Friday, September 29, 2006

Jihad Watch

As noticed on Bushwack's "American and Proud of It," here is a link to the latest installment of Jihad Watch on Hot Air - response to the Pope, and any form of Christianity version . . .

Thursday, September 28, 2006

The smear campaign against George Allen of Virginia is just another desperate move by a desperate party of liberal political orientation

I'm sure you folks have been reading about it - - the senate race in Virginia has turned into a mudslinging smear campaign complete with unsubstantiated racial accusations by the party better known for such tactics in the past. Of course I am referring to the Democratic Party, a political party many of us know as the one populated by ranting liberals who will stoop to anything to prove to anybody that they aren't the idiots that we have all figured them out to be.

Is this any surprise? Absolutely not. They, the leftists of this nation, have proven over and over that they cannot debate at any intellectual level - last case in point that I thought nails this one down was the Rick Santorum versus Bob Casey debate on Meet the Press. The liberals can't run a country, case in point is the Clinton and Carter presidencies. They can't even play fair in a basic race for the senate. Then again, since when has liberalism ever played fair?

And this one is good. I'm proud of our liberal friends. Just when you thought they couldn't become any more idiotic, they stoop lower. And this is an obviously well orchestrated attack, deemed to make the voter hate George Allen, just like they are trying to get the good people of the United States of America to hate George W. Bush with unfounded and idiotic accusations and distorted facts and viewpoints. The campaign against Allen, however, goes way beyond his political ideas. Now the democrats have decided to charge one of the republicans as being a closet racist. Rush Limbaugh said it best. He stated this morning that the attack on Senator George Allen as being charged a "closet racist who used the dreaded n-word while in college will boomerang against the Democrats."

Do the dems think that the public is that stupid? This is so obviously a desperate measure in a desperate situation that even the leftist media is recognizing the idiocy of this and are beginning to ask the question, "is Allen being railroaded?"

For those of you who don't know the story, this all began when the republican senator from Virginia, by stringing some syllables together, made up the name "macaca" (a similarity to another nickname he uses for his niece, Maka - he is known for nicknaming friends, family, and members of his staff in an attempt at humor) not knowing the name of a cameraman that James Webb (Allen's challenger for the senate seat - and Hollywood movie producer) had sent to film Allen. Well, being who they are, the media just knew that somewhere in this was a story of hate and racism, and they located the word to actually exist on another continent, and of course, as expected, it is a derogatory term -- used many years ago on in Tunisia. Without taking notice that the word has no meaning on this continent, or that Allen made it up without knowledge of its existence elsewhere, these liberal members of the press defined George Allen as racist for making the remark, and the democrats jumped all over it.

The cameraman did indeed claim to be offended, so Allen promptly apologized, as he should have, I suppose, and then the racist stories started pouring in. One report claimed that Allen wore a Confederate flag lapel pin as a kid in high school, and that he often used the n-word. Another claimed that he used to state all the time that Americans of African descent eat turtles when he played football in school. Another charges that Allen once put a deer's head in a black family's mailbox. What the liberals won't tell you is that none of these stories have legs, there are no records nor memories by interviewed deputies from 17 years ago that there were ever any complaints about severed animal heads, or that a lot of people that were on Allen's football team have come to his defense one of which is a black minister.

Of course the left is not challenging Allen in regards to policies, ideologies, or ideas. They can't. They learned that trying to debate would never work with the Santorum/Casey debate. If you can't tackle your opponent cleanly, you chop him off at the knees. Dirty, but effective.

