Oh, The Irony

About 2,500 people marched across the far eastern port of Vladivostok to denounce the Cabinet's decision to increase car import tariffs, shouting slogans urging Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to resign. Many there make their living by importing cars.

Meanwhile in Moscow arrests were made as about 1,000 diehard Communists rallied in a central square hemmed in by heavy police cordons.

Communist Party chief Gennady Zyuganov told them the Kremlin must throw out Western capitalism and impose sweeping nationalisation.

Why not? America did that last November.

We just don't have the cool hats. Yet.

Pictures and story at Daily Mail UK.

UT: Drudge

Product Endorsements

We found these new products from like-minded capitalists! Click the images to buy today!

Of course, our Commie Obama hat is still our top pick for those preparing for the 2010 elections:

Too many pledges

First, the original bleeding-heart commie panty-waste version. (You are not expected to sit through the whole rambling thing.)

MySpace Celebrity and Katalyst present The Presidential Pledge


And New Media's poetic response:




Our pledge:

To continue to expose America's Communist Movement at Ushanka.us.

Nugent

This is the kind of nuance we prefer.

I don't like repeat offenders. I like dead offenders.

UT: SondraK

Obama Logic

We anticipate - and regret - that these will be the first of many quotes from our new leader.

Closing Guantanamo - for better security...

...in order to affect the disposition of individuals detained by the Department of Defense at Guantanamo and promptly to close the detention facility at Guantanamo consistent with national security and foreign policy interests of the United States and interests of justice, I do hereby order.

Tightening Fuel Standards - to help our economy...

For the sake of our security, our economy and our planet, we must have the courage and commitment to change.
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Our goal is not to further burden an already struggling industry, it is to help America's automakers prepare for the future.

We won't comment. But you may...

Inauguration Footage

The Hammer & Sickle make it to Washington!

Skiing is for Commies

We are overdue for another Ushanka Babe post... Forgive us.

Stimulus, or Reparations?

Ushanka.us is a White Guilt Free Zone. We never owned a slave, never wanted to, and would advise our friends to steer clear of the slave trade. While others may support the government taking money from us non-slave owners to stimulate the economy for those freed, we do not.

Why not take this money from the group that has kept these targeted minorities in shackles (low income housing, low income jobs, etc.) for the past 40 years? The group that fought Lincoln's efforts to free the slaves. The group that fought against the Civil Rights legislation in the 60's. The group that excuses, and even praises, single-parenting - the core reason for the decline in the black family and their current inner-city plight. The group that asks these victims to repeatedly vote for them, but then keeps the victims in dire conditions while claiming to fight their cause.

Put bluntly, why don't these slave owners, the Democratic Party, take responsibility for the damage they've done and pay out of their own pocket?

No stimulus plan will reverse the damage done to the communities Robert Reich mentions. It will take a paradigm shift. An end to excuse-making and handout-expectations.

At least Robert Reich didn't try to hide the intent in poetic nuance.

Karl's Weekend Reading

The article that spells it all out - Dick Morris' article at The Hill: The Obama Presidency: Here Comes Socialism.

He will begin by passing every program for which liberals have lusted for decades, from alternative-energy sources to school renovations, infrastructure repairs and technology enhancements. These are all good programs, but they normally would be stretched out for years. But freed of any constraint on the deficit — indeed, empowered by a mandate to raise it as high as possible — Obama will do them all rather quickly.
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...he will create a permanent electoral majority that does not pay taxes, but counts on ever-expanding welfare checks from the government. The dependency on the dole, formerly limited in pre-Clinton days to 14 million women and children on Aid to Families with Dependent Children, will now grow to a clear majority of the American population.

We'd like to offer a solution that would stop this train from running us over. Sorry - Obama has the mandate and the congress. Our only advice is to buy a Commie Obama hat, contribute to the discussions at Ushanka.us and the blogs in our Blogroll, and bite the pillow.

Link: The COHB (Commie Obama Hat Ban) is coming soon. Buy yours today before you'll have to face a waiting period and register a hat, or face confiscation!

