HOT5 Daily 6/8/2010

1. "Helen Thomas the Harbinger" A good analysis.

Representative Sample: As the regional enemies of Israel have grown more and more brutal to everyone, even their own people, the western left has grown more and more hostile to Israel. They have to justify their support of the autocrats by increasingly smearing Israel. They can’t help themselves, because they act from self-centered emotion instead of dispassionate reason.

2. "Now is the Worst Possible Time for Tax Hikes" Any time is a good time for tax hikes if you are a Democrat.

Representative Sample: Congress is currently working on a bill that will raise taxes by $43 billion.These tax hikes will slow job creation and economic recovery – especially the higher taxes on international businesses. These latest tax hikes come close on the heels of the health care law that raised taxes more than $500 billion. 

3. "Salman Rushdie: "We're losing the battle for freedom of speech"" Links to an article in the National Post.

Representative Sample: The overall message is that freedom of speech is far too precious to be trumped by hurt feelings.

4. "What’s a Disaster?" Keeping disasters in perspective, a proposed ranking system.

Representative Sample:we need an objective guide to the disasters we are likely to face, a scientific ranking that enables us to gauge the harm in each case. The scale proposed below is based on the number of deaths involved; one can assume a proportional economic and environmental harm.

5. "Obama To Grads: “Don’t Make Excuses…”" A classic do as I say, not as I do moment.

Representative Sample: In the past few months, Mr. Obama, the White House, and Democrats have blamed Republicans and former President George W. Bush for all of the following: the economy, rising unemployment, the worldwide financial crisis, the Greece debacle, North Korea, Iran, Israel’s attack of the Palestinian aid ships, global warming, the failure of Chicago to win the Olympics, the Gulf oil spill and its aftermath…and those are just the few I am thinking off the top of my head.

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