The left has to play dirty. Not only do they not know how to debate using any kind of specifics, but now reports are out that even in the liberal polls Bush's approval rating is up to 42 percent. We are six weeks away from going to the voting booths to decide which party controls the U.S. Congress, and the democrats are losing the edge they thought they had. So they launch this crap, but the voters aren't stupid. The voters recognize dirty politics when they see them, and in this election will make their decisions based on the candidates past performance, record, and vision for the future, not on ridiculous attacks obviously orchestrated out of fear. Besides, they need to attack George Allen. He's a Reagan Conservative interested in running in 2008, and his success would be disastrous for them. They've got to get him know, before he can gain any momentum. Thing is, Allen doesn't fit the pattern that the left is accusing him of following, and once again they are slitting their own throats (that was meant as a figure of speech, of course, so any of you leftist readers out their better BACK OFF!)

The Republican Party is populated by persons of deep convictions laced with decency. The left can't stand it. The left smears themselves merely with their own actions, and when the "right" doesn't perform identically, they must create something. When Bush made it known that he seeks God's will, they cried out that he wants to make America a theocracy. Now this. Pessimism and defeatism is not what the voters wish to support. That's what is funniest about all of this. In an attempt to defeat the liberals at the polls conservatives have no need to do anything but stand back and allow the left to hang themselves with stupidy such as this racist accusation against an upstanding republican senator.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Why we should be concerned about terrorism while the liberals swear it doesn't concern us.

Former president Bill Clinton got a little heated when asked to respond to claims he didn't do enough to catch bin Laden in a Fox interview. Then, later, when I was watching a John Stewart's Daily Show, a program that I occasionally catch just to see what the idiots of the left have to say, he makes a comment about how the press was all over Clinton for anger, but said nothing about his (get this) intelligent comments later in the interview. Then John Stewart said something that I hear often - - by invading Iraq we have gone into a region that we have no business in because what goes on there with their governments does not concern us.

New Agers have said similar things. Pray for them, be concerned about the oppressed people of the Middle East, and for God's sake don't get mixed up in that little disagreement between Israel and the Arabs. It just does not concern us.

My answer to that mentality is expressed nicely in a story a friend sent me by e-mail recently. Read the following story, and see if you get the connection.

The Mousetrap

A mouse looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.

"What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning. "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The pig sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers."

The mouse turned to the cow and said, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap-- alone. That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital and she returned home with a fever.. Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient. But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig. The farmer's wife did not get well; she died. So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them. The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.

So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember -- when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.

Monday, September 25, 2006

One Nation Under God




Throughout our history our nation's leaders have carried their plans and hopes to God in prayer. Today we regard prayer in our national life as a forgotten tradition. We no longer have the sense of coming earnestly to God. We simply pray as a formality.This nation was born in a meeting based on prayer, some of its most important decisions being made only after careful prayer to God. There needs to be a renewed emphasis on prayer today.One of the reasons the world community, specifically the United Nations, has become so ineffective in handling global situations is that there is no prayer and no recognition of God. The UN lifts no prayer to God for guidance and blessing because we are so afraid of offending our secular neighbors.People tend to say prayers only in times of great stress, danger, and uncertainty. After 9-11 the churches were brimming with people in prayer. Where are those people now? Since then we have flown through bad storms, and prayer is nothing more than a trickle. Though it is instinctive for man to pray in a time of trouble, even then people have turned away from prayer.Christ instructed His followers to pray, both by teaching and example. So fervent and so direct were His prayers that one time when He had finished praying His followers turned to Him and said, "Lord, teach us to pray." (Luke 11:1) They knew that Jesus had been in touch with God, and they wanted to have such an experience.Now, at this tumultuous time in history we stand in a great need of prayer. Shall we be a people of prayer in such a time as this?

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Pride and Patriotism

This morning, on the way to worship, I spotted an old pickup truck on the freeway being driven by an older Mexican gentleman that reminded me of my wife's father. My mind immediately rationalized that he was probably a hard working man that came here from Mexico searching for a better opportunity for himself and his children.

Then I noticed a blue bumper sticker plastered to his back window. The sticker was large and easily read, placed in a prominent portion of the window, up high, with pride. The sticker read, "MY DAUGHTER IS SERVING IN THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE."

