Just to make it convenient, here is the link to the white house should you feel the need to let Obama know you don't want our soldiers dying for the bloodthirsty, nutcase Likud party.
Prof. Cole and his college students are all snobs! Just kidding.
This is so rare I want to share it with this website. At 1:51 into this interview David Stockman advises Pres.Obama on how to bring down oil prices. Teaser...It's a rare smack down of the neocons. Our nation would be better served if we heard more of this kind of reasoning.
Santorum thinks God and has ordained him as the angel of his wrath. Rick's wife said as much when she announced the Santorum campaign is "God's will."
Interesting thing about Santorum, he would outlaw abortions to protect a fetus, while he calls for the murder of innocent Iranians. How does that work?
What a disgusting bunch of un-American, power hungry, misogynistic Joe Lieberman clones we have before us.
What the hell does it have to do with this country's foreign policy towards Iran if Netanyahu is a holocaust survivor, other than a statement like that makes Adelson smile? So what that Amadinejad views Israel as the provocateur of unrest and controversy in the middle east? Israel being unliked by one man is not a freaking reason to go to war.
I agree with RealityCheck we need more "Rational Discourse" but the more discourse we have the worse Israel looks. Why is Israel pushing the US to bomb Iran when there is no evidence that Iran is building, or has any intentions of building a nuclear arsenal. Can the same thing be said of Israel.Shouldn't we discuss what bombing Iran would do to world oil prices, as well as the fragil economies in Europe and America.
A rational discourse has been long in coming on the Krakow like conditions the Israelis are forcing the Palastinans to endure. Limited food and medicine, no building materials allowed the list goes on.
I suggest you not get on your high horse when discussing "Rational Discourse" while anyone with an opposing view to war with Iran is not allowed to voice their opinion on any national news outlet.
Ah...Gen Dempsey I would like to thank you for having the bravery to make that statement. Too bad. We hope you will be happy in retirement, which is certainly your destiny.
Look for Andrea Mitchell/Chris Wallace/ David Gregory to invite an AEI representative on their programs to smear you as an anti-semite.Then your record will be turned upside down and you will be made to look soft on terrorism, you "servant of Iran."
Remember Gen.Zinni was denied a position in the Obama administration because hysterical neocons (Rahm Emmanuel among them) pointed out that Zinni, a man who served his country for 30 years, made pre-war statements about Iraq being contained by the no fly zone, which was in direct opposition to Israeli foregin policy.
Gen Dempsey, I fear another general said it best...Old soldiers never die...they just fade away.
A couple of months ago Santorum was blasted for saying he was against welfare for black people. True to form, Santorum said don't believe your lying ears..."What I said was I against welfare for blah people."
Add today's explanation and...you almost have to love this idiot...in a Barney Fife kind of way.
If only an article like this could be featured on the nightly news or discussed on one of the Sunday morning news programs. Americans need to know they may be paying $6 a gallon thanks to the Israeli lobby and our spineless politicians.
George W. tried to persuade everyone he was a born again Christian and look where that got us. Bush, the pious Christian, is today an unconvicted war criminal responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths, torture, millions displaced,civilian and military lifelong injuries, not to mention the financial wreckage he left in his wake.Santorum is cut from the same cloth.
President Santorum would not be out of character if he used the old televangleist con of ...."God spoke to me and said...You must protect Israel and that is why I am launching airstrikes against Tehran."
As you pointed out,Rick Santorum's God doesn't speak to him about a social safety net,health care, loving one another, or blessed are the peace makers. No, his God is the angry and vengeful Jehovah.
The US and Isreali governments hypocrisy is limitless. As Iranian scientist are being murdered, Three Stooges car bombings and fictional Mexican drug cartel assassantions are being laid at the doorstep of Iran.
Lately the "Iran is a threat to the world" rhetoric has reached such hysterical proportions that even Huffington Post made mention of how similar this was to the Iraq war build up.
As scary as this may sound...Obama may be the only person standing between peace and oil hitting $300 a barrel, which will happen the day after Iran is bombed. What do you want to bet there are neocon insiders who are purchasing oil futures, planning to make a bundle off the misery of others?
Yesterday I listened to NPR's On Point. The guest was an former ambassador to Israel and another so-called expert. Both men agreed that some terrible form of ethnic cleansing or retributions would take place once the power shifted away from Assad.
Our track record of making things right in the middle east is not stellar. Syria should be no different.
You almost have to laugh when a middle age white Presbyterian woman (Hillary Clinton) attempts to tell a complex muslim/Christian society led by a vicious dictator how to best solve their conflicts.
If all of the above occurs, the media blitz from David Gregory's MTP, Chris Wallace and his all war...all the time team of Krauthammer and "Bloody" Bill Kristol,along with he neocons at NYTimes(Brooks/Freidman) and WashPo (Richard Cohen etal) will put on the full court press to paint Israel as, once again, the innocent victim. One can almost hear the familiar whine..."They (Iran) wanted to wipe Israel off the face of the earth" or "If Iran gets nuclear weapons they will give nuclear suitcase bombs to terrorist!"
With the help of the nightly news, Americans will only hear about the victimhood of America's BFF in the middle east. A poor little peace loving ally who should bear no responsibilty for the calamity it forced on the world. In a word...Sickening!
Prof.Cole's cost estimates might just seem like pocket change compared to the damage done to the world's economy should the Strait be mined. Such a disaster would sink Europe's fragil economy into a full blown depression, a depression that could reach all corners of the world. And why...for what reason should so many people lose their lives or face loss of jobs and income? Because Israel is paranoid about Iran refining uranium. Not a good enough reason!
I have been shocked, no I shouldn't say shocked, maybe angered is the better word, watching Andrea Mitchell's afternoon program on MSNBC. Ms. Mitchell, who is the heir apparent to Judith Miller and who would feel right at home in the company of Avigdor Lieberman, unashamedly presents misinformation about Iran and it's nuclear program. Mitchell, whose husband is the notorious Alan Greenspan, features guest such as Mr. Berman, whose book was featured this week in the NY Times magazine section...go figure... and retired CIA agents who are now on the dole from neocon think tanks.
It's almost laughable to see Ms. Mitchell quoting Mossad...that's right Mossad...and Netanyahu as a sources concerning Iranian nuclear intelligence. Unfortunately, these lies are not only presented to her small audience on MSNBC, but also during her reports on NBC nightly news.
As in the case of the run up to the war against Iraq, dissenting commentators need not apply.
Mitt and Netanyahu, here we go again with two men who use a pious religious backdrop to persuade an unsuspecting public their motives are pure and sanctioned by God. All the while plotting to bomb a country and kill innocent civilians whose only crime is they are not America or Israel's friend.
The media is especially sickening in it's lapdog approach to promoting the war with Iran. We all know FOX is foaming for war, but it is depressing to see MSNBC's own Judith Miller (Andrea Mitchell) along with CBS's David Martin and Scott Pelley also leading the charge, without providing a spokesperson, like Prof. Cole, who could make a good case for not going to war.
And Newt just got another $5,000,000 from Israeli duel citzens Adelson and his wife to keep up the pressure for bombing Iran.
Over at Anti-War.com Justin R. thinks Israel will be a wedge issue in the upcoming campaign, with someone like Newt proclaiming...You're either for Israel or you're for Iran kind of rhetoric. The game plan would be to box Obama into attacking Iran to save his re-election bid.
Of course, it wouldn't be the first time a sitting president gave orders to attack a country that didn't have nuclear weapons.
What does the US, Israel and the EU want from Iran? I have read recent articles that indicate IAEA is monitoring Iran's nuclear labs and that Iran is willing to talk about their nuclear ambitions, but the US, coaxed by the Israeli lobby, will not respond. What is the bottom line? Is the US demanding that Iran cease all nuclear enhancement, even low grade, in order to end the boycott?
