Some folks just can’t tell the difference.

What he said.

UPDATE: Smash puts it nicely: “If Americans can’t learn the difference between Dubai and Damascus, we don’t stand a snowball’s chance in the desert of defeating Islamic terrorism.”

Many European countries that have criticized America for ignoring the Kyoto Protocol have themselves made no serious effort to adhere to its emissions regulations. From the Scotsman:

The London-based think-tank, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), has found that ten of the 15 European Union signatories to the Kyoto Protocol will miss their targets by 2010 without urgent action.

The worst offenders are Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Italy, each up to 20 per cent off target. Only Britain, Sweden and France are remotely on target.

The poorly performing nations are among the many who have criticised the US and President George Bush - who early in his presidency declared Kyoto “dead” - for refusing to sign up to the agreement because of fears it would limit economic growth.
…
Duncan McLaren, the chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland … added: “We are not surprised to see the EU falling behind its Kyoto targets, and this is because nations are increasing the pursuit of economic growth rather than sustainable development.“

What kind of bizarre Orwell-speak is this? “Economic growth” is bad. “Sustainable development” is good.

Nice (h/t: Tammy Bruce) to have you guys back, I think.

This article suggests Angela Merkel may become Germany’s next chancellor because she is a woman. Normally, I’d find that sort of thinking offensive, but right now, I’d say just about anything that permanently retires everyone’s favorite idiot-Aryan, Gerhard Schröder, can’t be all bad.

The Ass. Press reports that “Britain’s” strict pub licensing law, which currently requires pubs to close at 10:30 on Sunday nights and at 11:00 p.m. the rest of the week, is going by the wayside. That’s good news, but lousy news reporting. In fact, only England has had that requirement. Most pubs in Edinburgh, Scotland close at midnight, and some are open as late (or, depending on your perspective, as early) as 3:00 a.m.

The French and the Dutch may not agree on much, but they do seem to agree on one thing: the United States of Europe Union of European Socialist Republics is a very bad idea.

Or at least the part that is the United States. Kofi Annan’s U.N. has done a lot of horrible things to date, but flying the flag at half-mast for Yassir Arafat takes the cake. What will they do for Osama bin Laden when he finally bites the dust?

Thanks to Captains Quarters reader Robert Tirado for the link.

John Kerry hasn’t elaborated much as to which foreign leaders hope he will win the election, but it’s an increasingly safe bet that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not among them. Today at a news conference, he told the press that the terrorists want George Bush to lose the election, arguing that the terrorists’ acts are “not as much aimed at coalition forces but more personally against President Bush.” Proving that it does have a sense of humor, the Ass. Press goes on to say that Putin declined to say which candidate he favored in the Nov. 2 election. husly:

“We unconditionally respect any choice of the American people,” he joked said. “I don’t want to spoil relations with either candidate, not even that French-looking wuss al-Qaeda is trying to help into office.”

Kerry’s still down in the polls right now, but just barely. Between this ringing endorsement and his equally strong support from the crack lobby, Kerry might just pull this thing off.

If you love offensive, foul-mouthed Republican marionettes (and who doesn’t?), Team America is a must-see.

UPDATE: Spoons and PoliPundit concur, and Spoons reminds us to sit through the credits for a cool song.

ANOTHER UPDATE: John Hawkins ranks it a 14 on a 10 scale.