There is nothing better than an American of Mexican descent, or a Mexican immigrant of legal residence (for that matter) proud of their American connection rather than holding out their hand for welfare freebies, and then biting the American hand that feeds them, only to ask for more hand-outs, while pledging their allegiance to another flag. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with being proud of your heritage, but to appreciate, and defend, the nation that gave you the opportunities that you came here for is the right thing to do.

And then, why is it that a man like him, or my wife, who came to America from Mexico, believes more in defending our nation, and protecting our interests, and protecting our shores from further terrorist attacks by taking the battle to the terrorists than many of those born right here in freedom? Who cares if Bush feels like invading Iraq was in God's best interest or not? Why does that flippin' matter? We were invaded on 9/11. The jihad came to America. We all cried afterward, and held our pride up when Bush said that "The United States will hand down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts." - President George W. Bush, 9-11-2001.

We also agreed with the president, even though he carries his Bible under his arm (of which I not only don't have a problem with, but I appreciate), when Rumsfield stated, "It will not be quick and it will not be easy. Our adversaries are not one or two terrorist leaders, or even a single terrorist organization or network. It's a broad network of individuals and organizations that are determined to terrorize and, in so doing, to deny us the very essence of what we are: free people. They don't live in Antarctica. They work, they train and they plan in countries. They're benefiting from the support of governments. They're benefiting from the support of non-governmental organizations that are either actively supporting them with money, intelligence and weapons or allowing them to function on their territory and tolerating if not encouraging their activities. In either case, it has to stop. We'll have to deal with the networks. One of the ways to do that is to drain the swamp they live in. And that means dealing not only with the terrorists, but those who harbor terrorists. This will take a long, sustained effort. It will require the support of the American people as well as our friends and allies around the world."

Did we forget 9/11? Did we forget our anger? How about this quote? Did we forget it too? "The planes were hijacked, the buildings fell, and thousands of lives were lost nearly a thousand miles from here. But the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were an attack on the heart of America. And standing here in the heartland of America, we say in one voice – We will not give in to terrorists;We will not rest until they are found and defeated; We will win this struggle – not for glory, nor wealth, nor power, but for justice, for freedom, and for peace; So help us God." --Tom Harkin

Even Bill Clinton, before he flip-flopped as liberals tend to do, said, "A few months ago, and again this week, bin Laden publicly vowed to publicly wage a terrorist war against America, saying, and I quote, 'We do not differentiate between those dressed in military uniforms and civilians. They're all targets.' Their mission is murder, and their history is bloody."

Even the international stage was with us at that time. "The full horror of what has happened in the United States earlier today is now becoming clearer. It is hard even to contemplate the utter carnage and terror which has engulfed so many innocent people. We've offered President Bush and the American people our solidarity, our profound sympathy, and our prayers. But it is plain that citizens of many countries round the world, including Britain, will have been caught up in this terror." --British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Interview, September 11, 2001.

Unfortunately, after reading about the treasonous remarks of the American Media, and receiving emotionally charged (but short on facts) comments on my last post by persons whose site claims that they are Christian Liberals (but they are Americans, nonetheless), and by some of the comments I here certain friends and family say that are liberally charged by the New Age movement and the remnants of the "love-beads" generation, I find it sad to say that the most patriotic person I know of, aside from my president, and fellow conservative bloggers, is the British Prime Minister, who isn't obviously American. So, let's close with his remarks.