When you look at the current demonazation of Iran, one has to think back to the days and the rhetoric of the pre-Iraq invasion, when the US wouldn't take YES for an answer.
Hopefully Obama has learned valuable lessons from the former White house idiots Bush/Cheney, neocon warmongers and the war profiteers who used 9-11 and "Pre-emptive wars" to drag this country down. If this country has excelled in any area it is that we are now the worlds most notorious torturers. In forming new relationships with these new governments, our nation should Jaw Jaw rather than War War...and no Mr. Gingrich, that is not a sign of weakness.
It would be typical of Israel to demand that the US give them jets, loans, and few extra billion NOT to attack Iran. As Emmanuel said, "Never fail to take advantage of a crisis."
Nor would we have proof that Iran is building a nuclear bomb. Thanks to Mossad, working hand to hand with the US media, we know Iranis attempting to take over the world and force everyone to become a muslim.
I watched David Martin do a segment on Iran via CBS' Sunday Morning. It seems that the neocons have found their new Judith Miller in David Martin. There was no balance to the report, all one sided toward war.
Because of the constant drip of propaganda against Iran there is very little sympathy for the scientist murdered by this act of terrorism.
To make my point...I would swear that Scott Pelley had a slight grin on his face while reading the story on last nights CBS NEWS. Of course, being the faithful neocon news reader he is, he concluded the story by saying..."And as heard on this broadcast last night, Iran is less than one year away from having a nuclear bomb."
As in the run up to the Iraq war, opinions to the contrary are not allowed.
No doubt Mr. B. Hillary is bought and paid for by the Israeli lobby.
I remember during her campaign for the senate charges were dropped against a group of Orthadox Jews in upstate NY. Seems some federal dollars were missing.When asked if this was a bribe for votes...Hillary looked like a little angle and said she really didn't know what the reporter was talking about.
Hillary, much like all of the Republican candidates and Obama, would throw this nation under the bus in a heartbeat if it meant gaining political influence with a powerful segment of the population.
While watching Imus this morning the news anchor read a report stating that another Iranian scientist was killed by an explosion attached to his car by motorcyclist.He added that Israel was suspected. One of Imus' sidekicks yelled..."Yeah! That's the way to do it. No need for an invasion, just kill all of their scientist!"
I'm afraid this idiot's reaction is the result of the constant propaganda our nation has been fed, with very little or no oppostion allowed.
As long as we have Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham types in the seante and house, or as long as the Israeli lobby controls our foreign policy, I fear that any attempt to understand each other will be repressed by the always present 9-11 war rhetoric we have been fed for the past ten years.
Dear lord...Rick Perry wants back into Iraq? It appears the trasmission line if from AIPAC's mouth to Rick Perry's ear. I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but who in there right mind would want to re-enter our troops into a bloodbath that poses no threat to our country? He wants to justify the 5000 dead soldiers by having more die. He is a freaking madman!
No one is allowed on network programs to push back against the AIPAC lies being told about Iran. Just further evidence that what we see is very scripted. That's why Prof. Cole will not be seen on Meet the Press.
With all of the turmoil and radical change taking place in the middle east along comes "Bigfoot", aka The United States of America, threatening to bomb Iran.
Once the bombings take place and the strait is closed, oil will jump to several hundred dollars a barrel. and the world will blame us for creating a worldwide depression. What effect will that have on all of the countries listed by Prof. Cole?
And where will Israel be when this occurs? Will they have our back for bombing Iran? No, they will shrug their shoulders and say..."We never asked the US to bomb Iran.
Our top military official even said it was a bad idea."
It's usually not a good idea to rely on racial and gender practices several thousand years old, they just don't travel through time all that well.
Of course, this is same mythical text used by today's Israeli Zionist to justify their modern day right to murder Muslims and confiscate Palestinian land and personal property. Even to the point where just last month Israeli Jews were warned they should not wed Jews from America. Seems American money is good, but the American Jew...not so good.
57 Iraqis killed in explosion today reminded me of an article from The Onion which read in part...The Iraqi Department of Homeland Security recently released a 10-level, color-coded homeland security advisory system that will alert citizens to the risk of a terrorist attack within Iraq's borders. The country's current threat level is elevated.
And then there is the classic quote..."Continued violence almost makes US invasion seem pointless."
Good ol' Hillary. She is so concerned about the degradation of women, with the excepetion of Palestinian women in Gaza who are being starved and deprived of medicine. Hillary also takes a hard line when it comes to placing devastating santions on Iranian women and men because the Iranian government is developing capabilities to build nuclear power plants.
In conclusion, the least said about the Clinton's turning their heads while 700,000 Africans were slaughtered, along with the Iraqi sanctions that supposedly killed over 500,000 Iraqi men, WOMEN and children, which all occured during the Clinton administration, the better.
Oh dear lord. With Bolton and Gingrich calling the shots bombs would be falling on Iran before the swearing in ceremony was over. If I know Newt..he will ask Eric (Netanyahu) Cantor to be his vice pick. Together this team of neocons could finally implement Bill Kristol's proposal, that being, anyone joing the US military could be made to serve in the Israeli army. After all, Israel is our BFF.
A Gingrich/Cantor/Bolton administration's policy would be, Health care? Ha..Get serious!...Trillion dollar wars? Hell Yes!!
It helps to be an expert on Jewish/Muslim historical claims of ownership of Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank, but to the novice it smacks of old fashion ethnic cleansing.
You could continue the list for days. Trillions of dollars wasted, record amount of families destroyed because of long deployments, thousands of US soldiers killed and maimed, torture accepted as a norm, just to name a few more.
According to HuffPost there are 900,000 widows in Iraq, thanks to Bush/Cheney and their partners in crime, neocon WMD liars and the US house/senate.
The bloody neocons at AEI, such as AEI's own comb licking Paul Wolfowitz, were keeping score last night on how vicious and warlike each candidate's answers were. They were not disappointed.
It's especially interesting that Ms.Bachmann, who pretends to be so interested in protecting the fetus, shows no concern when it comes to US policy preventing medicine and food from reaching Iranian children, just as Israeli policy is starving Palestinian children. There is something wrong with this picture.
McCain doesn't give a rip what the public wants. He almost sounds like a modern day Caligula, as he walks through the marble halls of congress.
I think McCain's years spent in a North Viet Nam prison has pushed this insecure, little man into a lifelong effort to explain his ignoble defeat, which sounds very much like his blather about Iraq and Afghanistan. Not enough troops, stay the course, etc.
His stance seems to point to a misguided notion that by being victorious in modern day wars, his, and this country's past humiliation, in Viet Nam, will be erased.
To paraphrase John Lennon....Imagine there was no Israeli lobby. It's very likely there would not have been an invasion of Iraq and we certainly not see the false hysteria created around Iran's nuclear ambition.
On Amanpour's show yesterday, she hosted two gentlemen who discussed Iran's nuclear program. At no point during the segment, and I thought this was extremly telling, is that no one pointed out that Iran's nuclear program was, as far as we know, was for peacefull purposes. The entire debate centered around Iran's (mythical) nuclear weapons program.
Your exactly right. I was talking to a group of vets this morning.We all agreed that a 10 year war was irresponsible and unnecessary. They even agreed weith me that the best way to support the troops was to bring the troops home.
Then I lost them. I told them the same neocons who got us into Iraq were trying to get us involved in a war with Iran. A former marine looked at me and said, "Now that Ak-me-deed-a-job is a nut! I just read this week that he is trying to build a nuclear bomb, and we have got to stop him!"
So you're right Jeffery, the con job to demonize Iran is in full force and building support.
