Illegals are not a drag on health care

Illegal immigrants contribute far more to the economy than they take out of it.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N26407393.htm

Bad news from Russia

It's getting pretty ugly there.

Israel woos Syria

The situation is unbelievably weird, and even more complicated.

Democrats shift focus on Iraq

What does it mean if the surge has worked? Is it relevant?

FBI says Blackwater guilty of 14 murders

Their murderous antics finally caught up with them.

F.B.I. Says Guards Killed 14 Iraqis Without Cause
WASHINGTON, Nov. 13 — Federal agents investigating the Sept. 16 episode in which Blackwater security personnel shot and killed 17 Iraqi civilians have found that at least 14 of the shootings were unjustified and violated deadly-force rules in effect for security contractors in Iraq, according to civilian and military officials briefed on the case.

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CIA Deputy Director: Privacy means the Government handles your private information responsibly

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/11/terrorist.surveillance.ap/index.html
This is horrible and absurd:
"Privacy no longer can mean anonymity, says Donald Kerr, the principal deputy director of national intelligence. Instead, it should mean that government and businesses properly safeguard people's private communications and financial information."

Coupled with its behavior elsewhere, the Bush adminstration has essentially said that the government has an unlimited right to keep its own secrets and an unlimited right to intrude on the secrets of every individual. This is a highly irresponsible point of view, and a prime reason for intervention by other branches of government in executive affairs.

Georgia declares a state of emergency

It seems that another ally in the region isn't so democratic. It makes you wonder how we can be spreading democracy when we're allied with despots.

TBILISI, Georgia, Nov. 10 — Anticipating demands from a senior American diplomat that he immediately lift a state of emergency, President Mikheil Saakashvili said Saturday that the emergency decree would remain in effect as long as the Georgian government deemed it necessary.

President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia during a meeting with businesspeople on Saturday in his office in the capital, Tbilisi.

In comments broadcast on Georgian state television, Mr. Saakashvili said he would probably lift the decree within days, but said he would not be influenced by “somebody’s recommendation” in making that decision.

“We know better what is good for Georgia,” he said.

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China's Oil Subsidy

http://www.minyanville.com/articles/china-india-US-subsidy-crude-dollar/index/a/14767/from/yahoo

China's oil subsidy must end soon, and they will face the same problems Iran and Burma face, on a much larger scale. The problems may not manifest themselves in social unrest like in the other two countries, but they will definitely cause economic distress as the price of oil rises to the actual price.

Dictatorship vs. Theocracy: Musharraf suspends Constitution

"Musharraf suspended Pakistan's constitution and deployed troops in the capital Saturday, declaring that rising Islamic extremism had forced him to take emergency measures that included replacing the nation's chief justice and blacking out the independent media that refused to support him."

Speaking of secret societies...

GMU copies us.