RUTHFULLY YOURS

Like it or not, the federal courts should intervene in the state to uphold Americans’ First Amendment rights.

The criminalization of politics is bad enough—just ask Texas Gov. Rick Perry —but a new turn to target citizens as well threatens to permanently warp our political discourse. Like it or not, federal courts will have to intervene to uphold Americans’ First Amendment rights against win-at-any-cost politics.

Wisconsin is ground zero of this phenomenon. A partisan elected district attorney, John Chisholm, reportedly goaded on by his union-steward wife, Colleen, decided to take aim at Republican Gov. Scott Walker after his 2011 “Budget Repair Bill” cut back on public-sector collective bargaining within the state. But Mr. Chisholm didn’t stop there: After an aggressive criminal investigation failed to knock Mr. Walker out of office, the district attorney set his sights on the governor’s philosophical allies, an assortment of conservative citizen groups that supported Walker’s reforms.

The claim was that these groups illegally “coordinated” their speech on the issues with Gov. Walker’s campaign, thereby circumventing campaign-finance regulations. The evidence? Intercepted emails and phone records showing that some of the groups communicated with Gov. Walker’s campaign, mostly on policy issues. That wasn’t enough to bring charges, but it did allow Mr. Chisholm to launch an aggressive criminal investigation targeting Gov. Walker’s supporters, complete with home raids and everything-but-the-kitchen sink subpoenas.

These efforts had the intended effect: Funding for conservative policy advocacy dried up and Gov. Walker’s supporters were forced to redirect their energies from political activism to courtroom litigation.

This is not the first time the political left has used criminal law as a campaign device. It started with the prosecution of former Texas Republican Rep. Tom DeLay —who was finally exonerated in 2013 of trumped-up campaign-finance charges nine years after being charged. Another tactic has been to fund groups like the American Democracy Legal Fund, which has deluged Republican lawmakers with ethics complaints.

Yet the dubious innovation in Wisconsin was to target citizens, banking on the fact that they won’t or can’t fight back. The assumption held true for many groups. But not all of them.

http://freebeacon.com/politics/harvard-students-say-america-poses-bigger-threat-to-world-peace-than-islamic-state/

Students at Harvard University said that the U.S. is a bigger threat than the Islamic State, and that America is responsible for the extremists’ rise to power.

Campus Reform reporter Caleb Bonham asked Harvard students, “What’s a bigger threat to world peace—America or ISIS?”

“American imperialism and our protection of oil interests in the Middle East are destabilizing the region and allowing groups like ISIS to gain power,” one student said.

“As a western civilization we’re to blame for a lot of the problems that we’re facing now,” another student said. “I don’t think anyone would argue that we didn’t create the problem of ISIS, ourselves.”

One student speculated that Muslims in the Middle East may be drawn to fighting with the Islamic State because they do not understand how Westerners think.

“They have a skewed view of us, just as we have a skewed view of them,” the student said.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/10/08/twisted-ivy-harvard-students-say-us-bigger-threat-to-world-peace-than-isis/

Twisted Ivy: Harvard students say US bigger threat to world peace than ISIS

They got most of their SAT questions right, but students at Harvard blew this lay-up posed by the college blog Campus Reform: Who is the bigger threat to world peace, ISIS or the U.S.?

Various students at the hallowed Ivy League school said they believe that America, not the Muslim fanatics who behead innocent people, is the biggest threat to world peace.

The students were interviewed on the quad by Campus Reform on Saturday, and the shocking video was posted on Tuesday.

“As a Western civilization, we’re to blame for a lot of the problems that we’re facing now,” one student said during an interview. “I don’t think anyone would argue that we didn’t create the problem of ISIS, ourselves.”

Most of the other students interviewed shared the same sentiment — that ISIS would not exist had it not been for the past actions of the U.S.

“American imperialism and our protection of oil interests in the Middle East are destabilizing the region and allowing groups like ISIS to gain power,” said another student.

Caleb Bonham, editor of Campus Reform, conducted the interviews and said that the students’ response is nothing new.

“This video demonstrates the absurdity behind the bash America fad,” Bonham told FoxNews.com. “Unfortunately, too many students think it is intellectual to try and piece together a reason why America is a greater threat than this terrorist organization trying to establish a caliphate through public executions, bombings and beheadings.”

