Strategy for Victory

"Terrorists haven't given up; they're tough-minded, they like to kill. There's going to be more tough fighting ahead (...) Yet we're making progress (...) because we've got a strategy for victory, and we're making progress because the men and women of the United States military are showing magnificent courage and they're making important sacrifices that have brought Iraq to an historic moment -- the opportunity to build a democracy that reflects its country's diversity, that serves its people, and is an active partner in the fight against the terrorists". Bush's press conference about Iraq (and not only), from White House's website (video is available too). Commentary by: Hugh Hewitt, All Things Conservative, Blogs for Bush, The Wide Awake Cafe, Don Surber.

Red America

This new Washington Post's blog by Ben Domenech (co-founder of RedState.org), seems to be promising (at first glance). Commentary by: Protein Wisdom, NewsBusters.org, Decision '08, The American Thinker, Editor&Publisher.

Gore Watch

Hugh Hewitt points out an article by Ezra Klein about the possible comeback of Al Gore (Sore Loser) on American political battlefield. According to the American Prospect's journalist, a few days ago he pronounced "the most important speech of Al Gore's non-presidency (which is a little like talking about the best season the Browns have had since returning to the NFL)". Hewitt is already drooling for a Hillary-Gore-Kerry-Feingold contest in 2008. Run, Al, run!

We Will Remember

"Thank you for your cheating and theft, for every drop of blood thousands spilled because of you, for the fear and uncertainty, for failed lives and generations, dreams that never came true, for the horrors and wars you led on our behalf without asking us, for the entire burden you placed on our backs. We remember tanks on the streets of Belgrade and blood on its pavements. We remember Vukovar, we remember Dubrovnik, we remember Krin and Krajina, we remember Sarajevo, we remember Srebrenica, we remember the bombing campaign, we remember Kosovo, and we will have more yet to remember and dream of. We remember those killed, wounded, those who were made to suffer, and refugees. We remember our ruined lives".
(The citizens of Serbia who will remember)

Sunday Round-Up

►Victor Davis Hanson, on the National Review, explains why we're "close to victory abroad" (and "closer to concession at home"). ►Insurgent groups in West Iraq province of Anbar claim that they have "purged the region of three quarters of al-Qa'eda's supporters". You can't even trust your closest friends, nowadays. The news on the Daily Telegraph, commentary at TigerHawk and Iraq the Model. Other news by Bill Roggio. ►How to fake an interview, just to attack Bush: Newsbuster.org. ►How to fake a poll, just to attack Bush: RealClear Politics (commentary at Mystery Pollster, Austin Bay Blog, MacStansbury, Ace of Spades HQ, Neocon Express). ►According to the Boston Globe, John Kerry is considering the option to run for president in 2008. Vertical growth of suicides among democrats. Commentary at The Moderate Voice, The Heretik, The Democratic Daily Blog, Decision '08 and Hotline On Call. ►Matt Labash, for the Weekly Standard, is back in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. ►Pollster Scott Rasmussen explains why the Republican Party should be very careful on next mid-term elections. ►The list of blogs supporting the Tradisci il Corrierino! campaign, launched by The Right Nation and Il Megafono, is growing. Here is the list (in alphabetical order): Blogs for CdL, Born to Be Free, Calamity Jane, Che ci devi fare, Civiltà, Daw, Dietro le linee nemiche, Freedomland, IdeaLibertà, Il Camper, Il Giulivo, Krillix, Liberal_mente, Mariniello.org, Mithrandir, Neocon Italiani, Otimaster, Passaggioalbosco, Robinik, SGS, StarSailor, Stefano "Free.9" Scardovi, The Mote in God's Eye, Ultima Thule, Unione per le Libertà, Walking Class, Yet Another Pajamas Blog, Zanzara. If we forgot someone, let us know! (Note for the American readers: this campaign was launched to boycott the "Corriere della Sera", a major italian newspaper, who endorsed the leftist coalition one month before the general elections). ►Talking about the television debate Berlusconi-Diliberto, according to Watergate (update your links, he changed address once again!) Diliberto won, according to Mariniello.org it was a draw, while we agree with Rabbì a Barcellona. ►Robinik and Passaggioalblosco on "antifascist" guerrilla in Milan (and not only). Two must-read posts.

Betrayal Open Trackback

This weekend, instead of reading biased newspapers, write something interesting on your blog, make a link to this post, then trackback this URL and - sooner or later - a link to your post will be added at the end of this one. If you can't make a trackback, use Simpletrack di Adam Kalsey or Wizbang Standalone Trackback Pinger. If you have no idea of what a trackback is, mail url, title and name of blog to this address, writing in the subject: "Betrayal Open Trackback". Other infos: here e here. Have a nice (and free) weekend you all.