"So what do we do? Don't overreact some say. We aren't. We haven't lashed out. No missiles on the first night just for effect. Don't kill innocent people. We are not the ones who waged war on the innocent. We seek the guilty. Look for a diplomatic solution. There is no diplomacy with Bin Laden or the Taliban regime. State an ultimatum and get their response. We stated the ultimatum; they haven't responded. Understand the causes of terror. Yes, we should try, but let there be no moral ambiguity about this: nothing could ever justify the events of 11 September, and it is to turn justice on its head to pretend it could. The action we take will be proportionate; targeted; we will do all we humanly can to avoid civilian casualties. But understand what we are dealing with. Listen to the calls of those passengers on the planes. Think of the children on them, told they were going to die. Think of the cruelty beyond our comprehension as amongst the screams and the anguish of the innocent, those hijackers drove at full throttle planes laden with fuel into buildings where tens of thousands worked. They have no moral inhibition on the slaughter of the innocent. If they could have murdered not 7,000 but 70,000 does anyone doubt they would have done so and rejoiced in it? There is no compromise possible with such people, no meeting of minds, no point of understanding with such terror. Just a choice: defeat it or be defeated by it. And defeat it we must.--British Prime Minister Tony Blair

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Any action taken will be against the terrorist network of Bin Laden.... As for the Taleban, they can surrender the terrorists or face the consequences - and again in any action the aim will be to eliminate their military hardware, cut off their finances, disrupt their supplies, target their troops, not civilians.--British Prime Minister Tony Blair

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

We will put a trap around the regime and I say to the Taleban: Surrender the terrorists or surrender power. It's your choice.--British Prime Minister Tony Blair

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

America has its faults as a society, as we have ours.But I think of the Union of America born out of the defeat of slavery. I think of its Constitution, with its inalienable rights granted to every citizen still a model for the world. I think of a black man, born in poverty, who became chief of their armed forces and is now secretary of state Colin Powell and I wonder frankly whether such a thing could have happened here. I think of the Statue of Liberty and how many refugees, migrants and the impoverished passed its light and felt that if not for them, for their children, a new world could indeed be theirs. I think of a country where people who do well, don't have questions asked about their accent, their class, their beginnings but have admiration for what they have done and the success they've achieved. I think of those New Yorkers I met, still in shock, but resolute; the fire fighters and police, mourning their comrades but still head held high.--British Prime Minister Tony Blair

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As for those that carried out these attacks there are no adequate words of condemnation. Their barbarism will stand as their shame for all eternity.--British Prime Minister Tony Blair

AS AN OLD MEXICAN MAN WITH A BLUE BUMPER STICKER IN HIS BACK WINDOW WOULD PROBABLY SAY RIGHT ABOUT NOW - - - GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Ever seen a Christian Jihadist? Me neither.





I'm not Catholic, so when the Pope speaks I'm usually not hanging on the edge of my chair with the TV in my face. However, when Pope Benedict XVI made his comments regarding the alleged prophet Muhammed and his teachings of hate and murder the pope was right on the money. And the interesting thing is that the comments made were not recently concocted words regarding Islam. The Pope was quoting a 14th century Byzantine Christian. Nothing has changed. Islam is the same violent religion it was centuries ago. And isn't it interesting after these comments how a large number of Muslims proclaiming themselves to be peace loving reacted violently? They insult Christianity and Judaism daily, but if anything is said about the Muslim religion that isn't complete flattery mobs take to the streets all over the world and act in ways that are far from being even remotely like the peace loving religion they claim to be. The reaction by Islam to the Pope's statements is just another warning sign of what the freedom-loving nations of the world are up against.

And one more word for the idiots that try to claim that Christianity is as much a danger as is Islam --- Have you ever seen a Christian strapping explosives to his body to kill himself along with kids and other innocents?

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

The United Nations actually buys the line of bull by Iran that their nuclear program is peaceful

According to the Associated Press, today, Iranian president Mahmound Ahmadinejad addressed the 61st session of the United Nations hours after President Bush and stated, "Iran's nuclear activities are transparent, peaceful and under the watchful eye of United Nations inspectors."

He responded to the accusations that he is seeking to develop atomic weapons with a statement saying that Iran is committed to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

You and I know that these are all false statements. Dictators, throughout history, have proven time and time again that what they desire is a better weapon so that they may spread their agenda, or ideology, more efficiently, and with more terror attached than before. And on top of that, In an obvious reference to the U.S., he indicated falsely that he felt there were some permanent members of the security council using the powerful body as a tool of "threat and coercion." Look who's talking! I suppose Hezbollah and their involvement financially, as well as in other ways, with numerous terrorist cells, is an exception.

