Luis E. Fonseca Jr. in a ceremony held at Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, N.C., Aug. 11.

Fonseca, a 23-year-old corpsman, was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom March 23, 2003, while serving with Amphibious Assault Vehicle Platoon, Company C, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, Task Force Tarawa, II Marine Expeditionary Force.

The Navy Cross, the U.S. Navy’s second highest decoration, is awarded for extraordinary heroism while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States. The act must be performed in the presence of great danger or at great personal risk.

During his Company�s assault and seizure of the Saddam Canal Bridge, five Marines were wounded when their amphibious assault vehicle was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade. Fonseca, in the face of small arms, machine gun and intense rocket-propelled grenade fire, evacuated the Marines from the burning vehicle and established a casualty collection unit inside his own medical evacuation vehicle. There, he stabilized two Marines with lower limb amputations and administered morphine. After his vehicle was rendered immobile by enemy fire and again, under intense gunfire, Fonseca organized litter teams and directed the movement of four of the Marines, while personally carrying one wounded Marine over open ground to another vehicle.

�I feel privileged to be here to recognize Hospitalman Fonseca for his extraordinary valor and courage,� England said. �Corpsmen have a long tradition of service to the United States Marine Corps. You make all of us proud, and let me personally thank you for going above and beyond the call of duty. On behalf of the President of the United States and all of America, I thank you.�

Fonseca�s colleagues, who were also in attendance, expressed their pride in his actions.

�He is a very motivated corpsman and deserving of this award,� said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (FMF) Erin Asidao. �I was overjoyed when I heard. I think many corpsmen go unrecognized. I think it�s good for the Navy and good for the Hospital Corps.�

�I was doing my job,� said Fonseca. �I wish I could have done more.�

The French will be celebrating their liberation of Paris during this week. So, I want to play a little game. Just complete the following sentence:

After fierce fighting, victorious French troops entered the city of [ ]

RULES:

• The city named must be a city, not a village or hamlet.
• The city named cannot be in France.
• The city named cannot be in a current or former French colony.

---

The Liberation of Paris:

• August 15-18, 1944: Strikes break out
• August 18, 1944: Communists call for insurrection
• August 19, 1944: Combat breaks out. The Resistance occupies several public buildings. Cease fire proclaimed late in day.
• August 20, 1944: The Americans enter Fontainbleau and cross the Seine at Mantes. Publicly, cease fire is maintained.
• August 21, 1944: Despite public cease fire, combat continues.
• August 22, 1944: General LeClerc ordered by Bradley to advance on Paris.
• August 24, 1944: French armor enters the heart of the city.
• August 25, 1944: General von Choltitz signs the act of surrender at just after 3 p.m.
• deGaulle walks from the Arc de Triomphe to Notre Dame. Intermittant sniper fire continues, including inside Notre Dame.
• August 27, 1944: French armor push through northern suburbs.
• August 29, 1944: The 28th US Infantry Division marches down the Champs Elys�es and into combat that same day.

(more…)

USMC

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.(August 6, 2004) — The scars on his arms were reminders of the sacrifice he made to save his fellow Marines lives amiss combat in Iraq, earning him the Marine Corps’ third highest award.

Gunnery Sgt. Timothy P. Haney, 39, a native of Clearfield, Pa., received the Silver Star Medal in a ceremony at the base theater August 6.

The medal, designated solely for heroism in combat, was awarded to Haney for his distinct bravery and fearlessness in action against enemy forces as platoon sergeant of the Combined Anti-Armor Platoon, Weapons Company, 2d Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Task Force Tarawa, I Marine Expeditionary Force in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from March 20 to April 3, 2003. During this period his leadership, personal sacrifice and calming influence enabled his platoon to repeatedly engage and defeat enemy forces in close combat.

From March 23 to 26, while conducting missions to destroy enemy tanks and other heavy armored vehicles, Haney’s platoon participated in firefights with Iraqi Military and Paramilitary forces in An Nasariyah, Iraq, during which his personal example, while under fire, set the tone for the platoon’s tactical success.

During one direct fire engagement against a heavy machine gun, he dismounted his vehicle to gain awareness of the enemy’s positions, exposing himself to enemy fire and providing higher headquarters with vital situational awareness.

On March 26, 2003, as the battalion’s Main Command Operations Center came under attack from two directions, Haney raced through intense fire placing Marines in defensive positions and directing their fire. An explosion riddled Haney’s body with 60 pieces of shrapnel as he began preparing wounded Marines for evacuation. Ignoring his wounds he continued transporting injured Marines to the Battalion Aid Station, refusing medical attention until everyone else had been treated.

