Ausborne Blog

Tim Russert has passed away.  As far as political news correspondents are concerned, he’s one of the few that I actually really liked and looked forward to listening to.

Did you hear that some Chinese people are suing CNN for over a billion dollars because CNN “hurt China’s feelings?” I’m not making this up.

The case against the Atlanta-based cable channel, its parent company Turner Broadcasting and Jack Cafferty, the offending commentator, comes after 14 lawyers launched a similar suit in Beijing alleging that Cafferty’s remarks earlier this month violated the dignity and reputation of the Chinese people.

Cafferty said the United States imported Chinese-made “junk with the lead paint on them and the poisoned pet food”.

He added: “They’re basically the same bunch of goons and thugs they’ve been for the last 50 years”.

Perhaps if China didn’t make so much junk, the lawsuit would have some merit. Perhaps if they didn’t have a bunch of communist goons and thugs leading the country, I’d actually have some sympathy for them. Maybe, just maybe, if the Chinese had some dignity and a reasonable reputation for craftsmanship, tolerance, human rights or freedom, I just might feel for them. As they don’t, neither do I.

Here’s a classic line:

“We hope CNN will take this seriously, because what CNN said and did has not only hurt China’s feelings, but also CNN’s own image.”

Perhaps China should man up and not let their feelings get hurt so easily.

The comparison between GW Bush’s personal home and the home of Al Gore is rather startling.

Oh, who am I kidding?  It’s not that surprising.

I read this today about how Barack Obama’s senior advisor is blaming President Bush for Iran’s rabid hatred of America.

Barack Obama’s most senior military adviser says President Bush is to blame for Iran’s bad behavior.

This assessment provided to Insight from retired Gen. Merrill McPeak provides a glimpse into how an Obama administration would deal with Iran.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad repeatedly has referred to the ultimate destruction of Israel; is pursuing nuclear weapons in the opinion of some national security experts; and his Revolutionary Guard is training Iraqis to kill American military personnel in Iraq.

Just last week, Ahmadinejad said of Israel, “The world powers established this filthy bacteria, the Zionist regime, which is lashing out at the nations in the region like a wild beast.”

In the view of McPeak, the most senior retired officer to back Obama’s presidential run, Iran’s behavior is a reaction to Bush’s tough talk.

I suppose that the video I saw back when I was a kid of Iranians burning the American flag and chanting “Death to America” was just a figment of my imagination. Quite obviously, nothing bad ever happened until Bush became president.

… about the housing crisis?  Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has a viewpoint with which I agree.

“I’m not interested in bailing out investors, lenders and speculators,” he said. “I’m focused on solutions targeted at struggling homeowners who want to keep their homes.”

The idea that the government would get involved and help keep excessive home prices up where they don’t belong bothers me. The market will correct itself.  Some people will get hurt, but that’s the way the economy works.  I didn’t go crying to the government when the value of my home in Bend dropped in price by over $100k.  Other people shouldn’t go hitting the Feds up for help now that they’ve gone and mortgaged their home to the hilt so they could buy a bunch of toys and cars.

Did you hear that Fidel Castro has resigned?

My friend who is an expert in all things Cuba (he really is Cuban so he must be an expert, right?) had this to say:

Yeah. He’s a smart bastard. This avoids the chaos when he dies and gives Raul the best chance to keep the status quo. I thought his ego was too big to make this move. I guess I was wrong.