The Islamic State is a splinter group of Al Qaeda that has occupied a large swath of Syria and the northern region of Iraq and has tried to establish a caliphate and rule all Muslims under Shariah Law.

Many politicians and members of the public have come to see Palestinians as the world’s underdogs, who, however ugly their behaviour, can do no wrong; and to portray Israel as a Nazi state that persecutes the Palestinians and “steals” the land — mystifyingly — of a people, the Jews, who have lived on that land for roughly 4,000 years.

“In a final resolution, we would not see a single Israeli — civilian or soldier — on our lands.” — Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

“The Day of Judgement will not come about until Muslims fight and kill the Jews, when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and the trees will say, O Muslims, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. ” — Hamas Charter, Article 7.

“[T]his struggle will not cease unless the Zionist state is demolished and Palestine is completely liberated.” Article 19, — Fatah [PLO] Constitution, as of July 19, 2005.

The British parliament, on October 13th, may be debating whether or not to recognize a Palestinian state.

Recognizing what in all likelihood would quickly become yet another Islamic terrorist state can only set a precedent that could have a disastrous impact on future negotiations and international law, and lead to the establishment yet more launching pads for people dedicated to violent jihad, not just in Israel, but, as they now openly admit, worldwide, including Britain and Sweden.

On October 3, newly elected Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven used his inaugural speech to announce a decision to recognize the “state of Palestine.” In what must rank as one of the most self-contradictory statements in political history, he declared: “A two-state solution requires mutual recognition and a will to peaceful co-existence. Sweden will therefore recognise the state of Palestine.”

North Korea says rights criticism a gay plot; no gays in its country

North Korea says criticism of its human rights record is a gay conspiracy, and that the lead author of a UN report is a “disgusting old [gay] lecher”. Witnesses to rights abuses were described as “human scum”

Led by a man, Kim Jong-un, who as a youngster is said by people who knew him to have taken delight in torturing pet animals, North Korea has responded to a recent report on its human rights record by describing it is a gay plot, adding that gays do not exist in the secretive communist country.

Rights activists say that in a perverse sense there could be said to be a certain truth to the last part of that statement, at least in so far as anyone accused of being gay is always found guilty — the secret police does not arrest innocent people, North Korea says — and then shot.

Last week, North Korea issued a 53,000 word “rebuttal” to a 2014 UN report accusing the regime of “unspeakable” attrocities. Overall, North Korea is estimated by the Black Book of Communism of having killed 2 million people since its inception.

In the regime’s rebuttal, as well as in wider state propaganda, it said that North Korea actually had the best rights record in the world. The anti-gay message has been central to rejection of the UN report since April and has been repeated in official circles ever since.

UN chief investigator Michael Kirby’s findings were all a result of the fact that he was gay. Kirby was called “a disgusting old lecher with a 40-odd-year-long career of homosexuality.”

“This practice can never be found in the DPRK (North Korea)… In fact it is ridiculous for a gay to sponsor dealing with others’.

Our politicians must end their fear and evasion on Islam

The fear of offending Muslims by speaking the truth is endemic in the mainstream British political class, and has been so for decades. We cannot afford politically correct evasions

The Home Secretary Theresa May has promised — or threatened, depending on your point of view — new measures to deal with increasing extremism in Britain. Everyone knows what she meant, but what she meant was not quite what she said.

What she meant, of course, was the urgent need to deal with Islamic extremism, but like most mainstream western politicians on this subject, Ms May, in her Conservative Party conference speech, became all culturally sensitive rather than speaking the blunt truth.

After the usual pre-emptive reassurances about Islam being a religion of peace etc, Ms May referred to the need for radical changes to personal freedoms that Britons have enjoyed for hundreds of years. She will introduce Banning Orders and Extreme Disruption Orders targeting, as she put it “neo-Nazism and other forms of extremism as well as Islamist extremists”.

Note the train of thought in that last sentence, “as well as Islamist extremists” takes third place to “neo-Nazism and other forms of extremism”, even though Islamism is by far her greatest worry.