My favorite is the Iraqi Mobil lab, or as some laughingly called it, The Winnebago of Death. Bush/Cheney/Rice and Rumsfeld still contended this "Lab" was used to make biological weapons, even after the military concluded they were used to fill weather ballons with gas.
Next debate is in Myrtle Beach, SC, only about 10 miles from me. Being a red state, there will be some tea party members and GWBush holdovers who will be excited to see The Herminator, Magic underwear Romney and Rick (hic) Perry, try to top one another on how badly they want to attack Iran.
Obama may be the thin thread that is holding back the bombng strikes against Iran. There is little question that if Rick Perry/Santorum/Bachmann or even the very holy mormon Mitt Romney were to be elected president, we would have another "Bring it on!" neocon warmonger in the white house.
There is no doubt big bucks can be made by attacking Iran. Military leaders speculate that Iran would respond to an attack by closing down (mining) the Strait of Hormuz.This would surely push the price of oil above two hundred bucks a barrel, if not three hundred. This would be followed by a finiancial meltdown of the world's already fragil economy. For those with inside knowledge the purchase of oil futures, betting on the price explosion, could easily double their investment.
Israel certainly would not want to be blamed for such a negative world changing event, that is why they are trying to get their "BFF" to take the blame for a world depression.
Sad to say, but if Sarkozy was a journalist he would be fired for his comment. (Helen Thomas)
There is definate dissatisfaction with Netanyahu in this country. Case in point, over at HuffPost this story is being reported and almost all of the responders agree with Sarkozy.
"Then there are significant Christian Palestinian populations. Is Newt going to support these countrymen of Jesus of Nazareth against the Israeli settlers who are stealing their land and water?"
Mr. Cole wrote..."No such green light will be forthcoming while US troops are withdrawing from Iraq, because they will be especially vulnerable to attack at the hands of radical Shiites."
I'm not sure that a weakened president such as Obama could make trouble for Israel should they launch an attack against Iran. Israel certainly doesn't care if American soldiers are put at risk because anymore than they would care that gas prices would skyrocket to 5 to 6 dollars a gallon.
With the NYTimes, WashPO and all of the networks soldily in the AIPAC corner, any action taken against Israel would be loudly shouted down. I have no doubt that editorials are already written praising the fearless Israeli attack. I can almost hear the Frank Lutz talking points now ....We should all get down on our knees and thank Israel for saving the world from nuclear war against the Islam menace, who threaten our very freedom.
John McCain should be labled as a threat to our national security. As long as McCain is alive and has any influence,our soldiers have job security...as long as they can stay alive.
Certainly a US soldier's life expectancy would be greatly reduced with blodthirsty old farts like Joe Lieberman/Lindsey Graham/John McCain calling the shots in the middle east.
Everytime I see the Occupy Wall Street group, I wish there was a similar group protesting the neocon warmongers and their push to get us into yet another PNAC inspired war.
I can see such a group handing out applications to join the army, at the next APICA convention, along with signs saying, "You want war? Send your sons into battle!"
Nine soldiers lost their lives in Afghanistan this week, and the Kagans and Kristols still push for more insanity.
After Israel bombs Iran, possibly early next year, a barrel of oil will hit tripile digits. Libya, and insiders on wall street, are going to make some serious coin.
Neocons are always braggin, "Bush/Cheney brought democracy to Iraq!"
Really? Maybe a disfuntional, splintered, ethnic cleansing Islamic regime, with an American supplied arsenal, is what passes for democracy in the eyes of those who crafted this war. To the ordinary person, I see Iraq as a future hotbed for anti-Americanism,.
And Bachmann would like the Iraq govenment to pay us back for liberating them. HA!!!
If you have any doubt who is pushing the agenda to bomb Iran, (cough...Israel) watch about four minutes America's Christian warmonger Pat Robinson, lie thourgh his dentures as he demonizes Iran.
After his propoganda tirade, he featured a slanted report that was followed up by a so-called author,Mr. Rosenberg, who has written a novel casting Iran in some type of messiah role? The end result is to impress on the Robertson sheep that bombing Iran would be, what else, God's Work. Watch the first four minutes of the CBN broadcast and you'll have enough.
Warning! Pat Boone will try to sell the brothers and sisters gold for the first thirty seconds.
Let me understand this...the sanctions are placed on Iran even though there is no proof they have a nuclear weapons program and because Israel and the US went in their ususal Aunt Tilly fainting routine when a laughable bogus intelligence, Curveball like scam, was released to the public? That's setting the bar pret-ty low!
We all know the real reason is because Iran will not be a patsy for the neocons PNAC, and because Iran is sitting on a "sea of oil" as Wolfowitz would say.
If that idiot Sarah Palin wasn't a bought and paid for neocon she might ask..."Neocons, how's that PNAC and refashioning the middle east thing working for ya?"
No question the neocons will get their war with Iran. This is just laying the same faulty ground work as Curveball did with WMD's in Iraq. It's like watching a train about to collide and there's nothing you can do.
Sorry to see the Obama administration is so anxious to push this kind of neocon smear. I expected it from Netanyahu's moll Hillary Clinton, but Obama and Biden surprise me.
Glen Greenwald over at Salon has comments on this keystone cop bogus intelligence scam.
Excellent post. Your comment about the difference between "jihad and Bush/Cheney and now Obama "war of choice" hits he nail on the head. I alsway shake my head at the double standard used when our brilliant neocons scream...."Iran is using it's influence in Iraqi politics" when we INVADED THE FEAKING COUNTRY, AND DISBANDED THEIR MILITARY."
The US seems to think it can deal with the entire Muslim world in the same fashion Israel deals with the Palestinians, that being a jack boot to the neck.
I don't know how much it would soften the heart of the Taliban or al Qaeda if the US would stop being a sponsor of brutality in the Gaza, but let's use Cheney's One Percent Doctine...which is... "Even if there's just a 1 percent chance of the unimaginable coming due, act as if it is a certainty." Using his own doctrine, even if there was only a one percent chance of success or the "Unimaginable" happening (Peace) then we should persue it. Right Mr. Cheney?
Even as an atheist I have to give thanks for the comedy provided by these Texans and their brand of Christianity.
You have GWBush,a so-called born again Christian from Texas, who went on to engage this country in two unnecessary wars, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of lives ruined, putting him in a runner up position to Stalin, Pol Pot and Hitler.
Then you can tune into GWBush supporter, the very pious Texan televangelist Kenneth Copeland. Mr. C actualy told his "flock"..."The lord spoke to me and told me I needed a Gulfstream 5 so I could spread the gospel more effectively." To make it extra convenient, Copeland lives on a multi-million dollar estate, with it's own airport and hanger.
Blessed are those meek and mild Texans and damn those cultish Mormons.
I think of a editorial cartoon with a split screen. In the first screen Netanyahu is walking around the UN with Uncle Sam on a leash and everyone at the UN is bowing down and smiling. In the next screen, unknown to Netanyahu, Uncle Sam is no longer on the leash and the temperment of the UN towards Israel has changed to one of outrage.
Clearly, Israel is only a super power able to yeild wide influence as long as the US continues to be it's b**ch. Without US support Israel is an overblown military power, much like Pakistan.
Israeli government, the one the US sends billions to every year, makes the macabe claim that they are not starving the Gazans. They snicker and say they have determined an adult can live on eight hundred calories a day. They then multiply the population of Gaza by eight hundred (calories)and that is the amount of food they will allow into Gaza.
One Israeli official giggled and said, "We have only put everyone in Gaza on a diet!"
This is a policy you might from an African dictator.
Excellent response Mr. Davila. I admit my limited knowledge of the situation, but it appears if the nation of Palestine is granted a charter and borders set, the Israelis will not be allowed to continue their expansions, aka stealing Palestinians land, and this does not set well with the self described chosen people.
I agree with everything you wrote. It will be interesting to see how this plays on the network news, if this story ever sees the light of day.
