Thursday, October 25, 2012

Justice must be served. The starting point

U.S. Officials Guilty of War Crimes for Using 9/11 As a False Justification for the Iraq War by washingtonsblog.com


"Given that Iraq had no connection with 9/11 and possessed no weapons of mass destruction, the Iraq war was a crime of aggression and – under the standards by which Nazi leaders were convicted by the Nuremberg Tribunal – the American leaders who lied us into that war are guilty of war crimes."

Since 9-11, as every angle of that event has been examined by people of all sorts, the evidence is overwhelming as to the criminality of what happened.

But fine, not everyone will agree. Then let the trial settle it. Starting with Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and, sadly, the otherwise good man Powell. As the plotters and executioners are revealed in testimony and evidence, they too deserve their day in court.

Justice must be served if we are going to restore confidence in America, here and abroad. This is the starting point.


Armed to the Teeth and Living in Fear by DAVE LINDORFF

"It’s that virtually the whole country is populated by adults who have been raised in a climate of fear by a media and a government that are hell-bent on scaring the shit out of everyone."

There are dots that can be connected between this article and the one above.

I agree word for word with what Dave Lindorff says. I would challenge him to include the thinking in the above post on justice. I think he'd have to agree that we need a turning point, a defining moment, and such a trial will give us that. We can then turn our attention to rebuilding this country with "justice and liberty for all".


Bill


Wednesday, October 24, 2012

37 Facts About How Cruel This Economy Has Been

37 Facts About How Cruel This Economy Has Been To Millions Of Desperate American Families by Michael Snyder


What do you think about these facts?

There is a conceptually simple solution to these problems: fix the election system so knowledgeable people of goodwill can fix the rest.

We need an easy to explain and effective solution that people can rally behind, and this is one such. I'm all ears for another - a lot of others, but let's start with this one.




Bill

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

The 2 Stooges


I can't be the only one who watched the so-called "debate" on foreign policy last night and at some point realized I was watching 2 Stooges sling it out over which one is bending over lower for Israel.

This morning I checked the websites on my reading list to see what they had to say.

Debate Summary: Israel, Israel, Israel, Israel by Justin Raimondo


5 Ways Romney and Obama Will Shamelessly Pander to Israel Tonight By Alex Kane

A debate to be ashamed of By Andrew Leonard


Who Knew? Romney Agrees With Obama on Foreign Policy By Adam Serwer



Bill

Bill Moyers: The Plutocracy Will Go to Extremes to Keep the 1% in Control

Bill Moyers: The Plutocracy Will Go to Extremes to Keep the 1% in Control By Bill Moyers, Matt Taibbi, Chrystia Freeland


You owe it to yourself to spend 49 minutes watching this video. It's the most insightful and clear explanation of what's happened and is happening with our economy that I've seen yet. This is the kind of reporting that put Bill Moyers on the map, and Matt Taibbi and Chrystia Freeland are really to be applauded for their insight and journalistic integrity in the face of such opposiion.



Bill


Thursday, October 18, 2012

The Racket of War

The Racket of War by SANFORD KELSON

Mr Kelson puts his mind around Smedley Butler's famous testimony that "war is a racket" and he provides still more evidence of the truth that General Butler had discovered decades ago. Events since the General's days have served to give still more credence to his words.

That is, what General Butler observed and decried in his day not only remains true to this day, but the forces he identified only grew richer and more powerful. Their power today exceeds words like 'awesome', and undoubtedly the General is turning in his grave having put so much effort into warning people that "war is a racket".

It's been said that "ignorance and apathy" rules, but history shows case after case of what happens when people are pushed too hard and too far. Are we in that moment?

It's to our great fortune that we have the Internet and thoughtful, knowledgeable and thinker/writers such as Mr Kelson who freely share their knowledge, experience and vision of it all clearly, logically and with a true humanitarian spirit.

People like Mr Kelson have studied not only General Butler, but other great thinkers in history, and they are standing on the shoulders of those giants. It's to our great benefit to listen to what they have to say.

When you read Mr Kelson's article, you may get the feeling that this is repetitive. Give him the benefit of the doubt and finish the entire presentation - and then ask yourself if that isn't a pretty good summation of America's wars and the "prime movers" behind and underneath them.

