Archive for April, 2008
The Road Strategy
Posted in Afghanistan on April 27th, 2008Road-Building and counter-insurgency in Afghanistan’s Kunar Province.
Top Clinton Aide: “The role of the president of the United States is to support the decisions that are made by the people of Israel.”
Posted in Iran, Israel/Palestine on April 26th, 2008On March 18, 2008, a group of Jewish leaders met with aides representing Clinton, Obama and McCain. Kurtzer represented Obama. Anne Lewis represented Clinton. The “correct” message seemed to be belligerence toward Iran, and knee-jerk endorsement of anything Israel does.
“Kurtzer, granted his turn to speak, attempted to argue that ‘on issues relating to Israel, frankly, there aren’t any differences among the three candidates.’ Eagleburger looked at him incredulously; the audience laughed.
Kurtzer attempted to defuse the Wright controversy. ‘For many of you who belong to synagogues and Jewish community centers, as I have all my life, we would not want to be judged by the words of rabbis who sometimes say ridiculous things,’ he reasoned.
The others used their time to raise doubts about Obama’s fealty to Israel. ‘Senator Obama has said that he commits in his first year as president to meeting with President Ahmadinejad of Iran,’ Lewis said. McCain, Eagleburger added, ‘will not talk with the Syrians, will not talk with the Iranians, will not talk with Hamas and Hezbollah. . . . He isn’t going to push the Israelis.’
The skepticism continued through the question time. Daroff said he had ‘heard in the hallways here’ that Obama ‘doesn’t see the U.S.-Israel relationship as much of the mainstream of the Senate or the Jewish community sees it.’
Kurtzer blamed such sentiment on ‘attack dogs’ and writers of scurrilous e-mails. ‘He’s right within the mainstream of American society and Jewish community concerns,’ TBA said.
Next question to Kurtzer: Obama’s assertion that he needn’t have a ‘Likud view’ — that of Israel’s right-wing party — to be pro-Israel. Kurtzer explained that Obama wanted to see a ‘plurality of views.’ Silence in the room.
To that, Lewis retorted: ‘The role of the president of the United States is to support the decisions that are made by the people of Israel. It is not up to us to pick and choose from among the political parties.’ The audience members applauded.”
(Read more from washingpost.com)
“The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.” — Bertrand Russell
Amnesty unveils shock ‘waterboarding’ film
Posted in Dictatorship on April 23rd, 2008Arctic Ocean Getting Warm; Seals Vanish and Icebergs Melt
Posted in Science / Environment on April 20th, 2008This headline is from a 1922 Washington Post. (Read More)
I’ve had a number of friends tell me they agree with everything on my blog, except the global warming stuff. I’m a little ambivalent. I did find Al Gore’s talk very persuasive. Nevertheless, whenever the media dedicates itself to either making me scared, or making me hate someone (Iranians), all my bullshit detectors go off. I’m wary of the issue being leveraged to expand global governance.
I believe in the scientific community (for much of a life, I thought I’d be a part of it), though I recognize the lapses too, like their enthusiastic endorsement of eugenics at the turn of the previous century.
My recommendation is to shun the Big Media hype and read what actual climate scientists are saying: www.realclimate.org.
Dockers refuse to unload China arms shipment for Zimbabwe
Posted in China, Protests & Civil Unrest on April 19th, 2008“Nothing will end war unless the people themselves refuse to go to war.” -Albert Einstein
Carter: Gaza residents ‘starving to death’
& Obama’s tragically predictable reaction
Posted in Israel Lobby, Israel/Palestine on April 18th, 2008
“Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama also criticized Carter, saying he had a ‘fundamental disagreement’ with the former president. ‘We must not negotiate with a terrorist group intent on Israel’s destruction,’ Obama said.”
I’ve watched Obama increasingly adopt AIPAC’s talking points since he began his presidential campaign. Obama and everyone around him are being exhaustively vetted for non-pro-Israel positions. See Obama Meets the Lobby.