Trackbacks:
Peakah's Provocations - America's Hope
Blue Star Chronicles - Jay Bennish: Flower Child or Neo-Nazi?
Passaggioalbosco - Terroristi di sinistra incendiano Milano
Blue Star Chronicles - On Whose Side Were You When It Mattered?
StarSailor - Ben venga un altro ‘68 e ‘77
Robinik - Destra e Sinistra: una trappola per topi
Freedom Folks - Here's Your Sign

Please go to the italian/english version for the open trackback party.

Hollywood's Bubble

An amazing Peggy Noonan on the Wall Street Journal. She writes about Hollywood, George Clooney ("Boy in a Bubbble") and normal people leading real lives. A must-read.

"(...) Most Americans aren't leading media, they're leading lives. It would be nice to see a new respect in Hollywood for the lives they live. It would be nice to see them start to understand that rediscovering the work of, say, C.S. Lewis, and making a Narnia film, is not "giving in" to the audience but serving it. It isn't bad to look for and present good material that is known to have a following. It's a smart thing to do. It's why David O. Selznick bought "Gone With the Wind": People were reading it. It was his decision to make it into a movie from which he would profit that gave Hattie McDaniel her great role. Taboos are broken by markets, not poses".

UPDATE. Maybe Spitbull is right: Mark Steyn's article is even better.

Round-Up: The Corner (NRO), Dr. Sanity, The Astute Blogger, Clive Davies, Shot In The Dark, SCSU Scholars, Neptunus Lex, Relapsed Catholic, To the Point, The Bullwinkle Blog, Carry On America.

Soft Europe

Leon de Winter, on Wall Street Journal. A Dutchman against Old Europe.

Is the Continent willing to fight for anything, besides a welfare check?

(...) After the horrors of World War II, Western Europe turned to new ideals of radical pacifism and post-nationalism. The Continent had been devastated by war twice in three decades. In the 1950s, the desire to avoid more war led it to a new ideology, permeating society and politics, that viewed national interests and cultural traditions as relative. As a result, people started to believe that peaceful coexistence with communist Eastern Europe was better than emphasizing the differences between East and West.

(...) Little has changed in recent decades. Europe became wealthier and more convinced of its idea that world peace can be achieved by talk alone. Even the West European countries in the American-led coalition in Iraq, apart from the British, are only participating symbolically in order not to offend their main ally. In the Netherlands, the authorities speak of "peace missions" when discussing Dutch military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, avoiding terms like "war" and "violence."

(...) But what does Western civilization mean in and to Europe? In the European welfare state, the system ensures that each individual can rely on maximum social security. Without doubt, the welfare state is the ultimate achievement of European civilization. But it did not come without a philosophy: the welfare state gave birth to a postmodern cultural relativism that underpins the tolerant, liberal, pacifistic and secular European societies of today. Only the Earth is still a planet on which opposing forces collide. The welfare state, based on its provision of social services and the participation of reasonably acting civilians, is unable to respond to globalization or mass immigration. Its structures work as long as the system is closed. But because of vast changes in demographics and economics, the welfare state has become too expensive. All over Europe its fundaments are cracking.

(...) Europe could have suppressed the Iranian threat if it had convinced the mullahs two years ago that it was willing to contemplate military options. Only Europe lacks core values that it holds sacrosanct and that it's willing to defend at the highest cost. It will continue to operate on the diplomatic field and cling to soft power even though this is the path of certain defeat when confronted with power players burning with geopolitical and religious ambitions. Thanks to European illusions about soft power, the free world has two options left on Iran: disaster or catastrophe. America and Israel will bleed for Europe's lack of conviction.

Dude, Where's My Civil War?

"I'm trying. I've been trying all week. The other day, I drove another 30 miles or so on the streets and alleys of Baghdad. I'm looking for the civil war that The New York Times declared. And I just can't find it. Maybe actually being on the ground in Iraq prevents me from seeing it. Perhaps the view's clearer from Manhattan. It could be that my background as an intelligence officer didn't give me the right skills. And riding around with the U.S. Army, looking at things first-hand, is certainly a technique to which The New York Times wouldn't stoop in such an hour of crisis.Let me tell you what I saw anyway. Rolling with the "instant Infantry" gunners of the 1st Platoon of Bravo Battery, 4-320 Field Artillery, I saw children and teenagers in a Shia slum jumping up and down and cheering our troops as they drove by. Cheering our troops". Ralph Peters, on the New York Post.

Round-Up: California Conservative, Austin Bay Blog, Flopping Aces, PunditGuy, Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler, Don Surber, The Jawa Report, Riehl World View, TigerHawk.