Mousavi is an Islamist thug (as is the other "opposition" leader Karroubi). But this is bigger than Mousavi. These are the biggest protests in Iran since the 1979 revolution. This could (let's hope!) spiral out of control. This could bring down the regime itself.

The 1979 Iranian regime falling would be perhaps the greatest event in the world since the fall of the Soviet Empire in 1989. It would be by far the greatest event of Obama's presidency. It would remove the nuclear threat to Israel and Europe. It would remove the sponsor of Hamas and Hezbollah and Syria, and the killer of American and British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. It would deal a mortal blow to Islamism and jihadism worldwide.

Everyone should verbally support the revolt. Though after the bloodbath in Iraq when the West tried to help the Iraqis, no one is directly going to help the Iranians gain their freedom. They will have to do it themselves.

This tough new movie reminds us why the Iranians are struggling to be free of the vile clerics who control their lives.

Eight years we had to wait since 2001 for the first movie about the reality of Islamism. Why? Because it is politically "incorrect" to talk about it.

Local and European and Dublin Central and Dublin South.

Good news:

1. Anti-government vote goes to sensible, pro-market, centre-right parties rather than radicals. Martyn Turner gets it right. (Though he seems to think it is a bad thing!)
2. Anti-government vote in Ireland makes Fine Gael largest party.
3. Anti-government vote in UK makes Tories and UKIP largest two parties.

4. Libertas go from 0 to 5.45 percent (5th largest party) in Ireland. Anti-Islamist Philippe de Villiers wins European seat for Libertas in France.

5. Geert Wilders' party goes from 0 to 4 European seats (2nd largest party) in Holland. Despite my reservations, it sends an important message (that the infidels of Europe will not tolerate Islamism).

6. Mary Lou McDonald out. SF-IRA have no MEP from Republic.
7. SF-IRA vote static or down in local and European and NI European.
8. Greens down.
9. FF punishment may make them think twice about blasphemy law.
10. Ivana Bacik not elected.

Bad news:

1. 2 European seats for BNP in UK.
2. 5 People Before Profit councillors elected.
3. Proinsias De Rossa re-elected.
4. Joe Higgins elected.
5. Richard Boyd Barrett elected.

I am someone who has openly praised and supported the Fianna Fail / PD governments on my website. They have made Ireland rich, far beyond the achievements of any previous Irish governments. I name Bertie Ahern as the best Taoiseach ever on my site. Yes, there has been an economic downturn recently, but this is a global problem, and it will pass. At worst we may go back to early 2000s level of wealth before things pick up again.

Before the blasphemy law, I was going to vote FF in the local election, European election and my local Dail by-election. Because of my anger at the blasphemy law, FF lost all my votes.

Fianna Fail threw away my otherwise certain vote
with their offensive blasphemy law.

Defend the right to criticise religion.
Stop Fianna Fail's attempt to introduce a working blasphemy law.
Stop Sharia law in Ireland.

 

Blasphemy law meeting, Wynn's Hotel, Dublin, 25 May 2009.
I make a contribution from the floor at 4:14 to 5:27.
See full size.

The game "Faith Fighter".
The kind of thing FF are proposing to make illegal.
Click to play the game.

"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life",
from the Life of Brian.
The kind of thing FF are proposing to make illegal.

Father Ted.
The kind of thing FF are proposing to make illegal.

The Paddy Power "Last Supper" ad.
The kind of thing FF are proposing to make illegal.
See full size.

The Devils.
The kind of thing FF are proposing to make illegal.

Of all presidents at this stage (Mar-Apr of their first term), Obama has the most partisan job approval ratings of any president in the last 40 years. Obama is the most divisive early-stage president in 40 years. Data from Pew, polling 9-12 Mar 2009, released 2 Apr 2009.

Bush, 2 months in, in Mar 2001, had a higher approval rating than Obama, 2 months in, in Mar 2009. Data from Gallup, polling 1-3 Mar 2009.

It was the 2008 economic crisis that won the election for Obama, but the voters aren't impressed by his performance so far. Voters now trust the Republicans more than the Democrats on the economy (Rasmussen poll, polling June 3-6, 2009). Voters trust the Republicans more on all the economic and foreign policy issues asked - the economy, taxes, national security, and Iraq.

June 2009 poll: 32 percent of voters Strongly Approve of the way Obama is performing as President. But 34 percent Strongly Disapprove.

OK, Obama does better in some other polls, but the claim that Obama is very popular, and less "partisan" and less "divisive" than Bush at this stage, is mainly a partisan claim made by people who like Obama.

Poll from RasmussenReports.com.

• The UN

• The UN's hatred of Israel

• 2009 World Conference Against Racism ("Durban 2").
• The planning committee included Iran, Libya, Cuba, Pakistan and Russia.
• Iran's racist leader gave the keynote talk.