“You just act sometimes. You simply remember the drills and muscle memory takes over your body,” he said. “I did what every Marine in 2/8 would have done if they were in my position. They’re all just as deserving of this medal as I am.”

Haney’s wife Jackie and son Robert, 12, were on hand to watch their Marine receive the medal, which was originally established in 1918 as the Citation Star. In 1932, the Silver Star was redesigned as a medal with a retroactive provision allowing servicemembers as far back as the Spanish-American War (1898) to receive it for gallant actions.

“I’m very proud of my dad today, he’s an American hero and he’s my hero,” said Robert.

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Of the five cats, only the two eldest recall being outside. They are the survivors from the lovely wife’s pre-marriage life in Texas.

Patches, our matriarch, sits at the back door and cries every four or five months. It’s easy to end it in winter, since she really, really doesn’t like us carrying her out and putting her into a pile of snow. Summer is different, and she will make a mad dash into the garage if we are not careful.

So, Monday evening we put a harness and leash on her and took her out into the back yard for a while. She got to walk around, sniff some stuff and eat some grass. She also annoyed our neighbor’s dog, a husky, who lives on the other side of a four foot high fence.

All the while, Shadow, our eldest male, sat in a kitchen widow and glowered. When we brought Patches back in, he batted her and then sat and pouted for a long while.

Last night we put a harness and leash on him and took him out. In the past, he’s hated the leash, but last night he was very good. Same deal as Patches, walking, sniffing and eating grass. He had a good, long outing, though we moved round to the front of the house after the dog got excited.

Picture a large dog jumping up and down behind a rather low fence: “There’s a cat over there!” [BOUNCE] “There’s a cat over there!” [BOUNCE] “There’s a cat over there!” [BOUNCE] “There’s a cat over there!” [BOUNCE]

Shadow was alseep within a minute of us bringing him in. Arthur, the littlest cat, walked all over him, sniffing the evidence of outside and Shadow never moved. Zonkered! He’s walked around since like king ot the world.

He did, however, lose his grass meal this morning according to the lovely wife. Not unexpected.

BBC

A team of senior Israeli rabbis is due to rule soon on whether thousands of Indians who say they are members of one of the lost tribes of Israel can settle there. Shlomo Amar recently led a delegation of rabbis to the north-eastern Indian states of Manipur and Mizoram where members of the Benei Menashe tribe live and practise Judaism.

At the Beith-el Synagogue in the Manipur capital, Imphal, nine men wearing knitted skull caps read silently from the Old Testament. Four others stand on a wooden platform in the centre of the room as a young man reads from the holy book under the supervision of an elderly priest.

These people claim to be one of the lost tribes of Israel.

Tongkhohao Aviel Hangshing is the leader of the Benei Menashes in Imphal. “We are Benei Menashe, because we belong to the Menashe tribe,” he says.
“Menashe is the son of Joseph, who was one of the 12 sons of Jacob. So we are the lost tribe of Israel.”

Mr Hangshing says for thousands of years they did not know they were lost. “We found out only 27 years ago,” he says. “When the Bible was translated into our language, in 1970s, we studied it. “And we found that the stories, the customs and practices of the Israeli people were very similar to ours. So we thought that we must be one of the lost tribes.”

Saturdays are observed by Jews the world over as the Sabbath, the day of rest, and the members of the Benei Menashe community meet for morning prayers at the synagogue in Imphal. A lamb-skin scroll of the Torah, is unrolled and then rolled up again as each reader finishes his part.

There are more than 300,000 Benei Menashes in Manipur but most of them follow Christianity. Only about 5,000 have converted to Judaism, most of them during the 1970s.

UPDATE 2005: They made it. I’ve seen a news story that the Israelis have recognized them.

I remember it well. The gooks were drunk and taking turns shelling eachother’s border posts. I had a rash in my crotch from that last visit to Saigon that itched like the dickens. The night air was full of bugs, skeeters as big as your hand. Some CIA guy was sitting on the bow, mumbling to himself in Russian.

And it was snowing. Freakin’ eighty degrees at midnight and the snow was just falling. The bosun slipped and fell overboard. I never liked him so we waited a while to pick him up. Biggest damn leach I ever saw fastened to his johnson, if you know what I mean. Shot it off with a flare gun, the leach, I mean.

Everything was turning white, and the gooks started singing Christmas carols in French. I tried to join in, but they called a 155 mm fire mission in on the boat so we had to skeedaddle upriver a ways.

It was then I noticed that the helmsman had a third nipple. Why hadn’t I ever seen that before? Odd.

The boys were passing around a huge dooby, and I took a double hit. Good shit. Snow was really piling up. Almost time to break out the snow shovels, I guess. The CIA guy starts throwing snow balls at the shore and screaming something in, I don’t know, some dumb ass foreign language. We take an RPG round inboard from the shore so I light up the 50 cal. Rock and roll, baby!