There will be no criticism of Israel, here in the land of the free.
Activist’s Body Found in Lake, Blind-folded, Arms and Legs Bound. Police Rule Suicide.
Posted in Assassination, Dictatorship on April 18th, 2008Netanyahu says 9/11, Iraq War Good for Israel
Posted in 9/11, Iraq, Israel/Palestine on April 16th, 2008What an asshole.
22-Year-Old Miami Beach Resident gets $300 Million Pentagon Contract to Arm Afghan Forces, Provides Defective, Aging Ammunition
Posted in Afghanistan, Corruption on April 13th, 2008“War is never economically beneficial except for those in position to profit from war expenditures.” – Ron Paul
Labor Force Math & the Size of Government
Posted in Size of Government on April 12th, 2008Size of 2007 U.S. labor force according to CIA World Factbook (including unemployment): 153.1 million
Number of Americans employed in manufacturing: 13.6 million
in wholesale and retail: 21.5 million
in professional and business services: 18 million
in education and health services: 18.7 million
in financial activities: 8.2 million
in the information sector: 3 million
in transportation and warehousing: 4.5 million
in construction: 7.3
in mining and logging: .8 million
in other services such as repair, laundry, and membership associations: 5.5 million
in government: 22.4 MILLION!
That’s one in seven Americans whose salaries come from taxes.
(Read More from counterpunch.org by Paul Craig Roberts, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan administration)
It’s like Ron Paul always says: We can’t afford this government. They should do what the constitution authorizes, and little, if anything, else.
UN Human Rights Official Wants Investigation Into US Government Role In 9/11
Posted in 9/11 on April 11th, 2008“John Bolton: ‘This is exactly why we voted against the new human rights council.’
An official in the newly formed UN Human Rights Council has called for a fresh investigation into the events of 9/11 in order to examine the possible role that neoconservatives may have played in the attacks. . . .
Last month Japanese member of Parliament Yukihisa Fujita told the Alex Jones Show that a potential new investigation of the 9/11 cover-up may be coordinated by individuals within the United Nations.”
9/11 Truth at EU Parliament
Posted in 9/11, Documentary on April 11th, 2008-We Are Change brings 9/11 Truth to the European Parilment
-9/11 Truth documentary ZERO premiers at EU Parliament
See Also:
-Japanese MP, Fujita, says UN can lead new 9/1 investigation
-Former German Defense Minister Andreas von Bulow says 9/11 inside job
-Former MN governor Jesse Ventura questions official 9/11 conspiracy
-Gore Vidal calls for reinvestigation of 9/11
-“Top comedian and actress Margaret Cho has joined Willie Nelson and Charlie Sheen in questioning the official 9/11 story”
-Sydney conference of engineers and scientists challenges NIST report
Don’t let the media fool you. The movement is big, and growing.
18 Media Lies About Iraq Most of Us Have Already Forgotten
Posted in Big Media, Iraq on April 6th, 2008The Media Lies. Then they have the nerve to ridicule (See Washington Post) anyone who suggests there’s more that meets the eye. Don’t listen. Read more blogs, independent news sources, foreign newspapers.
Our Government’s War Against the Constitution
Posted in Constitution, Dictatorship, FBI on April 6th, 2008DOJ memo says “Fourth Amendment had no application to domestic military operations.”
“The American Civil Liberties Union has uncovered details pertaining to a secret Justice Department memo from October 2001 that reveals the Bush administration effectively suspended the Fourth Amendment where domestic counter terrorism operations are concerned.” (Read More from Infowars.net)
I once took an oath . . . something about supporting and defending the Constitution . . . something about all enemies . . . foreign and domestic.
See Also:
FBI Pamphlet says “If you encounter any of the following, call the Joint Terrorism Task Force.” Then, without explanation, includes “‘Defenders’ of the US Constitution against federal government and the UN.” See for yourself: pic1 pic2