The news came out this week that the coming $825 billion "stimulus" bill will not create a single job. We were shocked - SHOCKED - as we were confident it would create at least a dozen jobs. The proud owner of a Commie Obama Rally Cap, John R. Lott, Jr., provides expert analysis of just what this stimulus pork bill is meant to do. FoxNews, Whose Money Is It, Anyway?

Unfortunately, though, the $825 billion “stimulus” package has nothing to do with creating or saving jobs -- it has everything to do with moving jobs from industries that Democrats don’t like to industries that they do.

The “stimulus” package is just a wish list of every government program that liberal Democrats have long wanted. As Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s Chief of staff, announced after the election last fall: “Rule one: Never allow a crisis to go to waste. They are opportunities to do big things.”

Victor Davis Hanson reacts to the inauguration in his PajamasMedia article, An Uneasy Feeling. He includes a paragraph on the Main Stream Media:

As Obama begins to govern and as the public sees that he simply borrowed Bush’s foreign policy rhetoric, jazzed it up with his cadences and pauses, and then took either Bushites or Democratic centrists and called them hope and change, and as he glued new rhetorical veneers on the Patriot Act and FISA, and as he alienates many by making decisions other than voting present, and as the gaffes begin (Biden and Michelle can’t be put under wraps forever), and the Chicago fumes linger (Blago ain’t through yet), the fawning media will begin to look embarrassed, then ridiculous, and finally completely bankrupt. They offered no audit of Obama, no tough treatment, no honest examination of his flips, no balance in their treatment of Bush, and they will soon pay a terrible price for that derelection and worse, as the public sees them as the state megaphones that they have so sadly become. The only suspense? Will they play Pravda to the end?

UPDATE 8:30AM:

We just found Gerald Warner's article in Telegraph.uk.co via a link at The Jawa Report. Barack Obama Inauguration: This Emperor Has No Clothes. It Will All End In Tears.

It is questionable whether the present political system can survive the coming crisis. Whatever the solution, teenage swooning sentimentality over a celebrity cult has no part in it. The most powerful nation on earth is confronting its worst economic crisis under the leadership of its most extremely liberal politician, who has virtually no experience of federal politics. That is not an opportunity but a catastrophe.

UT: The Jawa Report

Lincoln? Or Lenin?

Just making conversation here...

It is widely known that Lenin presented three primary goals to the Russians after "taking his oath on November 1917":

1) Get the country out of an unpopular war,
2) Spread electricity to all the Soviets, and
3) Enact universal health care.

Of course, history tells us that taking troops off the front allowed Lenin to use them for internal purposes. And, government-run utilities and health care created a dependency which was later used as a weapon against the Soviet people. Millions are not here today to warn us of these dangers...

Here are some quotes from today's inaugural speech:

We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan.

The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.

We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost.

We will be the first to give President Obama, our President, the benefit of the doubt. Actions speak louder than any blog post with selected snippets. We hope we are wrong in our suspicions, and that the Obama administration puts Ushanka.us, and CommieObama.com, on the ash heap of history!

In Today's Commie News...

From Reuters:

North Korea's army said on Saturday it would assume an "all-out confrontational posture" against the South and wipe out the conservative government in Seoul for refusing to cooperate with them.

From the International Herald Tribune:

Since Dec. 31, Russia has been playing a game of chicken with Ukraine over gas prices, transit fees and unpaid debts. On Jan. 7, after each side accused the other of cheating and stealing, Russia's Gazprom, the world's biggest natural gas producer, suspended supplies to Ukraine's transit pipelines, sending a chill through much of southeastern Europe.

The supplies were to resume after the two sides signed 10-year natural-gas contracts on Monday. Putin said gas shipments to the 27-nation bloc would resume in "full volumes" through all export routes.

Washington Post: More Moscow Murder - Two critics of Vladimir Putin take bullets in the head.

Another Russian fighting for human rights and the rule of law has been murdered in Vladimir Putin's Moscow. Stanislav Markelov, a lawyer who defended Chechens brutalized by Russian troops and journalists who wrote about the abuses, was shot in the head yesterday by a masked man carrying a silencer-equipped pistol. An opposition journalist who tried to intervene, Anastasia Baburova, was also fatally shot in the head. This occurred in broad daylight, on a busy street in central Moscow less than half a mile from the Kremlin. It was another demonstration that assassinations are a dominating feature of political life under Mr. Putin's regime.