The problem here is more than some linguistic sleight-of-hand. This generalising of the problem of Islamic terrorism to include “other forms of extremism” really could become a threat to freedoms we have always taken for granted.

For example, expressed opinions that are within the law could be banned on social media. The British National Party (BNP) and the English Defence League (EDL) could be virtually outlawed.

And this can happen because politicians are desperate not to offend Muslims by pointing out specific problems relating to their community. Instead, everyone, for reasons of “balance” and excessive deference to Muslim sensitivities must be tarred with the same brush.

Loss of freedom is too high a price to pay for failure to confront Islam and Islamism head-on.

Seems legit.

Hillary Clinton used an appearance in Ottawa, Ontario, on Monday to talk up the work she did to combat “violent extremism” during her time as secretary of state.

“We took decisive action against the threat of violent extremism,” Clinton said of her four years as America’s top diplomat.

Sure, she defeated Al Qaeda. That’s why we’re fighting Al Qaeda while her man Leon is going around slamming Obama for his security failures, while being careful not to mention Hillary.

What decisive action did “we” take, aside from Obama’s failed attempt to shut down Gitmo by capturing Bin Laden and bringing him to the US for a civilian trial. (The dead Bin Laden was down to the SEALS, not Barry O.)

But we’re committed to fighting violent extremism, man-caused disasters and assorted other euphemisms.

On Monday, the former secretary of state called dealing with ISIS a “long-term struggle” in which military action is essential.

Way to stake out a bold and controversial position.

The former first lady also refused to call the group by the name it calls itself: the Islamic State.

“Whether you call them ISIS or ISIL, I refuse to call them the Islamic State, because they are neither Islamic or a state,” Clinton said. “Whatever you call them, I think we can agree that the threat is real.”

Is Hillary contending that ISIS is made up of non-Muslims or that it isn’t dedicated to the proposition of making everyone follow Islamic law?

http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/frontpagemag-com/dr-mark-durie-on-islam-vs-human-conscience-on-the-glazov-2/

This special Glazov Gang episode was joined by Dr. Mark Durie, a theologian, human rights activist, pastor of an Anglican church, and an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Forum, joined the show.

Dr. Durie joined the show to discuss “Islam vs. Human Conscience,” analyzing how Islam wages war on humans moral judgment and intuition [starts at 5:30 mark]. The dialogue transpired within the context of Boko Haram’s kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls in Nigeria and the Islamic roots of that barbaric act. Dr. Durie shed light on the Islamic theology that inspires and sanctions Muslims to enslave and rape kafir women.

Also this week: In response to Ben Affleck’s recent appearance on Bill Maher’s “Real-Time,” in which he denied that Islam has any connection to ISIS or any other form of Islamic terrorism, Frontpage is running The Glazov Gang’s special episode in which Ann-Marie Murrell interviewed Frontpage Editor Jamie Glazov about “The Nature of Jihad-Denial” and why leftists reach out in solidarity to Islam:

Islamic terrorists have entered the United States through the Mexican border and Homeland Security sources tell Judicial Watch that four have been apprehended in the last 36 hours by federal authorities and the Texas Department of Public Safety in McAllen and Pharr.

JW confirmed this after California Congressman Duncan Hunter, a former Marine Corp Major and member of the House Armed Services Committee, disclosed on national television that at least ten Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) fighters have been caught crossing the Mexican border in Texas. The veteran lawmaker got the astounding intel straight from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Homeland Security agency responsible for guarding the 1,933-mile southern border.

“If you really want to protect Americans from ISIS, you secure the southern border,” Hunter proclaimed on a national cable news show this week. “It’s that simple. ISIS doesn’t have a navy, they don’t have an air force, they don’t have nuclear weapons. The only way that ISIS is going to harm Americans is by coming in through the southern border – which they already have.” The three-term congressmen went on: “They aren’t flying B-1 bombers, bombing American cities, but they are going to be bombing American cities coming across from Mexico.”

In late August JW reported that Islamic terrorist groups are operating in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez and planning to attack the United States with car bombs or other vehicle borne improvised explosive devices (VBIED). High-level federal law enforcement, intelligence and other sources confirmed to JW that a warning bulletin for an imminent terrorist attack on the border has been issued. Agents across a number of Homeland Security, Justice and Defense agencies have all been placed on alert and instructed to aggressively work all possible leads and sources concerning this imminent terrorist threat.

