Hans Blix has voiced concerns and caution along the lines that Juan Cole does here. We can expect no such caution or concern of any kind from the Obama administration, which has shown little awareness that _Americans_ have human rights, much less Arabs or Muslims in the Middle East.
Is this what Susan Rice and the Obama regime wanted? Now they will have a totalitarian Egyptian government with far less of the religious commitment that had them in tizzy over the Muslim Brotherhood. And a military regime will be susceptible to American pressure through through the weapons channel. Israel, too, will likely be happy — or happier than with either the Muslim Brotherhood or a robust democracy.
Chris Rock has done a couple of skits along these lines — funnier (I think) but not as sustained, complete or well-thought-out. Whoopi Goldberg, too. And of course, the great Lenny Bruce.
All points that mainstream media organizations will leave unmentioned because, on balance, the major news outlets (including the 'anti-Israel' New York Times) agree with Weiner (or would not dare disagree).
The video, by the way, is missing. My guess: One of Google's (YouTube owner's) acts of censorship in kneejerk response to a summary demand.
Another guess: The only reason that Weiner can entertain staying in the race for New York mayor at all is because he enjoys such unqualified support from the Israel lobby.
@David — There's some evidence that Israel tested a nuclear device in the Negev in 1963 and another in cooperation with the Afrikaner government in South Africa in 1979.
In 1969, Nixon pressed Israel not undertake a test program.
My guess is that Israel has received so much help from the British, the French, and above all the US that it has never really needed to test for any reason other than saber-rattling.
And we know this was accidental because . . . ? The US very definitely deliberately attacked journalists (especially al Jazeera) in Baghdad. And the US has 'accidentally' attacked journalists elsewhere.
If we use the standards of justice Barack Obama and George W. Bush, then American forces are _guilty_ until killed and _then_ proved innocent (if ever).
Yet Victoria Nuland, speaking officially for the Obama war crime regime, will describe Palestinian construction as illegal or as a "settlement" (as she recently did Palestinian non-violent protest camps) while pointedly refusing to describe _any_ Israeli activity of any kind in even the most vaguely critical language.
The question I find myself asking again and again (for over 20 years now): Is there _anything_ that the Israelis could do that the US would condemn?
1. Obama has used the 1917 Espionage Act more than all previous presidents combined to abuse and persecute whistleblowers like Bradley Manning and John Kiriakou.
2. In health care reform, he gave insurers _everything_ they demanded while excluding single-payer advocates from the discussion altogether.
3. Economic inequality continues to grow rapidly while social mobility suffers.
4. Despite token Wall Street/finance reforms, nothing has stopped or even slowed Wall Street in its race to a new bubble. Obama has repeatedly surrounded himself with idolaters of Wall Street.
5. Obama has asserted the right to use drones anywhere, and has excused, ignored, or concealed American killings of civilians in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Yemen, and elsewhere.
6. Obama has claimed the right to assassinate American citizens.
7. He has failed to close Guantanamo. Despite claims of ending torture, his administration tortured Bradley Manning and there are numerous reports of torture continuing at Bagram airbase. His "ending" of torture seems more like a redefinition.
8. Obama showed every indication of personally opposing the CFPB (as he personally opposed Elizabeth Warren), but he found himself confronted with a majority in the US population that expected him to stand by at least _some_ of his rhetoric.
9. His administration continued the Bush rush to bailout Wall Street, but four years later, the vast majority of those directly mauled by the banks in the foreclosure crisis have seen _no_ assistance of any kind.
10. Whatever his personal thinking about Israeli occupation and right-wing Israeli war criminals, Obama has continued to fund Israeli atrocities in the West Bank and Gaza.
11. On climate change, Obama has been as bad in action as any Republican. It seems clear that, like the oligarchs he serves, Obama feels safe in the conviction that, no matter what happens, the US government will be able to extract from the average American whatever is needed to keep the 0.1 percent safe from any and all negative outcomes of their crimes.
I'm never sure what to make of stupid mistakes like this one by Fox (as opposed to the uninterrupted of pro-Israel, racist, anti-Arab hate-mongering). Just the other day, NPR referred to Romney's speech before the "Veterans of Foreign _Affairs_". Perhaps a more apt name, but is NPR betraying its ignorance or just bad proofreading?
The Christian Science Monitor story notes some details that suggest the source for this deliberate and malicious falsehood maybe the same David Nesenoff who baited Helen Thomas into comments that resulted in her forced resignation (comments which, if made about Arabs — as they daily are by conservatives — receive applause in the US from the likes of Rep. Peter King, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, etc.)
Lo and behold, it turns out Rick Santorum has an undergraduate degree, an MBA, and a law degree!
Maybe it was the mind-dulling, sycophantic idiocy that passes for education in business and law schools that stripped away whatever capacity for reason Santorum might once have had.
A prediction: Israel will now work behind the scenes to promote right-wing, conservative, religious extremists in Arab nations — especially — Egypt both to
1. continue its long history of divide and conquer (or at least, divide and subdue) potential countervailing powers in the Middle East and
2. promote anti-Arab hysteria and racism in the United States — a key component of preserving the river of money flowing from the US to Israel.
In 2007, overpaid Blackstone Group head Stephen Schwarzman spent somewhere between $10 and $15 million on his own birthday party. My guess is that Michelle Bachmann — certainly on the shortlist for Stupidest Moron in Congress — would champion billionaire brats blowing millions on such frivolous nonsense.