Some pudgy little guy wearing corporal’s stripes is running along the shore hollering “Choppers! Choppers!” And the biggest damn motorcycles are chasing him. Never shoulda quit taking my malaria meds. A bottle of homemade hootch is passed around. Tastes like piss and vinegar. I refuse. Hate to be full of that stuff if the shit hits the fan.

Big guy in a red suit is sitting on the fantail. Jolly old Saint Nick, my ass. I light him up with the 50 cal. He hollers “Didi mau!” and dives over the side. You never have depth charges when you need them. Sparks calls in an ArcLight on the gooks in the border posts. Just for the hell of it, I tell him.

Yeah, I remember Christmas in Cambodia well.

The Preamble to The Bill of Rights

Congress of the United States begun and held at the City of New-York, on Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine.

THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution. [snip]

Amendment I: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

National Archives

Read the preamble to the Bill of Rights. Note that it clearly states that the purpose of these first amendments is

in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added.

Restrictive clauses are being added to the Constitution.

Now read the text of the First Amendment.

Congress shall make no law.

Congress is restricted from abridging a variety of rights. It’s quite clear that the men of that time felt that certain rights pre-existed the Constitution; not were granted by the Constitution.

The Republican Party is holding its national convention in New York City August 30 through September 2 of 2004. A number of groups and individuals intend to protest at that time. Having read many of the sites that are organizing these protests, and lacking a clear understanding about the intent and purpose of them, I blogged a request to the left. I asked skippy to post a link on his site, which is to the left of mine, and I received many responses.

I’m going to try to isolate the various reasons set forth by my commenters, and discuss them in some detail. The passion and strength of belief of many of these people is obvious. I do not intend to mock them, but I hope to establish the error of at least some of their ways. At the very least, I hope to point out places where two reasonable people can see the same thing and disagree honestly.

Ann Marie Moriarty wrote me a nice e-mail answering the question: Why protest?

The Constitution says they can. And the current administrations seems so determined not to allow any dissent at any of the campaign appearances that this may be the only venue at when [sic] those who disagree with current policies can expect to be heard by the delegates, and expect their views and the specifics of their concerns to be conveyed by the media.

This e-mail is why I put the First Amendment up above. The Constitution says that Congress cannot make a law abridging freedom of speech, freedom to petition the government and freedom to assemble peaceably. It doesn’t say you have the right to protest. That’s assumed to exist. The Constitution says that the government cannot abridge that right. Of course, it’s done all the time. Over the 200 plus years, many restrictions have been placed on speech, and assembly. You do not have the freedom to shout “Fire” in a crowded theater, to offer a famous example. You don’t have the freedom to stand in the Capitol rotunda and make a speech, nor can you stand in the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge and do so.

As of this writing, the umbrella protest group, United for Peace and Justice, has been denied a permit to hold their rally in Central Park. Permits are yet another allowed restriction on speech. The limits of the First Amendment are far narrower than the literal reading of the clause would suggest.

Ann Marie’s e-mail states that the purpose of these protests is to convey policy disagreements and protestors’ views to the delegates and the media. She is not suggesting, I believe, that the delegates and media are unaware of this things. The protests are a reminder, a sign, a statement to the delegates and the media.

On to some other reasons:

I-and many on the left who disagree completely with this administration’s policies, almost to a one-feel that the GOP must constantly be made aware of the position of the rest of America. Somehow, after the fractuous [sic] election of 2000 and after losing the popular vote, George Bush decided to act as if he had a mandate, eschewing his ‘compassionate conservatism’ mantle for the fluff that it was, and basically governing from the right, for the right. It is the job of protesters to remind the republicans that more than half the country disagrees with them. At the very least, it may persuade the otherwise brazen lawmakers that the public is not as dumb as they think, and that we’re watching them.

If it means that one law that strips away civil liberties for the sake of protecting us against a terrorist bogeyman is softened, or that a concession is made to those who really want to protect the environment, the protests will have served their purpose.

1. the GOP must constantly be made aware of the position of the rest of America - The commenter seems to believe several things. That the GOP is not aware of the opinions of Americans in general. Since polling is a major expense for all political parties, I would suspect this is untrue.
2. after losing the popular vote, George Bush decided to act as if he had a mandate, eschewing his ‘compassionate conservatism’ mantle for the fluff that it was, and basically governing from the right, for the right - George Bush is hardly the first President to lose the popular vote. And far more Presidents than you might think have won with less than 50% of the votes cast, as well. As Presidents have done since the Republic began, when he won, he governed. Leadership is why we elect a President. You may disagree with his effectiveness, but he has just done what all 42 of his predecessors have done.

