Links and Miifeatures 08 04 Friday

US News and World Report has a spread on the real estate and mortgage market in which they catch the state of the market as it was about a year ago and completely miss out on missing the mortgage products that enabled it to get this far out of hand. They mention short term interest only loans, but completely ignore the prevalence of Negative Amortization loans, which are doing more damage than interest only loans ever thought about doing. They mention how many folks are renting, but fail to project out the individual financial consequences of the decision to buy or rent. I wrote an outline for an article titled "Why Renting Really Is For Suckers (and what to do about it)" last week, but maybe I should move it to to the front burner.

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Shameful. US troops shot detainees in cold blood.



I never served in the military, but I'm an American, and I'm ashamed of these people who evidently abused their position. If they are convicted, I want them shot. Abuse of position makes any crime worse. I'm sure a couple of the miltary folks on my sitelist will have a lot more to say, better than I could, because I've never been in that position.



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Castro said to be recovering, US says no invasion



My condolences to the Cuban people on their continued oppression, but I don't think a US invasion is necessary. Make dissent safe, and the Cuban people and their relatives in the US, who have gotten used to real democracy, will take care of the rest.

Raul Castro, 75, lacks the charisma of his elder brother, who turns 80 on August 13. But some Cuba watchers believe he could open up Cuba to Chinese-style economic reforms of the sort long resisted by his brother.

I think this writer is fooling themselves. I can think of a lot of promised liberalizations in the last forty years after one despot or another died, and the only time it actually happened was in Spain after Franco, and Franco had taken steps to make sure it happened after his death, before he died. In the present instance, I only need point to the fact that it was Raul who recruited Che Guevara. Anyone who'd work with that murderous thug is not likely to be a closet democrat or free market sponsor.



When there is solid news about Castro, look for Val at Babalu Blog to make sense of it.



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A while ago, I posted about My thoughts on the Israel Lebanon situation and said the following:

Exterminate Hesbollah. I can hear the shocked gasps from here. Well, screw that. There is no moral equivalence here. Israel has shown itself willing and able to abide by agreements that it's negotiating partners live up, or even sort of live up to.



(snip)



Yes, it bothers me to see kids killed in the exchange of hostilities. It bothers me severely. But I put the onus for that squarely where it belongs, with Hesbollah, who hides in their midst, shoots out from groups of civilians, and hopes and prays that Israeli answering fire kills some "innocent" children and women and old men

Cases in point: Q and O about the principle of Double Effect in Just War. Read The Whole Thing.



Moshe Yaalon in the Washington Post



Hezbollywood Horror: "Civil Defense Worker" doubles as Traveling Mortician



neo-neocon on the former Isreali "peace mothers"



Big Pharoah "Even if it were to fall on our heads, it wouldn't have spoiled our joy." about a Hezbollah rocket that hit the Palestinian city of Jenin. Didn't I say something about "the Islamists and other people think Death to Israel is more important than Life for their islamic co-religionists"?



Augean Stables in the same vein



Cry to those using babies



Victor Davis Hanson on the refusal to confront. Then and Now.



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Iraq the Model on Iran arming Iraqi death squads: "Why is it difficult to demonize a demon?"



I wish I knew.



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Michael Barone looks at the end of slavery. The Dead White Men don't come out looking completely evil.



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Sorry about low article count this week. It may have to continue into next week. I have not yet had a chance to write new articles for next week.