In the US there is a hands off approach to anything that ivolves any news that might be critical of Israel. For instance, if the flotilla attack involved different victims there would be wall to wall coverage. By that I mean, if the eleven innocent victims would have been jewish or Israelis the outrage would have been international in its coverage and outrage. Since the terrorist were those mentioned above, very little has been reported.
And tell me again...why are we at war with the Taliban? I somewhat understood the logic of going in and retaliating against al Qaeda, but the Taliban has never attacked the US until we invaded and began occupying their space.
I fear the reason we are in the god forsaken goat farmed named Afghanistan is because of the military suppliers, who, it was announced last week are supplying $2 parts for $600 and diesel fuel at $400 per gallon, have captured the hearts and minds of our politicians with their campaign contributions.Secondly, Afghanistan shares a border with Iran, the next neocon target.
I can dream of a day when an aspiring law firm looks at the evidence and first hand accounts of Bush cabinet memebers, such a Paul O'Neil, and his "Iraq war group", which was formed within the White House to find ways to pitch the war to the American public, and see there is a case to be made that the war was a complete fabrication.
If lawyers see a trillion dollar payout by the federal gov. then that might motivate them to bring a class action lawsuit on behalf of those most affected by Bush and his neocon handlers. I think a jury would be sympathetic to a Gold Star mom on the stand crying her eyes out about how she lost her only son, for a neocon inspired vision of the middle east.
Can you imagine the sensation of a trial shown on television where those accused had names like GW Bush, Dick Cheney, Condi Rice, Doug Feith, Don Rumsfeld?
Think of sitting in front of the TV and hearing how bogus intelligence was manufactured and how the networks and major newspapers helped sell the WMD story to an unsuspecting 9-11 audience. Now that would be a great trial.
I'm struck by the landscape our troops are giving their lives for and what is being gotten for our half trillion dollar investment.
In the next news video you see of our troops fighting in Afghanistan, notice the background. You will see that our troops are fighting behind ancient mud walls, in barren mountain ranges or desert like landscapes. Then you wonder...is this god foresaken land a threat to the US? The answer is no, but someone is making a ton of money supplying our troops, especially those charging $450 a gallon for fuel to run the thousands of vehicles we have over there. Think of it...10,000 bucks to fuel a Humvee. And you complain about $3 gasoline.
Good point about not being born anything but a human being.
I am interested in whatever Franklin Graham has to say because his actions remind me so much of GW Bush. Both men were given automatic prestigue and gravitas because of their fathers, and in this case I'm talking "Worldy" fathers. (you will remember when W was asked what his biological father thought of his decisions, W replied, "I only answer to my father in heaven.")
I would like to ask Graham about the scriptures which clearly state that you should not build treasures here on earth, such as mountain top retreats, helicpoteers, expense accounts, etc. and the request Jesus supposedly made to the rich man, "Go sell all that you have and give it to the poor!"
If I miss it I hope you will have a location that I might see it and a later time. It's rare to see someone other than bloodthirsty warmongers talking about the miracle that is Iraq.
This shoud have been displaced. But you are correct. Iraqis and Afghanistan citizens killed by drones or botched missions are paid a few hundred dollars for their loss.
Pablemont....I don't think Bush/Cheney, Feith, Perle, Abrams, Greenburg gave a damn about Saddam being cruel and despotic ruler, as Paul Wolfowitz admitted..."Saddam was sitting on a sea of oil."
So after seven years of fighting a war that didn't have to be fought (Gen. Zinni), we look back and see, 4400 plus Americans dead, over 30,000 wounded and maimed for life, several trillion dollars(by the time the smoke clears) wasted, a couple of hunderd thousand Iraqis dead, wounded or misplaced, ethnic cleansing and torture rampant, and we end up proping up a government that can't hold and election and calls itself...The Islamic Supreme Council. Great job Bushie!!!
They have more assets than is visible on the surface. They have perhaps half of America’s 400 billionaires on their side. They have the enormous military-industrial complex on their side. They have the Yahoo complex of besieged lower middle class White America on their side. They have the Israel lobbies on their side. They have important segments of the Oil and Gas lobbies on their side. They have the whole American tradition of permanent war on their side. They should not be underestimated.
This paragraph has not made my day. All at once you see the network and it's power structure.
and once again, should there be another bloodbath war, in which the US military is brought in to do the air and ground fighting, young mens names, such as Kristol, Krauthammer, Fox, Goldberg, Cohen, Perle, Feith, Wolfowitz will not be showing up on the list of KIA.
No, every night the sons and daughters of the above mentioned will be slipping in between those cool, clean white sheets in mom and dads home,dreaming of the day when they can influence a nation to fight a proxy war for Israel.
I'm always intriqued that pious religous cult members, who profess to be oh so righteous, are the first to use phosphorus bombs on defensless people, or as in our case, drone strikes. What is even more ludicrious, is that they justify their war crimes by calling it...self defense.
Okami, I wouldn't put a lot of store in Palin's religious beliefs. I especially would not place bets on her ability to comprehend biblical prophecy. I strongly believe that, like W, she uses religion as a hook and political tool to woo over the tea baggers and the Pat Robertson followers.
As for her being bought and paid for by AIPAC, how else would a complete idiot and national no-body gain so much national attention? This is a co-ordinated effort by powerful media forces, Bill Kristol, National Review, Fox News, and all the other usual suspects who despise and demonize all things Islamic.
These people know a true ball of clay when they see one. They also know that all Palin has to do is keep yelling 9-11, 9-11, 9-11 and she will keep our sheepish fellow Americans in mortal fear for years to come.
She is so bought and paid for by the Israeli lobby. Everytime I hear this woman speak she is yelping about Israel and how unfair the Jews are being treated (Israel has the right to defend itself from ships loaded with aid).
You may refudiate this, but I firmly believe President Palin would bomb Iran tomorrow, and kingmaker Bill Kristol knows it.
oooooooh....Those Israeli soldier are really tough guys...attacking an unarmed ship loaded only with food and supplies...and how dare those activist protect themselves!
Just to make it convenient, here is the link to the white house should you feel the need to let Obama know you don't want our soldiers dying for the bloodthirsty, nutcase Likud party.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments
Prof. Cole and his college students are all snobs! Just kidding.
This is so rare I want to share it with this website. At 1:51 into this interview David Stockman advises Pres.Obama on how to bring down oil prices. Teaser...It's a rare smack down of the neocons. Our nation would be better served if we heard more of this kind of reasoning.
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/david-stockman-if-you-want-address-gas-pri
Santorum's comment about the Koran and to think of it, his entire campaign brings to mind a word seldom used...supercilious
adjective
Definition: 1. showing haughty superiority over someone else; 2. characterized by or expressive of contempt
Synonyms: disdainful, contemptuous, arrogant, bossy, cocky, egotistical, haughty, patronizing, uppity, snotty.
Santorum thinks God and has ordained him as the angel of his wrath. Rick's wife said as much when she announced the Santorum campaign is "God's will."
Interesting thing about Santorum, he would outlaw abortions to protect a fetus, while he calls for the murder of innocent Iranians. How does that work?
Adelson is getting his money's worth with this hack.
What a disgusting bunch of un-American, power hungry, misogynistic Joe Lieberman clones we have before us.
What the hell does it have to do with this country's foreign policy towards Iran if Netanyahu is a holocaust survivor, other than a statement like that makes Adelson smile? So what that Amadinejad views Israel as the provocateur of unrest and controversy in the middle east? Israel being unliked by one man is not a freaking reason to go to war.
I agree with RealityCheck we need more "Rational Discourse" but the more discourse we have the worse Israel looks. Why is Israel pushing the US to bomb Iran when there is no evidence that Iran is building, or has any intentions of building a nuclear arsenal. Can the same thing be said of Israel.Shouldn't we discuss what bombing Iran would do to world oil prices, as well as the fragil economies in Europe and America.
