Russia pokes America’s hemisphere

This story is a frightening development for the U.S. – while we’re bogged down in Afghanistan and Iraq and wrestle with our economy melt-down, we don’t have the spare capacity to deal with Russia’s rise in influence. Russia knows it, so it’s pulling as many levers as it can in order to position itself favorably for when we extricate ourselves and face them. This time, they’re tightening their relationship with one of our biggest oil suppliers, Venezuela. It’s not the arms deals that are nerve-wracking – Venezuela is not a strategic threat to the U.S. in that regard – it’s the oil and gas deals. We should be nervous.

This development fits well (although not perfectly) with the geopolitical evolution of the BRIC Bloc, which allies itself with the New Caliphate in my novel. I’d hate to think that any more of what I wrote will actually come to pass. It’s pretty ugly.

More “Islamic” idiocy – on mice

My disdain for the so-called Islamic “scholars” has grown over the years to such a degree that I generally assume it can’t get any worse… and then they top themselves. This time, it’s an Islamic “scholar’s” response to the bizarre pronouncement that Mickey Mouse is a minion of Satan and should be killed. This time, it’s in the context of a woman on Egyptian TV who is denouncing that ridiculous idea.

Unfortunately, she reveals herself to be almost as absurdly brainwashed as the target of her criticism: “Yes, mice should be killed when seen according to Islam’s teachings. But it is illogical to deal with a cartoon character as a live mouse and kill it.”

What?? Where in the Qur’an are Muslims told to exterminate all mice? Are we a faith based on pest control? When this kind of talk is what passes for advanced theological debate, it’s obvious that the Islamic scholars are so out of touch as to be worthless.