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Hans Blix has voiced concerns and caution along the lines that Juan Cole does here. We can expect no such caution or concern of any kind from the Obama administration, which has shown little awareness that _Americans_ have human rights, much less Arabs or Muslims in the Middle East.
Is this what Susan Rice and the Obama regime wanted? Now they will have a totalitarian Egyptian government with far less of the religious commitment that had them in tizzy over the Muslim Brotherhood. And a military regime will be susceptible to American pressure through through the weapons channel. Israel, too, will likely be happy — or happier than with either the Muslim Brotherhood or a robust democracy.
Chris Rock has done a couple of skits along these lines — funnier (I think) but not as sustained, complete or well-thought-out. Whoopi Goldberg, too. And of course, the great Lenny Bruce.
All points that mainstream media organizations will leave unmentioned because, on balance, the major news outlets (including the 'anti-Israel' New York Times) agree with Weiner (or would not dare disagree).
The video, by the way, is missing. My guess: One of Google's (YouTube owner's) acts of censorship in kneejerk response to a summary demand.
Another guess: The only reason that Weiner can entertain staying in the race for New York mayor at all is because he enjoys such unqualified support from the Israel lobby.
@David — There's some evidence that Israel tested a nuclear device in the Negev in 1963 and another in cooperation with the Afrikaner government in South Africa in 1979.
In 1969, Nixon pressed Israel not undertake a test program.
My guess is that Israel has received so much help from the British, the French, and above all the US that it has never really needed to test for any reason other than saber-rattling.
Interesting that Israel is supporting the dam given the threats it has leveled at Lebanon over waterflows from Lebanon into Israel.
And we know this was accidental because . . . ? The US very definitely deliberately attacked journalists (especially al Jazeera) in Baghdad. And the US has 'accidentally' attacked journalists elsewhere.
If we use the standards of justice Barack Obama and George W. Bush, then American forces are _guilty_ until killed and _then_ proved innocent (if ever).
Remember all the Obama idolaters who bleated that after the election, we'd see "the real Obama"?
Yet Victoria Nuland, speaking officially for the Obama war crime regime, will describe Palestinian construction as illegal or as a "settlement" (as she recently did Palestinian non-violent protest camps) while pointedly refusing to describe _any_ Israeli activity of any kind in even the most vaguely critical language.
The question I find myself asking again and again (for over 20 years now): Is there _anything_ that the Israelis could do that the US would condemn?
And . . .
1. Obama has used the 1917 Espionage Act more than all previous presidents combined to abuse and persecute whistleblowers like Bradley Manning and John Kiriakou.
2. In health care reform, he gave insurers _everything_ they demanded while excluding single-payer advocates from the discussion altogether.
3. Economic inequality continues to grow rapidly while social mobility suffers.
4. Despite token Wall Street/finance reforms, nothing has stopped or even slowed Wall Street in its race to a new bubble. Obama has repeatedly surrounded himself with idolaters of Wall Street.
5. Obama has asserted the right to use drones anywhere, and has excused, ignored, or concealed American killings of civilians in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Yemen, and elsewhere.
6. Obama has claimed the right to assassinate American citizens.
7. He has failed to close Guantanamo. Despite claims of ending torture, his administration tortured Bradley Manning and there are numerous reports of torture continuing at Bagram airbase. His "ending" of torture seems more like a redefinition.
8. Obama showed every indication of personally opposing the CFPB (as he personally opposed Elizabeth Warren), but he found himself confronted with a majority in the US population that expected him to stand by at least _some_ of his rhetoric.
9. His administration continued the Bush rush to bailout Wall Street, but four years later, the vast majority of those directly mauled by the banks in the foreclosure crisis have seen _no_ assistance of any kind.
10. Whatever his personal thinking about Israeli occupation and right-wing Israeli war criminals, Obama has continued to fund Israeli atrocities in the West Bank and Gaza.
11. On climate change, Obama has been as bad in action as any Republican. It seems clear that, like the oligarchs he serves, Obama feels safe in the conviction that, no matter what happens, the US government will be able to extract from the average American whatever is needed to keep the 0.1 percent safe from any and all negative outcomes of their crimes.
I'm never sure what to make of stupid mistakes like this one by Fox (as opposed to the uninterrupted of pro-Israel, racist, anti-Arab hate-mongering). Just the other day, NPR referred to Romney's speech before the "Veterans of Foreign _Affairs_". Perhaps a more apt name, but is NPR betraying its ignorance or just bad proofreading?
The Christian Science Monitor story notes some details that suggest the source for this deliberate and malicious falsehood maybe the same David Nesenoff who baited Helen Thomas into comments that resulted in her forced resignation (comments which, if made about Arabs — as they daily are by conservatives — receive applause in the US from the likes of Rep. Peter King, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, etc.)
Lo and behold, it turns out Rick Santorum has an undergraduate degree, an MBA, and a law degree!
Maybe it was the mind-dulling, sycophantic idiocy that passes for education in business and law schools that stripped away whatever capacity for reason Santorum might once have had.
A prediction: Israel will now work behind the scenes to promote right-wing, conservative, religious extremists in Arab nations — especially — Egypt both to
1. continue its long history of divide and conquer (or at least, divide and subdue) potential countervailing powers in the Middle East and
2. promote anti-Arab hysteria and racism in the United States — a key component of preserving the river of money flowing from the US to Israel.
In 2007, overpaid Blackstone Group head Stephen Schwarzman spent somewhere between $10 and $15 million on his own birthday party. My guess is that Michelle Bachmann — certainly on the shortlist for Stupidest Moron in Congress — would champion billionaire brats blowing millions on such frivolous nonsense.