Churchill @ MindSay 
As Mumbai and the rest of India come to terms with the carnage in Colaba and count the long-term costs of the devastation, there are two small points of reassurance.
First, the prolonged 60-hour shot-by-shot, live TV coverage of the siege of two hotels and a Jewish community centre, has bluntly brought home to Indians — particularly the country's opinion-makers — the ugly face of terrorism. The threat to national security and the well-being of the country could not have been driven home more unequivocally. India is no stranger to terrorism and Mumbai in particular has suffered incessantly since March 1993. But the sheer audacity of this particular operation and the spectacular publicity surrounding it ensured that every Indian, with access to TV, lived through the horror. If there ever was a wake-up call to rouse a Kumbhakarna, this was it.
Second, this was one outrage which finally snapped the endurance and infinite generosity of India. In the past, every assault on Mumbai — where, at times, the death toll was higher — had produced a flicker of anger, followed by an astonishing display of fatalism. What was often flaunted by the angst-ridden section of the media as the ‘spirit of Mumbai' wasn't a display of the gritty, stiff upper lip resolve Londoners showed during the Blitz in 1940-41. It was actually a demonstration of lofty aloofness which very easily translated into indifference or, worse, denial.
The mood is different this week; it is palpably angry. It is one thing for the three Thackerays to spew indignation. That's habitual. But when pillars of Mumbai society such as Ajay Piramal and Shobhaa De say enough is enough and when Ratan Tata expresses his understated dissatisfaction with the administration's unpreparedness, it suggests that something has finally given way. Those Swami Vivekananda once caricatured as “the patient Hindu, the mild Hindu” may well have become angry Indians.
The transformation was waiting to happen. For more than a decade terrorists espousing unacceptable causes have blown up trains, bombed crowded markets, hijacked a plane and attacked places of worship. Indians have suffered stoically but left it to governments to take remedial action. Instead of building on that trust, the political class has approached terrorism as a game of political one-upmanship, stoked subliminal fears and then left India vulnerable. Every terrorist atrocity was followed by assurances of “tough” action, greater preparedness and continuing laxity. The fanatically motivated terrorists who held Mumbai to ransom for 48 hours have made a mockery of the state's ability to protect its citizens. They not only killed but made a whole country suffer.
The men in uniform did a wonderful and professional job under difficult and even adverse circumstances. They showed what the country is capable of achieving when driven by a common resolve. But India has been shamed by the incompetence of those it entrusted with running the country. Mumbai wasn't a victim of ordinary intelligence failure; the grim truth is that there was zero intelligence. India was caught napping.
It is important to vent our anger through the ballot box, to reject those who preened while our cities burned. Unfortunately, this isn't enough. The collective choice must be shaped by a candid realisation that India is no longer on a conventional flight path: it is at war. Another wrong turn and a Mumbai that is already suffering the burden of a government's mismanagement of public finance will end up as a Beirut, a Karachi.
India doesn't need to replace an uninspiring tweedledum with a dreary tweedledee. It needs someone inspirational, someone blessed with guts, imagination, energy, integrity and application. It yearns for a leader who has the self-assurance to prescribe a bitter dose of medicine. India doesn't need a leader to manage the peace; it needs a leader who can lead us in a war. We are through with a Chamberlain; it's time for a Churchill.
Gary McCullough, the Director of Christian Newswire, has written a brief yet insightful opinion on the non-binding House Resolution condemning a surge of troops and proclaiming we lost in Iraq.
JRH
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Chamberlains vs. Churchills
By Gary McCullough
OPINION, Feb. 16 /Standard Newswire/ -- The following is submitted for publication by Gary McCullough, director of Christian Newswire:
"You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war." -- Churchill's remark after Chamberlain returned from signing the Munich Pact with Hitler
"You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war." This was Winston Churchill's statement after Neville Chamberlain returned from signing the Munich Pact with Hitler.
Today, within the beltway of Washington DC, America's modern day Chamberlains won the day. With all the vigor and clarity of true zealots, supporters of the nonbinding House resolution said "we surrender."
Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., said, "What we now have in Iraq is a defeat. We cannot achieve the illusions of the Bush administration that we will be able to create a stable unified liberal democracy in Iraq that is pro-American ... Instead, we have sectarian fighting, death squads and a disabled Middle East that threatens to be engulfed by the nightmare that we have unleashed."
As you read this the words of Waxman, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi fill the newspapers and broadcast airwaves of the Middle East (and North Korea).
Winston S. Churchill stated, "You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory. Victory at all costs. Victory in spite of all terrors. Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival."
Churchill's foe, Arthur Neville Chamberlain, campaigned and led England under his firm belief that Germany had been wronged by his and other nations. His opinion was that the actions of Germany leading up to what became World War II were those of a victimized people. Chamberlain's words filled the newspapers and broadcast airwaves of Nazi Germany as Chamberlain defeated and mocked Churchill.
Chamberlain said, "We should seek by all means in our power to avoid war, by analyzing possible causes, by trying to remove them, by discussion in a spirit of collaboration and good will. I cannot believe that such a program would be rejected by the people of this country, even if it does mean the establishment of personal contact with the dictators."
Today is the day the Chamberlains got back at the Churchills. Today is the day for "peace" at any price. After all, isn't that what we Americans voted for? There is little doubt that this past November we voted for our Chamberlains and sent many Chruchills packing. Now our new leaders, our Chamberlains, are telling us exactly what we want to hear.