This is important. The dogs of war have been let out again. People are doing the killing and dying every day. There is no end in sight. The weapons on all sides are so terrible that humanity cannot let this madness go on. We've poked a giant finger in the eye of a religion with over a billion followers. We exacerbate this problem in so many ways it would be laughable if not true. We occupy their countries. Just think how you'd react to foreign soldiers patrolling your streets. We piss on their corpses, burn their sacred books, use robots to kill innocent people, etc.

We can't seem to grasp the power of people who will gladly give their lives for their cause. You hear about an Iraqi blowing herself up to take out very small numbers of people. Can't you see how many volunteers would step up at the chance to take out large numbers of Americans instead of a few? Are you aware of the super terrible weapons available in the world today? From germs to radioactive substances to who-knows-what-in-those-labs, weapons that have not been used are weapons the losing side could easy turn to before accepting defeat. It is that hard to imagine some very tough people among our enemies?

We listened to and got all riles over all the scare talk after 9-11, but time has passed and all of the scare talk seems to have been proved wrong. Unfortunately, that's not the case. We may be tired of hearing of it, but the threat today is substantially greater then ever before.

We imagine we have lots of friends in that part of the world, but that's an illusion. Propaganda. There are people in positions of power that money controlled, but they are being ousted. More important is public opinion, because ultimately even the most strict rulers must abide by. The Pew organization has studies on public support for America in ME counties. Not a pretty picture.

Yet, today a 3rd carrier group is set to join warships stationed off the coast of Iran. Would the police send an armed squad to surround a house - and then go home? What are the odds that bringing in the big guns in a threatening way can result in a shooting match?

Is there a way that we-the-people can get out of this hole?

Some say violence is the only way. I can't agree. I know what war is like, and believe me, a day or two into it you'll be sickened. And then you'll run out of ammo. And then you'll wish it never started. Over-simplification, but you get the idea.

I believe there is a non-violent solution: a money-free Internet based election system. Take the money out of politics. Pure democracy. First people decide the issues, then pick candidates who match their position on the issues.

Sorting this out is a big job for the voter, true, but he/she will have AI such as the likes of IBM's Watson, to turn to for help, and voting can actually be a fun experience. Imagine getting to vote for a candidate whose interests really do match your own and who is not corrupted by money?

.

Bill

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

The deficit is largely a product of tax cuts and wars.


5 Facts You Need to Know for Tonight's Presidential Debate
by Annie-Rose Strasser


From this article, this chart:



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How Propagandists for the 1% Are Manipulating Christian Teachings to Rob the Middle Class By Michael Meurer

"In the US, the inexorable logic of this process is embedded in the numbers that comprise the national debt. By most estimates, the national debt is at least $15 trillion.

Here is one way to understand where the money went.

-- The US government spent $7.4 trillion on bank bailouts.

-- It then spent $5 trillion for three elective wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.

-- It simultaneously incurred $2.8 trillion in lost revenue due to the Bush tax cuts for the top income brackets. "


America RIP by PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS

"The lack of jobs, especially high value-added, high productivity jobs, is the reason real median household income has declined and the distribution of income has worsened. Without rising real household income, there cannot be a consumer economy.

...

I have told this story many times. But policymakers, the media, and economists seem unable to connect the dots.

...

Walsh is correct that China is not to blame for the decline in US manufacturing. Offshoring is to blame, and, thus, the blame lies with US corporations, policymakers, and the economists and financial media who shill for “globalism.” The decision was made to sacrifice the US economy to the short-term profits of the few. A country so poorly led can do nothing but decline."




Bill

Friday, October 12, 2012

Is this a sugar coated assessment of the failure in Afghanistan?

Afghanistan: The Long and Winding Roads by Joshua Hersh


This article is a long winded way of saying the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan is a total loss.

Why? Would you like a simple answer? Okay, then think about it this way: how would you like to look outside and see soldiers from some other country?



Bill

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Weapons of Mass Distraction: The Big, Long Lie about Iraq Lingers Still

Weapons of Mass Distraction: The Big, Long Lie about Iraq Lingers Still by Dennis Kucinich

Yes, at least some of us have heard this truth before, but it's well worth repeating. And it should be repeated again and again until justice is done. The people responsible for the invasion of the Middle East, Iraq in particular, should be put on trial, and until this is done we cannot claim to be a just country. The implications of this are immense.


