"Did the 2008 Wall Street Crash occur in part because the Bush administration had removed pro-regulation New York Governor Elliot Spitzer, using information gathered from his bank accounts, cell phone and personal computer?"
I think the better question is how the 2008 Crash happened given all the domestic information collected by these occult scumbags. When you emulate Cicero and ask 'cui bono', you start to wonder who made their money off that crash.
The fact that we have to ask these questions is a sure sign of the totalitarian state being built on the banks of the Potomac.
If you think voting for Democrats will save you, you're sorely mistaken.
Good points, Juan. The War on Drugs is the most paternalistic, destructive war in the last 100 years. The fact that Afghanistan's poppy trade has either stayed constant or actually increased under American occupation tells you the effectiveness of this war, and/or the corruption that reigns inside our government.
Americans need to understand that the people in their community that use certain banned drugs deserve to have their rights too. There's nothing in the Constitution saying you cannot experiment with your own consciousness.
Dr. Cole,
Could you also provide an explanation as to why Syria is not Libya? Many of the problems you lay out in this article applied equally to the Libya intervention, which you supported. The factions have different names and wear different hats, but this point in particular applies to both situations:
"– Flooding Syria with medium or heavy weaponry could destabilize it and its neighbors, including Israel & Palestine, for decades, as the CIA did to Afghanistan and Pakistan."
The people of Mali have suffered greatly because of the Libyan civil war and the Western intervention therein.
David Graeber has demonstrated a real gift for unpacking some very problematic cultural ideas. I'd love to see more about the managerial classes. Modern government and business thrives on complexity of its own creation, and formalism always appears when complexity arises. It's imperative that we climb out of the hole created by this faux complexity before we're all sent to our graves by technocrats.
Also, if the government insists that the continental United States is a warzone (as defined in the 2012 NDAA), a citizen could easily make the case that it is in their best interest to own military style weapons. The government and proponents of the ban cannot have it both ways.
Juan, your data for public support for an assault weapons ban is outdated. At this time, a small majority supports the freedom to own such weapons, even after sandy hook:
I would not be surprised if the UK broke into the embassy. If the Iraq war taught us anything, it's that the USA and the UK, when their forces combine, roll over any and all intl law that doesn't agree with their worldview. I think you are right to call Cameron the Ayatollah.
There are still hundreds of hate crimes against Jews each year, according to the last FBI count I read. "Oppressed" might not be the right word for it, but we should acknowledge that people are hurt because they are Jewish.
That said, as ad said, black Americans are far more discriminated against.
I can't stand Glen Beck. However these constitutional-reversion-christian-militias (many of them hate groups) have plenty to fear from the federal government. Janet Reno went on a killing spree against these groups in the 90's, and look what happened: the largest terrorist attack against US citizens until 9/11.
So while I think Beck is full of it, saying that the more radical elements of the Tea Party movement aren't on government watch lists, and even at risk of being attacked by the federal government, is silly. The SPLC isn't the only one with a list of right-wing militias.
"Any commissioned officer who uses contemptuous words against the President, the Vice President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department, the Secretary of Transportation, or the Governor or legislature of any State, Territory, Commonwealth, or possession in which he is on duty or present shall be punished as a court-martial may direct. "
Obama is going about this "green moon mission" for all the wrong reasons; he's talking about the tired line of dependence on foreign oil, not talking about the very real possibility that large parts of the earth will be uninhabitable from climate change. In fact, he barely mentioned the environment in his speech at all - he obviously puts token mentions of wetlands into the speech, but I don't get the feeling that he cares at all about the science of climate change and its relation to this catastrophe.
That was a poor speech, full of lame appeals to Religion and the old American fallback, War. Calling this a "war", and the oil a "siege" cheapens the fact that this is a man-made disaster. And we'd do well to not forget that fact, even if Obama does.
Iranian politicians have been quick to speak out against the Israeli raid, and propose joint aid convoys for Gaza. The narrow strip of land is jammed with 1.5 million people and has been subject to an Israeli blockade for three years, in an effort to stop materials used by Hamas and other militants to make bombs and rockets, and to increase deprivation to try to turn the population against Hamas.
Supreme religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's representative to the Revolutionary Guard Navy said Iran was duty-bound to provide military escort.
“The duty of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the face of such an unchivalrous act [the flotilla raid] is to defend the innocent and defenseless people of Gaza,” said cleric Ali Shirazi, according to Iranian media translated by IranTracker.Org. “The Revolutionary Guards Navy has the power and preparedness to use all its potentials to escort freedom and peace caravans transporting humanitarian aid from the entire world to … Gaza.”
Juan,
MideastWire blog posted an interview with Joe Biden from the Friday Lunch Club. Biden says that Hamas launched 3000 rockets into Israel during the last conflict, and makes several other missteps. I know you have respect for Biden, and that he has impressed you by actually reading your articles (in DC?!?!), but this shows that he doesn't have much more than a shallow appreciation of the facts in Palestine:
© 2026 All Rights Reserved
"Did the 2008 Wall Street Crash occur in part because the Bush administration had removed pro-regulation New York Governor Elliot Spitzer, using information gathered from his bank accounts, cell phone and personal computer?"
I think the better question is how the 2008 Crash happened given all the domestic information collected by these occult scumbags. When you emulate Cicero and ask 'cui bono', you start to wonder who made their money off that crash.
The fact that we have to ask these questions is a sure sign of the totalitarian state being built on the banks of the Potomac.
If you think voting for Democrats will save you, you're sorely mistaken.
And John Boehner, of all people, is the cautious one.
"Next we’ll have to publish our books in Amsterdam for frear of arbitrary arest."
Not if we do something about it.
It seems we're still trying to convince ourselves that we live under a police state. I'm convinced. Seems that you are too, Juan.