Top blogs (listed to the left) are posting this interesting picture of Chavez with the daughter of our new CIA Director nominee.

And last, a man who campaigned on universal health care was sworn in as the next president of the United States.


So? When do we get our free stuff??

UPDATE 1.22:

We stand corrected! Doug Ross notifies us that our new CIA director does not have a daughter. No show trial necessary - we regret our mistake!

Symbolism? Foreshadowing?

Coincidence that a former Cold War CIA director, Vice President and President wears an ushanka to today's inauguration?

More for sale - here!

Thank You Mr. President & First Lady

Or sincere thanks to President George W. Bush for, among many other things,:

Bringing class to a polarized DC

Risking all to keep us safe

Liberating 50 million people in the Middle East

Justice Samuel Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts

Cutting Taxes - Twice


And to Laura Bush - for her loyalty and dedication.

May you enjoy your well-deserved retirement!

Today is Historic!

It IS a historic day.

A day when a man inspired goodness in the hearts of America's enemies.

A day when that man was sworn in as President of the United States.

28 years ago today, 52 American hostages were released as he took his oath.

There was hope then, and that was change. But above all, it was historic.

The REAL Middle East Peace Process

From the Jerusalem Post:

IDF shells struck the United Nations headquarters in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, according to UN officials, and UN spokesman Chris Gunness said at least three people were wounded.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in Israel Thursday for talks with leaders regarding a possible cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, expressed "strong protest and outrage" at the reported Israeli shelling of the UN compound in Gaza.

Ban demanded an investigation into Thursday's shelling...

Ok. Here is the Ushanka.us investigation:

After decades of letting the international community and their league-o-thugs, the United Nations, dictate how many Israeli citizens must die in order to achieve peace in the Middle East, demand how much sovereign territory the Israelis should surrender, and mandate how guilty the Israelis should feel for owning and using advanced weapons, the Israelis have decided to put Israeli interests first. For these reasons, our investigation concludes that Israeli forces were justified on firing on the UN facility, and may do so again at will.

Our world view, based on historical precedent and an understanding of the evil that exists, has put us in a pessimistic position anticipating major threats and increased conflict across the globe with the coming administration. Russia, Venezuela, and Cuba have all started posturing for a commie-neutral, if not commie-friendly, US foreign policy. Will we see an increase of Chinese threats towards Taiwan in coming months?

Maybe others, those "peace-loving nations", will change their attitudes and behaviors too.

Is it possible - follow me here - that the Israelis are balls-to-the-wall in Gaza for this same reason? Do they see a new world order that further harms their interests? Have the Israelis decided that they are essentially alone in the next four years? After all, they ARE attacking a democratically elected government, pursuing and assassinating its leaders. They humor the French and others pushing - screaming - for a cease fire, as Day 20 of the Gaza operation starts with more shelling and more raids.

Have the Israelis chosen victory over status-quo?

NBC Embarrassed - Coulter Interviewed

Drudge reported that the owner of our 'fascionable' Ushanka hat, Ann Coulter, had been banned by NBC this week - for life. It took a day, but NBC felt the pressure and re-invited Ann. She didn't disappoint!

UT: Sweetness & Light

Some Thoughts

Richardson, a Democrat, bowing out due to scandal? Or could it be he and Obama disagree on a fundamental American right?

Paneta to the CIA? If Paneta meets with Obama twice, that will mean Obama would have met with his CIA director twice as often as Clinton met with Director Woolsey. Of course, R. James Woolsey, Jr. was a foreign policy expert....

it appears Reuters is desperate - taking pictures of sad children in Gaza schools that are not under attack. Compare Reuters' work with ours:

HBO, this February

We can't wait...



UT: Sondrak

UPDATED 6PM: Link to Lt.Col. Michael Strobl's essay - the story behind this HBO special.

UPDATE 1.6: iTunes Link - The trailer song is "Comes and Goes (In Waves)" by Greg Laswell.

karl's Weekend Reading

Our first Weekend Reading post in over a month. It is nice to be back! Our picks this week cover Israel, the Democrats shameful Senate games, universal [communist] health care, and gay marriage.