Bill

America’s Moral Degeneracy

America’s Moral Degeneracy by Paul Craig Roberts

"We can conclude with Anthony Gregory that it is not only foreign political regimes that are corrupted by Washington’s evil, but also Americans themselves. “Nothing better demonstrates the moral degeneracy of American political culture than the U.S. torture state.”"


Switzerland Prepares For Mass Civil Unrest In Europe
by Paul Joseph Watson


"Despite being one of the most stable and economically vibrant countries in the world, primarily as a result of its refusal to join the Euro, Switzerland is preparing for mass civil unrest in central Europe that could spill over its border, by mobilizing troops to deal with potential disorder.

...

“It’s commonly held by European security insiders that if the next Anders Brievik were to target Muslims, not fellow Europeans, things could get unimaginably ugly very quickly,” he writes. “It is difficult to see how Europe’s much smaller militaries could cope with massive civil disturbances. (And don’t ask Uncle Sam for help, since the very last thing the Pentagon wants is to get dragged into any riot suppression – particularly putting down Muslim uprisings – anywhere in Europe.)”"


As interesting as this article is, it omits one high note that a reader reply does mention:


"We need to ask the question: How did the western nations even end up in this much debt? How are we ever going to repay it without having to borrow it from the same lenders?"


Tomgram: Hellman and Kramer, How Much Does Washington Spend on "Defense"? Posted by Chris Hellman and Mattea Kramer

Read this and ask yourself why we're allowing this to happen to us, our county, our future, our children's future ...


Bill

Another great article that should be read in every American school!

As the 1st reader reply says "Another great article that should be read in every American school!", Overwrought Empire by Tom Engelhardt


"Think of it as the American imperial paradox: everywhere there are now “threats” against our well-being which seem to demand action and yet nowhere are there commensurate enemies to go with them. Everywhere the U.S. military still reigns supreme by almost any measure you might care to apply; and yet — in case the paradox has escaped you — nowhere can it achieve its goals, however modest.

..

And yet the more dominant the U.S. military becomes in its ability to destroy and the more its forces are spread across the globe, the more the defeats and semi-defeats pile up, the more the missteps and mistakes grow, the more the strains show, the more the suicides rise, the more the nation’s treasure disappears down a black hole — and in response to all of this, the more moves the Pentagon makes.

..

By all the usual measuring sticks, the U.S. should be supreme in a historically unprecedented way. And yet it couldn’t be more obvious that it’s not, that despite all the bases, elite forces, private armies, drones, aircraft carriers, wars, conflicts, strikes, interventions, and clandestine operations, despite a labyrinthine intelligence bureaucracy that never seems to stop growing and into which we pour a minimum of $80 billion a year, nothing seems to work out in an imperially satisfying way. It couldn’t be more obvious that this is not a glorious dream, but some kind of ever-expanding imperial nightmare."


It’s All About Israel Part II of “Roots of the Iranian ‘Crisis’” by Justin Raimondo


"It was and is a matter of high principle for the neoconservatives that the US unconditionally support Israel in its struggle against the Arab world.

...

The entire regime change operation we are seeing unfold in the Middle East is a veritable laundry list of neoconservative goals as outlined in the “Clean Break” document, as well as in the agenda of the Project for a New American Century (PNAC)

...

The “Clean Break” scenario envisioned the overthrow of Iraq’s Ba’athist regime as a prerequisite for Israel’s success, and the Israel lobby, in concert with the neoconservatives, played a key role in dragging us into that disastrous war of aggression."


How the US Quietly Lost the IED War in Afghanistan by Gareth Porter


"Although the surge of “insider attacks” on U.S.-NATO forces has dominated coverage of the war in Afghanistan in 2012, an even more important story has been quietly unfolding: the U.S. loss of the pivotal war of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to the Taliban.

...

Over the 2009-11 period, the U.S. military suffered a total of 14,627 casualties,
... Of that total, 8,680, or 59 percent, were from IED explosions, .. And the proportion of all U.S. casualties caused by IEDs continued to increase from 56 percent in 2009 to 63 percent in 2011.

