While Liberals in America would like to “look” more like Europe, the folks across the Atlantic are doing their best to block free trade policies. Instead of building a free market society the European Union is busy creating regulation blockades to keep U.S. companies from entering their markets freely.

Europe is working to stop competition and the Microsoft anti-trust case (pdf.) is the perfect example. Microsoft has given up fighting the case and has dropped out of the appeals process. How pleased the EU must be with itself!

Mario Monti, the former EU competition czar who issued the ruling against Microsoft’s software “bundling,” told an Italian newspaper last month that putting such U.S. giants in their place was “the true strength of a united Europe.”

His successor, Neelie Kroes, celebrated a court decision upholding that decision by musing about how low she’d like Microsoft’s market share to fall. Next in her sights are Intel, Qualcomm, Apple and Google, among others. (WSJ)

These comments only magnify the lack of integrity in the courts and the EU for a promise to participate as a trading partner with the United States and to develop a free market continent.

The EU is also hitting the U.S. poultry industry, cosmetic industry and others which will effectively cost American companies billions of dollars in trade. This will adversely effect the U.S. economy and job market.

The United States Security and Exchange Commission is now willing to mimic European financial reporting standards. The SEC agreed to let companies submit some financial statements using new international accounting standards rather than U.S. GAAP principles. The European Parliament responded by insisting that the SEC accept a special version of the accounting rules tailored to the EU.

Appeasing the EU is not the answer and only brings the U.S. Liberals closer to their goal of making Europeans like us and for America to look more like Europe. When countries enjoy the free markets of America they should not be undermining our system to stop competition. Changing rules and laws to accomodate one side is not how free markets and capitalism works.

This author is not a great fan of Rudy Giuliani’s political stance in most cases. However, what I do like about Mr. Giuliani is he shoots for the hip and aims right between the eyes. I like his no-nonsense attitude and non-flip-flop style. In a two-person debate his opponent may have to seek cover.

At a townhall debate in New Hampshire, Mr. Giuliani faced questioning and handled it honestly and directly:

“Do I think the mission overall in Iraq is the correct one, I think without a doubt it is,” the former New York mayor said at Insight Technologies, which makes tactical weapon lights and laser systems for the military.

“And I think the Democrats are going to change their minds about it again,” Giuliani said, noting that Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Edwards voted as senators for the initial invasion in 2003.

“I think they’re going to change their minds. I think the verdict of history is going to be that it was the right decision,” Giuliani said.

“Suppose Hillary Clinton and John Edwards’ new position was their position back then, that it was a mistake to take him out,” Giuliani said, referring to former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

“Wouldn’t we be dealing with Saddam Hussein becoming nuclear right now? If Iran was becoming nuclear what would he be doing? Sitting there letting his arch enemy gain nuclear power over him? Or would we now be dealing with two countries seeking to become nuclear powers.”

“This is the world we live in. It’s not this happy, romantic-like world where we’ll negotiate with this one, or we’ll negotiate with that one and there will be no preconditions, and we’ll invite (Iranian President Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad to the White House, we’ll invite Osama (bin Laden) to the White House,” Giuliani said.

“Hillary and Obama are kind of debating whether to invite them to the inauguration or the inaugural ball,” he added.

In fact, a Giuliani debate opponent may very well get run over by his “Straight Talk Express.” Indeed!

Source: Breitbart.com

According to a new book by actress Shirley MacLaine, Dennis Kucinich received inspiration and possibly policy advice from an alien life form. Ms. MacLaine, the godmother of Mr. Kucinich’s daughter, writes that the diminutive Ohio congressman

“had a close sighting over my home in Graham, Washington, when I lived there…. Dennis found his encounter extremely moving. The smell of roses drew him out to my balcony where, when he looked up, he saw a gigantic triangular craft, silent, and observing him.”

“It hovered, soundless, for 10 minutes or so, and sped away with a speed he couldn’t comprehend. He said he felt a connection in his heart and heard directions in his mind.”

Hmmm. Mr. Kucinich has objected to weaponizing space and many of his economic views also seem alien-inspired (assuming there’s an upside-down alien universe where socialism works).

But give the candidate credit: Where Mitt Romney would have flip-flopped on the issue of alien visitation and Barack Obama would have launched a paean to inclusivess, the Kucinich campaign is remaining discreetly quiet on his friend Ms. MacLaine’s book, “Sage-ing While Age-ing.”

Not even such provocations as the Columbus Dispatch headline “And he saw Elvis in a Burger King” apparently elicited a reaction from Mr. Kucinich, whose quibbles with his home-state press are legendary.

Ms. MacLaine, by the way, has a Web site (shirleymaclaine.com) that expands on the actress’s views on spirituality and astrology, as well as offering down-to-earth advice on “Environmentally Friendly HouseHold Cleaners” and “How to Photograph UFOs.”

Source: Collin Levy at OpinionJournal’s Political Diary [Subscription]