An Even More Scientific Update: Why Are There Non-Conservatives?

I know. In the face of Conservapedia's brilliance and truthiness, we should just pack up and go home. However, the latest addition to the discussion of "Why do Non-Conservatives Exist?", offered by one of Conservapedia's inner circle, deserves to be treasured for eternity:

It struck me that denial of Conservative principles could be a result of incipient or presenting mental illness. Just as it has been widely demonstrated that Liberal beliefs can lead to psychiatric conditions, so there might also be a reciprocal effect.

Iraq Non-Story of the Day: Bye, Bye Britain

Deborah Haynes of The Times, in a near-imperial huff, headlines today:

British Forces will leave Iraq by the end of next July under a humiliating proposal that lumps the once-valued deployment with five smaller contingents, including those of Romania, El Salvador and Estonia.

You know we're in a sorry state on this island when we're lumped with El Salvador, but this is about as undramatic a piece of news as you can get. Britain's mandate to stay in Iraq, like that of US troops, was under a United Nations agreement with Baghdad that expires on 31 December.

That was the reason why Washington had to fight for its extension under the Status of Forces Agreement. No time left for London to get its version, so British forces have to pack up and come home. The proposed Iraqi legislation for Britain and the other five countries sets a deadline of 31 May for military duties, with a two-month grace period for British troops.

Flying Autonomous Killer Robot (video)

From The ThirdEye Concept comes this amazing video of Lockheed Martin's "frightening, but fascinatingly cool hovering robot - MKV (Multiple Kill Vehicle) ... designed to shoot down enemy ballistic missiles":

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPFj8kGXnwk[/youtube]

As Bruce Schneier says, "Okay, people. Now is the time to start discussing the rules of war for autonomous robots. Now, when it's still theoretical."

One word for you: Skynet.

Gaza: This is News, This is Not News

BBC Radio 4's Today programme has an extended item on Israel and Palestine this morning, as Prime Minister Gordon Brown is meeting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, but its only reference to Gaza is "Palestinian militant groups, of which Hamas is the largest" and "the possibility of incipient violence." The New York Times does consider Hamas but in the context of a possible division in the leadership over continuation of a truce with Israel. The Washington Post is concerned about a parade in which Hamas "bragged about its violent exploits".

Hmmm....what could be missing here? I don't know, maybe....

Gaza Families Eat Grass as Israel Locks Border

Legal Rights in the "War on Terror": The Case of Seyed Mousavi

Readers have brought to our attention the imprisonment of Seyed Mousavi, a US-Iranian national who has been in detention since August 2007 on charges of "filing false tax returns, omitting group membership on naturalization forms, and violating the U.S. economic embargo against Iran".



Mousavi's home was initially raided by the FBI in July 2006. He was arrested in his mosque 13 months later and was eventually convicted in April 2008 on the charges, which were not contested by his lawyer. He was sentenced in October 2008  to 33 months in prison.

Mousavi in 2000 founded the Hejrat Foundation in Southern California "to educate and aid people: to educate Muslims and non-Muslims about Islam and issues that affect their lives and the world in which they live; to encourage positive social progress; to build unity between all people; and to fill the needs of Muslims and non-Muslims in Southern California". The Foundation in turn works with the Al-Nabi Mosque in West Covina, California on "regular programs...to educate the community in religious, cultural, humanitarian, legal, national, and international issues".

There is no evidence presented in court linking Mousavi's activities to "terrorism"; however, he was denied bail by federal authorities during his eight months of confinement before trial. His sentence also includes "de-naturalisation", stripping him of US citizenship.

Concern has now been raised for because Mousavi is apparently not being allowed to contact family or attorneys. He has been moved to a Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City, and there are concerns that he will be moved to a special prison, the "Communications Management Unit", opened in 2006 in Indiana. CMU's prison population is almost exclusively Muslim, and it has faced charges of poor treatment of inmates.