October 16, 2015

The Growing Frustration (and panic) of the 1%

Well, it was a tightly planned, top-down campaign. All the key people were in place, all the deals prearranged. All the lessons from last election's failure were learned, and big chunks of ugly cement (political) barriers erected, to drive the cattle to their inevitable conclusion: coronation of the queen.

There's only one thing that the Hillites and the political operatives forgot: America is not a monarchy. It is a representative democracy. And Americans are not cattle; they are getting sick and tired of being treated like cattle by the likes of Hillary and her supporters, masters and bankers.

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Some of the 1% were wary from the start of Bernie's campaign. They surveyed the entire field of potential candidates, and quickly came to the conclusion that their scheme of world domination was about to explode in many directions from multiple causes, and losing control of the White House would be the last straw. But they had no suitable figurehead in the pipeline. Their last GOP quarterback "W" had done everything they asked, and as a result, both the economy, the local political scene, and the global situation were destroyed. They hadn't reckoned on Third World blowback or the inability of things to repair themselves without institutional support.

Then they tried the Manchurian Candidate ploy, with Penny Pritzker supplying the figurehead: Barack Obama. Things when from horrible to nearly as bad. The 1% split between the greedy and the fanatical, and started duking it out.

The less-alert, less-watchful portion of the 1% indulged themselves with "vanity" candidates and religious overthrow. But now, even they are beginning to see the writing on the wall. I am waiting for them to coalesce around the best of the worst on the GOP side. I don't think they can trust Hillary enough to come over to her side, but I do think that the grassroots GOP will come over to Bernie, for lack of an alternative amongst the GOP. After all, why settle for a phony revolutionary, when you can get a real one?

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Lucy in Charles Schulz's Peanuts might proclaim:

"Nobody should be kept from being a queen if she wants to be one. It's undemocratic!"

But Hillary will never be Queen of America. The minute she was crowned, America would cease to exist, probably forever. Hillary plays for keeps, and so do her bankers.











We have our knight and protector of the poor, doing battle with evil, injustice, and power-madness. Let us be worthy of him.

October 16, 2015

The Drone Papers

https://theintercept.com/drone-papers

The Intercept has obtained a cache of secret documents detailing the inner workings of the U.S. military’s assassination program in Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia. The documents, provided by a whistleblower, offer an unprecedented glimpse into Obama’s drone wars.

SECTIONS:

The Assassination Complex BY Jeremy Scahill

The whistleblower who leaked the drone papers believes the public is entitled to know how people are placed on kill lists and assassinated on orders from the president.

A Visual Glossary BY Josh Begley

Decoding the language of covert warfare.

The Kill Chain BY Cora Currier

New details about the secret criteria for drone strikes and how the White House approves targets.

Find, Fix, Finish BY Jeremy Scahill

The tip of the spear in the Obama administration’s ramped up wars in Somalia and Yemen was a special operations task force called TF 48-4.

Manhunting in the Hindu Kush BY Ryan Devereaux

Leaked documents detailing a multi-year U.S. military campaign in Afghanistan reveal the strategic limits and startling human costs of drone warfare.

Firing Blind BY Cora Currier, Peter Maass

A secret Pentagon study highlights the chronic flaws in intelligence used for drone strikes in Yemen and Somalia.

The Life and Death of Objective Peckham BY Ryan Gallagher

For years Bilal el-Berjawi traveled freely from the U.K. to Somalia under the watchful eyes of intelligence services. Then the U.S. killed him with a drone strike.

Target Africa BY Nick Turse

To reduce the “tyranny of distance,” drones fly from bases in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Navy ships.

Glossary: The Alphabet of Assassination

A guide to the acronyms, abbreviations, and initialisms used in The Drone Papers.