The Iranian President also said, "The question needs to be asked: if the governments of the United States or the United Kingdom, who are permanent members of the Security Council, commit aggression, occupation and violation of international law, which of the U.N. organs can take them into account."

"If they have differences with a nation or state, they drag it to the Security Council and as claimants, arrogate to themselves simultaneously the roes of prosecutor, judge and executioner," he added. "Is this a just order?"

The war on terror, which includes activities in Afghanistan and Iraq, falls far short of being a simple case of having "differences" with those particular nations. Terrorism by the hands of Islamic Jihadists is an age old problem that has been escalating and growing for generations, and now, after an attack against America on our soil on 9/11, we are at war with terror. Any nation that harbors terrorists, assists terrorists, trains terrorists, or finances terrorists, is on our hit list. Simple as that. Iran has a long history supporting terrorism and spreading terrorism (most notably the hostage crisis of '79), and we would be fools to allow them anything close to resembling the ability to build a nuclear weapon. The U.N., unfortunately, along with the liberal left, is too stupid or naive to recognize that.

The U.S. and Britain played central roles in crafting a U.N. Security Council resolution passed in July that gave Iran until Aug. 31 to suspend uranium enrichment and asked the International Atomic Energy Agency to report on Tehran's compliance, dangling the threat of sanctions if Iran refused.

Iran, all along, has made it clear to the world that they have no intention of suspending uranium enrichment.

The Iranian president (shouldn't call him president, because he sure didn't attain that status legally) Mahmound Ahmadinejad also made reference to the U.S. efforts in Iraq, saying "the occupiers are incapable of establishing security in Iraq" and every day hundreds of people get killed "in cold blood." Well, how about that, he's right for once, people are getting killed in cold blood. That's why we are there. To assist the Iraqi people against the terror threat (al-Qaeda and Iranian influence is largely responsible for the cold blooded killing going on in Iraq) present in that nation, until Iraq's own forces can get a handle on it and protect the nation themselves.

Ahmadinejad claimed that numerous terrorists apprehended by the Iraqi government were "let loose under various pretexts by the occupiers."

"It seems that intensification of hostilities and terrorism serves as a pretext for the continued presence of foreign forces in Iraq," he said.

And when terrorism is no longer a problem in that nation, then we will move on - - I think Iran and Syria ought to be next, personally.

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Kevin Costner Bashes Bush Assasination Film

Taken from Human Events Online (click title for link):

KEVIN COSTNER has waded into the debate about controversial new movie DEATH OF A PRESIDENT, insisting British director GABRIEL RANGE failed to consider how GEORGE W BUSH's family would react to scenes of the US President being assassinated. The DANCES WITH WOLVES star was caught up in the controversy at the Toronto Film Festival in Canada at the weekend (09-10SEP06), where he premiered his new film, THE GUARDIAN, alongside the screening of Death of A President. Movie fans reportedly sat in stunned silence at the end of Range's screening, which featured doctored images of Bush getting shot, and Costner, who wasn't in the audience, isn't happy with what he's heard about the film. He says, "It's awfully hard if you're his children, his wife, his mother, his dad; there's a certain thing we can't lose as human beings, which is empathy for maybe the hardest job in the world. "Whether we think it's being performed right or not we can't, like, wish... or think that's even cute."


Finally someone in Hollywood has the class and guts to say something that may displease the rest of the club.

Saturday, September 16, 2006

Tunnel Vision

Having a problem with Illegal Aliens does not make me racist.

There are three kinds of people in the United States of America. Citizens, legal residents, and illegal aliens. I have a problem with the third group.

This said, I have received a lot of flack over that position. In fact, one old man, the grandfather of a friend of mine, read my post about Mexico's plan for the American Southwest, and swore that if he saw me on the street and recognized me, he'd kick my racist ass. This gentleman is Mexican.