A rational discourse has been long in coming on the Krakow like conditions the Israelis are forcing the Palastinans to endure. Limited food and medicine, no building materials allowed the list goes on.
I suggest you not get on your high horse when discussing "Rational Discourse" while anyone with an opposing view to war with Iran is not allowed to voice their opinion on any national news outlet.
I like it.
Ah...Gen Dempsey I would like to thank you for having the bravery to make that statement. Too bad. We hope you will be happy in retirement, which is certainly your destiny.
Look for Andrea Mitchell/Chris Wallace/ David Gregory to invite an AEI representative on their programs to smear you as an anti-semite.Then your record will be turned upside down and you will be made to look soft on terrorism, you "servant of Iran."
Remember Gen.Zinni was denied a position in the Obama administration because hysterical neocons (Rahm Emmanuel among them) pointed out that Zinni, a man who served his country for 30 years, made pre-war statements about Iraq being contained by the no fly zone, which was in direct opposition to Israeli foregin policy.
Gen Dempsey, I fear another general said it best...Old soldiers never die...they just fade away.
A couple of months ago Santorum was blasted for saying he was against welfare for black people. True to form, Santorum said don't believe your lying ears..."What I said was I against welfare for blah people."
Add today's explanation and...you almost have to love this idiot...in a Barney Fife kind of way.
If only an article like this could be featured on the nightly news or discussed on one of the Sunday morning news programs. Americans need to know they may be paying $6 a gallon thanks to the Israeli lobby and our spineless politicians.
Professor you struck a note. Religious zealots!
George W. tried to persuade everyone he was a born again Christian and look where that got us. Bush, the pious Christian, is today an unconvicted war criminal responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths, torture, millions displaced,civilian and military lifelong injuries, not to mention the financial wreckage he left in his wake.Santorum is cut from the same cloth.
President Santorum would not be out of character if he used the old televangleist con of ...."God spoke to me and said...You must protect Israel and that is why I am launching airstrikes against Tehran."
As you pointed out,Rick Santorum's God doesn't speak to him about a social safety net,health care, loving one another, or blessed are the peace makers. No, his God is the angry and vengeful Jehovah.
The US and Isreali governments hypocrisy is limitless. As Iranian scientist are being murdered, Three Stooges car bombings and fictional Mexican drug cartel assassantions are being laid at the doorstep of Iran.
Lately the "Iran is a threat to the world" rhetoric has reached such hysterical proportions that even Huffington Post made mention of how similar this was to the Iraq war build up.
As scary as this may sound...Obama may be the only person standing between peace and oil hitting $300 a barrel, which will happen the day after Iran is bombed. What do you want to bet there are neocon insiders who are purchasing oil futures, planning to make a bundle off the misery of others?
Just to put things in perspective this Onion headline might give you a chuckle.
http://www.theonion.com/articles/iran-worried-us-might-be-building-8500th-nuclear-w,27325/
Here is a Valentine card for all of the faithful ICers.
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/b4d3dc3524/checkpoint-date-when-dinner-isn-t-the-only-check-you-have-to-worry-about
May not be the best day to point out Catholic values when 8000 victims have filed suit against the Church.
http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/bankruptcy-petition-reveals-more-8000
But I get your point.
Yesterday I listened to NPR's On Point. The guest was an former ambassador to Israel and another so-called expert. Both men agreed that some terrible form of ethnic cleansing or retributions would take place once the power shifted away from Assad.
Our track record of making things right in the middle east is not stellar. Syria should be no different.
You almost have to laugh when a middle age white Presbyterian woman (Hillary Clinton) attempts to tell a complex muslim/Christian society led by a vicious dictator how to best solve their conflicts.
If all of the above occurs, the media blitz from David Gregory's MTP, Chris Wallace and his all war...all the time team of Krauthammer and "Bloody" Bill Kristol,along with he neocons at NYTimes(Brooks/Freidman) and WashPo (Richard Cohen etal) will put on the full court press to paint Israel as, once again, the innocent victim. One can almost hear the familiar whine..."They (Iran) wanted to wipe Israel off the face of the earth" or "If Iran gets nuclear weapons they will give nuclear suitcase bombs to terrorist!"
With the help of the nightly news, Americans will only hear about the victimhood of America's BFF in the middle east. A poor little peace loving ally who should bear no responsibilty for the calamity it forced on the world. In a word...Sickening!
Prof.Cole's cost estimates might just seem like pocket change compared to the damage done to the world's economy should the Strait be mined. Such a disaster would sink Europe's fragil economy into a full blown depression, a depression that could reach all corners of the world. And why...for what reason should so many people lose their lives or face loss of jobs and income? Because Israel is paranoid about Iran refining uranium. Not a good enough reason!
I have been shocked, no I shouldn't say shocked, maybe angered is the better word, watching Andrea Mitchell's afternoon program on MSNBC. Ms. Mitchell, who is the heir apparent to Judith Miller and who would feel right at home in the company of Avigdor Lieberman, unashamedly presents misinformation about Iran and it's nuclear program. Mitchell, whose husband is the notorious Alan Greenspan, features guest such as Mr. Berman, whose book was featured this week in the NY Times magazine section...go figure... and retired CIA agents who are now on the dole from neocon think tanks.
It's almost laughable to see Ms. Mitchell quoting Mossad...that's right Mossad...and Netanyahu as a sources concerning Iranian nuclear intelligence. Unfortunately, these lies are not only presented to her small audience on MSNBC, but also during her reports on NBC nightly news.
As in the case of the run up to the war against Iraq, dissenting commentators need not apply.
Mitt and Netanyahu, here we go again with two men who use a pious religious backdrop to persuade an unsuspecting public their motives are pure and sanctioned by God. All the while plotting to bomb a country and kill innocent civilians whose only crime is they are not America or Israel's friend.
The media is especially sickening in it's lapdog approach to promoting the war with Iran. We all know FOX is foaming for war, but it is depressing to see MSNBC's own Judith Miller (Andrea Mitchell) along with CBS's David Martin and Scott Pelley also leading the charge, without providing a spokesperson, like Prof. Cole, who could make a good case for not going to war.
And Newt just got another $5,000,000 from Israeli duel citzens Adelson and his wife to keep up the pressure for bombing Iran.
Over at Anti-War.com Justin R. thinks Israel will be a wedge issue in the upcoming campaign, with someone like Newt proclaiming...You're either for Israel or you're for Iran kind of rhetoric. The game plan would be to box Obama into attacking Iran to save his re-election bid.
Of course, it wouldn't be the first time a sitting president gave orders to attack a country that didn't have nuclear weapons.
What does the US, Israel and the EU want from Iran? I have read recent articles that indicate IAEA is monitoring Iran's nuclear labs and that Iran is willing to talk about their nuclear ambitions, but the US, coaxed by the Israeli lobby, will not respond. What is the bottom line? Is the US demanding that Iran cease all nuclear enhancement, even low grade, in order to end the boycott?
When you look at the current demonazation of Iran, one has to think back to the days and the rhetoric of the pre-Iraq invasion, when the US wouldn't take YES for an answer.
Hopefully Obama has learned valuable lessons from the former White house idiots Bush/Cheney, neocon warmongers and the war profiteers who used 9-11 and "Pre-emptive wars" to drag this country down. If this country has excelled in any area it is that we are now the worlds most notorious torturers. In forming new relationships with these new governments, our nation should Jaw Jaw rather than War War...and no Mr. Gingrich, that is not a sign of weakness.
It would be typical of Israel to demand that the US give them jets, loans, and few extra billion NOT to attack Iran. As Emmanuel said, "Never fail to take advantage of a crisis."