Documents

Small Footprint Operations 2/13
Small Footprint Operations 5/13
Operation Haymaker
Geolocation Watchlist

THE LINK POSTED ABOVE TAKES YOU TO LINKS TO ALL THESE SECTIONS. PREPARE TO SPEND SOME TIME, AND HAVE YOUR HAIR STAND ON END

October 15, 2015

In Serious Gaffe, Sanders Treats Opponent with Dignity and Respect (SATIRE!) By Andy Borowitz

http://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/in-serious-gaffe-sanders-treats-opponent-with-dignity-and-respect?mbid=nl_101415_Borowitz&CNDID=26139401&spMailingID=8154993&spUserID=MzkxMjA1MjAwODQS1&spJobID=781936678&spReportId=NzgxOTM2Njc4S0

In a major slip that may prove fatal to his Presidential ambitions, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont treated his principal opponent for the Democratic nomination with dignity and respect on Tuesday night...Calling it a gaffe of historic proportions, many political insiders were still scratching their heads Wednesday morning over Sanders’s bizarre decision to act toward his opponent as if she were a fellow human being.

“I chalk it up to pressure,” the political strategist Harland Dorrinson said. “Sanders has never been on such a big stage before, and in the heat of the moment he cracked and behaved with nobility.”

“It was one of those moments where everyone in politics was like, ‘What was he thinking?’ ” Dorrinson added.

Carol Foyler, a veteran political operative, said that Sanders has one more debate, “at the most,” to prove that his respect gaffe was just that—a regrettable but forgivable slip of the tongue, not to be repeated.

“Bernie Sanders’s behavior towards Hillary Clinton Tuesday night has raised some grave questions about him in voters’ minds,” Foyler said. “If he treats people with decency and civility now, what kind of President would he be?”

INDEED, THE MIND BOGGLES!

October 15, 2015

Brazil Supreme Court Freezes Impeachment Efforts Against Dilma Rousseff

Government supporters accuse the opposition of trying to oust President Dilma Rousseff through a parliamentary coup.

Brazil's Supreme Court issued an injunction Tuesday, freezing efforts by opposition parties and the embattled head of the lower house of Congress to begin impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff.

The speaker of the lower house Eduardo Cunha insisted that he would continue to review impeachment requests despite the injunction.

"The decision on impeachment requests is a constitutional prerogative I have and it is not being questioned. I continue to have this prerogative and I will use it," said Cunha who himself is under investigation by Brazilian authorities for money laundering.

At issue is the constitutionality of the impeachment process. As speaker of the lower house, Cunha has stated that he has the power to decide the steps and introduced a document several months ago to this affect. Pro-government law makers believe that any process should follow Brazilian law number 1.079 / 1950, which outlines the legal means to address allegations of wrongdoing by state officials. The Supreme Court agreed with a petition submitted by a lawmaker from Rousseff's Workers Party that current efforts by Cunha to single-handedly proceed with impeachment should be frozen as it could violate the constitution.

This content was originally published by teleSUR at the following address:
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October 15, 2015

Now that we've had a little time (and dinner) to talk and think about the first debate...

Personal note:

I have a client who listened to all 21 CD discs with Hillary's biography. She watched the debate Tuesday night, and while she approves of Hillary still, she ALSO approves of Bernie.

This tells me that:

1) Bernie is a real contender
2) Disappointed Hillary supporters won't feel too badly about voting for Bernie.

The opposite is true for us on the Bern, I suspect. We would be throwing our principles in the trash, voting for Hillary because Bernie didn't get the nomination. I'd have to think really hard, and either become more cynical and let her win, or become more ruthless with the dummies in the nation and let them live with another miserable failure GOP president.

I know that I for one do not consider Hillary a real contender, if only because she has nothing, no moral or ethical principle, to guide her course (except greed, she's still got lots of that).


Bernie's strength reaches across to the loyal opposition. If we get enough disenchanted GOP to crossover and vote for Bernie in the primary, so that he gets the nomination; and the crossover vote comes out for him in the general election, then we will have made history worthy of our Founding Fathers and Mothers. We will have our revolution, and it will clean out both parties and all the public offices and appointments. All without firing a shot (god forbid there should be shots fired!).

Here's wishing us a peaceful, ballot-driven revolution!

October 14, 2015

Well, the NYTimes is in the bag...and in the wrong!

Who Won and Lost the Democratic Debate? The Web Has Its Say By ALAN RAPPEPORT

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/15/us/politics/democratic-debate-hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders-biden.html

Bloggers, commentators and the Twitterati quickly weighed in on the first Democratic debate, scoring the winners and losers. Hillary Rodham Clinton was the clear victor, according to the opinion shapers in the political world (even conservative commentators).

Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont won some points for his integrity, while the others — Martin O’Malley, the former governor of Maryland; Jim Webb, the former senator from Virginia and secretary of the Navy; and Lincoln Chafee, the former Rhode Island governor and senator — were mostly viewed as having missed their chance.

Some suggested that another loser was the man still deciding on a run, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., as Mrs. Clinton appeared to be formidable. Others disagreed.

“I’m still amazed the other four candidates made Hillary Clinton come off as the likable, reasonable, responsible Democrat.” — Erick Erickson, the conservative radio host

“Hillary Clinton won. She won because she’s a strong debater. She won because Bernie Sanders is not. She won because the first Democratic presidential debate focused on liberal policies — and not her email scandal or character.” — Ron Fournier, The National Journal

Everyone onstage at Tuesday night’s debate had something to prove.

“One impression from Tuesday night’s Democratic debate: Vice President Joe Biden has no rationale to step into the race. If he’s been waiting until after this first prime-time test to see if Hillary Clinton collapsed, he must have seen for himself that she crushed it.” — Fred Kaplan, an author who writes about military issues and policy for Slate

“Hillary was (astonishingly) much more likable and personable than everyone’s favorite crazy socialist uncle. She had few to no cringe-inducing moments. She deftly threw red meat to the base when presented with the opportunity without saying anything that would hurt her in the general.” — Leon H. Wolf, Red State, a conservative blog

“It was, without question, the climax of the debate. Hillary Clinton was defending herself against email allegations, when Bernie Sanders came to her rescue. In doing so, he not only demonstrated the decency that is the hallmark of his campaign, but also proved that he’s no ordinary politician.” — Brian Hanley, The Huffington Post

“Hillary Clinton won because all of her opponents are terrible.” — Ryan Lizza, The New Yorker

“The former governor of Maryland needed a moment in this debate to break out of the 1 percent crowd. He didn’t get one. Oddly, O’Malley sounded the most like a politician of anyone on the stage even though he is the only one who has never spent any time in office in the nation’s Capitol.” — Chris Cillizza, The Washington Post

“Intense and brooding. Had trouble getting in the mix or finding a resonant voice on issues, even in his foreign policy wheelhouse. Frequently expressed frustration about a lack of talk time, coming across as griping and grumpy.” — Mark Halperin, Bloomberg Politics, labeling Mr. Webb the debate’s biggest loser

“Perhaps the biggest loser was the man who was not there — Vice President Joe Biden. While his draft committee ran a powerful ad showing the person and his values in Mr. Biden’s own voice, the fact is that Mrs. Clinton was just commanding tonight. Mr. Biden has to decide now and not kick the can down the road because of deadlines. I don’t see how he chooses to run now.” — John Zogby, the pollster, who writes at Forbes

“There is a very real opportunity for Joe Biden to enter the race after this first debate. Just like respondents in last night’s pre-debate focus group, people were deeply affected by Draft Biden’s emotional ad urging Biden to run. After watching the ad, 20 people indicated that it made them want Biden to run — just after seeing the ad.” — Chris Kofinis, whose company, Park Street Strategies, conducted a focus group of 39 undecided Iowa Democrats

“Cruel to say but true, Chafee’s ‘I’d just been appointed to my dad’s Senate seat, I was confused’ answer will join ranks of disastrous replies.” — James Fallows, The Atlantic



HAS ANYONE COUNTED THE AUDIENCE APPLAUSE? I THINK BERNIE WON THAT HANDS DOWN....AND HILLARY TRYING TO HANG BERNIE ON GUNS IS STUPID. SHE'S TRYING TO CHIP AWAY AT HIS LEFT, AND HE'S EATING THE ENTIRE AMERICAN BUFFET RIGHT BEFORE HER EYES!

October 14, 2015

The commentary is tripe

but that's only to be expected....after all, who paid for that microphone?

I don't know why she had to drag her mother into it....it's beyond tacky.

Bernie is amazing....the Energizer Candidate. He cannot be dragged off topic.

October 14, 2015

Well, based on the introductory remarks, it's Bernie by several lengths

Hillary is just pitiful....the other guys were touching, but not big-time ready.