Boycott Durban 2
I asked: "Will Obama have the guts to?"
The answer: Yes! Credit where it is due to Obama!

Watching what actually goes on at the U.N. "Human Rights" Council is the best cure for anyone who believes in the UN.
From here.

Dissident republicans, who no one would vote for, and who don't have the guts to stand for election, try to drag Ireland back into the abyss.

• RIRA kills two British soldiers, 7 Mar 2009. First British military killed in Northern Ireland since 1997.
• CIRA kills police officer, 9 Mar 2009. First police officer killed in Northern Ireland since 1998.

• These pointless killings illustrate well that, like the rich Saudis of Al Qaeda, like the Weathermen, like Baader-Meinhof, like Aum Shinrikyo, terrorism is not necessarily caused by "oppression". In all of the above cases of rich, comfortable people attacking rich, free societies, terrorism is caused by demons inside people's heads, not by "oppression".

Cengiz Azimkar, killed by the RIRA in Mar 2009
as they try to start a war that no-one wants.

The dissident republicans want all this to come back again.

I am not a fan of Wilders. But that is beside the point. In a free society, what he says should be legal.

• Geert Wilders and Fitna

• Lord Ahmed

• The absurd idea that we should "respect" other religions and cultures

Consider Britain's bizarre standards:

1. Enemy leader Yasser Arafat was let into Britain in 2001. Arafat was the father of modern Islamist terror against westerners. He was the leader of the Israel front of the global jihad.
2. Enemy leader Assad of Syria was let into Britain in 2002. Syria is involved in killing British soldiers.
3. Enemy leader Khatami of Iran was let into Britain in 2006. Iran is involved in killing British soldiers.
4. Enemy leader King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia was let into Britain in 2007. Saudi Arabia is involved in spreading Islamist hatred throughout the world.

5. Anti-jihad politician Geert Wilders was banned from Britain in 2009. Wilders is the leader of the most popular party in Holland. He lives under constant death threat from the jihad.
6. Anti-jihad radio host Michael Savage was banned from Britain in 2009. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: "Coming to this country is a privilege. If you can't live by the rules that we live by, the standards and the values that we live by, we should exclude you from this country". I am no fan of Savage, but I agree with Mark Steyn who asked: "How many members of King Abdullah's entourage at the G20 summit the other week live by Jacqui Smith's "standards and values"?"

Darwin in 1842. From here.

Until 1859, humans had no idea where they came from, and what made us. As Darwin showed, all our previous answers were wrong. It is hard to think of a more profound discovery in human history. Richard Dawkins sums it up:

"Living organisms had existed on earth, without ever knowing why, for over three thousand million years before the truth finally dawned on one of them. His name was Charles Darwin. To be fair, others had had inklings of the truth, but it was Darwin who first put together a coherent and tenable account of why we exist."

"He was the first living creature to understand what life really is. ... This kind, gentle old man was reviled by the orthodox and died plain Mister Darwin, but will be honoured till the end of our species."

I think America has just elected another weak, naive Jimmy Carter, and the West's enemies will be resurgent and triumphant on his watch.
I would love to be proved wrong.
From cafepress.com.

"The Presidential Pledge", Jan 2009.
Original here.
"I pledge to be a servant to our President and all mankind because together we can, together we are, and together we will be the change that we seek."
This is seriously creepy stuff.
This Obama worship seems both irrational and deeply un-American. For heaven's sake, Obama is just a bog-standard left-wing defeatist. There's no need to get so excited about him.

The idealistic George W. Bush deposed dictatorships in Afghanistan and Iraq, killed thousands of jihadi fighters, and kept America safe from homeland attack for 7 years. Will the cynical, weak-kneed defeatist Barack Obama ever achieve anything like this? I doubt it. I would love to be proved wrong.

Summary: Israel left Gaza in 2005. All Jews were expelled. And yet the Palestinians got worse, not better. They looted their own infrastructure, elected Hamas, continued teaching their children to hate Jews, and did not stop but rather escalated terror attacks on Israel.

Conclusion: Israel ending the occupation won't bring peace. It will make the violence worse, not better.

• Gaza
  • Gaza offensive, 2008-09

• The Islamist way of war
• Israel - The future

Rockets fired at Israel from Gaza, 2000-08.
Note how rocket attacks escalate after Israel leaves Gaza in 2005.
See full size.

Ongoing:

The fight for human freedom

• The fight for human freedom

Coming soon:

The Israeli bombing of Iran's nuclear weapons program

• Iran:
  • Nuclear weapons program

The liberation of Cuba

• Cuba
  • The coming death of Castro

• The end of tyrants