One of my sisters in law, my wife is Mexican as well, calls the illegals "my own people."

Everyone knows my position. Illegals are a serious problem, and are a part of a larger agenda. Agree or disagree with me, that is your perogative. Before you decide against a stronger fence along the border, however, remember this:

The problem at the border goes way beyond the Mexicans crossing into the country. My main drive for how I feel is not the illegal aliens. My main drive is what might be crossing over the border with them - - specifically, terrorists that have one motive in life - - to kill us.

Secure the borders, if not to stop illegal immigration, at least to stop another terrorist attack on American soil. I just wish Bush and crew agreed. The amnesty thing is such garbage.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Rosie's an idiot, and Michelle Malkin isn't

http://hotair.com/archives/2006/09/14/the-conservative-view/ After Rosie O'Donnell stated that Christianity is as large of a threat as Radical Islamic Terrorism, this is Michelle Malkin's and Mary Katharine Ham's response in their own little version of The View

And visit the link of the sponsor as well at http://www.iraqitruthproject.com/

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

The Liberal Media missed this one!!



Subject: Denzel Washington, and

Brooks Army Medical Center


Don't know whether you heard about this but Denzel Washington and his family visited the troops at Brook Army Medical Center, in San Antonio, Texas (BAMC) the other day. This is where soldiers who have been evacuated from Germany come to be hospitalized in the United States, especially burn victims. There are some buildings there called Fisher Houses. The Fisher House is a Hotel where soldiers' families can stay, for little or no charge, while their soldier is staying in the Hospital. BAMC has quite a few of these houses on base, but as you can imagine, they are almost filled most of the time.

While Denzel Washington was visiting BAMC, they gave him a tour of one of the Fisher Houses. He asked how much one of them would cost to build. He took his check book out and wrote a check for the full amount right there on the spot. The soldiers overseas were amazed to hear this story and want to get the word out to the American public, because it warmed their hearts to hear it.

The question I have is why does:

Alec Baldwin, Madonna, Sean Penn and other Hollywood types make front page news with their anti-everything America trash and Denzel Washington's Patriotism doesn't even make page 3 in the Metro section of any newspaper except the Local newspaper in San
Antonio?

GOD BLESS YOU DENZEL

FOR YOUR PATRIOTISM

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

The War on Terror from www (dot) progressforamerica (dot) org

Click the title of this post to go to the site and video.

Sunday, September 10, 2006

2996 Tribute to Azael Ismael Vasquez, Age 21, killed at the World Trade Center on 9-11-2001


Azael Ismael Vasquez, 21, of New York, NY, died Sept. 11, 2001, a victim of the coordinated terrorist attacks against the United States on the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon, Washington DC, and elsewhere.

He was a food service handler for Forte Food Service simply performing his duties in one of the towers when the cowardly acts of terrorism commenced.

An article in the New York Daily News indicated that the funeral for Azael Vasquez was held on January 19, 2002, four months after the attacks, because of the unfortunate difficulty in locating his remains. Vasquez's father has said that he hasn't been able to return to his son's grave since the funeral.

Azael Ismael Vasquez, we will all remember you, and your fellow victims, forever. This tribute is posted for the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States of America, September 11, 2001.

We shall never forget.

God Bless America.

Monday, September 04, 2006

I'll be silent for a while

I am scheduled for a surgery that will keep me flat on my back for a week or so, so I may not be posting for a while. . . but I'll be back when the time comes. I will make sure I am able to post my 2,996 tribute on 9/11.

As an added note, on 9/11/2006 as we give tribute to the 2,996 victims of the act of war against the United States that forced us into waging a war on terror, a friend of mine is going to travel to Europe - - and promises me a postcard from every country he visits. I will keep ya'll posted of his travels. As an added note, Scott is going to give out a few of my cards along the way - - hopefully making Political Pistachio more international than it is now - - one can hope, anyway.