How people feel one way or another about Iran is one thing (personally, I don't see that making war with them over nuclear weapons which they don't really seem to have and are not likely to develop for years is such a good idea), but this article in the Khaleej Times made me grateful that I can blog about anything I damn well choose:

Khaleej Times Online  >> News >> MIDDLE EAST
Iran mulls death penalty for Internet crimes
(AFP)

2 July 2008

TEHERAN - Iran's parliament is set to debate a draft bill which could see the death penalty used for those deemed to promote corruption, prostitution and apostasy on the Internet, reports said on Wednesday.

MPs on Wednesday voted to discuss as a priority the draft bill which seeks to "toughen punishment for harming mental security in society," the ISNA news agency said.

The text lists a wide range of crimes such rape and armed robbery for which the death penalty is already applicable. The crime of apostasy (the act of leaving a religion, in this case Islam) is also already punishable by death.

However, the draft bill also includes "establishing weblogs and sites promoting corruption, prostitution and apostasy", which is a new addition to crimes punishable by death.

Those convicted of these crimes "should be punished as "mohareb' (enemy of God) and "corrupt on the earth'," the text says.

Under Iranian law the standard punishments for these two crimes are "hanging, amputation of the right hand and then the left foot as well as exile."

The bill -- which is yet to be debated by lawmakers -- also stipulates that the punishment handed out in these cases "cannot be commuted, suspended or changed".

Internet is widely used in Iran despite restrictions on access and the blocking of thousands of websites with a sexual content or deemed as insulting religious sanctities and promoting political dissent.

Blogging is also very popular among cyber-savvy young Iranians, some openly discussing their private lives or criticising the system.

Human rights groups have accused Iran of making excessive use of the death penalty but Teheran insists it is an effective deterrent that is carried out only after an exhaustive judicial process.

The number of executions soared last year to 317 amid a campaign which the authorities said was aimed at improving security in society, and was sharply up on 2006 figures when Amnesty International recorded 177 executions.

All legislation in Iran has to be rubber-stamped by a conservative clerical watchdog before it is written into law. The Guardians Council vets bills to see if they are in line with the constitution and Islamic law.

The most I feel about these idiots is pity.

Under The LobsterScope

    I want to take this opportunity to speak directly to those of you who oppose my decision to support the Abortion compromise.

   Democracy cannot exist without strong differences. And going forward, some of you may decide that my women's reproductive rights position is a deal breaker. That's ok.  But I think it is worth pointing out that our agreement on the vast majority of issues that matter outweighs the differences we may have on a few issues like the constitution, warrantless wiretapping, telecom immunity, abortion rights, gun rights, separation of church & state, refining the Iraq policy and the death penalty. After all, the choice in this election could not be clearer. You have no option but to vote for me. Ha Ha.

   So I appreciate the feedback through my.barackobama.com, and I look forward to continuing the conversation in the months and years to come. Together, we have a lot of work to do. The work is to make me Supreme Commander, so that I no longer have to pretend to notice your existence & reply to your online petitions & stuff.

"We could have won the Vietnam war we just lost our will to fight" (John McCain)

About 60,000 Americans were killed during the Vietnam war and 300,000 Americans were wounded.
The number of Vietnamese killed and wounded runs into the millions.
The Vietnamese are still suffering the effects of Agent Orange and the land mines that blow off their limbs to this day.
Billions of Tears and Broken hearts.

And yet Senator McCain says we could have won if only we hadn't lost our will to fight. Does anyone doubt that Senator McCain would be willing to attack Iran at the drop of a hat?
Under McCain how long would we be stationed in Iraq?
I get the feeling Senator McCain is not afraid of War at all. In my opinion under a McCain adminstration we could slip into world War 3 as quickly as you can say stubborn old man. Senator McCain gives "experience" a bad name. This wouldn't just be a third bush term. McCain would leave his "mark" and you can bet American blood would spill. If you think Bush has been bad wait until McCain takes office. Bush will look like a pacifist in comparison to where McCain will take us. To those of you who consider Senator McCain an option I ask you to consider who will pay the ultimate price for your vote and for what? I know one thing for sure, McCain will never lose his will to Fight!  Joe Conason's report at realclear politics or Salon has more on this

Hi, I don't post here much but I do like to read. Its an interesting and cantankerous community. Very committed and it seems quite at odds.

