Some of the bits in the mosaic of our time are overlooked because we look for boulders. This column presents underrated issues that might deserve attention.
 
1. As a rule, the discontent of the electorate points at a reverse for the party in power. In the coming US election, this rule might not hold up. The incessant demonization of Bush could doom the Democrats’ White House hopes. For all the real or claimed wrongs ultimately not the Republican candidates but Bush personally might be blamed.

Although the process of ratification of the Lisbon Treaty is as yet far from complete, the Eurocrats in Brussels are hard at work devising a framework for the extensive role the new EU President will have, as well as ensuring that it is accompanied by all those trappings of a fat cat lifestyle that will attract serious politicians to do the job.

Today’s Daily Telegraph focuses mostly on the latter aspects of the post – the palatial residence (“an official ‘White House’ style residence worthy of his status.”) and the Presidential Jet – and does not mention what is really going on until well into its piece. That is that Brussels is already laying out the job specifications before it has any real authority to do so, to wit the fact of ratification by all 27 member states of the Treaty of Lisbon, at least one of whom still has to conduct a referendum. Meanwhile the very fact of these discussions are being very carefully kept from the gaze of the Europe’s citizens who might otherwise be alerted to what our Lords and Masters actually have in mind for the EU as opposed to the lies they habitually peddle.

Roselyne Bachelot, the French Minister of Health, would like to ban outright the “anti-youth” device known in France as Beethoven, and in England as The Mosquito. The device, a CD that emits ultrasounds at 17,000 hertz over an area of 20 yards, is designed to disturb the hearing of the young, which is much keener than that of adults. Businesses and apartment buildings where gangs congregate and commit mayhem use the device to repel the youth, and it seems to work! At least in England where it has been in use since 2006, in front of certain stores, in buildings and parking lots.

EUobserver reports that Turkey is to ease curbs on free speech.

The Turkish parliament is likely to pass a bill next week softening a law which sets limits on freedom of speech by criminalising “insults to Turkishness.” One article in the country's penal code - article 301 - currently imposes up to three years in prison for such an insult. The EU has repeatedly called on Turkey to “repeal or amend without delay” the controversial article as a prerequisite to join the bloc.

Imagine the European Parliament passing a bill softening laws which set limits on freedom of speech by criminalising “insults to Islam.” Some European penal laws currently impose up to two years in prison for such an “insult.”…

A quote from The Copenhagen Post, 9 April 2008

It was a victory for the Red-Green Party's Asmaa Abdol-Hamid and a bitter defeat for the Danish People's Party on Tuesday when parliament's board of governors ruled that MPs may dress as they wish in parliament, so long as they can be recognised by their colleagues. The decision was specific taken up in response to the issue of women wearing the traditional Muslim headscarf. […]

A quote from Swissinfo.org: 

[Michael Fouad Chahine of Credit Suisse:] "The development of Islamic banking has so far been limited to countries with a higher percentage of Muslims (...). But this is changing as more international regulators accept the importance of Sharia. It is now also accepted as socially responsible banking". (...)

[John Sandwick of Encore Management:] "If no effort is made whatsoever, I am afraid the world will pass Switzerland by in the race to control the rich prize: which today is worth hundreds of billions, but in the future will be trillions of dollars of Islamic wealth."

An American friend of mine has proposed that native Europeans should create a European Indigenous People's Movement. I have hesitated with supporting this because it sounded a bit too extreme. However, in more and more European cities, the native population is being pushed out of their own neighborhoods by immigrant gangs. The natives receive little or no aid from their authorities, sometimes blatant hostility, when faced with immigrant violence. In an age where the global population increases with billions of people in a few decades, it is entirely plausible, indeed likely, that the West could soon become demographically overwhelmed. Not few of our intellectuals seem to derive pleasure from this thought.

A quote from The Daily Mail, 5 April 2008

[O]ne motorist offered what must be a unique reason why he should keep his licence. Mohammed Anwar said a ban would make it difficult to commute between his two wives and fulfil his matrimonial duties. His lawyer told a Scottish court the Muslim restaurant owner has one wife in Motherwell and another in Glasgow – he is allowed up to four under his religion – and sleeps with them on alternate nights.

Airdrie Sheriff Court had heard that Anwar was caught driving at 64mph in a 30mph zone in Glasgow, fast enough to qualify for instant disqualification. Anwar admitted the offence, but Sheriff John C. Morris accepted his plea not to be banned and allowed him to keep his licence. […]

Some of the bits in the mosaic of our time are overlooked because we look for boulders. This column presents underrated issues that might deserve attention.
 
1. It is safe to predict that American conservatives are destined to develop a liking for McCain. Here a reason. Moscow Times (26 March) tells why a McCain presidency is to be rejected. He represents the “US’ hatred for Russia.” Furthermore, there is no evidence that “he would be willing to alter any important US policy at Europe’s request.” Another posting opines that ultimately his enemies might look back at Bush with “nostalgia.” McCain is found guilty abroad for being a committed conservative.

A quote from the Russian press agency Novosti, 31 March 2008

Greek authorities are considering adopting a law that would allow same-sex couples to marry in a civil ceremony, […] The move follows a request by the country’s National Commission for Human Rights that proposed a civil union registry that would allow both same-sex couples to marry. Parliament could approve the law in a few months, national media said. […] The Greek Orthodox Church, which strongly opposes same-sex marriages, called the possibility a “catastrophic bomb” which threatened Greek society.