...

JIEDDO spent more than 18 billion dollars on high-tech solutions aimed at detecting IEDs before they went off, including robots, and blimps with spy cameras. But as the technology helped the U.S.-NATO command discover more IEDs, the Taliban simply produced and planted even larger numbers of bombs to continue to increase the pressure of the IED war.

...

The Taliban success in targeting troops on foot was the main reason U.S. casualties from IEDs increased from 1,211 wounded and 159 dead in 2009 to 3,366 wounded and 259 dead in 2010."


What’s the Real Reason Israel Dialed Back the Push for War on Iran? by John Glaser


Above and beyond the title of this article, much more important is the last paragraph:

"One implication of these developments is that it shows how much of a manufactured threat the Iranian nuclear program has been all along. How can the threat be a ticking time bomb with a short fuse that will soon mean the destruction of Israel one day, and the next day it’s something that doesn’t even need to be in the headlines? Iran doesn’t present anywhere near as large a threat as US and Israeli leaders have let on. But pretending it does provides Israel with a benefit: As former CIA Middle East analyst Paul Pillar has written, “the Iran issue” provides a “distraction” from international “attention to the Palestinians’ lack of popular sovereignty.” If every high-level diplomatic meeting with the Obama administration focuses on Iran, Israel can continue to rob Palestinians of land and rights unencumbered."


And let me take this a logical step further: imagine just how controlled our information supply must be for this blatant propaganda to have been keep in the headlines in such lock step by the mainstream system for so long. And now that it's plain and obvious it was all just another duping, where are the headlines saying that?

Nope. Not forthcoming. Not a hint about these truths will ever see the light of day for their minions, and the entire affair will be buried. And if it weren't for the likes of brave folks like Justin Rainmondo, John Glaser and Tom Engelhardt we'd never know what we know now.




Bill

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Noam Chomsky: The Fate of Humanity Is at Stake

Noam Chomsky: The Fate of Humanity Is at Stake -- Why Are Romney and Obama Too Cowardly to Talk About What Really Matters? By Noam Chomsky

"There are two issues of overwhelming significance, because the fate of the species is at stake: environmental disaster, and nuclear war.

... Missing from the debate is the obvious way to mitigate or end whatever threat Iran might be believed to pose: Establish a nuclear weapons-free zone in the region"


Why I Dislike Israel and on Counterpunch by Philip Giraldi


"I have to admit that I don’t like what my own government is doing these days, but I like Israel even less and it is past time to do something about it. No more money, no more political support, no more tolerance of spying, and no more having to listen to demands for red lines to go to war. No more favorable press when the demented Benjamin Netanyahu holds up a cartoon at the U.N. The United States government exists to serve the American people, no more, no less, and it is time that our elected representatives begin to remember that fact."


Reader comments to this article are particularly interesting, not only because they support and extend Philip's argument, but because they are almost devoid of intelligent (or should I say clever) counter-arguments, which anti-Israel articles generally bring out of the woodwork.


It's Long Past Time to Admit: The Military Solution in Afghanistan Has Failed by Robert Greenwald

The title speaks for itself.



Bill


Tuesday, October 2, 2012


Iraq: Ten Years, a Million Lives and Trillions of Dollars Later by Dennis Kucinich


Ya know, when all you hear on the TV, newspapers and magazines is blatant propaganda, the same messages pounded over and over, it's so refreshing and good for the sanity to have people like Dennis Kucinich out there telling the plain and simple truth.

What he says has been completely verified to be true, yet we continue to live under the same old regime. I can't for the life of me understand how 100 million America aren't squarely behind him and getting him into office. How, exactly, did he get knocked out of the Presidential race? Is it the same evil forces that manipulated America in administrations past?

We need to reform the election system. Remove the money and we get good people who will do the right thing by America and the world into office. If we can't do this, we're headed for the graveyard of empires.

And, if we're going to recover, we must have justice. The perpetrators of the invasion of the Middle East under false pretenses must be brought to trial for what they did. If this is not done, respect for America will continue to decline around the world, and we need the world much more then it needs us.


Bill