I wrote a diary here a few weeks ago called "Pollyanna". I wrote as a supporter of both candidates. I was ultimately an Obama supporter and voter but I would have been happy with either. Two good Democrats, two great choices.

I'm not sure what the rules are for photo blogs. Someone holler at me if I've done something wrong. I'll take the diary down if asked.

I went to the July 4th celebration at the city park in a small town in northern MS today. There were 2,000-3,000 people there by my estimate. A very mixed crowd. Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, Orientals,  Philipinos, and probably more races and ethnic groups that I didn't see.

It was a big family event. Lots of kids, teenagers, and adults of all ages. I spoke to one older couple who said they were both in their 90's.

Politics is a strange, and often fascinating, process. People get involved with politics for any of a number of reasons. Some people view politics as a game. Others view it as a participatory sport. Some see it as a means to make a living, or in some cases, a fortune. I can understand all of those views, but I don't share them.

To me, politics is a means to an end. In my view, politics should be used to advance an agenda. When played for any other reason, such as fun, to gain power, for profit, or even as a means to pass the time, politics becomes about you. When this happens, politics ceases to be a means to an end and becomes nothing more than an ego trip.

What does all of this have to do with PUMA? It's really quite simple. The people in PUMA and like-minded groups have a purpose. You may not like their goals. I know I don't. You and I may disagree with their tactics, or their rhetoric, or even their goals, but that doesn't take away the fact that they are working towards an end result.

Troll labels (and the idea of imagining trolls lurking around every corner) are an unfortunate aspects of web-life. Obviously, there are some GOPers who try to stir up trouble on Dem sites, but I'd say the same number of GOP'ers are stirring up trouble on Democratic sites as Al Queda is stirring up trouble in Iraq. What do they say? Al Queda is 2%? 3%? The rest is domestic.

OK THAT WAS JUST A METAPHOR to say that most of whom we call concern trolls are just PEOPLE WHO DON'T AGREE WITH US, and most likely they're Democrats.

So get a grip.

Golden Truths.

1. Barack isn't perfect. He's a good sincere guy but also a total politician (as good as Bill, if not better) who used "new politics" to get himself nominated and is now doing what he politically needs to do to win.

2. Barack, not being perfect, may give us 60% of health care, 60% of out of Iraq, etc. But that's better than McCain's 0%.

3. The term "politically correct" originated from Mao's Red Book, and was adopted by the left. It's meant to eliminate those who disagree and is totally lame.

NOW: Disagree with me. I WON'T call you a troll. I promise.

Ever since Hillary endorsed Barack on June 7th, much has been made on this site and others about the newfound unity among Democrats to combat John McCain and the Republicans. Yet, according to a new CNN poll (pdf), it appears that in the month since existing the race, Hillary has actually garnered more among Democrats as a whole than she had before she left. The numbers among Hillary supporters are even more stark. Last month, 60% of Hillary supporters said they would back Obama if he was the nominee. Now that number has dropped to 54%. At the same time, the Hillary supporters who say they won't vote for either Barack Obama or John McCain has gone from 22% to 32%. This poll may explain why Obama has yet to establish more than a 5% lead over McCain, even though the generic Democrat beats the generic Republican by 20%.

If Hillary Clinton were still running for president, who would you rather see the Democratic party
choose as its nominee?

   * Barack Obama 54% (59%)
    * Hillary Clinton 43% (35%)

(Among Hillary Clinton supporters) Now that Barack Obama is the presumptive Democratic nominee, who is your choice for president?

   * Barack Obama 54% (60%)
    * John McCain 10% (17%)
    * Would Not Vote 32% (22%)

Survey of 431 registered Democrats was conducted June 26-29. Results from the poll conducted June 4-5 are in parentheses.