I know you can see Alaska from all of those countries.
Nor would we have proof that Iran is building a nuclear bomb. Thanks to Mossad, working hand to hand with the US media, we know Iranis attempting to take over the world and force everyone to become a muslim.
I watched David Martin do a segment on Iran via CBS' Sunday Morning. It seems that the neocons have found their new Judith Miller in David Martin. There was no balance to the report, all one sided toward war.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3445_162-57359410/the-ticking-clock-of-irans-nuclear-threat/?pageNum=2&tag=contentMain;contentBody
Helen Thomas comes to mind.
You may be many things...but funny you are not.
Because of the constant drip of propaganda against Iran there is very little sympathy for the scientist murdered by this act of terrorism.
To make my point...I would swear that Scott Pelley had a slight grin on his face while reading the story on last nights CBS NEWS. Of course, being the faithful neocon news reader he is, he concluded the story by saying..."And as heard on this broadcast last night, Iran is less than one year away from having a nuclear bomb."
As in the run up to the Iraq war, opinions to the contrary are not allowed.
No doubt Mr. B. Hillary is bought and paid for by the Israeli lobby.
I remember during her campaign for the senate charges were dropped against a group of Orthadox Jews in upstate NY. Seems some federal dollars were missing.When asked if this was a bribe for votes...Hillary looked like a little angle and said she really didn't know what the reporter was talking about.
Hillary, much like all of the Republican candidates and Obama, would throw this nation under the bus in a heartbeat if it meant gaining political influence with a powerful segment of the population.
While watching Imus this morning the news anchor read a report stating that another Iranian scientist was killed by an explosion attached to his car by motorcyclist.He added that Israel was suspected. One of Imus' sidekicks yelled..."Yeah! That's the way to do it. No need for an invasion, just kill all of their scientist!"
I'm afraid this idiot's reaction is the result of the constant propaganda our nation has been fed, with very little or no oppostion allowed.
As long as we have Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham types in the seante and house, or as long as the Israeli lobby controls our foreign policy, I fear that any attempt to understand each other will be repressed by the always present 9-11 war rhetoric we have been fed for the past ten years.
Dear lord...Rick Perry wants back into Iraq? It appears the trasmission line if from AIPAC's mouth to Rick Perry's ear. I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but who in there right mind would want to re-enter our troops into a bloodbath that poses no threat to our country? He wants to justify the 5000 dead soldiers by having more die. He is a freaking madman!
No one is allowed on network programs to push back against the AIPAC lies being told about Iran. Just further evidence that what we see is very scripted. That's why Prof. Cole will not be seen on Meet the Press.
15 billion dollars worth of vital trade goes up in smoke because Iran wants nuclear power?
No doubt about it, a vote for Gingrich or Santorum would mean four more years of GW Bush's Reign of Terror, aka War on Terror.
Both of these men are promising to start another war, and Santorum finishes a close second? Madness!
Good note to end 2011. Hopefully this time next year our country will be a peace.
With all of the turmoil and radical change taking place in the middle east along comes "Bigfoot", aka The United States of America, threatening to bomb Iran.
Once the bombings take place and the strait is closed, oil will jump to several hundred dollars a barrel. and the world will blame us for creating a worldwide depression. What effect will that have on all of the countries listed by Prof. Cole?
And where will Israel be when this occurs? Will they have our back for bombing Iran? No, they will shrug their shoulders and say..."We never asked the US to bomb Iran.
Our top military official even said it was a bad idea."
It's usually not a good idea to rely on racial and gender practices several thousand years old, they just don't travel through time all that well.
Of course, this is same mythical text used by today's Israeli Zionist to justify their modern day right to murder Muslims and confiscate Palestinian land and personal property. Even to the point where just last month Israeli Jews were warned they should not wed Jews from America. Seems American money is good, but the American Jew...not so good.
Do the Muslim hating neocons and war profiteers ever learn? No!
Oh yes...this is going well.
57 Iraqis killed in explosion today reminded me of an article from The Onion which read in part...The Iraqi Department of Homeland Security recently released a 10-level, color-coded homeland security advisory system that will alert citizens to the risk of a terrorist attack within Iraq's borders. The country's current threat level is elevated.
And then there is the classic quote..."Continued violence almost makes US invasion seem pointless."
Good ol' Hillary. She is so concerned about the degradation of women, with the excepetion of Palestinian women in Gaza who are being starved and deprived of medicine. Hillary also takes a hard line when it comes to placing devastating santions on Iranian women and men because the Iranian government is developing capabilities to build nuclear power plants.
In conclusion, the least said about the Clinton's turning their heads while 700,000 Africans were slaughtered, along with the Iraqi sanctions that supposedly killed over 500,000 Iraqi men, WOMEN and children, which all occured during the Clinton administration, the better.
OK, I'll give one hundred and you can keep the polo shirt. How much for a signed copy of your book?
Why am I smiling?
Dick Cheney said yesterday that we should bomb Iran over the captured drone. This man is evil personified.
Oh dear lord. With Bolton and Gingrich calling the shots bombs would be falling on Iran before the swearing in ceremony was over. If I know Newt..he will ask Eric (Netanyahu) Cantor to be his vice pick. Together this team of neocons could finally implement Bill Kristol's proposal, that being, anyone joing the US military could be made to serve in the Israeli army. After all, Israel is our BFF.
A Gingrich/Cantor/Bolton administration's policy would be, Health care? Ha..Get serious!...Trillion dollar wars? Hell Yes!!
It helps to be an expert on Jewish/Muslim historical claims of ownership of Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank, but to the novice it smacks of old fashion ethnic cleansing.
You could continue the list for days. Trillions of dollars wasted, record amount of families destroyed because of long deployments, thousands of US soldiers killed and maimed, torture accepted as a norm, just to name a few more.
According to HuffPost there are 900,000 widows in Iraq, thanks to Bush/Cheney and their partners in crime, neocon WMD liars and the US house/senate.
After the non-stop Republican debates, where war and woe are their only staples, it's refreshing to hear some good news.
I think I can speak for everyone who frequents this site, we are really thankful for Informed Comment.
Happy Thanksgiving!
The bloody neocons at AEI, such as AEI's own comb licking Paul Wolfowitz, were keeping score last night on how vicious and warlike each candidate's answers were. They were not disappointed.
It's especially interesting that Ms.Bachmann, who pretends to be so interested in protecting the fetus, shows no concern when it comes to US policy preventing medicine and food from reaching Iranian children, just as Israeli policy is starving Palestinian children. There is something wrong with this picture.
Young men and women standing up to a heavily armed military, a military ready to kill its own citizens, takes a kind of bravery that is seldom seen.
My hope is this will spread to Israel.
McCain doesn't give a rip what the public wants. He almost sounds like a modern day Caligula, as he walks through the marble halls of congress.
I think McCain's years spent in a North Viet Nam prison has pushed this insecure, little man into a lifelong effort to explain his ignoble defeat, which sounds very much like his blather about Iraq and Afghanistan. Not enough troops, stay the course, etc.
His stance seems to point to a misguided notion that by being victorious in modern day wars, his, and this country's past humiliation, in Viet Nam, will be erased.
All in all, a sick puppy.
To paraphrase John Lennon....Imagine there was no Israeli lobby. It's very likely there would not have been an invasion of Iraq and we certainly not see the false hysteria created around Iran's nuclear ambition.
On Amanpour's show yesterday, she hosted two gentlemen who discussed Iran's nuclear program. At no point during the segment, and I thought this was extremly telling, is that no one pointed out that Iran's nuclear program was, as far as we know, was for peacefull purposes. The entire debate centered around Iran's (mythical) nuclear weapons program.
Your exactly right. I was talking to a group of vets this morning.We all agreed that a 10 year war was irresponsible and unnecessary. They even agreed weith me that the best way to support the troops was to bring the troops home.