Charles Krauthammer reminds us of the differences about both sides, and offers a due helping of criticism towards Israel for allowing the Palestinians to define the "norm", in Townhall on Friday:

For Hamas the only thing more prized than dead Jews are dead Palestinians.
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At war today in Gaza, one combatant is committed to causing the most civilian pain and suffering on both sides. The other combatant is committed to saving as many lives as possible -- also on both sides.
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Hamas' rejection of an extension of its often-violated six-month cease-fire (during which the rockets never stopped, just were less frequent) gave Israel a rare opportunity to establish the norm it should have insisted upon three years ago: no rockets, no mortar fire, no kidnapping, no acts of war. As the U.S. government has officially stated: a sustainable and enduring cease-fire.

If this fighting ends with anything less than that, Israel will have lost again. It can ill afford to lose any more wars.

The WSJ Editorial "Israel's Gaza Defense" provides more history - a history that always seems to be ignored a few days into an Israeli effort to defend herself:

Hamas did agree to a six-month cease-fire earlier this year, during which the rocket attacks declined in number but never completely stopped. But Hamas refused to extend the truce past December 19, and the group has since resumed attacks, firing nearly 300 missiles, rockets and mortars. The 250,000 Israelis in the southern part of the country live under constant threat, often in bomb shelters, and the economy has suffered. Yet the world's media seem to pay attention only when Israel responds to that Hamas barrage.

The Israeli Defense Forces have their own blog and videos. A nice improvement to the once one-sided PR battle.

The WSJ Editorial, "Dynasty", on Wednesday sums up the Democrats' shameful behavior towards the vacated Senate seats. Another example of a party that has no shame. The summary:

So to recap all of this change you can believe in: A Kennedy and Cuomo are competing to succeed a Clinton in New York; the skids are greased for a Biden to replace a Biden in Delaware; one Salazar might replace another in Colorado; and a Governor charged with political corruption in Illinois wants one of his cronies to succeed the President-elect.

Sally C. Pipes is the CEO of the Pacific Research Institute. She often publishes opinion pieces in the WSJ and we have never read one we didn't like. Her latest, "Obama Will Ration Your Health Care", discusses the Tom Daschle vision for universal [communist] care:

It is nearly certain that the process of determining which drugs and which treatments would be approved for use would be quickly politicized. The details of health-care policy may not be kitchen table conversation, but the fact that a Washington committee can deny grandma a hip replacement due to her age, or your sister a new and expensive drug, is. Health care is personal and voters will pressure lawmakers on access to care.

Ushanka owner Mike S. Adams analyzes the tolerance and moral superiority of the left in his Townhall article, "No Gay Mormon Left Behind". Is it selective tolerance to only permit marriage between a man and a man, but not a man and two women, or between a man and an animal?

If one can be morally superior to another by being more tolerant why not be really morally superior by being really tolerant?

Pundit wants to be sportswriter, Part II

We can't help ourselves! This is what we think when we click through the Reuter's slideshows. Besides, New Years Day is for football...

First Down, Israel!

The Gazans, outraged, call for a flag on the play. There is none.

The fourth quarter surge is paying dividends for the Israelis. It appears they have grown tired of the 2000+ "Rocket" plays by the Gazans, and have decided their shrinking end-zone is worth defending. Their fans agree:

Some of the Gazan fans, shocked by the turn of events are blaming another team that isn't even in the same league - the Bush Team...

Whiile other Gazan fans re-use their tried-but-true cheers:

Gazan players taken to the locker room with injuries or equipment failures in the past 24 hours:

Sheikh Nizar Rayyan, Hamas leader and cleric
Mohammad Baroud, a top Popular Resistance Committees operative
Hasim Drili, a northern Gaza Hamas operative
Tafik Abu Raf, a Hamas terror operative in the central Gaza Strip

Not one Reuters player has been hurt despite their presence on the Gazan side of the field. We anticipate the fans' outrage when the first Reuters player is injured...

Pictures from Reuters, Doug Ross and SondraK.