October 13, 2015

City of Dearborn responds to segment on The O'Reilly Factor

http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/wayne-county/city-of-dearborn-responds-to-segment-on-the-oreilly-factor

DEARBORN, Mich. (WXYZ) - Dearborn residents are chiming in after a report that aired on Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor earlier this week that portrayed the Detroit suburb as a “Mecca” for Muslims, a city where Muslims control the city council and the chief of police is also Muslim. The report spawned a rash of negative comments on social media, including ones that called for Dearborn to be bombed. The segment comes as Anti-Islamic protesters - some of them armed - are scheduled to protest at the Islamic Center of America this weekend. They are being told to bring firearms, if they are legally able to do so.

The satirical segment is not sitting well with Dearborn Mayor Jack O’Reilly.

“People around the country who have no idea who we are and have already gotten some mixed messages to say the least, are just going to have reinforced, this negative and false image of what this community is,” he said.

In the video bit, correspondent Jesse Watters is seen asking people questions like, “Do you like Christmas?” “Do you miss the desert?” “Does the FBI ever come snooping around here?” “What is Sharia Law?”

Dearborn resident Alice Alaouie said the piece was hurtful and offensive.

“I was heartbroken, I was devastated because I knew that our community was misrepresented, a lot of things were taken out of context,” she said.

Mayor O’Reilly sent a letter to host Bill O’Reilly on Tuesday, expressing his dismay at how the segment lacked sensitivity, including factual errors that Muslims control the city that the police chief is Muslim.

Chief Ron Haddad, who happens to be Christian, asks even if he were Muslim, why would that be frowned upon?

“Dearborn is like any other American city, it’s progressive, it’s clean, it’s beautiful, it’s a welcoming place, and it’s safe place and that’s something I take great pride in,” Haddad said.

MAYOR'S LETTER AT LINK

October 13, 2015

Afghan Doctor Slaughter Pulls Back Curtain (US SPECIAL FORCES) By Nicolas J S Davies

https://consortiumnews.com/2015/10/04/afghan-doctor-slaughter-pulls-back-curtain/

The apparent U.S. slaughter of at least 22 people at an Afghan hospital, including Doctors Without Borders medical staff, is part of the grim reality of indiscriminate death when U.S. Special Forces undertake their secret raids and often toss aside the rules of warfare, reports Nicolas J S Davies...On Dec. 26, 2009, a U.S. Special Operations team flew from Kabul to Ghazi Khan village in the Narang district of Kunar province. They attacked three houses, where they killed two adults and eight children. Seven of the children were handcuffed before they were shot. The youngest was 11 or 12, three more were 12, and one was 15. Both the United Nations and the Afghan government conducted investigations and confirmed all the details of the attack.

U.S. officials conducted their own inquiry, but no report was published and no U.S. military or civilian officials were held accountable. Finally, more than five years later, a New York Times report on Joint Special Operations Command’s (JSOC) Seal Team 6 named it as the U.S. force involved. But JSOC operations are officially secret and, to all practical purposes, immune from accountability. As a senior U.S. officer told the Times, “JSOC investigates JSOC, that’s part of the problem.”

Accountability for the U.S. attack on the Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz on Saturday, killing at least 22 people, is likely to be just as elusive. The bilateral security agreement that President Karzai refused to sign, but which President Ghani signed in September 2014, provides total immunity from Afghan law for U.S. forces and officials. So whoever should be held legally responsible for the massacre at the hospital will only be subject to accountability under U.S. military and civilian legal systems, which routinely fail to prosecute anyone for similar war crimes.

What makes this attack unique is not that U.S.-led forces attacked a hospital or killed civilians, but that, for the first time in many years, a Western NGO found itself operating behind enemy lines in territory controlled by Anti-Coalition Forces (ACF) or Taliban. Doctors Without Borders (or MSF for its French initials) thus found itself subject to U.S. rules of engagement under which Afghans have lived and died in their thousands for the past 14 years, effectively excluded from the protections formally guaranteed to civilians, the wounded and medical facilities by the Geneva Conventions...MORE


NO, WE CANNOT HAVE DEATH SQUADS, UNACCOUNTABLE TO THE US PEOPLE OR THEIR REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. WE JUST CANNOT.