I pray our bold Chamberlains are correct in their plan to not repeat history. But I fear that this is one of those times in which God's answer to our prayers will be that He gave us the freedom to pick our own path, even if that path leads to pain, destruction and death.
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Democrats reject Bush troops plan
Feb 16 4:52 PM US/Eastern
BREITBART.COM
The House of Representatives has issued a symbolic rejection of President George Bush's plan to deploy more troops to Iraq.
The 246-182 approval of a resolution opened an epic confrontation between Congress and Bush over an unpopular war that has taken the lives of more than 3,100 US troops and tens of thousands of Iraqis.
"The stakes in Iraq are too high to recycle proposals that have little prospect for success," said Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who as leader of the Democratic majority controls the House agenda.
She gained power last autumn in elections framed by public opposition to the war.
"The passage of this legislation will signal a change in direction in Iraq that will end the fighting and bring our troops home," she vowed.
Bush's Republican allies argued against the measure and said it portended a Democratic attempt to cut off money for the troops.
"Their so-called slow-bleed approach is the bite that will surely hurt those fighting under America's flag overseas," said Republican Roy Blunt.
"This non-binding resolution is the first step in an all-too-binding spiral towards defeat in a fight that we cannot afford to lose," he said.
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Statement on Non-Binding House Resolution on Iraq
The White House
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
February 16, 2007
The House of Representatives has passed a resolution expressing disapproval of President Bush's plan to send reinforcements to Iraq. This plan enjoys the support of the Iraqi government and U.S. military leadership, including Gen. David Petraeus, Commander of the Multi-National Force in Iraq, who recently was confirmed to his post by an 81-0 vote in the Senate.
The President ordered a new way forward in Iraq because he, like most Americans, believed the existing situation in Iraq was unacceptable. The President concluded that this new strategy was necessary in order to help the Iraqi government gain control over Baghdad, assume more responsibility for security, and pursue reconciliation of all of Iraq's communities.
The resolution is nonbinding. Soon, Congress will have the opportunity to show its support for the troops in Iraq by funding the supplemental appropriations request the President has submitted, and which our men and women in combat are counting on.
The President believes that the Congress should provide the full funding and flexibility our Armed Forces need to succeed in their mission to protect our country.
We had a BBQ on the beach yesterday too, a bit windy but nice. Gerard and Ian had returned just as Khang was leaving (I'll post a group pic....soon.....ish....maybe) and James was back for the day. Kate took it upon herself to fly a kite as Goran sang "That Song" again.....you know, the one from Mary Poppins....one day I'll hit the man for his singing, vocally he's a bloody castrato, it scares me.
As usual we headed back here at 7pm for Doctor Who which has become a favourite of the house since its new run on the BBC, we had a full house this time too. Chris, Lemming, Craig, Gerard, his girlfriend, Kei, Kate and I were all crammed into our tiny living room to watch it. Good episode this week too, the conclusion of last week's very freaky episode and Kate had it predicted spot on.
Then we had the MrChom special of Sausage Curry cooked by Chris. At £2 for a bag of 40 sausages (Yes you did read that right) how could we not indulge in a sausage tikka massala? While eating dinner I had the pleasure of introducing people to Churchill, The Hollywood years which is great little movie about Winston Churchill, a US GI who stopped the British joining the Nazis in WW2, married Queen Elizabeth and and was then covered up by the US of Roy Bubbles who is the man we all know as Winston Churchill. Good film, shame so much was cut out to get it down to 80 minutes though.
Then I spent the rest of the evening with Kate clamped to my arm or similar which is nice because I'm always too warm and Kate is a human heatsink, hands like ice (and a liking for psychotic people as I found out last night). Human radiator seems to be one of my more in demand abilities these days, especially from Kate, not that I'm complaining about having a girl next to me on the setee every evening clamped to my arm, it's quite enjoyable in fact...although I may have to stop her playing with the hair on my arm...let's just say it gives me this odd mental reaction and I had good reason to stop my mother doing it a few years back, never been able to figure out why playing with the hair on my body is so sensitive but let's say I'd probably start purring if you did anything to the hair for long enough.
Right now though I have to contend with the opposit of Kate...a bald git lying on the bench outsid my house, stripped to the waist and tanning. It's bizarre and obscene and should be stopped forthwith! He can help with next door's packing, the sooner the 12 car household is gone the better, always thumping up and down the stairs at 4am, making odd noises, blaocking my view of the harbour....
Hopefully I will be in Aber over summer if Argos comes through for me, then on to the jobcentre if I'm REALLY desperate. I need the money, desperately, I'm broke and I don't want to go home this summer. I love my family, but with all the building work and the amount I suffered last summer back in Walsall I need some time off. Here in Aber I can still survive without Hayfever tablets, something I simply cannot do at home, which is annoying and expensive when you're on tablets, inhalers, eyedrops, and nasal sprays. The buildup of my hayfever has been very slow and has coincided with all sorts of other allergies and problems on my part including the annoying one to Salmon that materialised a few years back. Dammit I could eat a grilled Salmon steak right now, or a Salmon and tarragon parcel....or heck, tinned salmon sandwich with a packet of salt and vinegar crisps, ANYTHING, all I want is to be able to eat it again.