Then I lost them. I told them the same neocons who got us into Iraq were trying to get us involved in a war with Iran. A former marine looked at me and said, "Now that Ak-me-deed-a-job is a nut! I just read this week that he is trying to build a nuclear bomb, and we have got to stop him!"
So you're right Jeffery, the con job to demonize Iran is in full force and building support.
I guess this would qualify as a black flag operation. Here are a couple of examples of wars started with bogus intelligence.
http://grandrecognition.com/Grand_Recognition.com/Black_Flag_Operations.html
My favorite is the Iraqi Mobil lab, or as some laughingly called it, The Winnebago of Death. Bush/Cheney/Rice and Rumsfeld still contended this "Lab" was used to make biological weapons, even after the military concluded they were used to fill weather ballons with gas.
Next debate is in Myrtle Beach, SC, only about 10 miles from me. Being a red state, there will be some tea party members and GWBush holdovers who will be excited to see The Herminator, Magic underwear Romney and Rick (hic) Perry, try to top one another on how badly they want to attack Iran.
Obama may be the thin thread that is holding back the bombng strikes against Iran. There is little question that if Rick Perry/Santorum/Bachmann or even the very holy mormon Mitt Romney were to be elected president, we would have another "Bring it on!" neocon warmonger in the white house.
There is no doubt big bucks can be made by attacking Iran. Military leaders speculate that Iran would respond to an attack by closing down (mining) the Strait of Hormuz.This would surely push the price of oil above two hundred bucks a barrel, if not three hundred. This would be followed by a finiancial meltdown of the world's already fragil economy. For those with inside knowledge the purchase of oil futures, betting on the price explosion, could easily double their investment.
Israel certainly would not want to be blamed for such a negative world changing event, that is why they are trying to get their "BFF" to take the blame for a world depression.
Sad to say, but if Sarkozy was a journalist he would be fired for his comment. (Helen Thomas)
There is definate dissatisfaction with Netanyahu in this country. Case in point, over at HuffPost this story is being reported and almost all of the responders agree with Sarkozy.
"Then there are significant Christian Palestinian populations. Is Newt going to support these countrymen of Jesus of Nazareth against the Israeli settlers who are stealing their land and water?"
Good one, Professor.
Mr. Cole wrote..."No such green light will be forthcoming while US troops are withdrawing from Iraq, because they will be especially vulnerable to attack at the hands of radical Shiites."
I'm not sure that a weakened president such as Obama could make trouble for Israel should they launch an attack against Iran. Israel certainly doesn't care if American soldiers are put at risk because anymore than they would care that gas prices would skyrocket to 5 to 6 dollars a gallon.
With the NYTimes, WashPO and all of the networks soldily in the AIPAC corner, any action taken against Israel would be loudly shouted down. I have no doubt that editorials are already written praising the fearless Israeli attack. I can almost hear the Frank Lutz talking points now ....We should all get down on our knees and thank Israel for saving the world from nuclear war against the Islam menace, who threaten our very freedom.
I'm making a prediction that AIPAC's mouthpiece, CBS's 60 Minutes, will run a propaganda piece demonizing UNESCO within the next few weeks.
Another blip on the radar that will get very little coverage,unless it can be used as an example of why the US should remain in Afghanistan.
My sympathy to the parents and families of those who lost their lives NOT defending this nation.
John McCain should be labled as a threat to our national security. As long as McCain is alive and has any influence,our soldiers have job security...as long as they can stay alive.
Certainly a US soldier's life expectancy would be greatly reduced with blodthirsty old farts like Joe Lieberman/Lindsey Graham/John McCain calling the shots in the middle east.
Everytime I see the Occupy Wall Street group, I wish there was a similar group protesting the neocon warmongers and their push to get us into yet another PNAC inspired war.
I can see such a group handing out applications to join the army, at the next APICA convention, along with signs saying, "You want war? Send your sons into battle!"
Nine soldiers lost their lives in Afghanistan this week, and the Kagans and Kristols still push for more insanity.
After Israel bombs Iran, possibly early next year, a barrel of oil will hit tripile digits. Libya, and insiders on wall street, are going to make some serious coin.
Neocons are always braggin, "Bush/Cheney brought democracy to Iraq!"
Really? Maybe a disfuntional, splintered, ethnic cleansing Islamic regime, with an American supplied arsenal, is what passes for democracy in the eyes of those who crafted this war. To the ordinary person, I see Iraq as a future hotbed for anti-Americanism,.
And Bachmann would like the Iraq govenment to pay us back for liberating them. HA!!!
If you have any doubt who is pushing the agenda to bomb Iran, (cough...Israel) watch about four minutes America's Christian warmonger Pat Robinson, lie thourgh his dentures as he demonizes Iran.
After his propoganda tirade, he featured a slanted report that was followed up by a so-called author,Mr. Rosenberg, who has written a novel casting Iran in some type of messiah role? The end result is to impress on the Robertson sheep that bombing Iran would be, what else, God's Work. Watch the first four minutes of the CBN broadcast and you'll have enough.
Warning! Pat Boone will try to sell the brothers and sisters gold for the first thirty seconds.
http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/mp4/EST155_JoelRosenberg_101811_WS
Let me understand this...the sanctions are placed on Iran even though there is no proof they have a nuclear weapons program and because Israel and the US went in their ususal Aunt Tilly fainting routine when a laughable bogus intelligence, Curveball like scam, was released to the public? That's setting the bar pret-ty low!
We all know the real reason is because Iran will not be a patsy for the neocons PNAC, and because Iran is sitting on a "sea of oil" as Wolfowitz would say.
If that idiot Sarah Palin wasn't a bought and paid for neocon she might ask..."Neocons, how's that PNAC and refashioning the middle east thing working for ya?"
No question the neocons will get their war with Iran. This is just laying the same faulty ground work as Curveball did with WMD's in Iraq. It's like watching a train about to collide and there's nothing you can do.
Sorry to see the Obama administration is so anxious to push this kind of neocon smear. I expected it from Netanyahu's moll Hillary Clinton, but Obama and Biden surprise me.
Glen Greenwald over at Salon has comments on this keystone cop bogus intelligence scam.
Excellent post. Your comment about the difference between "jihad and Bush/Cheney and now Obama "war of choice" hits he nail on the head. I alsway shake my head at the double standard used when our brilliant neocons scream...."Iran is using it's influence in Iraqi politics" when we INVADED THE FEAKING COUNTRY, AND DISBANDED THEIR MILITARY."
The US seems to think it can deal with the entire Muslim world in the same fashion Israel deals with the Palestinians, that being a jack boot to the neck.
I don't know how much it would soften the heart of the Taliban or al Qaeda if the US would stop being a sponsor of brutality in the Gaza, but let's use Cheney's One Percent Doctine...which is... "Even if there's just a 1 percent chance of the unimaginable coming due, act as if it is a certainty." Using his own doctrine, even if there was only a one percent chance of success or the "Unimaginable" happening (Peace) then we should persue it. Right Mr. Cheney?
Even as an atheist I have to give thanks for the comedy provided by these Texans and their brand of Christianity.
You have GWBush,a so-called born again Christian from Texas, who went on to engage this country in two unnecessary wars, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of lives ruined, putting him in a runner up position to Stalin, Pol Pot and Hitler.
Then you can tune into GWBush supporter, the very pious Texan televangelist Kenneth Copeland. Mr. C actualy told his "flock"..."The lord spoke to me and told me I needed a Gulfstream 5 so I could spread the gospel more effectively." To make it extra convenient, Copeland lives on a multi-million dollar estate, with it's own airport and hanger.
Blessed are those meek and mild Texans and damn those cultish Mormons.