   As for the canard that Bush is governing for the right, I would suggest that you read some of the articles in National Review or at some of the right wing bloggers such as The Daily Pundit . The Right is dreadfully unhappy with George Bush. The Prescription Drug plan, the deficit, increases in government spending for social programs, pandering to the Saudis, the porous borders, continuance of programs such as the National Endowment for the Arts, all are examples where the Right parts company with George Bush. Don’t confuse a general acceptance of the Bush Administration’s conduct of the War on Terror with overall happiness with George Bush.

3. It is the job of protesters to remind the republicans that more than half the country disagrees with them. - Polling again. On some issues, yes. On many others, no. Your strength of belief does not provide any indication of anyone else’s belief. Sorry. My friends on the right make the same error, as well.

Here’s a good comment:

I would not expect one thing to change. My presence or absence will not make the difference to the Rs re-nominating the resident. However those of us who believe he should be nominated as the biggest threat to world security and not as the leader of this nation should, if able, go voice our opposition. The problem in this society is apathy and to stay home and curse the TV is barely an improvement over our fellow citizens who don’t even know who is running.

Apathy:
1. Lack of interest or concern, especially regarding matters of general importance or appeal; indifference.
2. Lack of emotion or feeling; impassiveness.

Wow. A condemnation of society in general. Oddly, the same statement I’ve heard on the right to explain why hordes of folks don’t rise up for this cause or that cause. People don’t give a rat’s ass about this or that. Apathy is terrible? Not so, I believe. Apathy merely indicates that a given subject fails to qualify as important to a person or to a society. Here again, a failing of the subject, not the society. Nearly every subject that the right or the left will decry society’s apathy about, well… society knows; it just isn’t important. So sorry. The snail darter loses out to food on the table and a night out bowling. And that is not a bad thing. Many voices say that the RNC protests are about breaking society out of apathy. Good luck with that. Society has more important things to do, I’m afraid.

Here’s a commenter who says the protests are about doing the right thing:

As the rulers of the USA have sunk deeper and deeper into total depravity they too have adopted the Ministry of Truth attitude that whatever might make them look bad can be denied, or simply forgotten. It has gotten to the point where the mark of a true modern “conservative” is complete immunity to shame (let alone guilt) since they freely choose to believe anything they like without regard to mere facts. In this respect the defenders of “tradition” are now (and I think always have been) very postmodern.

Whether or not it is strategic, speaking truth to powerful people is the right thing to do; something good may come from it, but nothing good can come from lying. The fact that we are ruled by liars does not change this though it means we are used to functioning in a fact-free official environment.

speaking truth to powerful people is the right thing to do - That would be the people that were just called depraved, and liars. This strikes me as school yardish. In your face because I can. I sadly believe that this sort of fellow will always believe that the establishment, whether under Howard Dean, Ralph Nader, John Kerry or George Bush are depraved and liars. Sometimes the truth is a bitter pill, and disbelief is a way of handling that. Again, not solely a leftist issue.

Here’s an interesting point, because of its complete falsity:

Till the vote in November, it’s the first big chance for folks opposed to the war with Iraq to be heard since before the war began. As a life and death issue, it motivates folks and always will.

Protests since the war:
Link One
Link Two
Link Three

That same commenter also says:

I’m not saying every protest will be on points I agree with but on big issues like the war, homeland security, economic concerns or healthcare, it’s a perfect opportunity when arrayed against a president that at least 50 million Americans don’t like.

A lot of people don’t like George Bush. 50 million people voted for Al Gore in 2000. But 50 million voted for George Bush. And nearly 4 million voted for neither. Just like in every election. Reagan, in 1984, still only got 58.8% of the popular vote. Two party elections fluctuate around 50:50, unless one party goes in the toilet, and then another party will grow. It’s not a particularly surprising thing that Bush got about half the votes cast.

Whew! Almost to the end, dear reader, if anyone at all is still with me. In summary, people will be protesting at the RNC because:

• we have the right to
• to bring our views to the attention of the delegates and the media
• to stand up for what is right
• to let Americans know what we think is wrong with the Bush administration
• because we can
• to make people aware of the issues

Education, publicity and protesting for protest’s sake. Have I summed it up correctly? I am no more enlightened than when I started, I’m afraid. I don’t believe the American public, the GOP, or the delegates to the convention are ignorant of the issues of the day. Strength of belief is not a guarantee of anything, including a shared understanding of that belief with any other person. I fear that the protests will lose any sense of purpose early on, and no good can come after that. When the windows at Starbucks or Citibank start being smashed, my lack of edification and clarity about the protests will be nationwide.