Now what are we going to do about it?
Good points, Juan. The War on Drugs is the most paternalistic, destructive war in the last 100 years. The fact that Afghanistan's poppy trade has either stayed constant or actually increased under American occupation tells you the effectiveness of this war, and/or the corruption that reigns inside our government.
Americans need to understand that the people in their community that use certain banned drugs deserve to have their rights too. There's nothing in the Constitution saying you cannot experiment with your own consciousness.
Dr. Cole,
Could you also provide an explanation as to why Syria is not Libya? Many of the problems you lay out in this article applied equally to the Libya intervention, which you supported. The factions have different names and wear different hats, but this point in particular applies to both situations:
"– Flooding Syria with medium or heavy weaponry could destabilize it and its neighbors, including Israel & Palestine, for decades, as the CIA did to Afghanistan and Pakistan."
The people of Mali have suffered greatly because of the Libyan civil war and the Western intervention therein.
David Graeber has demonstrated a real gift for unpacking some very problematic cultural ideas. I'd love to see more about the managerial classes. Modern government and business thrives on complexity of its own creation, and formalism always appears when complexity arises. It's imperative that we climb out of the hole created by this faux complexity before we're all sent to our graves by technocrats.
There are multiple countries that have volunteered to take the prisoners, including Venezuela.
I guess embarrassment when Chavez would have trotted them out is worse than keeping people in cages.
Oh, I'm sorry, it defines the entire world as a warzone. The US is part of the world.
Also, if the government insists that the continental United States is a warzone (as defined in the 2012 NDAA), a citizen could easily make the case that it is in their best interest to own military style weapons. The government and proponents of the ban cannot have it both ways.
Juan, your data for public support for an assault weapons ban is outdated. At this time, a small majority supports the freedom to own such weapons, even after sandy hook:
link to politico.com
I would bet money that none of those things happen. Not one.
Desertec is ready to fuel the entire world with solar energy. Algeria and other countries in north africa could under in an energy renaissance.
I'm sure only positive things will come by overthrowing every single government in the middle east and marginalizing shia at every juncture. /sarcasm
I think it's worth pointing to two cases of rape where extradition did NOT happen:
link to bbc.co.uk
link to bigstory.ap.org
Let's face it: people don't get extradited for rape alone. They get extradited for rape when they follow the wrong political philosophy.
I would not be surprised if the UK broke into the embassy. If the Iraq war taught us anything, it's that the USA and the UK, when their forces combine, roll over any and all intl law that doesn't agree with their worldview. I think you are right to call Cameron the Ayatollah.
Spectre, completely agree. We should not be doing hoo-rahs over anyone's civil war.
... and nobody gives a damn about Mali.
This is bad for all Syrian people. Once again, the innocent are used as pawns in someone else's game.
There are still hundreds of hate crimes against Jews each year, according to the last FBI count I read. "Oppressed" might not be the right word for it, but we should acknowledge that people are hurt because they are Jewish.
That said, as ad said, black Americans are far more discriminated against.
I can't stand Glen Beck. However these constitutional-reversion-christian-militias (many of them hate groups) have plenty to fear from the federal government. Janet Reno went on a killing spree against these groups in the 90's, and look what happened: the largest terrorist attack against US citizens until 9/11.
So while I think Beck is full of it, saying that the more radical elements of the Tea Party movement aren't on government watch lists, and even at risk of being attacked by the federal government, is silly. The SPLC isn't the only one with a list of right-wing militias.
I'm sure someone else will post this, but it was mentioned in the CNN article's comments:
UCMJ Article 88
link to army.mil
"Any commissioned officer who uses contemptuous words against the President, the Vice President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department, the Secretary of Transportation, or the Governor or legislature of any State, Territory, Commonwealth, or possession in which he is on duty or present shall be punished as a court-martial may direct. "
Obama is going about this "green moon mission" for all the wrong reasons; he's talking about the tired line of dependence on foreign oil, not talking about the very real possibility that large parts of the earth will be uninhabitable from climate change. In fact, he barely mentioned the environment in his speech at all - he obviously puts token mentions of wetlands into the speech, but I don't get the feeling that he cares at all about the science of climate change and its relation to this catastrophe.
That was a poor speech, full of lame appeals to Religion and the old American fallback, War. Calling this a "war", and the oil a "siege" cheapens the fact that this is a man-made disaster. And we'd do well to not forget that fact, even if Obama does.
Does Iran want to bring the IRGC along for a aid flotilla ride?
link to csmonitor.com
Iranian politicians have been quick to speak out against the Israeli raid, and propose joint aid convoys for Gaza. The narrow strip of land is jammed with 1.5 million people and has been subject to an Israeli blockade for three years, in an effort to stop materials used by Hamas and other militants to make bombs and rockets, and to increase deprivation to try to turn the population against Hamas.
Supreme religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's representative to the Revolutionary Guard Navy said Iran was duty-bound to provide military escort.
“The duty of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the face of such an unchivalrous act [the flotilla raid] is to defend the innocent and defenseless people of Gaza,” said cleric Ali Shirazi, according to Iranian media translated by IranTracker.Org. “The Revolutionary Guards Navy has the power and preparedness to use all its potentials to escort freedom and peace caravans transporting humanitarian aid from the entire world to … Gaza.”
Juan,
MideastWire blog posted an interview with Joe Biden from the Friday Lunch Club. Biden says that Hamas launched 3000 rockets into Israel during the last conflict, and makes several other missteps. I know you have respect for Biden, and that he has impressed you by actually reading your articles (in DC?!?!), but this shows that he doesn't have much more than a shallow appreciation of the facts in Palestine:
link to mideastwire.wordpress.com
Hey Juan, I do like this new template. Congratulations on the move.