A Muslim parent you say...hmmmm...has anyone ever seen his birth certificate?
Sorry, that was bad. A good Christian would never be that snarky.
I think of a editorial cartoon with a split screen. In the first screen Netanyahu is walking around the UN with Uncle Sam on a leash and everyone at the UN is bowing down and smiling. In the next screen, unknown to Netanyahu, Uncle Sam is no longer on the leash and the temperment of the UN towards Israel has changed to one of outrage.
Clearly, Israel is only a super power able to yeild wide influence as long as the US continues to be it's b**ch. Without US support Israel is an overblown military power, much like Pakistan.
King Abdullah...if you'r reading this...I would like to apply for citizenship. Call me!
Israeli government, the one the US sends billions to every year, makes the macabe claim that they are not starving the Gazans. They snicker and say they have determined an adult can live on eight hundred calories a day. They then multiply the population of Gaza by eight hundred (calories)and that is the amount of food they will allow into Gaza.
One Israeli official giggled and said, "We have only put everyone in Gaza on a diet!"
This is a policy you might from an African dictator.
Excellent response Mr. Davila. I admit my limited knowledge of the situation, but it appears if the nation of Palestine is granted a charter and borders set, the Israelis will not be allowed to continue their expansions, aka stealing Palestinians land, and this does not set well with the self described chosen people.
And the half billion dollar US embassy will be sitting empty by the end of next year.
Robe3rt Gates agrees with you. He says Israel is an ungrateful ally who is now pushing for the US to attack Iran.
Turkey is doing the right thing. My hat is off to them.
I agree with everything you wrote. It will be interesting to see how this plays on the network news, if this story ever sees the light of day.
In the US there is a hands off approach to anything that ivolves any news that might be critical of Israel. For instance, if the flotilla attack involved different victims there would be wall to wall coverage. By that I mean, if the eleven innocent victims would have been jewish or Israelis the outrage would have been international in its coverage and outrage. Since the terrorist were those mentioned above, very little has been reported.
And tell me again...why are we at war with the Taliban? I somewhat understood the logic of going in and retaliating against al Qaeda, but the Taliban has never attacked the US until we invaded and began occupying their space.
I fear the reason we are in the god forsaken goat farmed named Afghanistan is because of the military suppliers, who, it was announced last week are supplying $2 parts for $600 and diesel fuel at $400 per gallon, have captured the hearts and minds of our politicians with their campaign contributions.Secondly, Afghanistan shares a border with Iran, the next neocon target.
I can dream of a day when an aspiring law firm looks at the evidence and first hand accounts of Bush cabinet memebers, such a Paul O'Neil, and his "Iraq war group", which was formed within the White House to find ways to pitch the war to the American public, and see there is a case to be made that the war was a complete fabrication.
If lawyers see a trillion dollar payout by the federal gov. then that might motivate them to bring a class action lawsuit on behalf of those most affected by Bush and his neocon handlers. I think a jury would be sympathetic to a Gold Star mom on the stand crying her eyes out about how she lost her only son, for a neocon inspired vision of the middle east.
He is bought and paid for by AIPAC. A pox on his, Pam Gellar and Ms. Rubins house for their racist remarks! Where is the Helen Thomas standard?
Can you imagine the sensation of a trial shown on television where those accused had names like GW Bush, Dick Cheney, Condi Rice, Doug Feith, Don Rumsfeld?
Think of sitting in front of the TV and hearing how bogus intelligence was manufactured and how the networks and major newspapers helped sell the WMD story to an unsuspecting 9-11 audience. Now that would be a great trial.
I'm struck by the landscape our troops are giving their lives for and what is being gotten for our half trillion dollar investment.
In the next news video you see of our troops fighting in Afghanistan, notice the background. You will see that our troops are fighting behind ancient mud walls, in barren mountain ranges or desert like landscapes. Then you wonder...is this god foresaken land a threat to the US? The answer is no, but someone is making a ton of money supplying our troops, especially those charging $450 a gallon for fuel to run the thousands of vehicles we have over there. Think of it...10,000 bucks to fuel a Humvee. And you complain about $3 gasoline.
Good point about not being born anything but a human being.
I am interested in whatever Franklin Graham has to say because his actions remind me so much of GW Bush. Both men were given automatic prestigue and gravitas because of their fathers, and in this case I'm talking "Worldy" fathers. (you will remember when W was asked what his biological father thought of his decisions, W replied, "I only answer to my father in heaven.")
I would like to ask Graham about the scriptures which clearly state that you should not build treasures here on earth, such as mountain top retreats, helicpoteers, expense accounts, etc. and the request Jesus supposedly made to the rich man, "Go sell all that you have and give it to the poor!"
If I miss it I hope you will have a location that I might see it and a later time. It's rare to see someone other than bloodthirsty warmongers talking about the miracle that is Iraq.
This shoud have been displaced. But you are correct. Iraqis and Afghanistan citizens killed by drones or botched missions are paid a few hundred dollars for their loss.
Pablemont....I don't think Bush/Cheney, Feith, Perle, Abrams, Greenburg gave a damn about Saddam being cruel and despotic ruler, as Paul Wolfowitz admitted..."Saddam was sitting on a sea of oil."
So after seven years of fighting a war that didn't have to be fought (Gen. Zinni), we look back and see, 4400 plus Americans dead, over 30,000 wounded and maimed for life, several trillion dollars(by the time the smoke clears) wasted, a couple of hunderd thousand Iraqis dead, wounded or misplaced, ethnic cleansing and torture rampant, and we end up proping up a government that can't hold and election and calls itself...The Islamic Supreme Council. Great job Bushie!!!
They have more assets than is visible on the surface. They have perhaps half of America’s 400 billionaires on their side. They have the enormous military-industrial complex on their side. They have the Yahoo complex of besieged lower middle class White America on their side. They have the Israel lobbies on their side. They have important segments of the Oil and Gas lobbies on their side. They have the whole American tradition of permanent war on their side. They should not be underestimated.
This paragraph has not made my day. All at once you see the network and it's power structure.
and once again, should there be another bloodbath war, in which the US military is brought in to do the air and ground fighting, young mens names, such as Kristol, Krauthammer, Fox, Goldberg, Cohen, Perle, Feith, Wolfowitz will not be showing up on the list of KIA.
No, every night the sons and daughters of the above mentioned will be slipping in between those cool, clean white sheets in mom and dads home,dreaming of the day when they can influence a nation to fight a proxy war for Israel.
I'm always intriqued that pious religous cult members, who profess to be oh so righteous, are the first to use phosphorus bombs on defensless people, or as in our case, drone strikes. What is even more ludicrious, is that they justify their war crimes by calling it...self defense.
Okami, I wouldn't put a lot of store in Palin's religious beliefs. I especially would not place bets on her ability to comprehend biblical prophecy. I strongly believe that, like W, she uses religion as a hook and political tool to woo over the tea baggers and the Pat Robertson followers.
As for her being bought and paid for by AIPAC, how else would a complete idiot and national no-body gain so much national attention? This is a co-ordinated effort by powerful media forces, Bill Kristol, National Review, Fox News, and all the other usual suspects who despise and demonize all things Islamic.
These people know a true ball of clay when they see one. They also know that all Palin has to do is keep yelling 9-11, 9-11, 9-11 and she will keep our sheepish fellow Americans in mortal fear for years to come.
She is so bought and paid for by the Israeli lobby. Everytime I hear this woman speak she is yelping about Israel and how unfair the Jews are being treated (Israel has the right to defend itself from ships loaded with aid).
You may refudiate this, but I firmly believe President Palin would bomb Iran tomorrow, and kingmaker Bill Kristol knows it.
oooooooh....Those Israeli soldier are really tough guys...attacking an unarmed ship loaded only with food and supplies...and how dare those activist protect themselves!