Links and Minifeatures 10 26 Thusday

Home Prices Plunge by Most in 35 Years

The Commerce Department reported that the median price for a new home sold in September was $217,100, a drop of 9.7 percent from September 2005.

Keep in mind that we don't have a unified national market - we have an amalgamation of local markets. This is nonetheless not a good sign. Locally, the price of what actually sells is down almost 20% from peak, depending upon the ZIP code.



Don't look to the Fed to bail the housing market out, either: No Tricks, No Treats in New Fed Message



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An End to some folks denial: Bush Signs U.S.-Mexico Border Fence Bill



I didn't think the President wanted to sign it, either. Nonetheless, it was not an issue on which he was prepared to buck the emerging consensus, especially as it has become plain that the longer things go, the more hardline the eventual resolution is going to be. The prospect of a pocket veto would not have mollified anyone - it would just have ticked off both sides, and if there is one thing our current President Bush has established is a solid part of his character, it is the fact that he doesn't duck making a decision.



Of course, the Mexican government isn't happy:

Mexican officials have criticized the fence. Outgoing Mexican President Vicente Fox, who has spent much of his six years in office lobbying for a new guest worker program and a chance at citizenship for the millions of Mexicans working illegally in the U.S., calls the fence "shameful" and compares it to the Berlin Wall.

For the historically challenged, the Berlin Wall was intended to keep East Germans in. This is a measure to keep those without permission to be here out. The Mexican government would have been overthrown sometime along about World War II if not for remittances from family members on the north side of the border.



Now it happens, I don't think the fence, by itself, will be a real solution to the problem. The only measure that will work is harsh employer sanctions and aggressive enforcement. But a fence to physically keep out those who shouldn't be here is a necessary part of a larger solution. Run "anchor baby" through a search engine or two if you want to know why.



Nor do I think we should pay any attention to the Mexican government's desires, at least with regards to how we handle our border. If you want a real eye opener, check out what Mexico teaches its school children about the United States, especially the southwestern portion. If the Mexican government wants to close down the border from their side, that's fine by me. No more turistas spending yankee greenbacks helping to keep the Mexican outhouse government afloat. If they want there to be no border, they can apply for statehood. I'd urge my Congresscritters to vote "yes" if they did.



(Just so there is no misunderstanding, the Mexican people are every bit as hardworking and deserving as any other nationality, more so than many, and I'll willingly stand at the border and greet those arriving here legally with a handshake and "Welcome to America! How can we help you get started?" But their government is a century old fetid outhouse of decay, corruption and incompetence, and anything that increases the prospect of it expanding it's mordida influence north of the border is worth getting violent about.)



Scrappleface understands what is really going on.



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In the "helping the truth catch up with lies" department: Gilchrist: Don't fall for media's spin about the Minutemen



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China takes heat after tragic flight of Tibetan teenager



Admittedly, no passport. Still:

About half the group was captured by Chinese police. The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced the death of a second victim, a 23-year-old male, days later in a hospital, stating he died from "oxygen shortage." China's official news agency, Xinhua, reported on Oct. 12 that Chinese police opened fire in self-defense after the Tibetans attacked them.



Human rights groups say the Tibetans were unarmed, and that the male victim died from gunshot wounds.

You want human rights violations at the border? Those are human rights violations: shooting your own citizens from ambush for the horrible crime of wanting to leave, even though those on the other side are willing to receive them.



They've got this one on film: Exclusive footage of Chinese soldiers shooting at Tibetan pilgrims Please, watch it before some politically correct numbskill censors it.



While I'm at it: Begging for justice in China's capital

Last year, the number of mass protests rose to more than 87,000, up from 10,000 in 1994. Party leaders recently agreed to reform the system after a surge in unrest linked to land grabs and other abuses, according to the official Xinhua news agency.



However, researchers say that far from quelling tensions, new restrictions on petitioner gatherings may actually be radicalizing complainants. In squatter camps in Beijing, rural petitioners are finding common cause with each other, stirring a nascent protest movement.

The Chinese government can't win and they can't break even, but they're not going to quit the game.



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Fascinating: Amazon River Flowed Backwards in Ancient Times



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Victor Davis Hanson reviews Robert Spencer's "The Truth About Mohammed"



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Captain's Quarters on the Michael J Fox campaign ad.