Back then intelligence officials said they had picked up radio talk and chatter indicating that the terrorist groups are going to “carry out an attack on the border,” according JW’s sources. “It’s coming very soon,” confirmed a high-level government official who clearly identified the groups planning the plots as “ISIS and Al Qaeda.” Two days after JW’s report ran, Ft. Bliss, the U.S. Army post in El Paso, implemented increased security measures. The Department of Defense (DOD) attributed the move to vague “security assessments” and the constant concern for the safety of military members, families, employees and civilians.

If Nidal Hasan, the Fort Hood shooter, carried out his attack at the Vatican, would the U.S. still have classified it “workplace violence”?

Nidal Hasan, the jihadist former U.S. military psychiatrist who shot 31 people, murdering 13 at the Ft. Hood military center in Texas in 2009, sent a threatening letter to Pope Francis. Hasan’s letter to the Pope glorified jihad, and lauded believers willing “to fight for All-Mighty Allah,” according to a Fox News exclusive.

The murderous rampage of Hasan, whose U.S. army military business cards had the acronym “SoA,” for Soldier of Allah, has been classified by the U.S. military as “workplace violence.”

The U.S. Senate, however, released a report describing the massacre as “the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil since September 11, 2001.” In his epistle to the head of the Roman Catholic Church, Hasan refers to himself repeatedly as an “SoA.”

Hasan admitted the shootings at his trial and is currently incarcerated, awaiting execution as appeals continue.

The hand-written six-page letter is titled “A Warning to Pope Francis, Members of the Vatican, And Other Religious Leaders Around the World.”

Hasan directed his lawyer, John Galligan, to mail the letter to the Pope. Galligan also provided a copy of it to Fox News, presumably with Hasan’s permission.

Galligan explained Hasan’s latest letter as proof of “how much of his life, actions and mental thought process are driven by religious zeal.”

The letter to the Pope “also reinforces my belief that the military judge committed reversible error by prohibiting Major Hasan from both testifying and arguing how his religious beliefs” were the motivations for Hasan’s attack on Fort Hood, Galligan said.

In this letter, Hasan describes the beauty and importance of jihad, which he describes as a test that elevates the “mujahadeen” who “are encouraged to inspire the believers.”

Hasan also expressed his belief – stated as fact – that mujahadeen fighters “have a greater rank in the eyes of Allah than believers who don’t fight.”

What a happy Eid al-Adha season it has been for Hamas. Not only did Israel ease restrictions on travel from Gaza and the Palestinian Authority to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, so Muslims could pray at Al-Aqsa mosque during their three-day festivities last week; but Rami Hamdallah, the prime minister of the recently formed unity government between Hamas and the Fatah-led PA, paid a historic visit to Gaza on Thursday to convene the government’s first meeting.

The timing of the meeting, in the aftermath of the important Islamic holiday, was not accidental. In September (following the final cease-fire at the end of August that ended Operation Protective Edge), the two sides agreed that the unity government would assume authority over Gaza before October 12, the date set for an international aid conference in Cairo.

Hamdallah’s visit was purposely conspicuous. It was aimed at showing potential donor countries that they could help fund the rebuilding of a different kind of Gaza from before — one led not by Hamas, but rather by a more “moderate” entity that includes representatives from Fatah in Ramallah.

In spite of the grandiose gestures and flowery language about rapprochement between the warring Palestinian factions, Hamdallah was accompanied on his little pilgrimage to Hamastan by dozens of PA security forces. During his visit, he was also heavily guarded by Gazan police. After all, it would not have been helpful to the display of unity and moderation to have Hamdallah lynched by terrorists whom he was there to whitewash for Western consumption.

Oh, and violence wouldn’t have been conducive to raising the estimated $7 billion it will take to put Gaza fully back to the business of kidnapping and killing Israelis, and to line lots of Palestinian leaders’ pockets.

“I come to you representing [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas,” he said, while touring the ruins of Israeli airstrikes, “and, as head of the government of national consensus, to assume our responsibilities, see your needs and launch a comprehensive workshop to salvage Gaza and bring relief to our people here.”