I predict that there will be a massive civil war (by another name) among Arabs and Arab countries before the end of the Bush Administration. The depth of the unrest in the Palestinian territory and the blatant terrorism being funded and organized by Iran and Syria along with individual terror cells, mullahs and Al Qaeda, will eventually pit Arab against Arab.

It's already happening in the Palestinian territory and will spill over into a Lebanon/Syrian battle which will spill over into an Iran/Iraq battle which will spill over into an Al Qaeda/Pakistan gov't battle and so on.

This could be way off base, but I see the seeds planted every day in Iraq, Pakistan, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and now the Palestinian territory.

This would be revisiting much of modern history. The one thing that has kept Arabs from constant war against one another is the "mutual" enemies of Israel and the U.S.

What will all of this mean to the world? A lot. I'm just not sure what.

sharptalk

After so many needless deaths over (apparently) the ego of one man, the Prime Minister of Iraq has decided to step aside (that decision was moved along by Shiite leaders) and the majority - with a coalition of Kurds, I believe - has announced a new Prime Minister.

We can only pray that this stops the violence. The fact that they were able to stop the violence entirely for a week or so after the elections tells me that it can be done.

I just pray that it will.

sharptalk

In the ongoing saga of politicians named Ford in Tennessee (Harold Ford is running for Bill Frist's vacated Senate seat) Ophelia Ford had her election nullified by the Tennessee Senate due to votes she received from:

Dead people
Felons
People from other districts

There were also ballots with initials from a poll worker who wasn't in town on election day.

In short, there was (typical) criminality in an election in West Tennessee.

Harold Ford has a closet full of political skeletons just like this one and is unlikely to have any real shot at winning the Senate seat for that reason.

On the other hand, the Democratic governor, Phil Bredeson, has done an outstanding job and will win handily this fall. He will probably win a U.S. Senate seat easily when his 2nd term as governor ends. But Harold Ford will probably never be able to overcome his name.

sharptalk

Another week and yet even more good news for the economy.

Just this week:

Jobless claims fell again
State budgets are found to be running surpluses
Fed meeting minutes note that rate hikes are just about over
The nasdaq hit a new high

Truly phenomenal economic data. Very good news for workers, future workers, future home owners and all investors.

sharptalk

Doesn't it seem like they'd want to hide their nuclear development instead of announcing test results to the world?

Well, nothing happens by accident.

They are looking to:

1) Drive up the price of oil
2) Ratchet up Muslim anger towards the U.S.
3) Distract America from finishing the job in Iraq.
4) All of the above

Well, while #4 is the right answer, #3 is the primary reason.

They can't possibly abide by a democracy in Iraq. That would bring about intense pressure from their own people to provide freedoms that any smothering, hate-filled Islamic regime will deny. Freedom of speech? Freedom not to be killed for believing something? Freedom not to be beaten for showing your ankle in a hard breeze?

No stinking way.

Crush, kill, deny, torture, maim, threaten and rule with general terror. That's the method of any good hard-line Islamic religious group.

Who exactly is their God? But I digress.

sharptalk